diff options
Diffstat (limited to '38064.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 38064.txt | 6809 |
1 files changed, 6809 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/38064.txt b/38064.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8d02cef --- /dev/null +++ b/38064.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6809 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Aw-Aw-Tam Indian Nights, by J. William Lloyd + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Aw-Aw-Tam Indian Nights + Being the myths and legends of the Pimas of Arizona + +Author: J. William Lloyd + +Translator: Edward Hubert Wood + +Release Date: November 20, 2011 [EBook #38064] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AW-AW-TAM INDIAN NIGHTS *** + + + + +Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ for Project +Gutenberg (This file was produced from images generously +made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + + + + + + + + + AW-AW-TAM INDIAN NIGHTS + + Being + + The Myths and Legends of the Pimas of Arizona + + + As received by + + J. William Lloyd + + From Comalk-Hawk-Kih (Thin Buckskin) + + Thru the interpretation of + + Edward Hubert Wood + + + + Price $1.50 Postpaid + The Lloyd Group, Westfield, N. J. + + + + + + + + + Copyright, 1911, by John William Lloyd + + + + + + + + + January 20th, 1904. + + + This is to certify that the myths and legends of the + Pimas derived by J. William Lloyd from my granduncle, + Thin Buckskin, thru my interpretation, are correct and + genuine to the best of my ability to interpret them. + + + Edward H. Wood, + (Pima Indian) + + Sacaton, Arizona. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF THESE STORIES + + +When I was at the Pan-American Fair, at Buffalo, in July, 1901, I +one day strolled into the Bazaar and drifted naturally to the section +where Indian curios were displayed for sale by J. W. Benham. Behind the +counter, as salesman, stood a young Indian, whose frank, intelligent, +good-natured face at once attracted me. Finding me interested in +Indian art, he courteously invited me behind the counter and spent +an hour or more in explaining the mysteries of baskets and blankets. + +How small seeds are! From that interview came everything that is in +this book. + +Several times I repeated my visits to my Indian friend, and when I had +left Buffalo I had learned that his name was Edward Hubert Wood, and +that he was a full-blooded Pima, educated at Albuquerque, New Mexico. + +Afterward we came into a pleasant correspondence, and so I came to +know that one of my Indian friend's dreams was that he should be the +means of the preservation of the ancient tales of his people. He +had a grand-uncle, Comalk-Hawk-Kih, or Thin Buckskin, who was a +see-nee-yaw-kum, or professional traditionalist, who knew all the +ancient stories, but who had no successor, and with whose death the +stories would disappear. He did not feel himself equal to putting these +traditions into good English, and so did not quite know what to do. + +We discussed this matter in letters; and finally it was decided that +I should visit the Gila River Reservation, in Arizona, where the Pimas +were, and get the myths from the old seeneeyawkum in person, and that +Mr. Wood should return home from Pyramid Lake, Nevada, where he was +teaching carpentry to the Pai-utes, and be my host and interpreter. + +So, on the morning of July 31st, 1903, I stepped from a train at Casa +Grande, Arizona, and found myself in the desert land of which I had +so long dreamed. I had expected Mr. Wood to meet me there, but he +was not at the station and therefore I took passage with the Irish +mail-carrier whose stage was in daily transit between Casa Grande +and Sacaton, the Agency village of the Pima Reservation. + +We had driven perhaps half the distance, and my Irish friend was +beguiling the tedium by an interminable series of highly spiced +yarns, calculated to flabbergast the tenderfoot, when my anxious eyes +discerned in the distance the oncoming of a neat little open buggy, +drawn by two pretty ponies, one of which was a pinto, and in which sat +Mr. Wood. Just imagine: It was the last day of July, a blazing morning +in the open desert, with the temperature soaring somewhere between +100 and 120 degrees, yet here was my Indian friend, doubtless to do me +honor, arrayed in a "pepper-and-salt" suit, complete with underclothes; +vest buttoned up; collar and necktie, goggles and buckskin driving +gloves. And this in an open buggy, while the Irishman and I, under our +tilt, were stripped to our shirts, with sleeves rolled above elbows, +and swigging water, ever and anon, from an enormous canteen swathed +in wet flannel to keep it cool. Truly Mr. Wood had not intended that +I should take him for an uncivilized Indian, if clothes could give +the lie; but the face was the same kindly one of my "Brother Ed," and +it did not take me long to greet him and transfer myself to his care. + +We came to Sacaton (which Ed said was a Mexican name meaning "much tall +grass"--reminding me that Emory, of the "Army of the West," who found +the Pimas in 1846, reported finding fine meadows there--but which the +Pimas call Tawt-sit-ka, "the Place of Fear and Flight," because of some +Apache-caused panic) but we did not stop there, but passed around it, +to the Northwest, and on and over the Gila, Akee-mull, The River, +as the Pimas affectionately call it, for to them it is as the Nile +to Egypt. The famous Gila is not a very imposing stream at any time, +and now was no stream at all, but a shallow dry channel, choked with +desert dust, or paved with curling flakes of baked mud which cracked +like bits of broken pottery under our ponies' feet. But I afterwards +many times saw it a turbid torrent of yellow mud, rushing and foaming +from the mountain rains; perilous with quicksand and snag, the roaring +of its voice heard over the chaparral for miles to windward. + +The Pimas live in villages, each with its sub-chief, and we were bound +for the village of Lower San-tan. But in these villages the houses +are now seldom aggregated, as in old days of Apache and Yuma war, +but scatter out for miles in farm homesteads. + +Brother Ed had lately sold his neat farmstead, near Sacaton, and +when I came to his home I found he was temporarily living under +a vachtoe (pronounce first syllable as if German), or arbor-shed, +made of mezquite forks, supporting a flat roof of weeds and brush for +shade. Near by he was laying the foundations of a neat little adobe +cottage, which was finally completed during my stay. + +Ed introduced me to his mother, a matronly Indian woman of perhaps +fifty-five, who must have been quite a belle in her day, and +whose features were still regular and strong, and his step-father, +"Mr. Wells," who deserves more than a passing word from me, for his +kindness was unremitting (bless his good-natured, smiling face!) and +his solicitude for my comfort constant. These were all the family, +for Ed himself was a widower. Fifty yards or so to the northwest were +the huts of two old and wretchedly poor Pimas (the man was blind) +who had been allowed to settle there temporarily by Mr. Wood, owing to +some difficulty about their own location on their adjoining land. One +or two hundred yards in the other direction were two old caw-seens, +or storehouses, square structures of a sort of wattlework of poles, +weeds and brush, plastered over with adobe and roofed with earth. In +one of these I placed my trunk, and on its flat roof I slept, rolled +in my blankets, most of the nights of the two months of my stay. I +came to know it as "my Arizona Bedstead," and I shall never forget +it and its quaint, crooked ladder. + +My Indian brother was not slow in shedding his dress-parade garments, +and in getting down to the comfort of outing shirt and overalls, neck +handkerchief and sombrero. Then I had my first meal with Indians in +Arizona. Mrs. Wells, or as I prefer to call her, Sparkling-Soft-Feather +(her Indian name) was a good cook of her kind, and gave us a meal +of tortillas, frijole beans, peppers (kaw-awl-kull), coffee, and +choo-oo-kook or jerked beef. Ed and I were given the dignity of chairs +and a table, but the older Indians squatted on the ground in the good +old Pima way, with their dishes on a mat. There were knives and spoons, +but no forks, and the usefulness of fingers was not obsolete. A +waggish, pale-eyed pup, flabbily deprecative and good-natured, +and a big-footed Mexican choo-chool, or chicken, were obtrusively +familiar. Neither of the older Indians could speak a word of English, +but chatted and laughed away together in Pima. The hot, soft wind of +the desert kissed our faces as we ate, and off in the back ground rose +the stately volcanic pile of Cheoff-skaw-mack, the nearest mountain, +and all around the horizon other bare volcanic peaks burned into the +blue. Sometimes a whirlwind of dust travelled rapidly over the plain, +making one ponder what would happen should it gyrate into the vachtoe. + +The old woman from the near-by kee slunk by as we ate, going to the +well. She wore gah-kai-gey-aht-kum-soosk (literally string-shoes), +or sandals, of rawhide, on her feet, and was quite the most +wretched-looking hag I ever saw among the Pimas. Her withered body +was hung with indescribable rags and her gray hair was a tangled +mat. Yet I came to know that that wretched creature had a heart and a +good one. She was kind and cheerful, industrious and uncomplaining, +and devotion itself to her old blind husband; who did nothing all +day long but move out of the travelling sun into the shade, rolling +nearly naked in the dust. + +After dinner we got our guns and started out to go to the farm of old +Thin Buckskin ("William Higgins," if you please!) the seeneeyawkum +I had come so far to see. Incidentally we were to shoot some +kah-kai-cheu, or plumed quails, and taw-up-pee, or rabbits, for supper. + +We found the old man plowing for corn in his field. The strong, +friendly grasp he gave my hand was all that could be desired. Tall, +lean, dignified, with a harsh, yet musical voice; keen, intelligent +black eyes, and an impressive manner, he was plainly a gentleman +and a scholar, even if he could neither read nor write, nor speak a +sentence of English. + +The next afternoon he came, and under Ed's vachtoe gave me the first +installment of the coveted tales. It was slow work. First he would tell +Ed a paragraph of tradition, and Ed would translate it to me. Then I +would write it down, and then read it aloud to Ed again, getting his +corrections. When all was straight, to his satisfaction, we would go on +to another paragraph, and so on, till the old man said enough. As these +Indians are all Christianized now, and mostly zealous in the faith, +I could get no traditions on Sunday. And indeed, when part way thru, +this zeal came near balking me altogether. A movement started to stop +the recovery of these old heathen tales; the sub-chief had a word with +Comalk, who became suddenly too busy to go on with his narrations, +and it took increased shekels and the interposition of the Agent, +Mr. J. B. Alexander, who was very kind to me, before I could get the +wheels started again. + +Sometimes the old man came at night, instead of afternoon, and I find +this entry in my journal: "Sept. 6.