XML version dated October 16, 2025. © Douglas R. Parks, Indiana University.

114

The Horse Raid with the Bear Hide

Dan Howling Wolf

nuu noowitiraáNAt – naawiinakuúnuʾ – nuu wehnaraa- nátA –
There then they went – (on) the warpath, – there as they went –
číkuʾ wenehkutakeéNA – wehnihWIskáʾA aataraah-
wherever they stayed overnight – their wanting 'that we
taʾuutú xaawaarúxtiʾ.
be stealing (them)' horses.

nuu wehnaraanátA WIšitištaahnúʾ čiričeeríšuʾ.
There when they went they used to have him a scout.
nuu witiihuuniRAxá.
There he was in the lead.
nuu noowitičitáʾAt tiiháʾ.
There then he went onto (a hill) here.
anuú noowitiitUhnunaahkákUx.
And there there was a camp at the base of the hill.

wah nuu nooteéʾaʾ na noowitiitAhnaaʾiitáWI wah tiweniitúhkUx.
Now there then he came (back) and then he told them: "Now there is a village here.
kaakeeninuuneešawíhAx xaawaarúxtiʾ.
They have a great many of them horses.
natsú neeraačitéʾ nakuutaʾuútI xaawaarúxtiʾ.
But it is hard to steal horse(s).
naáNIt tihnaaNAsíštA.
Really they watch them."

noowitiraáNAt.
Then they went on.
nuu noowitiRAhwísAt.
There then they arrived.
nuu noowitiniikahtáʾ.
There then they peeked over.

na – noowitiwaákoʾ áxkUx Axtóh – kaakiraačitéʾ.
And – then he said one: "Surely – it is not difficult.
nikukoxtuúta.
That is what I will do."

noowitihwáčiʾ wah tičé NAxuutaáništA.
Then they said: "Well, how are you going to do it?"

nawáh koxtuúta.
"Now I'll do it.
nawáh híNAx koxtitáweʾ.
Now, at night I'll be among them."

na noowitiwaákoʾ nawáh ka tákuʾ NAxtá číkuʾ sAhuútš
And then he said: "Now, does anyone have it any a robe?"

noowitiwaákoʾ áxkUx tinéhna.
Then he said one: "I have this one.
tíʾ kuúNUx.
It is a bear.
neetIskarúhna kuúNUx.
I have a hide bear."

witiwaákoʾ nawáh kooxikuúʾu.
He said: "Now you must give it to me.
wah híNAx koxtíʾAt.
Now at night I will go.
tsu nuu neešanaápoʾ.
But then you (pl) can go on."

iiháʾ witiwoóʾAt.
Over there there was a hill.

witIhunaaniitáWI neenikUšiškuhnuníkUx.
He told them the place: "That's where you'll wait for me!
nuu itiiNAhniWIsá na neetoonaahnuuwáʾAx.
There if I bring them, and then we will run off."

noowitiwaákoʾ nawáh.
Then he said: "Now."

noowitiraáNAt.
Then they went.

tsu – nuu iwehnaákUx – noowitikatiisiʾá.
But – then while he was sitting there – then it got dark.
na – xaawaarúxtiʾ – niiʾAhneetúhkUx – nuu – uukaríkAt
And – the horses – where the village was – there – in the middle
nikuwitiwaáRIt xaawaarúxtiʾ.
they were standing there the horses.
na tuuháʾ nii- ʾAhnaaRAhnuúkAhu noowiteeraaníhIt niiʾAhnaahuwaátU.
And over there where they come in there was a single way where the entry was.
nikuWIšitiíkUx pítkUx niišohnuhnaasštáWI híNAx.
They (du) sat there two ones (du) who watched (ie guards) at night.

tinaákUx noowitikúxIt skarútš.
This one then he took it the hide.
– noowitíʾAt.
– Then he went.
– noo- witiitawéʾ piikaawá.
– There was among them a stallion.
čistawákoʾ witotčiská- kUx.
A bell it had (hanging) around its neck.
nuu nootuutiikaʾiíšAt.
There then he went to the center.
nootuutuuníkUt piikaawá nootsiráxAt číkuʾ niikohniíhiʾ.
Then he caught it the stallion, then he led it wherever it was.
noowitIhaaxta- wikúx.
Then he tied it.
nikunootuúta inaákUx skarutkuúNUx noo- tuuNItkutareépI.
Then that is what he did: that bear hide then he tied it to the (horse's) tail
– nootinistakúx.
– Then he hung it on it.
– nuu tuuháʾ – noowiteewáreetIt.
– Then over there – then it spread out.
kUxíniʾ – noowititaarúxtAt.
Sitting – then he dragged it.

