Part 17 (1/2)

NOTES ON THE STORY OF SOHAHNEE MAHKAI

In this we are given a most graphic and pathetic glimpse of Indian warfare.

Notice the bushes are ”cut down” (broken off more likely) by a stick. A glimpse of the rude old tools.

Very poetic is the conception of Veeipschool, ”the being above who is always sad, and makes people sad when anything bad has happened.” A personification of premonition.

THE STORY OF PAHTAHNk.u.m

And when they came to their journey's end the wife of Kaw-koin-puh had a baby, which grew up to be a fine boy, but the mother cried all the time, where-ever she went, on account of her husband's death.

And the people, after they had settled down, used to go rabbit-hunting, and the children too, and this boy, Paht-ahn-k.u.m, used to watch them wistfully, and his mother said: ”I know what you are thinking of, but there is nothing for you to kill rabbits with. But I will send you to your uncle, my brother, whom I am expecting will make a bow and arrows for you.”

And the next morning, early, the boy went to his uncle, who said: ”Why do you come so early? It is an unusual thing for you to come to see me so early instead of playing with boys and girls of your own age.”

And the boy replied: ”My mother said she was expecting you to make me a bow and arrows.”

And his uncle said: ”That is an easy thing to do. Let us go out and get one.” And they went out and found an o-a-pot, or cat-claw tree, and cut a piece of its wood to make a bow, and they made a fire and roasted the stick over this, turning it, and they made a string from its bark to try it with; and then they found arrow-weeds, and made arrows, four of them, roasting these, too, and strengthening them; and then they went home and made a good string for the bow from sinew.

And then the boy went home and showed his mother his bow and arrows.

And the next morning the children went hunting and little Pahtahnk.u.m went with them to the place of meeting.

And they found a quotaveech's nest near them, with young ones in it, and one of the men shot into it and killed one of the young ones, and then the children ran up to join in the killing. And when Pahtahnk.u.m came up, one of the men threw him one of the young birds, and said: ”Here, take it, even if your mother does not wish to marry me.”

And the little boy ran home and gave his game to his mother, and when she saw it she turned her back on it and cried. And he wondered why she cried when he had brought her game and was wis.h.i.+ng she would cook it for his dinner.

And his mother said: ”I never thought my relatives would treat you this way. There is an animal, the caw-sawn, the wood rat, and a bird, the kah-kai-cheu, the quail, and these are good to eat, and these are what they ought to give you, and when they give you those, bring them home and I will cook them for you.” She said, further; ”This bird is not fit to eat; and I was thinking, while I was crying, that if your father were living now you would have plenty of game, and he would make you a fine bow, and teach you to be as good a hunter as there is. And I will tell you now how your father died. We did not use to live here. But beyond this mountain there is a river, and beyond that another river still, and that is where we lived and where your father was killed by the people called Apaches, and that is why we are here, and why we are so poor now.

I am only telling you this so you may know how you came to be fatherless, for I know very well you can never pay it back, for the Apaches are very fierce, and very brave, and those who go to their country have to be very careful; for even at night the Apaches may be near them, and even the suns.h.i.+ne in their country feels different from what it does here.”

And the little boy, that night, went to his uncle, who asked: ”Why do you come to me in the night?”

And the little boy said: ”I come to you because today I was hunting with the bow and arrows you made me, and someone gave me a little bird, and I was bashful, and brought it right home for my mother to cook for me, and she cried, and then told me about my father and how he died. And I do not see why you kept this a secret from me. And I wish you would tell me what these Apaches look like, that they are so fierce and brave.”

And his uncle said: ”That is so. I have not told you of these things because you are just a baby yet, and I did not intend to tell you until you were a man, but now I know you have sense enuf to wish to learn. There is nothing so very different or dangerous about these Apaches; only their bows, and their arrows of cane are dangerous.”

And the little boy went on to another doctor, who said: ”Why do you come to me? Are you lost? If so, we will take you home.” But the little boy said to him: ”No, I am not lost, but I want you to tell me one thing--why the Apaches are so dangerous--are they like the har-sen, the giant cactus, with so many thorns?” And the doctor answered: ”No, they are men like we are, and have thoughts as we have, and eat as we do, and there is only one thing that makes them dangerous and that is their bows and their arrows of cane.”

So the little boy went to the next doctor, and this doctor also asked him if he were lost, and he said: ”No, but I want you to tell me just one thing--why the Apaches are so dangerous. Are they like the mirl-hawk, the cane-cactus, with so many branches all covered with thorns?” And the doctor replied: ”No, they are human beings just as we are, and think just as we do, and eat as we do, and the only things that make them dangerous are their bows and their arrows of cane.” And the little boy said: ”I am satisfied.”

But he went yet to another doctor and asked him also why the Apaches were so dangerous, were they like the hah-nem, the cholla cactus? But the doctor said no, and gave the same answer as the others had done, and the little boy said: ”I am satisfied, then,” and went back to his uncle again and began to question him about what people did when they got ready for war, and what they did to purify themselves afterward, and his uncle said: ”It is now late at night, and I want you to go home, and tomorrow come to me, and I will tell you about these things.”

So the little boy went home, but very early in the morning, before sunrise, he was again at his uncle's house, and came in to him before he was yet up. And his uncle said: ”I will now tell you, but we must go outside and not talk in here before other people.”