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But you see, the poor man wasn't hit in the leg.
Then that man grabbed [the medicine], held it and
tossed it at him, too. Ooh, he landed way off, on his
knees. He couldn't do anything now. He had no
strength left in his arm. He was helpless. One of his
arrows landed way off. Another of his arrows landed
way off. [The Long Hair] didn't move now. He
intended to shoot his bow twice, of course, but he
didn't win. Then that second [Long Hair] died, too.
[The man] just attacked him with those staves. That
awful Tenejapan arrived there in Simohovel from
whatever was the name of that land where he went.
"How did you do it, merchant? How did you enter?
How were you able to clear the road by yourself?
How did you get past all the highwaymen? How did
you win? One of my customers, a gentleman like
you, died. How come you were able to clear the
road? What medicine [did you use]? What kind of
medicine did you have to win, because there are so
many highwaymen here on our roads?" asked the
Simojovel man.
"It's not much. It's because we have some medicine.
I paid a hundred and fifty for it, but just this
much was given to me for a hundred and fifty. But
see how many staves I was given, and so I win with
my staves," said the gentleman. The Tenejapan sold
it then. He gave the one wad of his medicine for a
hundred and fifty. When he returned he had no more
worries.
You see, then he asked the owner of the remedy—
he asked him for another twenty-five staves. The
man from Zinacantan Center who gave them, sold
them for ten pesos. He asked ten pesos for them. The
other [man] asked a higher price when he sold them.
He cleared the road. He went, it seems. It was long
ago that the highwaymen died. But the highwaymen
weren't afraid, no they weren't because if someone
came, they grabbed their hair and covered their
faces with it. They covered their faces like this so
they wouldn't be recognized. No one recognized
who they were, or where the highwaymen came
from.
The highwaymen, too ... we had clever eyes,
too. We were the first to scatter that "chief," as we
call it, at them.
Now the "chief," they didn't know what it was.
"What does the plant look like? What does the
remedy look like? How does it grow? Does it have a
trunk? Do you add anything to it?" [the Tenejapan]
was asked by a Ladina.
"I don't know. I bought it, too. It was prepared
for me, too. A salt merchant there in the town of
Zinacantan sells it," he said.
"Ooh, but I'll buy some from him, too. I'll pay him
whatever you say. Buy [me] some! I'll take any
amount," said the Ladina.
TONIK NIBAK 299
Bu, ti prove vinik 7une, muk' la xtabat ta yok
7une, ja7 7o la stzak 7un stam la sjipbe la noxtok taj
7a li vinik 7une, 7oo, taj to la kejel 7ik'ote, yech xa la
mu xa la 7ok yip ti sk'obe, yech xa la taj to metzel
k'ot jun ste7e, taj to metzel k'ot jun ste7 mu xa la
xbak' 7un, ja7 la yak' cha7-moj sp'ilom te7 ti ta k'op
a7a, pero muk' la spas kanal 7un, te la laj taj jun
noxtok 7une, ja7 taj ja7 no 7ox 7iyak' taj 7ak te7
7une, k'ot la taj ta Tzima7 Jobel k'usi sbi taj balamil
yo7 taj bu bat taj mu molol 7une. "K'usi xi,
marchante, k'usi xi na7och tal 7un, k'usi xi jam
7avu7unik i bee, k'usi xi na7ech' tal ti toj tol ti
jmak-bee, k'u cha7al 7apas kanal, 7a ti jmarchante,
jun molole, 7icham xa, k'u cha7al i vo7ot 7une, 7ijam
tal 7avu7un i bee, k'usi pox k'usi x7elan tapox 7apas
7o kanale, yu7un ja7 yech toj tol jmak-be Ii7 ta
jbetikotike," xi la ti xi la ti Tzima7 Jobelal vinike.
"Mu k'usi, yu7un 7o jpoxtikotik i syento
sinkwenta 7ijtoj pero xi yepal ta syento sinkwenta
ni7ak'bate, pero yu7un ja7 k'e yepal jnam-te7
7ak'bilon tal 7i ja7 7i ja7 ta jpas kanal xchi7uk i
jnam-te7e," xi la ti molol 7une. 7A ti molol 7une,
7ixchon xa la 7un, syento sinkwenta xa la yak' ti
j-pich' spox 7une, 7a ti k'al sut tal 7une, mu xa la k'u
yatel yo7on 7un.
K'usi, ja7 xa la sk'anbe ti yajval ti pox 7une
sk'anbe xa la 7otro vo7ob xcha7-vinik snam-te7 7un,
ja7 taj lajuneb xa la pexu 7ixchon 7o ti vinik ti buch'u
yak', Jtek-lumal vinik ya7el 7une, 7a li lajuneb xa la
pexu sk'an 7un, 7a li stuk 7une, mas 7ep 7ispas tal
kanal stojol ti xchon 7o ech'el 7une, sjam 7o ti be, bat
7o ya7el ti vo7ne laj 7o laj 7o ti jmak-beetik, 7a ti
jmak-be pero mu yu7unuk xi7em, mu yu7unuk ja7 taj
tal ti mi stzak i sjole, tzmak 7o la ssat xi smakoj ti
ssate yo7 ti mu x7ojtikinat 7oe, mi ja7uk la x7ojtikin
k'usi bu likem tal ti jmak-be.
Va7i 7un, 7a ti jmak-be 7uk 7une, 7a ti jsattik 7uk
7une, p'ij 7uk 7un, ja7 la ba7yi xi stanibe taj 7a li
bankilal xutik 7une.
7Ora ti bankilal 7une, mu tzna7ik k'usi 7un. "K'u
la x7elan ti tz'i71el 7une, k'u la x7elan ti pox 7une, bu
la ta sta 7un, k'u la x7elan chch'i, mi 7o la ste7el mi
7o la k'usi la chak'be?" xi la ti jxinulan ti jak'bat
7une.
"Mu jna7, jmanoj 7uk meltzanbilon tal 7uk jun
jsalero te ta Jtek-lum, xi ta Tzinakanta 7a li ta
xchone," xi la 7un.
"Jii, pero ta jmanbe 7uk ta jtojbe ti k'u cha7al xal
7avo7one manbo tal k'uk yepal, ta xkich'," xi la ti
jxinulan 7une.