the warriors who were changed to snakes

Ni´ashiñga gthe´banoñba nudoñ´ atha´-biama´. Watha´ta-bazhi´-biama´. Noñpe´hiñ
Person / twenty / to war / went, they say. / They ate not they say. / Hunger /

wakoñ´dithexti´-biama´. E´gaxe agi´-biama´. Shoñ´, the´'iñha´! U´thixide
very impatient from they say. / In a circle / they were returning, they say. / Enough, / O servants! / Looking around /

moñthiñ´i-ga. Washkoñ´i-ga, u´thixide te, a´-biama´ nudoñ´hoñga aka´. Ki e´githe
walk ye. / Do your best, / looking around / the, / said, they say / war-chief / the. / And / at length /

wiñ´ toñthiñ´ agi´-biama´. Nu´doñhoñga´! wani´ta wiñ´ ededi´ ame´ ebthe´goñ,
one / running / was coming, they say. / O war-chief! / animal / one / there / is moving / I think, /

a´-biama´. Ahau´! a´-biama´ nudoñ´hoñga aka´. Iñda´doñ wani´ta e´skoñ ehne´goñ?
said he, they say. / Oho! / said, they say / war-chief / the. / What / animal / it may be you think? /

a´-biama´. Nu´doñhoñga´! te-nu´ga, ebthe´goñ, a´-biama´. Ahau´! a´-biama´ nudoñ´hoñga.
said he, they say. / O war-chief! / buffalo bull, / I think, / said he, they say. / Oho! / said, they say / war-chief. /

Shan*-de, the´'iñha´! oñni´t etai´, a´-biama´. Pi´ doñ´be moñthiñ´i-ga shi.
If so, / O servants! / we live / may, / said he, they say. / Again / to see it / walk ye / again. /

Shi toñthiñ´ atha´-biama´ wiñ´. E´githe, moñthiñ´ athe´ ama´ma te-nu´ga ama´. Na!
Again / running / went, they say / one. / Behold, / walking / was going, they say / buffalo bull / the. / Fie! /

nudoñ´hoñga itha´pa-ga ha, a´-biama´. Goñ´ itha´pe atha´-biama´. The´thu gthiñ´i-ga,
war-chief / wait for him / . / said they, they say. / And / waiting for him / they went, they say. / Here / sit ye, /

a´-biama´, waga´xthoñ e´ wa´waka´-bi egoñ´. Goñ´ atha´-biama´. Oñdoñ´be zhoñ´i-ga,
said he, they say, / servant / that / he meant them, they say / having. / And / he went, they say. / Looking at me / lie ye, /

a´-biama´. A´nase nazhiñ´-biama´. E´githe a-i´ ama´ma te-nu´ga ama´. A´gata
said he, they say. / To intercept it / he stood, they say. / At length / was approaching, they say / buffalo bull / the. / Aiming at it /

zhoñ´-biama´. Wahu´toñthiñ ke basnu´ the´tha-biama´. A´gata´-bi a´fthutoñxchi. Ahi´-bi
he lay, they say. / Gun / the / he pushed along / suddenly, they say. / He aimed at it, they say / in a straight line. / He arrived, they say /

ki e´githe wani´ta a´zhi ama´ma. Noñ´pe zhoñ´-biama´. Wahu´toñthiñ ke gthi´za-biama´.
when / behold / animal / different / was moving, they say. / Fearing it / he lay, they say. / Gun / the / he took his they say. /

Aki´da-ma´zhi ki´shte t'e´oñthazhi ete´goñzhi a´hoñ, ethe´goñ zhoñ´-biama´. Shi
I shoot not / even if / he kills me not / not apt / ! / thinking / he lay, they say. / Again /

aki´de ki´shte mua´shnoñ shoñ´ t'e´oñthe ete´goñ a´hoñ, ethe´goñ zhoñ´-biama´. Itha´ugthe
I shoot at him / even if / I miss him / still / to kill me / apt / ! / thinking / he lay, they say. / All the while /

noñ´wape zhoñ´-biama´. We´s'a toñ´ga ama´ma, siñ´de-xtha´ the´thoñska´-biama´.
fearing / he lay, they say. / Snake / big / it was moving, they say, / tail-rattler / this size, they say. /