--We sat up till midnight in the +old cawseen getting the traditions. It was a wild, strange scene--the +old cawseen interior, the mezquite forks that supported the roof, +the poles overhead, and weeds above that, the mud-plastered walls +with loop-hole windows; bags, boxes, trunks, ollas, and vahs-hrom +granary baskets about. Ed sitting on the ground, against the wall, +nodding when I wrote and waking up to interpret; the old man bent +forward, both hands out, palms upward, or waving in strange eloquent +gestures; his lean, wrinkled features drawn and black eyes gleaming; +telling the strange tales in a strange tongue. On an old olla another +Indian, Miguel, who came in to listen, and in his hand a gorgeously +decorated quee-a-kote, or flute, with which, while I wrote, he would +sometimes give us a few wild, plaintive, thrilling bars, weird as an +incantation. And finally myself, sitting on a mattress on my trunk, +writing, fast as pencil could travel, by the dim light of a lantern +hung against a great post at my right. Outside a cold, strong wind, +for the first time since I came to Arizona, bright moonlight, and +some drifting white clouds telling the last of the storm." + +Again, on Sept. 12th: "Traditions, afternoon and until midnight. I +shall never forget how the half-moon looked, rising over +Vahf-kee-woldt-kih, or the Notched Cliffs, toward midnight, while +the coyotes laughed a chorus somewhere off toward the Gila, and we +sat around, outdoors, in the wind, and heard the old seeneeyawkum +tell his weird, incoherent tales of the long ago." + +My interpreter was eager and willing, and well-posted in the meaning of +English, and was a man of unusual intelligence and poetry of feeling, +but was not well up in grammar, and in the main I had to edit and +recast his sentences; yet just as far as possible I have kept his words +and the Indian idiom and simplicity of style. Sometimes he would give +me a sentence so forceful and poetic, and otherwise faultless, that I +have joyfully written it down exactly as received. I admit that in a +very few places, where the Indian simplicity and innocence of thought +caused an almost Biblical plainness of speech on family matters, +I have expurgated and smoothed a little for prudish Caucasian ears, +but these changes are few, and mostly unimportant, leaving the meaning +unimpaired. And never once was there anything in the spirit of what was +told me that revealed foulness of thought. All was grave and serious, +as befitted the scriptures of an ancient people. + +Occasionally I have added a word or sentence to make the meaning stand +out clearer, but otherwise I have taken no liberties with the original. + +As a rule the seeneeyawkum told these tales in his own words, +but the parts called speeches were learned by heart and repeated +literally. These parts gave us much trouble. They were highly poetic, +and manifestly mystic, and therefore very difficult to translate +with truthfulness to the involved meanings and startling and obscure +metaphors. Besides they contained many archaic words, the meaning of +which neither seeneeyawkum nor interpreter now knew, and which they +could only translate by guess, or leave out altogether. But we did +the best we could. + +The stories were also embellished with songs, some of which I had +translated. They were chants of from one to four lines each, seldom +more than two, many times repeated in varying cadence; weird, somber, +thrillingly passionate in places, and by no means unmusical, but, +of course, monotonous. I obtained phonograph records of a number, +and the translations given are as literal as possible. + +As to the meaning of the tales I got small satisfaction. The Indians +seemed to have no explanations to offer. They seemed to regard them +as fairy tales, but admitted they had once been believed as scriptures. + +My own theory came to be that they had been invented, from time to +time, by various and successive mah-kais to answer the questions +concerning history, phenomena, and the origin of things, which they, +as the reputed wisest of the tribe, were continually asked. My chief +reason for supposing this is because in almost every tale the hero is +a mahkai of some sort. The word mah-kai (now translated doctor, or +medicine-man) seems to have been applied in old time to every being +capable of exerting magical or supernatural and mysterious power, +from the Creator down; and it is easy to see how such use of the word +would apparently establish the divine relationship and bolster the +authority of the medicine men, while the charm of the tale would focus +attention upon them. The temptation was great and, I think, yielded to. + +I doubt if much real history is worked in, or that it is at all +reliable. + +All over the desert, where irrigation was at all practicable, in the +Gila and Salt River valleys, and up to the edge of the mountains, +among the beautiful giant cactus and flatbean trees, you will ride +your bronco over evidences of a prehistoric race;--old irrigating +ditches, lines of stone wall; or low mounds of adobe rising above +the greasewood and cacti, and littered over profusely with bits of +broken and painted pottery, broken corn-mills and grinders, perhaps +showing here and there a stone ax, arrowhead, or other old stone +implement. These mounds (vah-ahk-kee is the Pima word for such a ruin) +are the heaps caused by the fallen walls of what were once pueblos of +stone and clay. In some places there must have been populous cities, +and at the famous site of Casa Grande one finds one of the buildings +still standing--a really imposing citadel, with walls four or five feet +thick, several stories high, and habitable since the historic period. + +Now according to these traditions it was the tribes now known as +Pimas, Papagoes, Yumas and Maricopas, that invaded the land, from +some mythic underworld, and overthrew the vahahkkees & killed all +their inhabitants, and this is the most interesting part of the tales +from a historic point of view. Fewkes, and other ethnologists, think +the ancestors of the Pimas built the Casa Grande & other vahahkkees, +but I doubt this. Is it reasonable to suppose that if a people as +intelligent & settled as the Pimas had once evoluted far enough +in architecture & fortification to erect such noble citadels and +extensive cities as those of Casa Grande & Casa Blanca, that they, +while still surrounded by the harassing Apaches, would have descended +to contentment with such miserable & indefensible hovels as their +present kees and cawseens? To me it is not. They are as industrious +as any of the pueblo-building Indians, not otherwise degenerate, and +had they once ever builded pueblos I do not think would have abandoned +the art. But it is easy to understand that a horde of desert campers, +overthrowing a more civilized nation, might never rebuild or copy +after its edifices. So far, then, I am inclined to agree with the +traditions and disagree with the ethnologists. + +But these traditions are evidently very ancient. They appear to me to +have originated from the aborigines of this country; people who knew +no other land. Every story is saturated with local color. From the +top of Cheoffskawmack, I believe I could have seen almost every place +mentioned in the traditions, except the Rio Colorado & the ocean, +and the ocean was to them, I believe, little more than a name. They +never speak of it with their usual sketchy & graphic detail, and the +fact that in the ceremony of purification it is spoken of as a source +of drinking water shows they really knew nothing of it. The Indian is +too exact in his natural science to speak of salt water as potable. And +these stories certainly say that the dwellers in the vahahkkees were +the children of Ee-ee-toy, created right here. And that the army that +carried out Ee-ee-toy's revenge upon his rebellious people were the +children of Juhwerta Mahkai, who had been somewhere else since the +flood, but who were also originally created here. + +Now, for what it is worth, I will give a theory to reconcile +these differences. I assume that their flood was a real event, +but a local one, and the greater part of the people destroyed by +it. A minority escaped by flight into the desert, and neither they +nor their descendants, for many generations, returned to the place +where the catastrophe occurred. Another remnant escaped by floating +on various objects & climbing mountains. The first were those of +whom it is fabled that Juhwerta Mahkai let them escape thru a hole +in the earth. These became nomadic, desert dwellers. The second +remained in the Gila country, became agricultural & settled in habit, +irrigating their land & building pueblos, growing rich, effeminate & +inapt at war. At length the desert fugitives, also grown numerous, +and war-like & fierce with the wild, wolf-like existence they had led, +and moved by we know not what motives of revenge or greed, returned & +swept over the land, in a sudden invasion, like a swarm of locusts; +ruthlessly destroying the vahahkkees and all who dwelt therein; +breaking even the ma-ta-tes & every utensil in their vandal fury; +dividing the region thus taken among themselves. According to these +traditions the Apaches were already dwellers in the outlying deserts & +mountains, and were not affected especially by this invasion. + +Is it now unreasonable to suppose that some of the invaders +kept up, to a great extent, their old habits of desert wandering +(Papagoes for instance), and that others adopted to some extent the +agricultural habits of those they had conquered, and yet retained, +with slight change, the little brush & mud houses & arbors they had +grown accustomed to in their wanderings? These last would be our +present Pimas. + +If it is considered strange that these adopted the habits, to any +extent, of those they supplanted it may be urged that they almost +certainly, in conquering the vahahkkee people, spared and married +many of the women, and adopted many of the children; this being in +accordance with their custom in historic times. And this infusion +of the gentler blood may have been very large. And these women would +naturally go on, and would be required by their new husbands to go on, +with the agricultural methods to which they were accustomed & would +teach them to their new masters. And their children, being wholly or +partly of the old stock, would have a natural tendency to the same +work, to some extent. + +This theory not only explains & agrees with the main parts of the +old traditions, but seems confirmed by other things. Thus the Pimas, +Papagoes, Quojatas, and the "Rabbit-Eaters" of Mexico, speak about +the same language, which would seem to prove them originally the same +people. But some have kept the old ways, some have become agricultural, +and some are in manners between, and thus have become classed as +different tribes. And, judging from the remains, the life of the old +vahahkkee dwellers was in many ways like that of the modern Pima, +only less primitive. + +But the real value of these stories is as folklore, and in their +literary merit. They throw a wonderful side-light on the old customs, +beliefs and feelings. I consider them ancient, in the main, but do +not doubt that in coming down thru many seeneeyawkums they have been +much modified by the addition of embellishment, the subtraction of +forgetfulness. As proof I adduce the accounting for the origin of +the white people, who use pens & ink, in the story of Van-daih. The +ancient Pimas knew neither white men, nor pens, nor ink, therefore +this passage is clearly an interpolation by some later narrator, +if the story is really ancient, as I suppose it is. In the story of +Noo-ee's meeting the sun, the word used by old Comalk, for the sun's +weapon, was vai-no-ma-gaht (literally iron-bow) which is the modern +Pima's name for the white man's gun, and it was translated as gun by +my interpreter. But iron and guns were both unknown to ancient Pimas, +therefore this term must have been first used by some seeneeyawkum +after the white man came, who thought a gun more appropriate than a +bow for the sun's shooting. + +How much has been lost by forgetfulness we can never know; but at least +I found that the meaning of many ancient words had disappeared, that +the mystic meaning of the highly symbolic speeches seemed all gone, +and I felt certain that the last part of the Story of the Gambler's War +had been lost by forgetting; for it stops short with the preliminary +speeches, instead of going on with a detailed account of the battles +as does the Story of Paht-ahn-kum's war. + +Another proof that these tales were changed by different narrators is +afforded by the variants of some of them published by Emory, Grossman, +Cook, and other writers about the Pimas. + +As to the mystic meaning I can only guess. The mystic number four, +so constantly used, probably refers to the four cardinal points, +but my Indians seemed not aware of this. In the stories, West is +black, East is white or light, South is blue, North is yellow, +and Above is green. Of course the west is black because there night +swallows up the sun, and the east is light because it gives the sun, +but why south is blue and north is yellow I do not know. But south +is the nearest way to the ocean, and as in one story the word ocean +seems used in place of south, I infer the blue color was derived from +that. And the desert lying north of the ocean may suggest the desert +tint, yellow, as the color of the north. As to the sky being green, +I find this in my journal: "August 29--Last evening, after sunset, +there were the most wonderful sky effects--there was a line