112. Account of Cumaxa'ltsa.
(Nkamtci'nEmux.)
(cont.)On his way home this man did the same thing and one of the old men in the camp taunted the young men for standing those jeers. Thereupon a nephew of the deceased jumped into a canoe, crossed the river, and pursued the Lytton man, who was on horseback. He overtook him on the flat near where Pierre Moren's ranch-house now stand;, shot him dead, and took his horse. After this he took his uncle's name Cumaxa'ltsa, by which name he was known until his death.1 This happened about two or three years after the murder of Cumaxa'ltsa at Bota'ni. A year or two after this, Sowa'xexken2 of Spences Bride, who was a relative of Cumaxa'ltsa, killed another of the Lytton men by suddenly drawing a ram's-horn bow from underneath his shirt and shooting an arrow through his body. Within less than a year afterwards he killed yet another of the Lytton men at a large gathering of Indians just below Spences Bridge. Some of his friends asked him to exhibit his shooting, which he did by shooting an arrow up in the air on a slight slant; and on coming down, it hit the Lytton Indian, wounding him so badly that he died shortly afterwards. It was believed by every one that Sowa'xexken did this on purpose, and that the arrow was poisoned. He was a very noted archer, perhaps the best in the whole tribe. The relatives of the Lytton men never attempted to avenge their deaths. After Cumaxa'ltsa had been murdered, his Similkameen wife went home to her own country, taking along her year-old boy. About twenty years afterwards, when the latter had grown to be a man, he came to the Thompson for the purpose of avenging his fater's death on Sqemmi'n. The white men's laws were strong in the country then; and either Chief Cumaxa'ltsa advised him not to do it. or else he was afraid of being hung by the whites. Anyway, he returned home without making any attempt on the lives of Sgemmi n or his sons.
113. Account of the Lytton Chiefs.
(Nkamtci'nEmux.)The greatest chief of the Thompson Indians in recent times was Cexpe'ntlEm, or Cixpe'ntlam, of Lytton. He was known to the whites as Spi'ntlam. He and his father and grandfather had been recognized as the head chiefs or the most important and influential_ men of the tribe. They had great influence all over the tribe, including the Similkameen country and wherever the Thompson language was spoken. They exerted great influence also among, the neighboring Liilooet. Shuswap, and Okanagon, who respected them and
gave them considerable deference.
1 This man became chief of the band at an early age, and was a remarkably fine speaker. He died about 1902, aged about seventy.
2 This man was known tn the whites under the name of Masatchie (Chinook for "bad"). He was ha1f Shuswap, and a warrior in his young days. He was noted as quiet, kindly, determined, and brave. He was very independent, easily slighted, however, and had a strong temper when roused. He died about 1875, aged about sixty years or more.
