So 2 chiefs ‘n’ a priest go to Europe, part 9

(Previous installment here.)

That’s no ditch, it’s a fence!

Naika klatwa wawa kopa iht tkop man ikta ukuk ditsh? Iaka
I went to ask a white man what that ditch was.  He

wawa: =Ilo ditsh ukuk, kalahan ukuk kopa paia,
answered: “That’s no ditch, it’s a fence against fire, 

tkop man wawa “fair limit”. <x> Pus paia kuli kopa tipso, wik
the white people call it a ‘fire limit’.  When the fire runs through the grass, it 

kata iaka stop, aiak iaka kuli kopa kanawi kah ilihi, pi aiak
can’t be stopped, it races through the whole land, and pretty soon 

chako paia kanawi tipso pi kanawi ikta. Lili pi tkop man chako
all the grass and everything catches fire.  After a while the white people got

tomtom mamuk plaw iht aias ditsh, pi klaska tlus nanich
the idea of plowing a big ditch, and they take care 

pus ilo tipso chako kopa ukuk ditsh, kakwa pus paia
that no grass grows in the ditch, so that if a fire 

chako, wik kata iaka klatwa inatai ukuk ditsh.
happens, it can’t get across the ditch.  

<x>

<Calgary.>

     Iht tintin pi sitkom kopit sitkom son nsaika tlap kopa
    At 1:30 in the afternoon we got to 

Kalgari tawn, ilip aias kopa Kamlups. Tanas saia iawa
the town of Calgary; it’s bigger than Kamloops.  Not far off, 

nsaika nanich ston styuil haws, iaka ukuk, Katolik
we saw a stone church, that’s the Catholic 

styuil haws kopa Kalgari.
church of Calgary.  

     Iht liplit chako kopa stishon, iaka nim Pir Dyubwa; iaka
    A priest came to the station, named Pere Dubois: he 

nanich nsaika, iaka shik hans kopa nsaika. Iaka wawa kopa
saw us and he shook hands with us.  He told 

nsaika: iht lisivik pi iht liplit mash Kalgari last nait.
us: a bishop and a priest left Calgary last night.  

Klaska klatwa kah nsaika klatwa.
They were going where we were going.  

     Nsaika mash Kalgari, nsaika ayu nanich kopa ilihi, pi kopit
    We left Calgary, we were looking at the countryside, and only 

tipso ilihi nsaika nanich, tipso ilihi, pi tipso ilihi,
prairie could we see, prairie, and prairie, 

pi tipso ilihi kanawi kah, ilo aias mawntin, ilo tanas
and prairie everywhere, no tall mountains, no 

mawntin, kopit tipso ilihi, kanawi flat kakwa aias lik.  Pi
hills, just prairie, all flat like a giant lake.  And 

nsaika drit aiak kuli, tlun tatilam mail kopa iht tintin.
we were really racing along, thirty miles an hour.  

<x>

<Medecine Hat.>

     Mimlus son nsaika tlap kopa iht tawn iaka nim Midsin Hat:
    In the evening we got to a town called Medicine Hat: 

nsaika klatwa kopa tawn makuk tanas makmak. Nsaika klatwa
we went to town to buy a bit of food.  We went 

kopa iht haws, pi mitlait iht aias kluchmin; naika wawa
to one house, and there was a fat woman there: I said 

kopa iaka: = Klunas maika Misis Linird. <x> Iaka wawa
to her: “You must be Mrs. Leonard!”  She answered, 

= Nawitka, pi kata maika komtaks naika. <x> Naika wawa:
Yes, but how do you know me?”  I said… [to be continued]