of light +clouds across the sky, in the west, about half way up to the zenith, +and suddenly the white part of these was washed over, as tho by a +paint brush, with a strong but delicate pea-green, while under this +spread a mist or haze of dainty pink, changing to a rich, delicate +mauve. Lasted quarter of an hour or more. Never saw anything like +it in nature before." Again, on September 6, I saw nearly the same +phenomenon. The green was very strong and vivid, and could not fail +to attract an Indian's eye, and something of the sort, I fancy, +made him make the strange choice of green for the sky color. + +Those who like to compare myths and folktales and ancient scriptures +will find a rich field here. And the interesting thing is that these +tales come straight from a line of Indians who could neither read +nor write nor speak English, therefore adulteration by white man's +literature seems improbable. + +As to the literary merit of these tales, after all that is lost by a +double interpretation, I consider it still very high. You must come +to them as a little child, for they are intensely child-like, and to +expect them to be like a white man's narrative is absurd. But they are +sketched in such clear, bold lines, with such a sure touch and delicate +expressiveness of salient points; there are such close-fitting, shrewd +bits of human nature; such real yet startling touches of poetry in +metaphor; such fertile and altogether Indian imagination in plot and +incident, that the interest never fails. No two stories are alike, and +if surprise is a literary charm of high value, and I think it is, then +these tales are certainly charming, for they constantly bring surprise. + +And the poetry, in Eeeetoy's speech for example, is so rich and strong; +and in such parts as the story of the Nah-vah-choo the mysticism +seems to challenge one like a riddle. + +When these old tales were told with all proper ceremony and respect, +they were told on four successive nights. This could not be in +the giving of them to me, for many practical reasons, but I have +endeavored to give them that form for my reader and hence the title of +my book. But I did not discover how many or what ones were told on any +one night, so my division is arbitrary, and only aims at reasonable +equality. The naming, too, of the different stories is my own, for +the old man did not appear to have any set names for them. I fancy +the old man was rusty and out of practice, and forgot some of the +tales in their proper sequence, and brought them in afterward as they +recurred to him. For instance, the story of Tcheu-nas-sat Seeven's +singing away another chief's wives evidently belongs among the early +stories of the vahahkkee people, and before the account of his death, +when the vahahkkees were destroyed. But I have given the stories in +the order in which they were told to me, leaving all responsibility +on the old seeneeyawkum's shoulders. + +I lived a little more than two months with these Indians, collecting +these stories, enjoying their kindly hospitality, living as they lived, +eating their food, riding their ponies, sleeping on their roofs under +the splendid Arizona stars. + +I shall never forget that day, before I left, when Ed and I saddled our +ponies in the early morning and rode twenty miles to the Casa Grande +ruins. On the way we crossed the dry bed of the Gila; and passed +thru the Agency village of Sacaton and the village of Blackwater; +skirting the Maricopa Slaughter mountains, where once some unfortunate +Maricopas were waylaid and massacred by a band of Apaches, almost in +sight of Sacaton. The Casa Grande ruins are imposing enough, but sadly +belittled in effect by the well-meant roof which the government has +erected over them to preserve them. This kills all the poetry and +gives them the ludicrous aspect of a museum specimen. Had the old +walls been skillfully capped with a waterproof cement and the walls +coated with some weatherproof and transparent wash, all necessary +security could have been effected with perhaps less expense than +this absurd roof, and all the romance of impression preserved. Let +us hope the genial and manly young custodian, Mr. Frank Pinckly, to +whose warm-hearted hospitality and that of his parents I owe grateful +thanks, will consider this suggestion favorably and earn the blessing +of future travellers. A storm broke on us while we were at the ruins, +and riding home that evening we found the Gila flooded. I shall always +remember how its muddy torrent looked to me, plunging along at my feet, +where that morning I had crossed dry shod; its yellow waves shot with +blood-red reflections from the last colors of sunset. + +"You better see that Pinto's cinch is tight, or she may try to get you +off in the river," warned Ed, in my ear, as he jumped off to cinch up +"Georgie." + +It was always exciting to me to ford the treacherous Gila, the tawny +waters were so sweeping, and the ponies plunged so when their feet +felt the quicksands, but we got across all right, and galloped home +on the slippery, muddy roads. + +When I left these people it was with a genuine regard for their +virtues. I found them in the main kind, honest, simple-minded, +industrious, surprisingly clean, considering their obstacles of scant +water and ever-present dust, and the calmest tempered people I have +ever known. + +I remember the second day of my stay we were going to ride to the Casa +Blanca ruins. In watering the ponies at the well, "Georgie's" loosened +saddle turned and swung under his belly. Such bucking and frantic +kicking as that half-broken colt indulged in for a few moments would +have made a congress of cow-boys applaud, and when it was over the +beautiful colt stood exhausted on the far side of a twenty acre field, +with the saddle fragments somewhere between. Now to poor Indians the +loss of a saddle is not small, and I fancy most frontiersmen, under the +provocation, would have made the air blue with oaths, but Ed only sadly +said: "I'm afraid that spoils Georgie," and the stepfather laughed and +started patiently out on the trail of the colt "to save the pieces," +while the mother took one of her bowl-shaped Pima baskets, with beans +in it, and coaxed the colt till she caught him. Then he was patted +and soothed and fed with sugar, the saddle patched up and replaced, +and we rode eighteen miles that day and never another mishap. And +from first to last never a harsh or complaining word. + +I at no time encountered a beggar among the Pimas, and tho they were +mostly very poor I had not a pin's worth stolen. I never heard an +oath, or saw a brutal or violent act, or a child slapped or scolded, +or a woman treated with disrespect or tyranny, nor any drunkenness +or cruelty to animals. Perhaps I was especially fortunate, but I can +only speak of what I saw. Their self-respect and serenity continually +aroused my admiration. + +I must say that they appeared to me to excel any average white +neighborhood in good behavior. + +It is a strange land, that in which the Pimas dwell; a desert overgrown +with strange soft-tinted weeds, "salt weeds," pink, red, green, gray, +blue, purple; the rich-green yellow-flowering greasewood; odd cacti, +and all manner of thornbearing bushes. The soil is inexhaustibly rich, +were there water enough, but the white people, settling above the +Indians, on the Gila, have so withdrawn the water that crop failures +from lack of sufficient irrigation are the rule, now, instead of the +exception, and the once ever-flowing Gila is more often a dry channel, +as sun-baked as the desert around it. + +All around their valley, and rising here and there from the plain, +are low volcanic peaks, mere dead masses of rock except where in +places a giant cactus stands candelabra-like among the slopes of +stone. About the feet of these mountains, and along the channels where +the torrents rush down in times of rain, are weird forests of desert +growths, mezquite, cat-claw, flat-beans, screw-beans, greasewood, +giant-cactus, cane-cactus, white-cactus, cholla-cactus, and a host +of others, almost everything bristling with innumerable thorns. + +On this strange pasture of weed and thorn the Indian's ponies & +his few cattle graze. + +Here in summer the sun beats down till the mercury registers 118 to +120 degrees in the shade, and dust storms & dust whirlwinds travel +over the burning plain. + + + + + + + + +STORIES OF THE FIRST NIGHT + + +THE TRADITIONS OF THE PIMAS + + +The old man, Comalk Hawk-Kih, (Thin Buckskin) began by saying that +these were stories which he used to hear his father tell, they being +handed down from father to son, and that when he was little he did +not pay much attention, but when he grew older he determined to learn +them, and asked his father to teach him, which his father did, and +now he knew them all. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF THE CREATION + + +In the beginning there was no earth, no water--nothing. There was +only a Person, uh-wert-a-Mah-kai (The Doctor of the Earth). + +He just floated, for there was no place for him to stand upon. There +was no sun, no light, and he just floated about in the darkness, +which was Darkness itself. + +He wandered around in the nowhere till he thought he had wandered +enough. Then he rubbed on his breast and rubbed out moah-haht-tack, +that is perspiration, or greasy earth. This he rubbed out on the palm +of his hand and held out. It tipped over three times, but the fourth +time it staid straight in the middle of the air and there it remains +now as the world. + +The first bush he created was the greasewood bush. + +And he made ants, little tiny ants, to live on that bush, on its gum +which comes out of its stem. + +But these little ants did not do any good, so he created white ants, +and these worked and enlarged the earth; and they kept on increasing +it, larger and larger, until at last it was big enough for himself +to rest on. + +Then he created a Person. He made him out of his eye, out of the shadow +of his eyes, to assist him, to be like him, and to help him in creating +trees and human beings and everything that was to be on the earth. + +The name of this being was Noo-ee (the Buzzard). + +Nooee was given all power, but he did not do the work he was created +for. He did not care to help Juhwertamahkai, but let him go by himself. + +And so the Doctor of the Earth himself created the mountains and +everything that has seed and is good to eat. For if he had created +human beings first they would have had nothing to live on. + +But after making Nooee and before making the mountains and seed for +food, Juhwertamahkai made the sun. + +In order to make the sun he first made water, and this he placed in +a hollow vessel, like an earthen dish (hwas-hah-ah) to harden into +something like ice. And this hardened ball he placed in the sky. First +he placed it in the North, but it did not work; then he placed it in +the West, but it did not work; then he placed it in the South, but +it did not work; then he placed it in the East and there it worked +as he wanted it to. + +And the moon he made in the same way and tried in the same places, +with the same results. + +But when he made the stars he took the water in his mouth and spurted +it up into the sky. But the first night his stars did not give light +enough. So he took the Doctor-stone (diamond), the tone-dum-haw-teh, +and smashed it up, and took the pieces and threw them into the sky to +mix with the water in the stars, and then there was light enough. [1] + +And now Juhwertamahkai, rubbed again on his breast, and from the +substance he obtained there made two little dolls, and these he laid +on the earth. And they were human beings, man and woman. + +And now for a time the people increased till they filled the earth. For +the first parents were perfect, and there was no sickness and no +death. But when the earth was full, then there was nothing to eat, +so they killed and ate each other. + +But Juhwertamahkai did not like the way his people acted, to kill +and eat each other, and so he let the sky fall to kill them. But +when the sky dropped he, himself, took a staff and broke a hole thru, +thru which he and Nooee emerged and escaped, leaving behind them all +the people dead. + +And Juhwertamahkai, being now on the top of this fallen sky, again made +a man and a woman, in the same way as before. But this man and woman +became grey when old, and their children became grey still younger, +and their children became grey younger