Hotcâk Text -- The Story of How Little Priest went out as a Soldier
narrated by John HarrisonStyle
| A highly unusual tendancy to put positional words postpositionally after the end of the sentence. Haikcï´-inénâ, hosgsídja. ("They surrounded him, on the open prairie.") ... t'e herenâ, édja. ("... they killed him, there.") |
| This has a temporal analogue, with a dependent temporal clause placed postpositionally after the end of the sentence: mâna haghákcanâ, wat'ô´pga. ("the arrows were thick, when he rushed them.") |
| Generally, postpositional material is the rule despite the fact that the opposite is normal. |
| Frequent use of the epistemological sentence terminator, -nâ, indicating first-hand knowledge, with very little use of the complementary -je, indicating lack of first-hand knowledge. The suffix -nâ is also used at places in sentences where other narrators would not employ it. |
| Extensive external sandhi resulting in the frequent dropping of the initial /h/ of the second word. |
| An unusually high frequency in the use of the word aírégi, "as they say". |
| Use of the rare word gini, "to get back". |
| The word sik'û´ for "ankle" is unattested elsewhere. |
| Occasional English words embedded in Hotcâk: sitiédja = city-édja; many names are given in English, others in Hotcâk; and whites are quoted in English. |
Title
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Hûk
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Xúnuga
|
manâpe
|
|
Priest
|
Little
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Soldier
|
|
kîhigi
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deérenâ.
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|
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He Went Out as
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the story
|
this is it.
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Tcekdjína
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1865-regi
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ua'uânáirenâ,
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First
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in 1865
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they started and they went,
|
|
Omaha Sitiédja
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hahí
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wainína
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wakúrus
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in Omaha City
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where
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clothes
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they got them
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erénâ,
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cûk-xederácge
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égi
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édja
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sánîk
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they did,
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and horses,
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and
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there
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side
|
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wi-oiréra
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hapá
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hirénâ.
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Tcekdjína
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nâwatcíjâ
|
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the west
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there
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they were.
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First
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a fort
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hirahíregi,
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"Fort Carnie"
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higáiregi,
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aírenâ.
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Edja
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they came to,
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"Fort Kearny"
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which they called,
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it is said.
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There
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tcek
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nîxedéjâ
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harutcáiregi,
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Nîpárazera
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herénâ.
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first
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a large river
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they crossed,
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the Platte River
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it is.
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Nî
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dee
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harutcera
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nû´wáwôkisgènâ,
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pâzákera
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[Water]
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this
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to cross
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it is dangerous,
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the sand
|
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horusu'us'aje,
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airénâ.
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Wi-oiréra
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hoícip
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hapahírejê,
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as it draws one in,
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it is said.
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The west
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straight
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towards,
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aírenâ.
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Édja
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jigé
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nâwátcagíjâ
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tcawaíregi,
|
|
it is said.
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There
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again
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a fort
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they went towards,
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hoicíp
|
waicdjára
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'ûhirániheje,
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aírenâ.
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Fort Larmie*
|
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all the time
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scouts
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they traveled,
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it is said.
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Fort Laramie
|
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aíregi,
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hinâbáhinâ,
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nâwátcak
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jée
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hirahírenâ.
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they said,
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the second time,
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fort
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that
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they came to.
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Hidaníhôna
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tcanicánañk,
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aíregi
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édja
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hirénâ.
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The third
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deer-river,
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they say
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there
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[they were.]
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Hidjobóhôna
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Xéxede Xe
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aíregi,
|
edja
|
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The fourth time
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Big Hill
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they say,
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where
|
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waíreje,
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aírenâ
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hisgédja.
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Édja
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jige
|
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[it is said of it,]
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they say
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a mighty one.
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There
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again
|
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hirahírenâ
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Fort Reno
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aíregi,
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érenâ,
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Ûxíni Nicónañk
|
|
they came to
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Fort Reno
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which it is said,
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it is,
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Powder Creek
|
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aíregi,
|
édja
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érenâ.
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Édja
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jigé
|
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[as they say],
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there
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it is.
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There
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again
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haraíregi,
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wanioítcgera
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tcék
|
édja
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róhâ
|
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[as] they went forth,
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animals
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first
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there
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many
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hadjaírenâ
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-- mâtcóra,
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cuñktcúñgere,
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huwâ´na --
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hisgédja
|
|
they saw
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-- grizzly bears,
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wolves,
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elk --
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truly
|
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tcúîjé,
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aírenâ.
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Rézinicònañk
|
aírégi,
|
édja
|
|
many,
|
it is said.
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Tongue River
|
[as they say,]
|
there
|
|
jige
|
hahirénâ.
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Édja
|
Pádjoke
|
kizairénâ.
|
|
again
|
they went forth
|
There
|
Arapahos
|
they fought.
|
|
Hûñk Xúnuga
|
huwédja
|
oirénâ,*
|
hañké
|
hobóhabirenìnâ
|
|
Little Priest
|
in the leg
|
they shot,
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not
|
it did not pierce through
|
|
waxu
|
rogádje
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'û´na,
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ásgi
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nât'ísce,*
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|
leather
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breeches
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[he had made,]
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so that
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it was merely swollen,
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nunigé
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ép'a
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hirarúdi honihéjâ*
|
hirakára
|
|
but
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from there
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a wagon train
|
scouting
|
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haraírenâ,
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Xé Xede Nióñka.
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ép'a
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wakíju
|
hohirénâ,
|
|
they went,
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Big Hill Creek.
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From there
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with
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they went,
|
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Yellowstone Park,
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ánoñka.
