322 THE (EGIHA LANGUAGE—MYTHS, STORIES, AND LETTERS. 
TRANSLATION. 
Twenty men went on the war-path. They ate nothing. They were very impatient 
from hunger. They made a circuit and were coming back. ‘That will do, O servants! 
Look around as you walk. Do your best at searching,” said the war-chief. And at 
length one was coming running. ‘“O war-chief! I think that an animal is moving 
there,” said he. ‘Oho! What sort of animal do you think it is?” said the war-chief. 
“O war-chief! I think that it is a buffalo bull,” he said. ‘Oho!” said the war-chief. 
“Tf so, O servants! we may live. Go again to look at it.” And one went running. 
Behold, the buffalo bull was going along walking. ‘Fie! Wait for the war-chief to 
come in sight,” said the rest of the scouts. And they went slowly, waiting for him 
to appear. ‘Sit ye here,” said he, addressing the servants. And he departed. “Tie 
ye looking at me,” said he. He stood for the purpose of intercepting the buffalo. At 
length the buffalo bull was approaching him. He lay aiming at it. He pushed his 
gun along suddenly. He aimed directly at it. When it arrived, behold, it was a 
different animal. He lay fearing the sight of it. He took back his gun. He lay 
thinking, “If I do not shoot at him, he will be very apt to kill me! And if I shoot at 
him and miss him, still he will be apt to kill me!” All the time he lay, fearing the 
sight of it. It was a big Snake, with a rattle as large as a man’s head. Whenever he 
lifted his tail, he rattled it: “‘Teu+” (whispered). And he shot at the Snake, which 
stood (sic) without stirring at all. But after the Snake was shot at, behold, he fell 
suddenly. ‘Now the war-chief has killed him,” said they. And the war-chief went 
back to them. He reached there again. ‘‘O psha! O servants! Though I have killed 
an animal, it is dangerous,” said he. “Why! O war-chief! let us examine it at any 
rate, whatever sort of animal it may be,” said they. “It is a big Snake,” said he. 
“Really!” said they. All wondered. And all arrived there. ‘See! split it length- 
wise with knives,” said he. They split it with knives. Behold, the Snake was very 
fat. The Snake had a very good odor, just like that of the buffaloes when the Indians 
kill them. ‘“‘O war-chief! the odor is very good. It is just like that of the buffaloes,” 
said they. “Test it,” said the war-chief. And kindling a fire, they put it on. The 
fire was very hot. And they were impatient from hunger. ‘Oho! Come, O servants! 
test it,” said the war-chief. The sun had almost set. ‘O servants! let us sleep just 
here,” said he. And they thrust sticks through the spare-ribs, running one end of 
each stick in the ground, close to the fire. When the spare-ribs were cooked, they put 
_them in a heap. And as each one feared to eat before the rest, they sat putting them 
in aheap. And at length the war-chief said as follows: “Oho! O servants! bring a 
piece tome.” And they took a piece to him. Heate it. At length he said, “Servants, 
it is very good. It is just like the buffaloes that we eat.” And all ate, except one, who 
wasaboy. Though they were willing, he did not eat. “QO servant! it is like the buf- 
faloes that we eat. The odor is not bad. It isvery good. Eat it,” said the war-chief. 
“TY am unwilling,” said the boy. And they sat in a circle around the fire which they 
kindled. But the boy sat apart from them. And it was dark. And having felt very 
full after eating, each one slept. At length the war-chief said, ““Oho! Servants, arise! 
It is very bad.” And he failed to talk with them, as, strange to say, they were all 
Snakes. Behold, the war-chief had finished changing the half of his body; the whole 
of one side lay stretched out in the shape of a Snake, The other war-chief said as 