still, and so on till the +babies were gray in their cradles. + +And Juhwertamahkai, who had made a new earth and sky, just as there had +been before, did not like his people becoming grey in their cradles, so +he let the sky fall on them again, and again made a hole and escaped, +with Nooee, as before. + +And Juhwertamahkai, on top of this second sky, again made a new heaven +and a new earth, just as he had done before, and new people. + +But these new people made a vice of smoking. Before human beings +had never smoked till they were old, but now they smoked younger, +and each generation still younger, till the infants wanted to smoke +in their cradles. + +And Juhwertamahkai did not like this, and let the sky fall again, +and created everything new again in the same way, and this time he +created the earth as it is now. + +But at first the whole slope of the world was westward, and tho +there were peaks rising from this slope there were no true valleys, +and all the water that fell ran away and there was no water for the +people to drink. So Juhwertamahkai sent Nooee to fly around among +the mountains, and over the earth, to cut valleys with his wings, +so that the water could be caught and distributed and there might be +enough for the people to drink. + +Now the sun was male and the moon was female and they met once a +month. And the moon became a mother and went to a mountain called +Tahs-my-et-tahn Toe-ahk (sun striking mountain) and there was born her +baby. But she had duties to attend to, to turn around and give light, +so she made a place for the child by tramping down the weedy bushes +and there left it. And the child, having no milk, was nourished on +the earth. + +And this child was the coyote, and as he grew he went out to walk +and in his walk came to the house of Juhwertamahkai and Nooee, where +they lived. + +And when he came there Juhwertamahkai knew him and called him +Toe-hahvs, because he was laid on the weedy bushes of that name. + +But now out of the North came another powerful personage, who has +two names, See-ur-huh and Ee-ee-toy. + +Now Seeurhuh means older brother, and when this personage came +to Juhwertamahkai, Nooee and Toehahvs he called them his younger +brothers. But they claimed to have been here first, and to be older +than he, and there was a dispute between them. But finally, because he +insisted so strongly, and just to please him, they let him be called +older brother. + + + + JUHWERTA MAHKAI'S SONG OF CREATION + + Juhwerta mahkai made the world-- + Come and see it and make it useful! + He made it round-- + Come and see it and make it useful! + + + +NOTES ON STORY OF CREATION + +The idea of creating the earth from the perspiration and waste cuticle +of the Creator is, I believe, original. + +The local touch in making the greasewood bush the first vegetation +is very strong. + +In the tipping over of the earth three times, and its standing right +the fourth time, we are introduced to the first of the mystic fours +in which the whole scheme of the stories is cast. Almost everything +is done four times before finished. + +The peculiar Indian idea of type-animals, the immortal and supernatural +representatives of their respective animal tribes, appears in Nooee and +Toehahvs, and here again the local color is rich and strong in making +the buzzard and the coyote, the most common and striking animals of +the desert, the particular aides on the staff of the Creator. + +Might not the creation of Nooee out of the shadow of the eyes of the +Doctor of the Earth be a poetical allusion to the flying shadow of +the buzzard on the sun-bright desert? + +In the creation of sun and moon we find the mystic four referred to +the four corners of the universe, North, South, East and West, and +this, I am persuaded, is really the origin of its sacred significance, +for most religions find root and source in astronomy. + +In the dropping of the sky appears the old idea of its solid character. + +In the "slope of the world to the Westward" there is something +curiously significant when we remember that both the Gila and Salt +Rivers flow generally westward. + +Nooee cuts the valleys with his wings. It would almost appear that +Nooee was Juhwertamahkai's agent in the air and sky, Toehahvs on earth. + +The night-prowling coyote is appropriately and poetically mothered +by the moon. + +And here appears Eeeetoy, the most active and mysterious personality +in Piman mythology. Out of the North, apparently self-existent, +but little inferior in power to Juhwertamahkai, and claiming greater +age, he appears, by pure "bluff" and persistent push and wheedling, +to have induced the really more powerful, but good-natured and rather +lazy Juhwertamahkai to give over most of the real work and government +of the world to him. In conversing with Harry Azul, the head chief's +son, at Sacaton, I found he regarded Eeeetoy and Juhwertamahkai as +but two names for the same. And indeed it is hard to fix Eeeetoy's +place or power. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF THE FLOOD + + +Now Seeurhuh was very powerful, like Juhwerta Mahkai, and as he took +up his residence with them, as one of them, he did many wonderful +things which pleased Juhwerta Mahkai, who liked to watch him. + +And after doing many marvelous things he, too, made a man. + +And to this man whom he had made, Seeurhuh (whose other name was +Ee-ee-toy) gave a bow & arrows, and guarded his arm against the +bow string by a piece of wild-cat skin, and pierced his ears & made +ear-rings for him, like turquoises to look at, from the leaves of +the weed called quah-wool. And this man was the most beautiful man +yet made. + +And Ee-ee-toy told this young man, who was just of marriageable age, +to look around and see if he could find any young girl in the villages +that would suit him and, if he found her, to see her relatives and +see if they were willing he should marry her. + +And the beautiful young man did this, and found a girl that pleased +him, and told her family of his wish, and they accepted him, and he +married her. + +And the names of both these are now forgotten and unknown. + +And when they were married Ee-ee-toy, foreseeing what would happen, +went & gathered the gum of the greasewood tree. + + + +Here the narrative states, with far too much plainness of +circumstantial detail for popular reading, that this young man married +a great many wives in rapid succession, abandoning the last one with +each new one wedded, and had children with abnormal, even uncanny +swiftness, for which the wives were blamed and for which suspicion they +were thus heartlessly divorced. Because of this, Juhwerta Mahkai and +Ee-ee-toy foresaw that nature would be convulsed and a great flood +would come to cover the world. + +And then the narrative goes on to say: + +Now there was a doctor who lived down toward the sunset whose name was +Vahk-lohv Mahkai, or South Doctor, who had a beautiful daughter. And +when his daughter heard of this young man and what had happened to +his wives she was afraid and cried every day. And when her father +saw her crying he asked her what was the matter? was she sick? And +when she had told him what she was afraid of, for every one knew +and was talking of this thing, he said yes, he knew it was true, +but she ought not to be afraid, for there was happiness for a woman +in marriage and the mothering of children. + +And it took many years for the young man to marry all these wives, +and have all these children, and all this time Ee-ee-toy was busy +making a great vessel of the gum he had gathered from the grease +bushes, a sort of olla which could be closed up, which would keep +back water. And while he was making this he talked over the reasons +for it with Juhwerta Mahkai, Nooee, and Toehahvs, that it was because +there was a great flood coming. + +And several birds heard them talking thus--the woodpecker, Hick-o-vick; +the humming-bird, Vee-pis-mahl; a little bird named Gee-ee-sop, +and another called Quota-veech. + +Eeeetoy said he would escape the flood by getting into the vessel he +was making from the gum of the grease bushes or ser-quoy. + +And Juhwerta Mahkai said he would get into his staff, or walking stick, +and float about. + +And Toehahvs said he would get into a cane-tube. + +And the little birds said the water would not reach the sky, so they +would fly up there and hang on by their bills till it was over. + +And Nooee, the buzzard, the powerful, said he did not care if the +flood did reach the sky, for he could find a way to break thru. + +Now Ee-ee-toy was envious, and anxious to get ahead of Juhwerta +Mahkai and get more fame for his wonderful deeds, but Juhwerta Mahkai, +though really the strongest, was generous and from kindness and for +relationship sake let Ee-ee-toy have the best of it. + +And the young girl, the doctor's daughter, kept on crying, fearing +the young man, feeling him ever coming nearer, and her father kept +on reassuring her, telling her it would be all right, but at last, +out of pity for her fears & tears, he told her to go and get him +the little tuft of the finest thorns on the top of the white cactus, +the haht-sahn-kahm, [2] and bring to him. + +And her father took the cactus-tuft which she had brought him, and +took hair from her head and wound about one end of it, and told her +if she would wear this it would protect her. And she consented and +wore the cactus-tuft. + +And he told her to treat the young man right, when he came, & make +him broth of corn. And if the young man should eat all the broth, +then their plan would fail, but if he left any broth she was to eat +that up and then their plan would succeed. + +And he told her to be sure and have a bow and arrows above the door +of the kee, so that he could take care of the young man. + +And after her father had told her this, on that very evening the young +man came, and the girl received him kindly, and took his bows & arrows, +and put them over the door of the kee, as her father had told her, +and made the young man broth of corn and gave it to him to eat. + +And he ate only part of it and what was left she ate herself. + +And before this her father had told her: "If the young man is wounded +by the thorns you wear, in that moment he will become a woman and a +mother and you will become a young man." + +And in the night all this came to be, even so, and by day-break the +child was crying. + +And the old woman ran in and said: "Mos-say!" which means an old +woman's grandchild from a daughter. + +And the daughter, that had been, said: "It is not your moss, it is +your cah-um-maht," that is an old woman's grandchild from a son. + +And then the old man ran in and said: "Bah-ahm-ah-dah!" that is +an old man's grandchild from a daughter, but his daughter said: +"It is not your bah-ahm-maht, but it is your voss-ahm-maht," which +is an old man's grandchild from a son. + +And early in the morning this young man (that had been, but who +was now a woman & a mother) made a wawl-kote, a carrier, or cradle, +for the baby and took the trail back home. + +And Juhwerta Mahkai told his neighbors of what was coming, this +young man who had changed into a woman and a mother and was bringing +a baby born from himself, and that when he arrived wonderful things +would happen & springs would gush forth from under every tree and on +every mountain. + +And the young man-woman came back and by the time of his return +Ee-ee-toy had finished his vessel and had placed therein seeds & +everything that is in the world. + +And the young man-woman, when he came to his old home, placed his +baby in the bushes and left it, going in without it, but Ee-ee-toy +turned around and looked at him and knew him, for he did not wear a +woman's dress, and said to him: "Where is my Bahahmmaht? Bring it to +me. I want to see it. It is a joy for an old man to see his grandchild. + +"I have sat here in my house and watched your going, and all that +has happened you, and foreseen some one would send you back in shame, +although I did not like to think there was anyone more powerful than +I. But never mind, he who has beaten us will see what will happen." + +And when the young man-woman went to get his baby, Ee-ee-toy got into +his vessel, and built a fire on the hearth he had placed therein, +and sealed it up. + +And the young man-woman found his baby crying, and the tears from it +were all over the ground, around. And when he stooped over to pick +up his child he turned into a sand-snipe, and the baby turned into +a little