Thip'oñ´de goñ´ thisa´thu-hnoñ´-biama´: Chu+. Goñ´ ki´da-biama´. She´theshtewoñ´zhi
Shook by pulling / so / it rattled invariably, they say: / Tcu+. / And / he shot at it, they say. / Not moving at all /

nazhiñ´-biama´. Ki´dai´-bi te´di e´githe xia´tha a´ia´tha-biama´. Iñ´toñ nudoñ´hoñga
it stood, they say. / It was shot at, they say / when / behold / falling / it went suddenly, they say. / Now / war-chief /

thiñke´ ki´de, a´-biama´. Goñ´ e´di agtha´-biama´. E´di aki´-biama´. Na! the´'iñha´!
the / shot at it, / said they, they say. / And / there / he went back, they say. / There / he arrived again, they say. / Bother! / O servants! /

wani´ta wiñ´ t'e´athe thoñ´zha noñ´pewa´the, a´-biama´. Na! nu´doñhoñga´! shoñ´ oñthoñ´gudoñ´be
animal / one / I killed it / though / dangerous, / said he, they say. / Why! / O war-chief! / still / let us consider /

tai´ eda´doñ wani´ta e´iñte, a´-biama´. We´s'a toñ´ga, a´-biama´. Wu´hu' 'A´!
what / animal / it may be, / said they, they say. / Snake / big, / said he, they say. / Really! /

a´-biama´. Zani´ thaxu´ba-biama´. Goñ´ e´di ahi´-biama´ woñ´githe. Hiñda!
said they, they say. / All / wondered, they say. / And / there / arrived, they say / all. / See! /

uma´snai-ga, a´-biama´. Uma´sna-biama´. E´githe shiñ´ he´gazhi´-biama´ We´s'a aka´.
split it with a knife, / said he, they say. / They split it they say. / Behold / fat / very, they say / Snake / the. /

Ki te´-ma ni´kashiñga uke´thiñ t'e´wathai te u´thibthoñ bthoñ´ u´doñxti e´goñxtioñ´
And / the buffaloes / people / common / ("&i."&e., Indians) / kill them / when / they smell / odor / very good / just like /

uthi´bthoñ-biama´ We´s'a aka´. Nu´doñhoñga´! u´doñxtioñ´ u´thibthoñ te, te´ e´goñxtioñ´,
smelt they say / Snake / the. / O war-chief! / very good / smell / the, / buffalo / just like, /

a´-biama´. We´gaskoñtha´i-ga, a´-biama´ nudoñ´hoñga aka´. Goñ´ ne´the
said they, they say. / Test it, / said, they say / war-chief / the. / And / kindling a fire /

shte ite´tha-biama´. Pe´de te na´hegazhi´-biama´. Ki noñpe´hiñ te wakoñ´ditha-biama´.
even / they put it on, they say. / Fire / the / burnt very hot, they say. / And / hunger / the / impatient from, they say. /

Ahau´! a´-biama´. Ke´, the´'iñha´! i´gaskoñtha´i-ga, a´-biama´ nudoñ´hoñga
Oho! / said he, they say. / Come, / O servants! / test it, / said, they say / war-chief /

aka´. Miñ´ thoñ tha´thuha´xchi ithe´-hnoñ e´goñ-biama´. Goñ´, The´thuxti, the´'iñha´!
the. / Sun / the / nearly / had gone only / so they say. / And, / Right here, / O servants! /

oñzhoñ´ tai, a´-biama´. Goñ´ te-thi´tiñ thoñ shoñ´ basnoñ´ ithoñ´tha-biama´. Niñ´dethai
let us sleep, / said he, they say. / And / buffalo rib / the / so / they placed on sticks to roast. / they say. / Cooked /

te e´dua´toñ shoñ´ a´kasta ite´tha-biama´. Shoñ´ wiñ´ pahoñ´ga thate´ taite´ noñ´pa-bi
when / next / so / in a heap / they put it, they say. / And / one / before / eat / shall / feared, they say /

egoñ´, a´kast ite´the gthiñ´-biama´. Goñ´ e´githe nudoñ´hoñga aka´ ga´-biama´:
having, / in a heap / putting it / they sat, they say. / And / at length / war-chief / the / said as follows, they say: /

