110. War Story' (Lkwe'ixen and Slemti'tsa).
(cont.)The pack-tram was loaded mostly with dried trout. They drove along boldly, not expecting the Uta'mqt to molest them. The brothers followed a good distance behind, taking advantage of cover, and keeping a sharp lookout. The Uta'mqt saw the pack-train approaching, and attacked them from ambush. When they came near enough, they shot Kauli's and Kenuxe'sket with many arrows and bullets, and they fell off their horses. When NLkwe'ixen and Slemti'tsa saw what had happened, and that there was a large war party, they made a detour. The Uta'mqt did not molest the women and children, but they took most of the pack-horses, killed the fattest ones, and had a feast.. The others they took with them loaded with dried trout. Since they failed to find the brothers, they returned almost immediately. Not long after this the brothers murdered a Tcawa'xamux near Spences Bridge. The chief relatives of this man were Gisti'mt and Nxeu'eks, who presently caught Slemti'tsa in a lodge at Spences Bridge, and killed him. The other brother, NLkwe'ixen, afterwards joined a war expedition against the Lillooet, and was killed in battle.
111. War Story of Women at Bota'ni.
(Nkamtci'nEmux and Tcawa'xamux.)Once a party of about ten or more women from Lytton went to Bota'ni to dig roots. Many of them were maidens, and one old woman was in charge. They had only been there a day when a Shuswap war party came through the valley on their way to attack the people of Lytton or neighborhood. They had two young men as scouts ahead of the party, who, in case of seeing danger, were to give a signal in imitation of the cry of the flying-squirrel, when the party would at once lie down in hiding, and not proceed until signalled to again. Towards evening the scouts came upon the camp of the Lytton women. They climbed a tree, and gave out the cry of the flying-squirrel. Some of the women said, "Flying-squirrels are calling from a tree near by.' Some of the older women, looking in that direction, thought they saw the form of a man in the tree, and at once suspected danger. The old woman in charge said, "These are scouts of a war party watching us. If we take alarm, they will kill us. I will call them in and entertain them. You young women play with them much, and let them sleep with you. This is our only chance." She called on them to come into camp, saying, "Why do you hide from us? We have young women here who are anxious to see you, and there are no men here." The scouts wished to have the women all to themselves, therefore they did not signal to their party to come on, but descended from the trees, hid their weapons, and entered the camp. They spoke the Thompson language, but not very well. The tallest and oldest one had his hair tied up in a knot on the crown of his head, and had his face painted with micaceous hematite, so that it sparkled brilliantly.
