21. THE MAN WHO MARRIED A BEAR .
(cont.)About midnight the Grizzly-Bear girl had another dream. She sang a song, and told her husband, "I will leave you as soon as the sun is up. This blood you see coming out of my mouth is my own blood. The hunters are close by, and will soon be here."
Soon the, youth could hear the hunters talking. Then they took a pole and hung an empty garment near the mouth of the cave, and the bear rushed out at this decoy. When she turned to go back, they fired, and killed her.
The youth in the cave heard the hunters say, "Watch out! There must be another one in the cave." So he decided he would go out; and when he came into the light, the hunters recognized him. He went home with them and told the story. This was the year before the French trappers came, and Five-Times-surrounded-In-War went away with them. In a year he returned, and after that he disappeared.
In the early days there was a chief who owned all kinds of property. He found the seven-headed monster running with his horses and cattle. This kept up for several years, and the monster grew bigger and bigger. The chief thought it gave him a big name to have such an animal running with his stock, so he did not molest it. Finally the monster began to kill off the stock. Then the chief wanted to kill the monster, but he did not know just how to go about it. Then the chief thought to himself, "To-morrow I shall take half this band of Indians, and we shall go and kill this monster."
So they went out to kill it; but when they came in sight of the monster, and fired at it, the monster attacked in turn, and began killing the Indians. It killed all those who had gone out against it, except the chief himself. After this, the chief was afraid to attack a second time, and resigned himself to the loss of his stock. Then the monster stopped killing off stock, and took to killing off Indians. It attacked the people in the village, and the chief made every effort to find a man who would win out over the monster.
Now, there was a poor man in this band named Laptissa'n.2 This Laptissa'n told the chief he would kill the monster if only the chief would furnish him a mule. So the chief gave him the mule, and Laptissa'n went out. He did not know exactly what to do, but he began by riding round and round the monster on the mule. Finally he rode round so many times, that the monster grew weary watching, and fell asleep. Then Laptissa'n got down off the mule, and cut the throat of the monster where the seven heads were joined into one neck.
I wonder if everyone is up! It is morning. We are alive, so thanks be! Rise up! Look about! Go see the horses, lest a wolf have killed one! Thanks be that the children are alive! -- and you, older men! -- and you, older women! -- also that your friends are perhaps alive in other camps. But elsewhere there are probably those who are ill this morning, and therefore the children are sad, and therefore their friends are sad.
24. SPEECH BEFORE A WAR-DANCE.
People, lay everything aside, for now we are going to have a dance. Get out your finest clothes and put them on, and make ready for the dance. People, we shall see the garments of our dead men of long ago; so every one must come, because another time we may not be living. People, you will have a chance to tell the tale of your war-adventures after the dance to-day.
25. MORNING AND EVENING SPEECH IN THE BUFFALO COUNTRY.
People, remember that when we come to the Buffalo country, we are in danger of war at all times. Our young men must be alert and guard well the camp. Do not let the enemy get the best of you! All young persons, post yourselves and keep watch! Post yourselves on high peaks, and keep watch on the ravines! Now, we shall all be on guard; so that if the enemy are seen, we shall be ready for battle. We are liable to be put to death at any minute, so we must keep good watch. Our women and children are liable to be killed at any minute, so all of you must try to guard them.
1 Ineptúsis ("seven faces").
2 Le Petit Jean, the hero of many French-Canadian tales.
3 This and the following speeches are examples of the more or less set and formal pronouncements of the herald who rides around the village or the camp and gives the orders of the day. These speeches are often referred to in Sahaptin mythology.