teeter-snipe. + +And then that came true which Juhwerta Mahkai had said, that water +would gush out from under every tree & on every mountain; and the +people when they saw it, and knew that a flood was coming, ran to +Juhwerta Mahkai; and he took his staff and made a hole in the earth +and let all those thru who had come to him, but the rest were drowned. + +Then Juhwerta Mahkai got into his walking stick & floated, and Toehahvs +got into his tube of cane and floated, but Ee-ee-toy's vessel was +heavy & big and remained until the flood was much deeper before it +could float. + +And the people who were left out fled to the mountains; to the +mountains called Gah-kote-kih (Superstition Mts.) for they were +living in the plains between Gahkotekih and Cheoffskawmack (Tall +Gray Mountain). + +And there was a powerful man among these people, a doctor (mahkai), +who set a mark on the mountain side and said the water would not rise +above it. + +And the people believed him and camped just beyond the mark; but the +water came on and they had to go higher. And this happened four times. + +And the mahkai did this to help his people, and also used power to +raise the mountain, but at last he saw all was to be a failure. And +he called the people and asked them all to come close together, and he +took his doctor-stone (mah-kai-haw-teh) which is called Tonedumhawteh +or Stone-of-Light, and held it in the palm of his hand and struck +it hard with his other hand, and it thundered so loud that all the +people were frightened and they were all turned into stone. + +And the little birds, the woodpecker, Hickovick; the humming-bird, +Veepismahl; the little bird named Gee-ee-sop, and the other called +Quotaveech, all flew up to the sky and hung on by their bills, but +Nooee still floated in the air and intended to keep on the wing unless +the floods reached the heavens. + +But Juhwerta Mahkai, Ee-ee-toy and Toehahvs floated around on the +water and drifted to the west and did not know where they were. + +And the flood rose higher until it reached the woodpecker's tail, +and you can see the marks to this day. + +And Quotaveech was cold and cried so loud that the other birds pulled +off their feathers and built him a nest up there so he could keep +warm. And when Quotaveech was warm he quit crying. + +And then the little birds sang, for they had power to make the water +go down by singing, and as they sang the waters gradually receded. + +But the others still floated around. + +When the land began to appear Juhwerta Mahkai and Toehahvs got out, +but Ee-ee-toy had to wait for his house to warm up, for he had built +a fire to warm his vessel enough for him to unseal it. + +When it was warm enough he unsealed it, but when he looked out he +saw the water still running & he got back and sealed himself in again. + +And after waiting a while he unsealed his vessel again, and seeing +dry land enough he got out. + +And Juhwerta Mahkai went south and Toehahvs went west, and Ee-ee-toy +went northward. And as they did not know where they were they missed +each other, and passed each other unseen, but afterward saw each +other's tracks, and then turned back and shouted, but wandered from +the track, and again passed unseen. And this happened four times. + +And the fourth time Juhwerta Mahkai and Ee-ee-toy met, but Toehahvs +had passed already. + +And when they met, Ee-ee-toy said to Juhwerta Mahkai "My younger +brother!" but Juhwerta Mahkai greeted him as younger brother & +claimed to have come out first. Then Ee-ee-toy said again: "I came +out first and you can see the water marks on my body." But Juhwerta +Mahkai replied: "I came out first and also have the water marks on +my person to prove it." + +But Ee-ee-toy so insisted that he was the eldest that Juhwerta Mahkai, +just to please him, gave him his way and let him be considered +the elder. + +And then they turned westward and yelled to find Toehahvs, for they +remembered to have seen his tracks, and they kept on yelling till he +heard them. And when Toehahvs saw them he called them his younger +brothers, and they called him younger brother. And this dispute +continued till Ee-ee-toy again got the best of it, and although really +the younger brother was admitted by the the others to be Seeurhuh, +or the elder. + +And the birds came down from the sky and again there was a dispute +about the relationship, but Ee-ee-toy again got the best of them all. + +But Quotaveech staid up in the sky because he had a comfortable nest +there, and they called him Vee-ick-koss-kum Mahkai, the Feather-Nest +Doctor. + +And they wanted to find the middle, the navel of the earth, and +they sent Veepismahl, the humming-bird, to the west, and Hickovick, +the woodpecker, to the east, and all the others stood and waited for +them at the starting place. And Veepismahl & Hickovick were to go as +far as they could, to the edge of the world, and then return to find +the middle of the earth by their meeting. But Hickovick flew a little +faster and got there first, and so when they met they found it was +not the middle, and they parted & started again, but this time they +changed places and Hickovick went westward and Veepismahl went east. + +And this time Veepismahl was the faster, and Hickovick was late, +and the judges thought their place of meeting was a little east of +the center so they all went a little way west. Ee-ee-toy, Juhwerta +Mahkai and Toehahvs stood there and sent the birds out once more, +and this time Hickovick went eastward again, and Veepismahl went +west. And Hickovick flew faster and arrived there first. And they said: +"This is not the middle. It is a little way west yet." + +And so they moved a little way, and again the birds were sent forth, +and this time Hickovick went west and Veepismahl went east. And when +the birds returned they met where the others stood and all cried +"This is the Hick, the Navel of the World!" + +And they stood there because there was no dry place yet for them to +sit down upon; and Ee-ee-toy rubbed upon his breast and took from +his bosom the smallest ants, the O-auf-taw-ton, and threw them upon +the ground, and they worked there and threw up little hills; and this +earth was dry. And so they sat down. + +But the water was still running in the valleys, and Ee-ee-toy took +a hair from his head & made it into a snake--Vuck-vahmuht. And with +this snake he pushed the waters south, but the head of the snake was +left lying to the west and his tail to the east. + +But there was more water, and Ee-ee-toy took another hair from his +head and made another snake, and with this snake pushed the rest of +the water north. And the head of this snake was left to the east and +his tail to the west. So the head of each snake was left lying with +the tail of the other. + +And the snake that has his tail to the east, in the morning will +shake up his tail to start the morning wind to wake the people and +tell them to think of their dreams. + +And the snake that has his tail to the west, in the evening will +shake up his tail to start the cool wind to tell the people it is +time to go in and make the fires & be comfortable. + +And they said: "We will make dolls, but we will not let each other +see them until they are finished." + +And Ee-ee-toy sat facing the west, and Toehahvs facing the south, +and Juhwerta Mahkai facing the east. + +And the earth was still damp and they took clay and began to make +dolls. And Ee-ee-toy made the best. But Juhwerta Mahkai did not make +good ones, because he remembered some of his people had escaped the +flood thru a hole in the earth, and he intended to visit them and +he did not want to make anything better than they were to take the +place of them. And Toehahvs made the poorest of all. + +Then Ee-ee-toy asked them if they were ready, and they all said yes, +and then they turned about and showed each other the dolls they +had made. + +And Ee-ee-toy asked Juhwerta Mahkai why he had made such queer +dolls. "This one," he said, "is not right, for you have made him +without any sitting-down parts, and how can he get rid of the waste +of what he eats?" + +But Juhwerta Mahkai said: "He will not need to eat, he can just smell +the smell of what is cooked." + +Then Ee-ee-toy asked again: "Why did you make this doll with only one +leg--how can he run?" But Juhwerta Mahkai replied: "He will not need +to run; he can just hop around." + +Then Ee-ee-toy asked Toehahvs why he had made a doll with webs between +his fingers and toes--"How can he point directions?" But Toehahvs +said he had made these dolls so for good purpose, for if anybody +gave them small seeds they would not slip between their fingers, +and they could use the webs for dippers to drink with. + +And Ee-ee-toy held up his dolls and said: "These are the best of all, +and I want you to make more like them." And he took Toehahv's dolls +and threw them into the water and they became ducks & beavers. And he +took Juhwerta Mahkai's dolls and threw them away and they all broke +to pieces and were nothing. + +And Juhwerta Mahkai was angry at this and began to sink into the +ground; and took his stick and hooked it into the sky and pulled the +sky down while he was sinking. But Ee-ee-toy spread his hand over his +dolls, and held up the sky, and seeing that Juhwerta Mahkai was sinking +into the earth he sprang and tried to hold him & cried, "Man, what +are you doing! Are you going to leave me and my people here alone?" + +But Juhwerta Mahkai slipped through his hands, leaving in them only +the waste & excretion of his skin. And that is how there is sickness & +death among us. + +And Ee-ee-toy, when Juhwerta Mahkai escaped him, went around swinging +his hands & saying: "I never thought all this impurity would come +upon my people!" and the swinging of his hands scattered disease +over all the earth. And he washed himself in a pool or pond and the +impurities remaining in the water are the source of the malarias and +all the diseases of dampness. + +And Ee-ee-toy and Toehahvs built a house for their dolls a little +way off, and Ee-ee-toy sent Toehahvs to listen if they were yet +talking. And the Aw-up, (the Apaches) were the first ones that +talked. And Ee-ee-toy said: "I never meant to have those Apaches +talk first, I would rather have had the Aw-aw-tam, the Good People, +speak first." + +But he said: "It is all right. I will give them strength, that they +stand the cold & all hardships." + +And all the different people that they had made talked, one after +the other, but the Awawtam talked last. + +And they all took to playing together, and in their play they kicked +each other as the Maricopas do in sport to this day; but the Apaches +got angry and said: "We will leave you and go into the mountains and +eat what we can get, but we will dream good dreams and be just as +happy as you with all your good things to eat." + +And some of the people took up their residence on the Gila, and some +went west to the Rio Colorado. And those who builded vahahkkees, +or houses out of adobe and stones, lived in the valley of the Gila, +between the mountains which are there now. + + + + + JUHWERTA MAHKAI'S SONG BEFORE THE FLOOD + + My poor people, + Who will see, + Who will see + This water which will moisten the earth! + + + + + THE SONG OF SUPERSTITION MOUNTAINS + + We are destroyed! + By my stone we are destroyed! + We are rightly turned into stone. + + + + + EE-EE-TOY'S SONG WHEN HE MADE THE WORLD SERPENTS + + I know what to do; + I am going to move the water + both ways. + + + + +NOTES ON THE STORY OF THE FLOOD + +In the Story of the Flood we are introduced to Indian marriage. Among +the Pimas it was a very simple affair. There was no ceremony +whatever. The lover usually selected a relative, who went with him to +the parents of the girl and asked the father to permit the lover to +marry her. Presents were seldom given unless a very old man desired +a young bride. The girl was consulted and her consent was essential, +her refusal final. If, however, all parties were satisfied, she went at +once with her husband as his wife. If either party became dissatisfied, +separation at once constituted divorce and either could leave the +other. A widow or divorced woman, if courted by another suitor, was +approached directly, with no intervention of relatives. Of course, +on these terms there were many separations, yet all accounts agree +that there was a good deal of fidelity and many life-long unions and +cases of strong affection. + +Polygamy was not unknown. + +Grossman says that