[Told by Abraham of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsgo]
At the town of Xā′gi [934] a woman of the Slaves [935] went outside
before she went to bed. She did not return. But instead of saying
anything they kept the matter in their minds. They did not know from
what town people had come to get her.
Some time afterward they discovered that she had been taken by a man
from the town of G̣a′-idi [936] who had been in love with her. It was a
man of the Sand-town people. They went then in a large canoe to demand
the property which was given when a woman deserted her husband. And
they came there at low water.
When the tide was well up he (the seducer) went out and played with his
wife between the houses. He who had formerly had her as his wife was
the bow man. And, when he paddled shoreward, he said: “Shoreward!
Future people shall always remember me.” He then took a bow and two
arrows and jumped off with them. And he ran up and shot his wife.
Afterward he shot the man. At that time he escaped into the canoe. They
went away and landed. The man’s mind was happy.
And Wada′ [937] thought his town was too great to have a woman taken
out of it. Then she (his wife) said to her husband: “Make it all right
with property.” He would not agree. He said they thought his town was
common. By and by she told her husband to go ahead: “Make a stir about
it. My children are clear of it.”
And the people of Chief-discovered’s town [938] said the same things to
him that Wada’s wife had said. They could not stop him. He also thought
that his town was too great. By and by they announced a fight. They
cleaned their spears. They agreed upon a day on which to fight.
When the day at last arrived they came around Sqas point. [939] One in
the town shouted: “It is becoming dry [with the number of canoes].”
They landed at once at the end of the town. Then they went to the town
of Xā′gi. The people of Wada’s town stood in lines on the beach
awaiting them.
When they came together all the women went into the woods. After the
lines had approached each other for a while they got within a spear
cast, and one from Wada’s side shouted: “Bring on the
spear-whetstones.” [940] One on the other side from among
Chief-discovered’s people also said: “Ho, ho, you are not the only ones
to have them.” They thought that they had called spears
spear-whetstones when they answered. What they really intended was to
call out ten persons who were reckless and brave.
As soon as they came down they began to spear the people of
Chief-discovered’s town. At the very beginning Chief-discovered fell.
Wada′, however, escaped.
The people of Common-town [941] came in front and looked on from their
canoes. Only five canoes [of the Sand-town people] escaped. He
destroyed the people of Chief-discovered’s town. After they had pulled
the spears out of the slain they (the people of Common-town) brought
their canoes in front of the people of Chief-discovered’s town and
carried in the dead bodies. They did not wish to fight.
And the women came back. Wada’s wife, with her children, did not come
back. Although they hunted for her body they could not find it. And the
others carried up their dead. They did not, however, take up the body
of Chief-discovered. The canoe was rolled about by the waves with his
body in it. He floated about in the bilge-water. They treated his body
in that way because they had lost so many friends through him.
These were both Ninstints families of the Raven clan. The former was
named from an islet in Skincuttle inlet, which is said to have been the
first land to appear above the waters of the flood raised by Raven’s
uncle; see the story of “Raven traveling.” From this they claimed to be
the oldest Haida family. The Sand-town people have been referred to in
“Story of the Food-giving-town people,” note 4.