68. A Deer Hunt

At one time I was hunting deer at Seasdzôleye, "stone light", east of Coyote. From there I moved east to Yôdabîtsîlaye, "Ute his head lies". Then I went west to Ojo (Caliente) where I found deer. There were five of us in the party. I killed many deer there. We took the meat along with us, coming east again to Spotted Mountain, half way up which I camped. Not killing any deer there we moved east again. We killed deer at that place. We camped about DzîLtcîdjaie, "mountains stand". At this place we killed a large number of deer, securing a great deal of meat which we took to the town of Kûxatcîlau, "they draw water with a rope", San Felipe. When we brought the meat there the Pueblos swallowed it all red (not cooked). We sold all the meat to them. From there we went back home. I, myself, turned back east to Cuchilla, where they were to have the feast in four days. I brought meat there. In four days they all came together and held the feast which was over in four days. They moved

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the camp away to Abiquiu, from there to Cangillon and next to Coyote where the camp was established.

From there with only my own tent I started away hunting. At Gallinas I killed many deer and dried the meat. I went to Coyote with the meat where my wife distributed it all to her people. Then the camp was moved to Tierra Amarilla on a hill. From there I started on a hunting trip for deer. At the head of the Chama River I came where there were deer. There were four tipis of us. I killed seven elk and a great many deer. I went back to Tierra Amarilla with the deer and the elk meat. The camp remained there.

When it was fall I went on a bunting trip for deer to Gallinas. From there I went to the top of the hill where the canyons meet at Cebolla. We found a bunch of deer there. I killed one. I went home and the next day moved the camp to that place. After two days I moved the camp east in the canyon. Then I moved to Gallinas and to a place called TsekeL, "stone flat", where I established my camp.

After some time I went away from there again camping for deer. I killed deer every day not far from the camp. I only went out a little way and killed them. I packed the meat with two horses. I camped around there killing deer all winter. While I was spending the winter there the Navajo occasionally came to visit me on horseback. They ate the meat and carried some of it home with them. All winter they ate at my camp. When it was spring I moved my camp to Tierra Amarilla. "Just once more I am going to hunt deer," I said. I went off to hunt and found deer tracks. I ran after them and killed one while they were running. Having caught up with them I started to shoot, killing ten. I brought the meat in on three pack horses. I went with it to Misaye where the Apache were camped. They all came to see me and my wife gave them meat and sinew. They came to me also for the feathers of the birds I had killed. I moved away to Cebolla and then to Tierra Amarilla.