the wife was the slave of the husband, but it +is difficult to see how a woman, free at any moment to divorce +herself without disgrace or coercion, could be properly regarded as +a slave. Certainly the men appear always to have done a large part +of the hard work, and as far as I could see the women were remarkably +equal and independent and respectfully treated, as such a system would +naturally bring about. A man would be a fool to ill-treat a woman, +whose love or services were valuable to him, if at any moment of +discontent she could leave him, perhaps for a rival. The chances are +that he would constantly endeavor to hold her allegiance by special +kindness and favors. + +But today legal marriage is replacing the old system. + +So far as I saw the Pimas were very harmonious and kindly in family +life. + +The birds, gee-ee-sop and quotaveech, were pointed out to me by the +Pimas, and as near as I could tell quotaveech was Bendire's thrasher, +or perhaps the curve-bill thrasher. It has a very sweet but timid +song. I did not succeed in identifying gee-ee-sop, but find these +entries about him in my journal: "Aug. 5--I saw a little bird which +I suppose to be a gee-ee-sop in a mezquite today, smaller and more +slender than a vireo, but like one in action, but the tail longer and +carried more like a brown thrasher, nearly white below, dark, leaden +gray above, top of head and tail black." Again on Sept. 1: "What a +dear little bird the gee-ee-sop is! Two of them in the oas-juh-wert-pot +tree were looking at me a few minutes back. Dark slate-blue above and +nearly white below, with beady black eyes and black, lively tails, +tipped with white, they are very pretty, tame and confiding." + +The faith of the Aw-aw-tam in witchcraft appears first in this story +and afterwards is conspicuous in nearly all. Almost all diseases +they supposed were caused by bewitching, and it was the chief +business of the medicine-men to find out who or what had caused the +bewitching. Sometimes people were accused and murders followed. This +was the darkest spot in Piman life. Generally, however, some animal or +inanimate object was identified. Grossman's account in the Smithsonian +Report for 1871 is interesting. In the stories, however, witchcraft +appears usually as the ability of the mahkai to work transformations +in himself or others, in true old fairy-tale style. + +Superstition Mountain derives its name from this story. It is a +very beautiful and impressive mountain, with terraces of cliffs, +marking perhaps the successive pausing places of the fugitives, and +the huddled rocks on the top represent their petrified forms. Some +of the older Indians still fear to go up into this mountain, lest a +like fate befall them. + +What beautiful poetic touches are the wetting of the woodpecker's tail, +and the singing of the little birds to subdue the angry waters. + +The resemblances to Genesis will of course be noted by all in these +two first stories. Yet after all they are few and slight in any matter +of detail. + +In Ee-ee-toy's serpents, that pushed back the waters, there is a +strong reminder of the Norse Midgard Serpent. + +The making of the dolls in this story is one of the prettiest and +most amusing spots in the traditions. + +The waste and perspiration of Juhwerta Mahkai's skin again comes into +play, but this time as a malign force instead of a beneficent one. It +would also appear from this that the more intelligent Pimas had a +glimmering of the fact that there were other causes than witchcraft +for disease. + +I have generally used the word Aw-aw-tam (Good People, or People of +Peace) as synonymous with Pima, but it is sometimes used to embrace +all Indians of the Piman stock and may be so understood in this story. + +And perhaps this is as good a place as any to say a few descriptive +words about these Pimas of Arizona, and their allies, who have from +prehistoric times inhabited what the old Spanish historian, Clavigero, +called "Pimeria," that is, the valleys of the Gila and Salt Rivers. + +Their faces seemed to me to be of almost Caucasian regularity and +rather of an English or Dutch cast, that is rather heavily moulded. The +forehead is vertical and inclined to be square; and the chin, broad, +heavy and full, comes out well to its line. The nose is straight, +or a little irregular, or rounded, at the end, but not often very +aquiline, never flat or wide-nostriled. The mouth is large but well +shaped, with short, white, remarkably even teeth, seldom showing any +canine projection. The whole face is a little heavy and square, but +the cheek bones are not especially prominent. The eyes are level, frank +and direct in glance, with long lashes and strong black brows. In the +babies a slight uptilt to the eye is sometimes seen, like a Japanese, +which indeed the babies suggest. The head of almost all adults is +well-balanced and finely poised on a good neck. + +Another type possesses more of what we call the Indian feature. The +forehead retreats somewhat, so does the chin, while the upper lip +is larger, longer, more convex and the nose, above is more aquiline, +with wider nostrils. Consequently this face in profile is more convex +thruout. The cheek-bones are much more prominent, too, and the head +not generally so well-balanced and proportional. + +While I have seen no striking beauty I believe the average good looks +is greater than among white men, taken as they come. + +The women as a rule, however, do not carry themselves gracefully, are +apt to be too broad, fat and dumpy in figure, with too large waists, +and often loose, ungracefully-moving hips. This deformity of the hips, +for it almost amounts to that, I observe among Italian peasant women, +too, and some negresses, and, I take it, is caused by carrying too +heavy loads on the head at too early an age. There seems to be a +settling down of the body into the pelvis, with a loose alternate +motion of the hips. There are exceptions, of course, and I have seen +those of stately figure and fine carriage. Sometimes the loose-hip +motion appears in a man. + +A slight tattooing appears on almost all Pima faces not of the last +generation. In the women this consists of two blue lines running down +from each corner of the mouth, under the chin, crossing, at the start, +the lower lip, and a single blue line running back from the outer +angle of each eye to the hair. + +In the men it is usually a single zigzag blue line across the forehead. + +The pigment used is charcoal. + +The men are generally erect and of good figure, with good chests and +rather heavy shoulders, the legs often a little bowed. Strange to say +I never saw one who walked "pigeon-toed." All turned the toes out like +white men. The hands are often small and almost always well-shaped; and +the feet of good shape, too, not over large, with a well-arched instep. + +Emory and his comrades found the Pimas wearing a kind of breech-cloth +and a cotton serape only for garments; the women wearing only a +serape tied around the waist and falling to the knee, being otherwise +nude. Today the average male Pima dresses like a white workman, in hat, +shirt, trousers and perhaps shoes, and his wife or daughter wears a +single print gown, rather loose at the waist and ruffled at the bottom, +which reaches only to the ankles. Both sexes are commonly barefooted, +but the old sandals, once universal, are still often seen. These +gah-kai-gey-aht-kum-soosk, or string-shoes, as the word means, were +made in several different ways, and often projected somewhat around +the foot as a protection against the frequent and formidable thorns +of the country. + +Sometimes a wilder or older Indian will be seen, even now, with only +a breech-cloth on, and some apology for a garment on his shoulders. + +The skin is often of a very beautiful rich red-bronze tint, or perhaps +more like old mahogany. + +Except the tattooing both sexes are remarkable for their almost +entire absense of any marked adornment or ornament of person. Even a +finger-ring, or a ribbon on the hair, is not common, and the profuse +bead-work and embroidery of the other tribes is never seen. + +The exceedingly thick and intensely black hair was formerly worn +very long, even to the waist, being banged off just over the eyes +of the women and over the eyes and ears of the men and allowed to +hang perfectly loose. But the women seldom wore as long hair as +the men. This long hair is still sometimes seen and is exceedingly +picturesque, especially on horseback, and it is a great pity so +sightly a fashion should ever die out. I have seen Maricopas roll +theirs in ringlets. Sometimes the men braided the hair into a cue, +or looped up the ends with a fillet. But the Government discourages +long and loose hair, and now most men cut it short, and women part +theirs and braid it. Like all Indians, the men have scant beards, +and the few whiskers that grow are shaved clean or resolutely pinched +off with an old knife or pulled out by tweezers. + +Their hair appears to turn gray as early as ours, tho I saw no baldness +except on one individual. In old times (and even now to some extent) +the hair was dressed with a mixture of mud and mezquite gum, at times, +which was left on long enough for the desired effect and then thoroly +washed off. This cleansed it and made it glossy and the gum dyed the +gray hair quite a lasting, jet black, tho several applications might +be needed. + +Women still carry their ollas and other burdens on their heads and +are exceedingly strong and expert in the art, balancing great and +awkward weights with admirable dexterity. + +The convenient and even beautiful gyih-haw (a word very difficult to +pronounce correctly), or burden basket, of the old time Pima woman, +seems to have entirely disappeared. It was not only picturesque, +but an exceedingly useful utensil. + +The wawl-kote, or carrying-cradle for the baby, is obsolete, too, +now. Strange to say, tho in shape like most pappoose-cradles, it +was carried poised on the head, instead of slung on the back in the +usual way. + +The Pimas are fond of conversation and often come together in the +evening and have long talks. Their voices are low, rapid, soft and +very pleasant and they laugh, smile and joke a great deal. They are +remarkable for calmness and evenness of temper and the expression of +the face is nearly always intelligent, frank, and good-natured. + +They are noticeably devoid of hurry, worry, irritability or +nervousness. + +Unlike most Indians these have not been removed from the soil of their +fathers and, indeed, such an act would have been cruelly unjust, for, +true to their name, the Pimas have maintained an unbroken peace with +the whites. + +Lieutenant Colonel W. H. Emory, of "The Army of the West," who visited +them in 1846, was perhaps the first American to observe and describe +these people. He says: "Both nations (Pimas and Maricopas) cherished an +aversion to war and a profound attachment to all the peaceful pursuits +of life. This predilection arose from no incapacity for war, for they +were at all times able and willing to keep the Apaches, whose hands +are raised against all other people, at a respectful distance, and +prevent depredations by those mountain robbers who held Chihuahua, +Sonora and a part of Durango in a condition approaching almost to +tributary provinces." + +As observed by Emory and the other officers of the "Army of the West" +they were an agricultural people raising at that time "cotton, wheat, +maize, beans, pumpkins and water melons." I found them raising all +these in 1903, except cotton, and I think he might have added to his +list, peppers, gourds, tobacco and the pea called cah-lay-vahs. + +Emory says: "We were at once impressed with the beauty, order, +and disposition of the arrangements made for irrigating the land +... the fields are subdivided by ridges of earth into rectangles of +about 200x100 feet, for the convenience of irrigating. The fences +are of sticks, matted with willow and mezquite." I found this still +comparatively correct. The fields are still irrigated by acequias +or ditches from the Gila, and still fenced by forks of trees set +closely in the ground and reinforced with branches of thorn or barbed +wire. Some of these fences with their antler-like effect of tops are +very picturesque. + +From the description given by Emory, and Captain A. R. Johnson of the +same army, of their kees or winter lodges, they were essentially the +same as I found some of them still inhabiting. There