nootíʾAt nootuhnaaxúkAt nootunoóʾa čistawákoʾ.
Then he went, then he cut the string, then he took it off the bell.
nootuhnaaxúkAt.
Then he cut the string.
nootíʾAt nooti- táʾIt.
Then he went, then he whipped it,
tsu nuu nooteeWIsítIt.
and there then he went out.
nootikUxkaata- ʾiíšAt.
Then he ran from behind it (out of the corral).

aniwenaátA piikaawá tiwenuunáxI wenataaruxtátA
As it went the stallion as it ran as it dragged it,
noowitirinuʾá – na nuunawaaríčI xaawaarúxtiʾ– noo-
then it became frightened – and those horses– then
witiraninuʾá tiweNItkUxuhtaakáhAt.
they became frightened as they ran in circles.
noowitiraáNAt niiʾAhnaahuwaátU.
Then they went where the entrance was.

wehninuuwaáxI tišinaákUx šoNUsuxtaasštáWI wešohnači- rikaʾaáNA WIšituuNUxaakaWIhaákuʾ.
When they ran these (du) guards (du) when they (du) awakened, they (du) were heading them off.
tsu číkuʾ kanawi- tíʾ šinakuunaakawíhAt.
But they could not head them off.

piikaawá tiwehneehUhtaweétA nuu noošohnii- tUhuuNUhtáʾAt.
The stallion when it ran among them, there then they passed it up running.
wititaaruxtá skarútš.
It was dragging it the hide.
noo- tuuNAhnáʾAx piikaawá xaawaarúxtiʾ.
Then it chased them the stallion the horses.

tsu – tinaátA – wiítA nuu – wetUstaakáhAt – nuu nootuutakunaawísAt.
But – this (going) – man then – he passed around, – there then he caught up with them.
nootiihUhčitáʾAt.
Then he ran on (a hill).
noo- witikUxuunaahkawiíhAt xaawaarúxtiʾ – na – piikaawá
Then they ran along the base of it the horses, – and – the stallion
noowiteeWIhatúhkA AhnataaruxtaáhNA skarútš.
then it ran behind while it had it dragging the hide.

natsú AhnuuxičitáWI nootuuNAxíNIt.
And the one he was riding then he made it run.
noo- tuutakunaawísAt.
Then he overtook them.
tuutuuníkUt.
He caught it.
nootunooʾá skarútš.
Then he took it off the hide.
nootitáʾIt nootiitaʾiítIt nuu nootéh- NAt
Then he whipped it, then he went among them, there then he chased them
xaawaarúxtiʾ čeésiʾ.
the horses too.
nootuNAhnáʾAx nuu wehnaahnoohuuwiraátA niiʾaNAhunaáNU
Then he chased them there while he was driving them where the place was
niiweNAhu- naaniitawíhA neenikUšikoxkuhnuníkUx.
where he had told the place was, "There you must wait for me."

noowitehnoohuuNIswaátaʾ.
Then he brought them into sight.
wah – wewitáʾ – noowitee- kUxuuNIswaátaʾ.
Now – he came – then they came into sight.
noowitehnoohuuNIswaátaʾ xaawaarúxtiʾ.
Then he brought them into sight the horses.

wah parúNIt toxtaapóʾ.
"Now quickly let's go!
wekohnohnaánaʾ.
They must be coming in pursuit.
wetiroosaNAxá niineetúhkUx.
They are wild now where the village is."

nooWIšitiiNAhnáʾAx nuu šineeNAhnáʾa aniikoh- natoxtaahnaanúʾAt.
Then they chased them there their bringing them wherever it was that we lived.
nooWIšitiNAhnoohuuNIsAhkaʾuúkUt.
Then they drove them into the village.

AhnoowituuNUxiwá xaawaarúxtiʾ.
They were just handsome horses.
noowitih- khíroʾ niiNAhkuuNUxeéRA xaawaarúxtiʾ.
Then they picked it out one that was nice looking a horse.

noowitinaaʾít taanikutatuúta.
Then he told about it: "This is what I did.
tinawaaríčI tiNAhnaačiteeʾaanúʾ – NAhkutaʾuútI – xaawaarúxtiʾ.
These it was difficult for them – to steal it – horse(s).
na taanikuneetuúta.
And this is what I did.
tinaaríčI piikaawá nikuwetehni- kawátAt.
This stallion it is the one that chased them out."

AhnooWIšiteeninuuNIhuúʾU wiítA.
Then they just held him in esteem the man.

wah taanikuwituutAxítIt.
Now this is what happened.

wetireskaáʾAt.
Now the gut went in.