Creation Myths of Primitive America Part 16

After a time she came back and sat down. A few minutes later a man was seen running in from the east, and soon Tsotso Tokos was at the house.

"Sehinom Chabatu," said he, "I am here to tell you what Chulup says.

He says that he is growing angry; that he wants you to go to Miol Tapa to-morrow; that he will meet you there; that he has his men with him.

He has gathered many people. He will wait for you at Miol Tapa."

When Tsotso Tokos had said these words, he went away. The old woman rose and said,--

"My grandson, do not sit long. Rise up. That of which I told you, a while ago has happened. I told you that trouble was coming. Send word now to the two Tede Wiu brothers. Send word to all your friends. Tell them to come quickly to help you."

Sehinom Chabatu sent a message to the Tede Wiu brothers, and a second one to the northwest, a third to the north, and a fourth to the southwest. In the north he sent to Sau Herit and to Kichuna Herit, to Hokohas Herit of Puidal Pom. Hokohas's people wore elkskin armor at all times; to Koyumas Herit, and to Puike Tsumu, a great chief, though lame. He sent to all who had been with the Tede Wiu brothers in the first war.

All came, and still others joined them. Among these was Cho Herit, who had a great many people. Sehinom's grandmother was terribly excited.

She danced madly and ran around everywhere; she danced that night and the next day. The second morning all came very early to join Sehinom's forces. The first came at daybreak, and one people followed another the whole day and the next night.

Chir Chuma, carried by two Siriwit brothers, came. Wai Karili, who lived on the south bank of Wini Mem, came. All his people had nets.

Bulibok came from Bulibok Puyuk, and when the people on the road sat down to rest, he went ahead and called out,--

"Shoot at me, all you people! I want to see what kind of person I am going to be."

All shot at him. He sat still, but no one could hit him. And Kaisus Herit from Puidal Pom went ahead too, and asked all to shoot at him. A great many tried, but no one could hit Kaisus Herit.

Tichelis from Penehl Kente came, bringing his people.

"You are my brother," said he to Kaisus; "we will go together."

One Sedit came from Buli Puiwakat, and another from Sonomyai.

When all the people had a.s.sembled at Sehinom's, Wik Herit picked up dead coals and blackened his face. "I want to see fighting," said he.

"I am a brave warrior. I want to fight;" then he puffed and strutted tremendously.

Nomel Hiwili, who lived at Waiel Nomeltos, came, bringing his people.

"My brother," said he to Sehinom, "I am not very strong, I cannot do much, but I will go with you and do what I can."

When they went to the place where the battle was to be fought, a messenger came and said,--

"Saiai Not Herit is coming to see you. He has no heart, and all his people are without hearts. Saiai Not wants to fight with you. Kichuna from Kinwinis Pom and Hamam Herit from the east wish to fight with you. All these people are at Memnom Kalai now, not far from here."

At this time they saw some one coming toward them from the east. This was a second Chir Pokaila. She was from Pokaitin Mem. When she came up she said to Sehinom's grandmother,--

"My sister, we will help our grandson, and if he is killed we will mourn over him together."

"It is time to move now," said Sehinom.

"We will be in the centre of the army," said the Tede Wiu brothers, and they took their places. Wai Karili went to the south wing of the northern army, and all his people with him. They went up on a level mound, and from there saw people coming on both sides, from the north and the south, as far as the eye could see. They came on like a great water, rolling forward. The people were in number as the grains in two clouds of sand. The two armies approached each other gradually.

Sehinom's grandmother, with her sister, was in front of the northern forces. She engaged the enemy first, and fought fiercely. She had arrows of kopus wood, pointed with Chirdokos, all made by herself. The northern army faced the east, and the southern the west.

Chir Chuma, carried by the Siriwits, came to help his two sisters.

All three had the same kind of arrows. They killed fifty and sixty at a shot, and these three gave victory to the left wing of the northern army.

On the right flank of the northern and left flank of the southern army were good men, and there was hard fighting. On the northern side was Wai Karili with his people, having nets to catch the enemy. Then Hokohas and his forces, all dressed in elkskin armor; next Kaisus and Tichelis, with many people. Between Tichelis and the centre was Kichuna. On the other side, opposite Kichuna, was Hamam, who had sent word to Kichuna that he would meet him on the field. Opposite Sedit of Sonomyai was an unknown chief, but a very great fighter.