Ahau´! a´-biama´. The´'iñha´! he´be iñ´thiñ gi´i-ga, a´-biama´. Goñ´ he´be e´thiñ
Oho! / said he, they say. / O servants! / a piece / bring to me, / said he, they say. / And / a piece / having for him /

aki´-biama´. Thata´-biama´. E´githe, U´doñxtioñ´, the'iñ´, a´-biama´. Te´-ma oñwoñ´thatai´
they reached again, they say. / He ate it, they say. / At length, / Very good, / servants, / said he, they say. / The buffaloes / we eat them /

e´goñxtioñ´, a´-biama´. Goñ´ zani´ thata´-biama´. Ki ni´athiñga nu´zhiñga´-biama´.
just like, / said he, they say. / And / all / ate they say. / And / person / boy they say. /

Nu´zhiñga´-bi e´de thata´-bazhi´-biama´. I´nahiñ´-bi shte thata´-bazhi´-biama´.
Boy, they say / but / he ate not they say. / They were willing, they say / even / he ate not they say. /

The´'iñha´! te´-ma oñwoñ´thatai´ e´goñ ha, a´-biama´. Bthoñ´ pi´bazhi-ba´zhi, u´doñxtioñ´.
O servant! / the buffaloes / we eat them / it is like / . / said he, they say. / Odor / bad not, / very good. /

Thata´-ga, a´-biama´ nudoñ´hoñga aka´. Ubthi´'age, a´-biama´ nu´zhiñga aka´. Goñ´
Eat it, / said, they say / war-chief / the. / I am unwilling, / said, they say / boy / the. / And /

ne´the te e´gaxe gthiñ´-biama´. Ki nu´zhiñga aka´ gaxa´ta gthiñ-biama´. Goñ´
kindled (fire) / the / around it / they sat, they say. / And / boy / the / apart / sat they say. / And /

uga´hanapa´ze a4a´. Goñ´ i´noñdextioñ´-bi egoñ´ zhoñ´-hnoñ-biama´. E´g9the,
dark / they say. / And / felt very full after eating, they say / having / slept each one, they say. / At length, /

Ahau´! a´-biama´. The´'iñha´! pa´hoñi-ga ha, a´-biama´. Pi´azhixtioñ´, a´-biama´
Oho! / said he, they say. / O servants! / ar9se / . / said he, they say. / Very bad, / said, they say /

nudoñ´hoñga aka´. Goñ´ u´wakie´ thi'a´xti, shoñ´ goñ´ We´s'a ama´ bthu´ga. E´githe
war-chief / the. / And / to talk to them / he failed, / strange to say (?) / Snake / the (+were) / all. / Behold /

atoñ´-ke-doñ´ bthu´gaxti thie´ gaxa´ kigthi´shtoñ-biama´ We´s'a sad-ihe´. Nudoñ´hoñga
just as long as he lay / all / half of the body / finished himself, they say / Snake / was lying stretched. / War-chief /

a´ma aka´ ga´-biama´: Ahau´! a´-biama´. Gu´da gi´boñ the´thai-ga, (a´-biama´),
the other / said as follows, they say: / Oho! / said he, they say. / Yonder / call to him, / (said he, they say), /

nu´zhiñga e´ waka´-bi egoñ´. Nu´zhiñga aka´ agi´-biama´. Ke´, the´'iñha´! wadoñ´bai-ga,
boy / that / meant him, they say / having. / Boy / the / was coming, they say. / Come, / O servant! / look at us, /

a´-biama´. The´'iñha´! the´ noñ´thape´goñ hna´tazhi i´shpahoñ, a´-biama´. Nu´zhiñga
said he, they say. / O servant! / this / you feared, as / you ate not / you know, / said he, they say. / Boy /

aka´ xage´ nazhiñ´-biama´. Goñ´, U´soñga, a´-biama´. Thi´naxchi thani´ta te, a´-biama´.
the (sub.) / crying / stood they say. / And, / Hopeless, / said he, they say. / You alone / you live / will, / said he, they say. /