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Édja
|
érenâ,
|
édja
|
|
"Yellowstone Park,"
|
it is called.
|
There
|
it was,
|
there
|
|
Fort Rainer,
|
aíregi,
|
é-owagirènâ,
|
Hodáji
|
édja
|
|
Fort Rainer,
|
it is said,
|
they went by.
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Some
|
there
|
|
homanínekdjé,
|
wigaírenâ.
|
"Bright Feather"
|
higaíregi
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Hotcañgíjâ
|
|
they will winter over,
|
they told them.
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"Bright Feather"
|
as they call him,
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a Hotcâk
|
|
wénâ,
|
"K'éni
|
djobóhoni*
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híjâ
|
t'e
|
|
he said,
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"Before
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four [o'clock]
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one
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to kill
|
|
wañgírekdjonàwinâ."
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Hisgé
|
wénâ,
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k'éni
|
djobóhani
|
|
they are going to do to us."
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Truly
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he spoke,
|
before
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four [o'clock],
|
|
Hotcáñgijâ
|
higaíregi,
|
t'e
|
hirénâ,
|
|
|
a Hotcâk
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"White Snake"
|
named,
|
to kill
|
[they did,]
|
|
édja.
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Jégû
|
hanâtc´
|
hawénainènâ.
|
Wënánegi
|
|
there.
|
Thus
|
throughout
|
they pursued them.
|
In spring
|
|
hâbíjâ
|
hagá
|
Huñk Xúnuga
|
Hotcáñgera
|
wawagénâ,
|
|
a day
|
once
|
Little Priest
|
Hotcâgara
|
he told them,
|
|
"Hâp dée
|
hâp séretc
|
wakízakdjanènâ,"
|
ánoñga.
|
|
"This day
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the entire day
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I will fight,"
|
he said.
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Hotcáñgera
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dáni
|
hokíjuánañga
|
e
|
hidjóp
|
|
The Hotcâgara
|
three
|
with them
|
he
|
fourth
|
|
djikerénâ.
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Wakíjurèga
|
Henry Decora,
|
John Bonaparte,
|
Benjamin Chambers
|
|
he went.
|
There he went with
|
Henry Decora,
|
John Bonaparte,
|
Benjamin Chambers
|
|
herérenâ.
|
Huñk Xúnuga
|
hijuksárahi
|
xónuniñgìjâ
|
hani-ánañga
|
|
they were.
|
Little Priest
|
rifle
|
a small one
|
he took, and
|
|
inéki
|
hahí
|
hicgé
|
niñge
|
tcawénâ,
|
|
alone
|
there
|
also
|
someplace*
|
he went towards,
|
|
mâwigûs´
|
kereponaíjaxdjî
|
hohíregàdjâ
|
wa'únâ.
|
Cuñkxéde
|
|
miles
|
[about ten]*
|
when they got
|
he did it.
|
Horse
|
|
sageréjâ
|
háminañk
|
wa'únâ.
|
Édja
|
hahí
|
|
a swift one
|
to ride
|
he did it.
|
There
|
on the way
|
|
Uañkcígera
|
kerepónenûp
|
wa'únâ,
|
Huñk Xúnuga
|
ruxaírenâ.
|
|
Indians
|
twenty
|
[they did it],
|
Little Priest
|
they chased after.
|
|
Hotcúñk
|
dáni
|
wakíjurega
|
xe
|
huñkcíjâ
|
|
Hotcâks
|
three
|
he went with
|
hill
|
a high one
|
|
édja
|
horujúdjenàñkcanâ.
|
Gidjiréra
|
rucákirènâ,
|
hagécge,
|
|
there
|
they were looking at him.
|
To help him,
|
they could not,
|
besides,
|
|
"Rohañgádjâ
|
t'e
|
'úinékdjonawigàdjâ,"
|
hiraíregi,
|
ásge
|
|
"There are too many,
|
to kill
|
they will do it to us,"
|
they thought,
|
so
|
|
hakdjá
|
nâwátcagèdja
|
wórak
|
hakaraírenâ.
|
Hagírera
|
|
back
|
to the fort
|
to tell
|
they went back.
|
When they got there
|
|
waírenâ,
|
"Huñk Xúnuga
|
t'e
|
hírenâ,
|
hagí,"
|
|
they said,
|
"Little Priest
|
to kill
|
they did,
|
there,"
|
|
aírenâ.
|
Huñk Xúnuga
|
hicgé
|
gadjâ
|
wa'ûdjénâ.
|
|
[they said].
|
Little Priest
|
still
|
out there
|
he was it.
|
|
Hoxarahu'ìrege,
|
ásge
|
hiwucánañga
|
t'â´pcanâ,
|
mówe
|
|
Whenever they came close,
|
so
|
he stopped, and
|
he dismounted,
|
on foot
|
|
wakizánâ.
|
Ho-'û´djega*
|
hogígiñx
|
maíndja
|
mâ´na
|
|
he fought them.
|
Where he was
|
around
|
on the ground
|
the arrows
|
|
haghákcanâ,
|
wat'ô´pga.
|
Édja
|
jigé
|
s'iníñk
|
|
they were thick,
|
when he rushed them.
|
There
|
again
|
long time
|
|
howáres'àji,
|
'û´dja'û
|
cuñkxédera
|
t'egigiránañga,
|
haikcé-inènâ,
|
|
he would go,
|
finally
|
his horse
|
they killed, and
|
they surrounded him
|
|
hosgaídja.
|
Jesgánunigi,
|
íni
|
xedéjâ
|
édja
|
|
on the open prairie.
|
But even then,
|
stone
|
a large one
|
there
|
|
nañkíji,
|