31b. The Hunter and the Goats.
(Lower Uta'mqt.)
(cont.)Then she said, "Are you now a goat ?" and he answered, " I am.' - "Then go to the female goats and rut with them," she said. The other goats were all on the grassy slopes above, and he went to them; but the younger hegoats attacked him and gored him badly. He went back to the Goat's house and told the woman how he had fared. He said, " I am too heavy." Feeling sick, he lay down. She changed his skin for that of a large but youner goat, and sent him to rut again with the goats ; but the male goats ripped him badly and drove him away. Returning, the woman changed his skin for that of a middle-aged goat and sent him back; but he was driven away from the band, as before.
Thus the woman had sent him to rut three times since evening. Now it was nearly morning, so she changed his skin for that of a young strong goat in its prime; then she went to the band of goats herself and mingled with them. The hunter felt much lighter now, and, reaching the band of goats, he drove all the males away. Then he rutted with all the female goats, both old and young, including his wife and mother-in-law. He finished just at daylight. Then he and all the goats went home and slept. When he awoke, he found the woman sleeping with him, and he desired to have sexual intercourse with her. She refused, saying, "Our customs are not the same as with your people. I cannot let you indulge at present. You must wait until night, and take me among the others." Thus he rutted with the goats four successive nights, and visited the band four times each night. Three times each night the male goats drove him off-, but on the fourth time each night he succeeded, and had all the females to himself. During the daytime he always slept.
At the end of the four days and nights the woman took out his bow and arrows from where she had hidden them, and told him to follow her. He went with her, and all the other goats followed them. They came to a very high precipice of slanting rock. She said, "You must slide down with us to the bottom.' She slid first, and he followed her. The other goats all came behind. Reaching the bottom in safety, the goats all bade him good-by excepting the woman who conducted him back to where he had left his pack of goat-meat. Here she handed him back his weapons, saying, "You will now be a great hunter, and will be able to follow the goats on the precipices where they walk. "'hen you kill goats, treat their bodies respectfully, for they are people. Do not shoot female goats, for they were your wives, and will bear you children. Do not kill kids, for they may be your offspring. Only shoot your brothers-in-law, the male goats. Do not be sorry when you kill them, for they do not die, but return home. The flesh and skin (the goat part) remain in your possession; but their real selves (the human part) lives just as before, when it was covered with goat's flesh and skin."
