2. NLi' kEsentem
(cont.)(p. 28.) Coyote staid a long time in the Upper Nicola and Similkameen countries, where he had many adventures. He was married to the Badger's daughter for a time and by her had children. He was also chased by the Buffalo and the Elk, for he had incurred their displeasure by playing tricks on them.
(p. 28.) When at last he visited Lytton, he was attired in an eagle-feather head-dress, buckskin shirt and leggings fringed with dentalia. He carried a quiver ornamented with very long fringes and a fine Okanagan bow. He pretended not to understand the people, so they got the Short-tailed Mouse, who talked all languages, to speak to him, but without result. Then had to converse with him by signs.
Before going into the sweat-house to treat the girl, he stripped off all his clothes. They found him on top of the girl, and were going to kill him; but he ran away naked, and laughed at the people from the hill-side. They seized his clothes, etc., but the buck-skin, turned into sagebush-bark; the dentalia, into alkali-grass; the eagle feathers into excrement: and the bow and arrows, into twigs of tamarack (the larch-tree).
Coyote went on naked, and stole a robe from a man who was sweat-bathing. He had many more adventures after this, and did many wonderful things.
The Tcawa'xamux tell the end of this story as part of Coyote's wanderings. It follows the story 14, Coyote in Nicola Valley, recorded on p. 305.
Reaching Spences Bridge, Coyote turned up the Thompson River, and arrived at the place where he had thrown his penis across the river. The girl was still sick; and, as Coyote was dressed like a shaman, the people asked him to try and cure their daughter. He spoke to them in the Kalispelm language, and told them they must erect a sweat-house, and put the girl inside, as he treated all his patients in sweat-houses. They did as directed, and Coyote entered the sweat-house and commenced to sing. Then he had connection with the girl, and thus relieved her of the piece of penis. She cried out that the shaman was having connection with her; and the people, being angry, ran to kill him. He jumped out, and they chased him up over the mountain. He soon left them all behind, excepting the Humming-bird, who gained on him very fast. Then he threw himself down, and, rolling over, caused a fog to intervene between himself and his pursuer. The Humming-bird, being unable to find him, turned back.1
The following versions of this incident were obtained from an old NLak·a´-pamux´o'e from Lytton, --
It was the warm season, and at each stream Coyote ascended he saw some girls bathing. At each of these places he asked them if they wished any soxali´k
Transfer interrupted!
'Yes," he sent his penis across the river and let the salmon ascend; and if they answered "No,' he became angry and made a rock barrier or falls in the stream; so that the salmon could not ascend. When he sent his penis across, it wriggled through the water like a snake, and entered the youngest woman; and while it proceeded, he paid out the other end just as one would let out a rope. When the woman was taken sick and the others tried to cut the penis with a stone knife, he called across, "Cut it with grass (a variety of swamp-crass with sharp edges)!"1. Compare "Traiditions of the Thompson River Indians," p. 28; and Hill-tout, Report etc., p. 68