Wai Karili, Hokohas, Kaisus, and Tichelis with their forces were met by Hawt and Tsuini, whose people outnumbered those of the four chiefs opposed to them. The Hawts used solid blue rocks as weapons. They hurled them with great force, breaking the armor of Hokohas's people and tearing the nets of Karili's men. The Tsuini people threw smaller stones from slings in great showers at the people of Tichelis and Kaisus.

The battle raged with fury on that flank till evening. Many were killed on both sides, and of the chiefs Hamam and Sedit of Sonomyai fell. Neither side had the victory when night came, though Hawt and Tsuini were gaining a little.

In the centre were the great chiefs of both armies. There Chulup, supported by Saiai Not, Tenek Not, and Tubuk, met Sehinom Chabatu and the Tede Wiu brothers.

In the morning Chulup began the fighting, and cut into the centre. In the middle of the forenoon he had gone half-way through Sehinom's people. But Sehinom forced him back, and at midday Chulup was where he had begun in the morning. Sehinom advanced now, and tried to cut through Chulup's people. He had gone more than half-way when Chulup rallied, pressed around him, pushed him back, and at sundown had rushed forward among Sehinom's warriors.

Just at that time Sehinom saw in the field behind Chulup a tall and very beautiful woman. She was Chulup's wife. Her name was Sanihas.

Sehinom Chabatu ran quickly to this woman, and led her to his own camp, while Chulup was struggling with the Tede Wiu brothers. The sun was down now. Night had come.

Chulup dropped back to his own place. He had lost his wife and gained nothing. Both sides went from the battlefield and made camp-fires. You could see the two lines of fire running north and south, but could not see either end of them.

Chulup rose at daybreak next morning, rushed to Sehinom's camp, and after a sharp and short fight took his wife back before sunrise. Both sides were very angry and fought hard. At midday the southern forces had the advantage in the centre and the southern flank, and would have beaten Sehinom Chabatu but for his grandmother, his uncle, and his aunt. The two women and Chir Chuma, carried on two sticks by the Siriwit brothers, had beaten everything in front of them.

At this time the centre and flank of the northern forces had suffered much. Wai Karili left the fight; he was angry.

"I will do something better than this," said he.

Taking his net, he went off to the southeast, and never stopped till he was at the edge of the earth, and had found the opening through which Chulup pa.s.sed when he came out on land or went back to his home on the bed of the great eastern water. He laid the net across the hole, thrust the middle of it in deeply, covered what was left outside, and waited in hiding.

At noon, when Sehinom Chabatu was hard pressed and the enemy were pus.h.i.+ng his people from the field, his grandmother, aunt, and uncle, with the whole army behind them, fell upon the rear of Chulup's forces. The struggle began anew, and from then till sunset was fought the hardest battle of the world up to that day. At sunset they had to stop, for there were few people left on either side, and those were so tired that they could fight no longer.

Each side left the field without saying a word to the other.

Chulup sent his wife Sanihas home by another way, and went himself to the pa.s.sage where Wai Karili was hiding. He went into the opening.

Karili drew the net, closed it around Chulup, and tied it firmly. He put it on his back then, and carried Chulup to Tehi Buli, some distance east of Bohem Puyuk. There he taunted him, saying:

"Now, Chulup, you did not take me, but I have taken you. You are not going to kill me, but I am going to kill you. Who is better, you or I?" Then he killed him, and pounded his body fine.

When Sehinom Chabatu went home his grandmother said to him,--

"Now, my grandson, you are becoming a strong man; you know how to fight, but men who fight do not live long. I have never told you to fight, but from this on you will see fighting. You must keep awake, my grandson. You must rise early, you must not sleep long; some day you will hear news, some day something will happen."

After that Sehinom Chabatu brought the tallest yellow pine from beyond Dau Paki Olel, stripped all the bark off, painted it white, black, and red. The people danced around this pole, danced two days.

"We will go home now," said the Tede Wiu brothers, "but perhaps something will happen later on."

Then Dokos said to Wik Kiemila: "We have had all this fighting, we may have more fighting yet; people may come to attack us, to kill you or me."

"My father-in-law," said Wai Dokos to Wik Kiemila, "we have killed a great man, Chulup Win Herit. I think now that we shall have much trouble; he was the chief of many people; they will attack us."

After this talk all went home. People lived in peace for two years.

"I will go and sleep in the sweat-house," said Sehinom Chabatu one night. He went. There were many in the sweat-house, and a greater number outside. Usually Chir Pokaila knew everything; but this night the old woman did not know that trouble was coming, she was in her own house asleep.