Fight between Those-born-at-Qā′gials and Those-born-at-Skedans
[Told by Abraham of Those-born-at-Qꜝā′dᴀsgo]
They were encamped in G̣a′ogîts[1] to gather fish eggs. Those-born-at-Qā′gials and Those-born-at-Skedans lived on opposite sides.
Once Koa′gians[2] won from Kusʟxa′s a large knife that his dead father had owned. And he refused to give it to him. They wrangled then with each other. Then Koa′gians went out and announced the day that they had agreed upon for fighting. On the appointed day they put on their armor. They used helmets, war coats, and gorgets.
Then Koa′gians asked: “Whom shall I use for my fighting skirt?”[3] And Sounding-property said: “You shall use me for your fighting skirt.” He was a youth. They even broke up their canoes to use the pieces as gorgets.
Presently, when they were ready, they approached each other in lines. Koa′gians acted as leader of Those-born-at-Skedans. Sounding-property protected him below his breast. And Qagi′t acted as leader of Those-born-at-Qā′gials. He, too, was a brave man, and he determined to fight with Koa′gians. As soon as they were all engaged in battle, Qagi′t speared Koa′gians, so that he fell. Then Qagi′t pulled him toward himself and stabbed him with a knife. Sounding-property also lay dead in front of him.
And, after they had fought for a while, Those-born-at-Skedans and the Town-of-Djī′gua[4] people were driven back. And they did not go near the place where they used to live. They went instead toward the woods. And Those-born-at-Qā′gials pursued them.
Then the great chief South-east[5] rested on two strong youths, and they helped him up the mountain. And he heard the Skedans people calling from behind: “They are taking your beaver.” But still he went away. South-east owned a beaver dish. That was what they meant when they called to him.[6]
While they carried him along he repeated: “My beaver.” And when they reached the top of the mountain all the men and women sat with him, and he began to weep for his beaver:
“𝄆 𝄆 Hī-ī-ī-ī-ī-ī⁺ 𝄇 𝄆 Wadīkâ′lᴀm tcâlī′-ī-ī-ī-ī 𝄇[7] hī-ī-ī-ī⁺ 𝄇 hī-ī-ī-ī⁺, hī hī hī.” They then started away from there. And they came to Dju-î′tga.[8] And, when he saw the inlet open out, he sang another song:
“𝄆 Wâ yī′a hē ē ī ē 𝄇 I look upon it, xē ē ē ē [[402]]
“𝄆 Wīya hī yē hē yē 𝄇 There is now daylight (i.e., the trouble is partly over).[9]
“𝄆 Wayī′a hē′ē ē ē 𝄇”
And after that they occupied Mountain-fort.[10] Then the women of Those-born-at-Skedans gathered a supernatural medicine. And, after they had collected it, they gave it to One-going-to-be-the-elder-Sqaa′n.[11] They put it then upon a charmed necklace, and they also put some upon a looking-glass. One-going-to-be-the-elder Sqaa′n then sent the charm over to Wā′nᴀg̣ᴀn.[12] And she sent over to Tcinxā′da[12] the mirror on which she had put the medicine.
As soon as they reached Skedans Wā′nᴀg̣ᴀn wore the charm and Tcinxā′da looked at himself in the mirror. They felt [the effects of] the medicine at once. Tcinxā′da’s face, which had been touched by a war spear’s point, had not healed. They went from Skedans at once to get wives. And a large number went along.
When they got near Mountain-fort they stood up. And they began to sing: “One will not even feel where he fell, ā′hiya.”[13] Then someone in the canoe repeated: “That is the way it will happen.”[13]
At that time Qꜝayū′s got ready for them. He said that they might get off the canoe, but perhaps he would not let them in. When they had gone ashore they entered the house. When [Those-born-at-Skedans] acted in an unfriendly manner, as if they were ready to do something, all escaped to their canoe.
And, after they had gone up the inlet some distance, they came to their brother-in-law. And he asked: “Say! brothers-in-law, why did you come up here?” And they said to him: “They almost destroyed us. We escaped by sea.” Then he said: “Come back then. I think they did it to you because I was away.” Then they returned with him.
When they fought at G̣a′ogîts they had killed his nephew. He called upon his brothers-in-law to go back because his mind was sick on account of it. So, after they landed at the fort, they killed them. They afterward made peace with each other. After that they ceased to treat each other badly.
The first of these families was the principal family at Skedans; the second, the ruling family at Kloo. The one was Raven; the other, Eagle. They were so closely connected by intermarriages that quarrels seldom arose between them, and the one narrated here seems to have been thought remarkable for that reason. [[404]]
[2] One of Those-born-at-Skedans. [↑]
[3] The person who acted in this capacity defended the lower part of a warrior’s person, which was not so well protected by the native armor as the upper part. He answered somewhat to the Oriental “armor-bearer.” [↑]
[4] See the story of [Cloud-watcher], [notes]. They were always allied with Those-born-at-Skedans. [↑]
[5] One of the greatest names of the chief of Kloo. [↑]
[6] The beaver was a valued crest belonging to this family, and, although their opponents, being Ravens, could not wear it, the capture of an object upon which it was figured disturbed in a measure their right to the crest. [↑]
[9] The word sî′ñx̣i (“evening”) was often used as a synonym for “grief.” [↑]
[10] On an islet between Dog island and Lyell island. [↑]
[11] Niece of the town chief. Sqaan-qꜝai′as (“The-elder-sqaan”) was the highest name for a woman among Those-born-at-Skedans. [↑]
[12] Nephews of the town chief at Skedans, and the ones who stood next in succession to his position. ↑ [a] [b]