is the following +entry in my journal: "I have been examining the old kee next door, +since the old couple left it. It is quite neatly and systematically +made. Four large forks are set in the ground, and these support +a square of large poles, covered with other poles, arrow-weeds, +chaff and earth, for the roof. The walls are a neat arrangement of +small saplings, about 10 inches apart curving up from the ground on +a bending slant to the roof, so that the whole structure comes to +resemble a turtle-shell or rather an inverted bowl. These side sticks +are connected by three lines of smaller sticks tied across them with +withes, all the way around the kee. Against these arrow-weeds are +stood, closely and neatly, tops down (perhaps thatched on) and kept in +place by three more lines of small sticks, bound on and corresponding +to those within. Then the whole structure is plastered over with adobe +mud till rain-proof. No window, and only one small door, about 2-1/2 +feet square, closed by a slat-work." + +This kee of the Pima was not to his credit. The most friendly must +admit it dirty, uncomfortable and unpicturesque. It was too low to +stand erect in, the little fire was made in the center, the smoke +escaping at last from the low doorway after trying everywhere else +and festooning the ceiling with soot. + +The establishment of the Pima was most simple. He sat, ate and +slept on the earth, consequently a few mats and blankets, baskets, +bowls and pots included his furniture. A large earthen olla, called +by the Pimas hah-ah, stood in a triple fork under the shade of the +vachtoe and being porous enough to permit a slight evaporation kept +the drinking water cool. + +The arbor-shed or vachtoe pertains to almost every Piman home +and consists of a flat roof of poles and arrow-weeds supported +by stout forks. Sometimes earth is added to the roof to keep off +rain. Sometimes the sides are enclosed with a rude wattle work of +weeds and bushes, making a grateful shade, admitting air freely; +screening those within from view, while permitting vision from within +outward in any direction. Sometimes this screen of weeds and bushes, +in a circular form, was made without any roof and was then called +an o-num. Sometimes after the vachtoe had been inclosed with wattle +work the whole structure was plastered over with adobe mud and then +became a caws-seen, or storehouse. All these structures were used +at times as habitations, but now the Pima is coming more and more to +the white man's adobe cottage as a house and home. But the vachtoe, +attached or detached, is still a feature of almost every homestead. + +Under the vachtoe usually stood the metate, or mill (called by the +Pimas mah-choot) which was a large flat or concave stone, below, +across which was rubbed an oblong, narrow stone (vee-it-kote), +above, to grind the corn or wheat. Other important utensils were a +vatchee-ho, or wooden trough, for mixing, and a chee-o-pah, or mortar, +of wood or stone, for crushing things with a pestle. The nah-dah-kote, +or fire-place, was an affair of stones and adobe mud to support the +earthern pots for cooking or to support the earthern plates on which +the thin cakes of corn or wheat meal were baked. These were what the +Mexicans call tortillas. Perhaps the staple food of the Pima even +more than corn (hohn) or wheat (payl-koon) is frijole beans--these +of two kinds, the white (bah-fih), the brown (mohn). A sort of meal +made of parched corn or wheat; ground on the mahchoot and eaten, or +perhaps one might say drank, with water and brown sugar (pano-che) +was the famous pinole, the food carried on war trips when nutrition, +lightness of weight and smallness of bulk were all desired. It has a +remarkable power to cool and quench thirst. Taw-mahls, or corn-cakes +of ground green corn, wrapped in husks and roasted in the ashes, +or boiled, were also favorites. Peppers (kaw-aw-kull) were a good +deal used for seasoning and relishes. + +Today the country of the Pima is very destitute of large game but he +adds to the above bill of fare all the small game, especially rabbits, +quail and doves, that he can kill. In the old days when the Gila always +had water it held fine fish and the Indians caught them with their +hands or swept them up on the banks by long chains of willow hurdles +or faggots, carried around the fish by waders. I could not learn that +they ever had any true fish-nets or fish-hooks; nor any rafts, canoes +or other boats. But owing to the frequent necessity of crossing the +treacherous Gila the men, and many of the women, were good swimmers. + +The Toe-hawn-awh Aw-aw-tam, or Papagoes, whose reservation is in +Pima County, near Tucson (and called St. Xavier) are counted "blood +brothers" of the Pimas, speak essentially the same language, are on +the most cordial terms with them, and are under the same agency. + +The Maricopas are a refugee tribe, related to the Yumas, who +once threatened them with extermination because of an inter-tribal +feud. They were adopted by the Pimas and protected by them, and have +ever since lived with them as one people, having however a different +language, identical with that of the Yumas. + +The Quojatas are a small tribe, of the Piman stock, living south of +the Casa Grande. + +The total number of Pimas, Papagoes and Maricopas in the U. S. is +now estimated at about 8000, the Pimas alone as 4000. + +I am not a linguist, or a philologist, and my time was short with +these people, and I did not go to any extent into their language, +or study its grammar. Their voices were soft and pleasant, and I +was continually surprised at the low tones in which they generally +conversed and the quickness with which they heard. But their words +were most awkward to my tongue. There were German sounds, and French +sounds, too, I would say, in their language, and there were letters +that seemed to disappear as they uttered them, or never to come really +forth, and syllables that were swallowed like spoonfuls of hot soup. + +But I trust that I am substantially correct in the words that I have +retained in the stories and that I have written them so that the +English reader can pronounce them in a way to be understood. + +The accent is generally on the first syllable. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF AH-AHN-HE-EAT-TOE-PAHK MAHKAI + + +And there was an orphan named Ah-ahn-he-eat-toe-pahk Mahkai +(which means Braided-Feather Doctor) who lived at a place called +Two Reservoirs (Go-awk-Vahp-itchee-kee) north of Cheoff-Skaw-mack, +or Tall Gray Mountain. + +And his only relative was an old grandmother. And she used to go +and get water in earthern vessels, a number of them in her carrying +basket. And when she neared home she would call to her grandson, +saying: "Come, help me wrestle with it!" meaning to help her down +with her load. And he would jump and run, and wrestle so roughly he +would break all the vessels in her basket. + +And thus was he mean and mischievous, a bad boy in many ways. And +one day his grandmother sent him to get some of the vegetable called +"owl's-feathers," which the Awawtam cook by making it into a sort +of tortilla, baked on the hot ground where a fire has just been. And +he went and found an owl and pulled its feathers out & brought them +to the old woman, and she said: "This is not what I want! It is a +vegetable that I mean!" + +And so he went off again and got the vegetable owl's-feathers for her. + +After that she sent him for the vegetables named "crow's-feet" and +"blackbird's-eyes," saying to him that they were very good cooked +together. And the mischievous orphan went & got the feet of some real +crows and the eyes of real blackbirds and brought them to her. And +she said: "This is not what I mean! I want the vegetables named after +these things!" + +And the boy, who was then about twelve years old, went and got what +she wanted and she cooked them. + +And this orphan boy had a dream which he liked and wished to have come +true, and went to a dance that was being danced in the neighborhood, +a ceremonial dance such as is celebrated when a young girl arrives +at womanhood, and he went to see it, hoping it would in some way be +like his dream, but when he saw it he was disgusted. + +And he went to hear the song of a singing doctor, a mahkai or +medicine-man, but when he heard his singing he was disgusted with +that too. + +And he left his home and on his way found a little house, or kee, +made of rough bushes. And the one who lived therein invited him to +stay awhile and see all the different people who would arrive there. + +And he did so, and in the early evening they came--all the fiercest +animals, cougars, bears, eagles, and they were bewitching each other, +but nobody bewitched him, and in the morning he went on. + +And he went along until he came to another kee, and the owner invited +him to stay over night and see all the people who came there. And he +did so, and in the early evening came the same creatures and did the +same as before, but he was not bewitched. + +And he went on again till he came to a desert place, utterly barren, +without trees or bushes and there a wind came to meet him, a whirlwind, +Seev-a-lick, and it caught him up and carried him to the East & +then back again; and to the North and back again; and to the West & +back again; and then South & back again. And so it got possession of +his soul and carried it off to its own place. + +And Seevalick, the whirlwind, said to him: "You shall be like me." + +And there his dream came true and he said: "This is what I was looking +for; this it is for which I was travelling." + +And he wished to go back, and the wind took his soul back again into +his body, and so he returned to his home. + +And after his return he was the best young man in the country, kind +to everybody, and everybody liked him. But he did not care to be with +boys of his own age, but liked better to be with the wise old men, and +went where they came together at nights. And he would sit and listen +to them, but did not attempt to make any speeches himself. His reasons +were that the young were often vicious, thieves, beggars, murderers, +and he would rather be with the old who followed what was better. + +And in the evening he would often hear the old people say: "We will +go rabbit-hunting in such a place," but he stayed at home and did +not go with them. + +But one night, after a while, when they said: "Tomorrow we will go +jack-rabbit hunting," he went home as they did, but the next morning, +when they went hunting, he went and made himself a bow & arrows, +as Seevalick had told him and placed them where he could find them. + +And the next evening they were talking again of hunting, and appointed +a place to meet, and the following morning, when they were getting +ready, he got his bows & arrows, but he did not come quite up to the +meeting place, but sat a little way off. + +And as he sat there the people came up to him and made fun of him +and asked him if he expected to kill anything with his weapons, for +he had made a big bow & arrows as the Whirlwind had done. And the +people handed these about among themselves, laughing, and when they +were thru ridiculing them they brought back the bow and arrows and +laid them down before him. But he said nothing, and when the people +were thru he left the bow & arrows there, and went home and went +again to look for a suitable stick to make a bow from. + +And he made a new bow & arrows and left them where he could find them, +and went home. + +And again he went in the evening to the old people's gathering and +heard them appoint a place for the hunting, and went home when they +did. And in the morning, when he heard the signal cry for hunting, +he went and got his bow & arrows and followed after them again, but +again stayed some distance off. And again the people came about him and +handled his bow & arrows and laughed at them. And again he left them +lying there on the ground and went home to make a new bow & arrows. + +And the fourth time this happened he was late at the place of meeting, +and before he came the one at whose house the meeting was said to the +others: "There is a young man who has been several times with us to +the place where we come together for the hunting, and I suppose he +has made a new bow & arrows today, for he has to do that whenever you +handle his weapons. Now I want you not to handle his weapons any more, +but to let him be till we see what he will do, for it appears to me +that he is