“But Little Dog laughed at him. He said that the current was swift
and he would be drowned. Then Round-Cut-Robe made ready. He tied up
his long hair and thrust into it a stone knife. He sang his beaver
song and prayed to Little Beaver for help. Holding the
beaver-gnawed-stick in his mouth, he struck the water like a beaver
and dove. Halfway across, he came up and sang his beaver song.
Again he dove and swam under water, until he came to the other
shore; and then he stood up, holding the beaver stick in his mouth.
The head-chief of the Snakes saw him coming. He sang his war song
and ran into the water. He threw his long spear at Round-Cut-Robe.
But it struck the beaver stick, and did him no harm.
“Then Round-Cut-Robe seized the spear and killed that Snake chief;
and all the Blackfoot warriors set up a great shout. He swam across
the river, pulling after him the body of the dead chief by the
hair. He dragged it ashore and took the scalp. He stood with his
foot on the head of the Snake and sang his war song. After that
Round-Cut-Robe and the Blackfoot warriors started for home. They
came to the summit of a hill overlooking the camp. There they
waited until a messenger came out. And when the people heard the
news of their victory, they ran to tell the sweetheart of
Round-Cut-Robe. She was out on the hills gathering berries. They
said to her:
“‘Your lover is now a great chief. It was he who killed the
head-chief of the Snakes.’
“And, when the girl heard this, she was so excited she spilled her
berries.
“The returning warriors stood together on the hill and sang a song
of victory. Then they marched down, with Round-Cut-Robe in the
lead, holding up the scalp and spear of the Snake chief. All the
people came out from the camp; and the girl, Spilt-Her-Berries, was
before all the others. It was she who met the new chief first and
gave him a kiss. She sang the song of victory:
“‘My lover has killed the Snake chief and all his people mourn for
him.’
“Round-Cut-Robe gave the scalp and spear to his sweetheart, saying:
“‘Give these to Red Horn, your husband, and say to him: “My lover
sends you these, even though he is a poor man. Your other wives
have rich lovers, but they have never done anything for you like
this.”’
“Then they paraded round the camp, with Spilt-Her-Berries carrying
aloft the scalp and spear of the Snake chief. She took them to the
lodge of Red Horn and gave them to him. Then every one was proud to
know the girl, and they gave her many presents of fine clothes.
“Red Horn invited the head men of the tribe to his lodge. He gave a
big feast and told Spilt-Her-Berries to bring her lover; and after
the feast he said:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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