22. Skunk.
(Lower Uta'maqt.)
(cont.)Continuing his journey with the boy, they reached the village. The people wondered at Skunk returning without his brothers, and gathered around him to hear the news. When the people had all assembled, Skunk addressed them, saying, "I alone survive of our numerous war-party. We attacked the Sise' and had a fierce fight. My brothers the animals were all slain. and I alone was able to escape. As I fled, I saw this boy who got separate.: from his people in the fight, and I made a slave of him."
Then he called his brother's wives together to give them more particular information regarding the fight. He said, "Your husbands are all dead, therefore you become my wives, and I become your husband." Then he asked each one of the women to come forward, and he would point out the parts of the body where her husband was wounded. He placed his finger on hebrow, and said, "Your husband was hit here;" then on her nose, saving, " He
was hit here;" then on her mouth, chin, throat, and each part of her body-. until he placed his finger on her privates, saying, "He was hit here. Oh! my finger went in." Then the woman, feeling ashamed, went over to his part of the house. He did this with all the animals' wives, and they thus became his wives. Some of the people, however, were suspicious of Skunks so they asked the boy what he was. He answered, "Spopo'kin" They said, "What do you say!" Then the boy said, "Sise'tamuxkin." This made the people still more suspicious-. and some of them said, "Skunk lies. He has disposed of his friends in some manner, and this boy he has made out of something."Skunk was well pleased now, for he had many wives; but his joys did not last long, for a few days afterwards all the warriors2 appeared, descending the hillside in Indian file. The people saw them coming, and sent out some young men to find out who they were. The warriors asked if Skunk hate returned; and the young men said, "Yes! He said you were killed, and he has taken all your wives to himself." When Skunk heard that the warrior had returned, he told the wives to go back to their respective husbands ; but many of them would not go. Some said, "You have shame us, we cannot go back;" and others said, "Why should we go back when our husbands are dead?"
1 This is also rather a child's way of talking. Tu'ta ought to be tcu'ta. Children use t for tc. The sentence means (e'e, interjections showing displeasure), "Say thus, I am a slave, i am a Sise'tamux."
2 The animals had all revived after Skunk's smell had died away.
