LAFLESCHE] RITE OF VIGIL FREE TRANSLATION. 55 



4. It was he who, at the beginning of the day, 



5. Rushed forth in attack, 



6. Upon the young male deer, with curved horns, 



7. And threw him to the earth where he lay in death. 



8. My grandfather returned to the deer, 



9. After he had made the attack. 



10. Verily, at that time and place, it has been said, in this house, 



1 1 . He uttered a loud cry of triumph, 



12. Then spake, saying: When the little ones go toward the setting 



sun, 



13. To strike and overthi'ow their foes, 



14. They shall always fall upon them in this very manner, 



15. And their hands shall alwa3's be upon the fallen foe, as they 



travel the path of life, 



16. And as the mottled lynx stood there he made the first cut, -it has 



been said, in this house. 



17. What shall the little ones make to be a symbol of courage'? they 



said to one another, 



18. The dark gray woK that lies outstretched, they said; 



19. Our grandfather, whose courage is great, we shall make to be a 



sjmibol of courage. 



20. It was he who, at the beginning of the day, 



21. Rushed forth in attack, 



22. Upon the young male deer with gray horns, 



23. Verily, it was within the bend of a river, 



24. Our grandfather overtook the deer and made it to lie upon the 



earth in death, 



25. Our grandfather uttered a loud cry of triumph, 



26. Then spake, saj-ing: When the little ones go forth to strike their 



foes 



27. They shall always strike them in this manner, as they travel the 



path of life, 



28. When they make my hands to be their hands, 



29. Then shall their hands always be upon the foe, as they travel the 



path of life. 



30. And as the gray wolf stood there he made the second cut, it has 



been said, in this house. 



31. What shall the little ones make to be a symbol of coiu-age ? they 



said to one another, 



32. The male puma that lies outstretched, they said, 



* No explanation could be obtained from either Wa-xthi'-zhi or Tse-zhiz'-ga-wa-da-in-ga as to the meaning 

 of thisline and the closingline of each of the three following sections. The lines probably refer to the custom 

 of cutting the scalp taken from the foe by a war party into four parts before cutting it into smaller pieces f«r 

 distribution among the sacred hawks — the wa-xo'-be. 