Watha´shkoñ thagthe´ te ha, a´-biama´. Goñ´ the´ oñgu´gashoñ oñmoñ´thiñi eda´doñ
You try / you go homeward / will / . / said he, they say. / And / this / we traveled / we walked / what /

oñgu´nai ke bthu´gaxti oñthi´'i, a´-biama´. Xube´ 'i´-biama´. The´ wea´thape shoñ´
we sought / the / all / we give you, / said he, they say. / Sacred / they gave him, they say. / This / you wait for us / yet /

oñ´ba (ki) hne´ te. E´githe waoñ´tha i´kuha-biama´ nu´zhiñga aka´. Waiiñ´ toñga´
day / (when) / you go / will. / At length / to leave them / afraid of, they say / boy / the. / Robe / large /

ge wiñ´ uzhi´ wethe´'iñ tai´. Mazhoñ´ u´doñ ge´di pahe´ toñga´ wiñ´ ga´ge ithoñ´awatha´the
the / one / filling / you carry us / will. / Land / good / at the / hill / large / one / those / you put us /

tai´, a´-biama´ nudoñ´hoñga aka´. Goñ´ oñ´ba ama´. Woñ´githexti e´goñxti gagi´gizhe
will, / said, they say / war-chief / the. / And / day / they say. / All / just so / coiled up /

gthiñ´ aka´ma, a´kigthiñ´gthiñ gthiñ´-biama´. Ki waiiñ´ toñga´ wiñ´ thiza´-bi egoñ´,
were / sitting, / sitting on one another / they sat, they say. / And / robe / large / one / took, they say / having, /

u´zhi-biama´. Ki we´'iñ atha´-biama´. Pahe´ u´doñxti ededi´-thoñ ama´. E´di ithoñ´watha´-biama.
he put them in, they say. / And / carrying them / he went, they say. / Hill / very good / there it was, they say. / There / he put them, they say. /

Pahe´ zhiñ´gazhi, pahe´ bazu´, she´hithe e´goñ xthabe´ noñba´ bazu´ i´doñbe
Hill / not small, / hill / curvilinear top, / extending yonder / like it / tree / two / curvilinear top / in the middle /

a´gtha-biama´. Goñ´ e´di ithoñ´watha´-biama´ xthabe´ te hide´ te´di. Gthe´ tate´
were put down on, they say. / And / there / he put them, they say / tree / the / bottom / by the. / Go homeward / shall /

i´gipahoñ´-bi egoñ´, We´s'a ama´ bthu´gaxti nu´zhiñga toñ a´gipa'a´-biama´, zhu´ga ke
they knew of their own, they say / having, / Snake / the (sub.) / all / boy / the / lay thick on their own, they say, / body / the /

a´ha-biama´. Goñ´ waoñ´tha agtha´-biama´. Goñ´ ti´ ke´ta aki´-biama´. Nudoñ´hoñga
they passed over, they say. / And / leaving them / he went homeward, they say. / And / lodge / at the / he reached home, they say. / War-chief /

thiñthoñ´ wani´ta thatai´ e´de e´ zhu´ kika´xai, a´-biama´. E´ nuge´ the´ shoñ´
the one who was / animal / ate / but / that / body / made for himself, / said he, they say. / He summer / this / (an expletive) /

e´wathathai´-ma, wa'u´, shiñ´gazhiñ´ga, shoñ´ge wa´thiñ-ma´ shtewoñ´, eda´doñ athiñ´
you who are his relations, / woman, / child, / horse / those that he has / even, / what / he has /

gitoñ´be goñtha´-biama´, a´-biama´ nu´zhiñga aka´. (Nuge´ te´di ti´i thoñ shoñ´xti
to see his / he wishes, they say, / said, they say / boy / the. / (Summer / when / lodges / the / at any rate /

watoñ´be koñ btha, a´-biama´ nudoñ´hoñga wiñde´thoñska We´s'a aka´.) Goñ´ nuge´
I see them / I wish, / said, they say / war-chief / one-half / Snake / the.) / And / summer /

te gaxthoñ´ atha´-biama´. E´di ahi´-biama´. Oñga´te, a´-biama´. The´thoñdi´,
when / migrating / they went, they say. / There / they arrived, they say. / We have come, / said he, they say. / Here it is, /

a´-biama´. Ki, Edi´xti oñti´ tai, a´-biama´. Goñ´ wa'u´, shiñ´gazhiñ´ga, shoñ´ bthu´ga
said he, they say. / And, / Just there / we camp / will, / said they, they say. / And / woman, / child, / in fact / all /

e´di ahi´-biama´. E´di ahi´-biama´ ki e´githe e´thoñba´-biama´. E´di moñshoñ´de
there / arrived, they say. / There / they arrived, they say / when / behold / they came out, they say. / There / holes in the ground /

ga´xe aka´ma. E´i ha, a´-biama´. E´githe noñ´watha´pe tai´. E´i ha. E´githe
they had made, they say. / Those are they / . / said he, they say. / Beware / you fear them / lest. / Those are they / . / Beware /

wethe´oñhe tai´. Shkoñ´zhi nazhiñ´i-ga, a´-biama´ nu´zhiñga a´ka´. E´githe We´s'a ama´
you flee from them / lest. / Motionless / stand ye, / said, they say / boy / the. / At length / Snake / the /

bthu´gaxti nu´zhiñga toñ a´gipa'a´-biama´. A´kihoñ atha´-biama´. Ni´kashiñga ama´
all / boy / the / lay thick on their own, they say. / Beyond / they went, they say. / People / the /

e´gaze´ze nazhiñ´-biama´. Goñ´ wagi´koñ-biama´. Xage´ za'e´xtioñ´-biama´. Shoñ´
in a row / stood, they say. / And / they condoled with their own, they say. / Crying / they made an uproar, they say. / In fact /

bthu´ga we´koñ-biama´. Goñ´ uthu´gashi´bai te ni´ashiñga wa´hai te i´bthoñxtioñ´-biama´ 2 all / shoñdoled with them, they say. / Oñd / they went throughout / when /
all / condoled with them, they say. / And / they went throughout / when /

We´s'a ama´. Goñ´ moñshoñ´de te´ta e´gaze´ze a´kigthiñ´-biama´ We´s'a ama´.
Snake / the (sub.). / And / holes in the ground / at the / in a row / sat with one another, they say / Snake / the (sub.). /

The´ ni´ashiñga a´ki'e ama´ta wadoñ´be zhoñ´-biama´. Shoñ´ge-ma e´d9 koñtoñ´
This / people / standing thick / at them / looking at them / they lay, they say. / The horses / there / tied /

ite´wekitha´-biama´. Wa'iñ´ ge, sha´naka´gthe shti, we´gasa´pi shti, moñ´de, utoñ´
they placed theirs for them they say. / Packs / the, / saddle / too, / whip / too, / bow, / leggings /

oñ´tha a-i´i ge, hiñbe´ oñ´tha a-i´i ge eda´be, bthu´ga e´di ite´tha-biama´. Goñ´ shi
left / were coming / the, / moccasins / left / were coming / the / also, / all / there / they put them, they say. / And / again /

ma´the a´zhi ama´. Shi e´di gaxthoñ´ ati´-biama´. Ki´ e´di wathi´shna-bazhi´-biama´.
winter / a different / they say. / Again / there / migrating / they came, they say. / And / there / not visible, they say. /

pshoñ´ge waoñ´tha ama´ iñ´choñxchi zha´i ge thiñge´-hnoñ-biama´. A´doñ moñshoñ´de
Horse / they left them / the / just now / dunged / the (pl.) / there was none, they say. / Therefore / holes in the ground /

moñta´ta wa´gthathiñ a´kia´gtha-biama´, e´ utha´-hnoñ-biama´.
inside / having them / they had gone back, they say, / that / they tell regularly, they say. /