some kind of a powerful personage (mahkai). + +And Toehahvs, who was listening, said: "You yourself, were the very +first to handle his weapons." + +And the next morning when Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai heard the signal +yells for the hunting, he went to the meeting place, with his bow and +arrows, and sat away off, as before, but this time nobody came to him. + +And then the hunting began, and in it some one called to him: "There +is a jack-rabbit (choo-uff) coming your way!" and he shot the rabbit +with his arrow; but when he came to it he did not pick it up, but +grasped the arrow and with a swinging motion threw the rabbit from +it to the man nearest him. + +And thus he went on all day, killing rabbits and giving them to others, +keeping none for himself. + +And again he was late at the place of meeting, and the man who had +spoken the night before said: "Now you see what he has done! This is +the fourth bow that he has made. If you people had left him alone +before, he would, before this, have been killing game for you. And +now if you do not disturb him I am sure he will go on, and you will +have jack-rabbits to eat all the time." + +And so he killed rabbits at every hunt, and gave them away, especially +to the old. Whenever he killed one he would pick it up and give it +to an old man, and keep on that way. + +And one night at the place of meeting the spokesman said: "Tomorrow we +will surround the mountain and hunt deer, and we will put him at the +place where the deer will run, and we will see how many he will kill!" + +And in the morning, at the mountain, they placed him at the deer-run, +and told him to "shut the valley," meaning for him to head-off and +kill any deer which might run toward him. But the young man began +to get big rocks and try to make a wall to close the valley up, and +paid no attention to the deer running past him, and when the people +came and asked him about his shooting he said: "You did not tell me +to kill the deer, you told me to 'shut the valley.'" + +(Not but what he understood them, but he was acting again as he had +once done with his grandmother.) + +And the next day they tried another mountain and said: "We will see +if the young man will kill us any deer there." So when they came to +this mountain they told him to go to a certain valley, on the other +side, and hang himself there. This is a form of speech which means +to hang around or remain at a place; but the young hunter went there +and left his bow & arrows on the ground, and hung himself up by his +two hands clasped around the limb of a tree. + +And after they had chased many deer in his direction they said: +"Let us go now & butcher-up the deer the young man has killed, for +he must have killed a good many by this time." + +But when they came to where the young man was, there he hung by +his hands, and when they asked him how many he had killed, he said: +"I have not killed any. You did not tell me to kill any, only to hang +myself here, which I did, and I have hung here and watched the deer +running past." + +And they tried him again, on another morning, at another valley, and +this time they told him if he saw a doe big with fawn, "snon-ham," +which is also the word used for a woman soon to become a mother, he +should kill her. And he went to his place, and there came by such a +woman and he shot her down and killed her. + +And the next day they took him to another mountain and told him +to kill the "kurly," which means the old, but they meant him to +understand old deer. And when they came to him later to butcher-up +the deer he had killed, and asked him where they were, he replied: +"I have not killed any deer, you did not tell me to kill deer, but +to kill the kurly, and there is the kurly I have killed!" + +And it was the old man who goes ahead whom he had shot with his arrow. + +And after they had buried the old man they returned to the village, and +that night the man who owned the meeting place said: "Tomorrow we must +give him another trial, and this time I want you to tell him straight +just what you want. Tell him to kill the deer, either young or old, +and he will do it. If you had done this before he would have killed +us many deer. You should have understood him better by this time, +but you did not tell him straight, and now he has killed two of us." + +And the next morning they took him to another mountain, and placed +him in a low place, and told him to kill all the deer which came +his way. And when they went after a while, after chasing many deer +toward him, they asked him where the deer were which he had killed, +and he replied: "Down in the low place you will find plenty deer." And +they went there and found many dead deer of all kinds, and butchered +them up. + + + + +NOTES ON THE STORY OF AH-AHN-HE-EAT-TOE-PAHK MAHKAI + +In the story of Ah-ahn-he-eat-toe-pahk Mahkai we are introduced to +the Indian faith in dreams and to more witchcraft. We come, too, +to the national sport of rabbit-hunting, with its picturesqueness +and excitement. + +In the transaction between Seevalick and the boy we have a reappearance +of the world-wide belief that there is a connection between the wind +and the human soul. + +The strange quality of savage humor, labored, sometimes gruesome, +and often tragic, appears in the latter part of the tale. + +It is noticeable that they buried the old man, but no mention is made +of burying the woman who was shot. The Pimas of old time buried their +dead in a sitting posture, neck and knees tied together with ropes, +four to six feet under ground, and covered the grave with logs and +thorn-brush to keep away wolves. The interment was usually at night, +with chants, but without other ceremony. Then, immediately after, +the house of the deceased was burned, and all personal effects +destroyed, even food; the horses and cattle being killed and eaten +by the mourners, excepting such as the deceased might have given to +his heirs. After the prescribed time of mourning (one month for a +child or distant relative, six months or a year for husband or wife) +the name of the dead was never more mentioned and everything about +him treated as forgotten. + +The Maricopas burn their dead. + +It is noticeable, too, that no one appears to have punished the slayer +for his murderous practical jokes. Indeed, while the Awawtam appear +to have been people of exceptionally good character, it also appears +that they seldom punished any crimes except by a sort of boycott or +pressure of public disapproval. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF VANDAIH, THE MAN-EAGLE + + +And thus Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai became famous for the killing of +game; and there was another young man, named Van-daih, who wanted to +be his friend. So one day Vandaih made him four tube-pipes of cane, +such as the Indians use for ceremonious smoking, and went to see the +young hunter. But when he entered the young man was lying down, and he +just looked at Vandaih and then turned his face away, saying nothing. + +And Vandaih sat there and when the young man became tired of lying +one way and turned over he lit up one of his pipes. But the young man +took no notice of him. And this went on all night. Every time there +was a chance Vandaih tried his pipe, but Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai +never spoke, and in the morning Vandaih went away without the friend +he desired having responded to him. + +The next evening Vandaih came again and sat there all night, but +the friend he courted never said a word, and in the morning he went +away again. + +And he slept in the daytime, and when evening came he went again, +and sat all night long, but the young man spoke to him not at all. + +And the third morning that this happened the wife of Ahahnheeattoepahk +Mahkai said to him: "Why are you so mean to Vandaih as never to +speak to him? Perhaps he has something important to say. He comes +here every night, and sits the whole night thru before you, and you +do not speak to him. And maybe he will come tonight again, and I feel +very sorry for him that you never say a word to him when he comes." + +And the young man said: "I know it is true, what you have said, but I +know, too, very well, that Vandaih is not a good man. He gambles with +the gains-skoot, he is a liar, a thief, licentious, and is everything +that is bad. I wish some other boys would come to see me instead of +him, and better than he, for I know very well that he will repeat +things that I say in a way that I did not mean and raise a scandal +about it." + +And the next night Vandaih came again and sat in the same place; +and when Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai saw him he just looked at him and +then turned over and went to sleep. But along in the night he awoke, +and when Vandaih saw he was awake he lit one of his pipes. Then +Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai got up. And when he got up Vandaih buried +his pipe, but the other said: "What do you bury your pipe for? I want +to smoke." + +Vandaih said: "I have another pipe," and he lit one and gave it +to Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai, and then he dug up his own pipe, and +relighted it, and they both began to smoke. + +And Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai said: "When did you come?" And Vandaih +replied: "O just a little while ago." + +And Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai said: "I have seen you here for four +nights, now, but I know you too well not to know you have a way +to follow," ["a way to follow" means to have some purpose behind] +"but if you will quit all the bad habits you have I will be glad to +have you come; but there are many others, better than you, whom I +would rather have come to see me. + +And now I am going to tell you something, but I am afraid that when +you go away from here you will tell what I have said and make more +of it, and then people will talk, and I shall be sorry. + +I will tell you the habits you have--you are a liar, a gambler with +the dice-game and the wah-pah-tee, a beggar, you follow after women +and are a thief. + +Now I want you to stop these bad habits. You may not know all that +the people say about you: They say that when any hunter brings in +game you are always the first to be there, and you will be very apt +to swallow charcoal [3] if you are so greedy. + +Wherever you go, when the people see you coming, they say: 'There +comes a man who is a thief,' and they hide their precious things. When +you arrive they are kind to you, of course, but they do not care much +about you. + +I don't know whether you know that people talk thus about you, but +it is a great shame to me to know, when I have done some bad thing, +that people talk about it. + +Now if you quit these things you will be happy, and I want you to +stop them. I am not angry with you, but I want you to know how the +people are talking about you. + +Now I want you to go home, but not say anything about what I have +told you. Just take a rest, and tomorrow night come again." + +And the next night Vandaih came again, and Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai was +in bed when he came, but he got right up and received him, and said: +"Now after this I mean to tell you what is for your good, but I want +you to keep quiet about it. There are many people that gamble with +you. If they ask you again to gamble with them, do not do it. Tell +them you do not gamble any more. And if they do not stop when you +tell them this, but keep on asking you, come to me, and tell me, +first, that you are going to play. And if I tell you, then, that I do +not want you to gamble, I want you not to do it, but if I tell you +you may gamble & you win once, then you may bet again, but I do not +want you to keep on after winning twice. Twice is enough. But if the +other man beats you at first, then I do not want you to play any more, +but to quit gambling forever." + +And after this a man did want to gamble with Vandaih, but Vandaih said: +"I have nothing to wager, and so cannot play with you." + +And still another man wanted to gamble with him, and he made him the +same answer, but this man kept on asking, and at last Vandaih said: +"Perhaps I will play with you, I will see about it. But I must have a +little time first." And he came to Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai and said: +"There is a man who keeps on asking me to gamble with him, and I have +come to tell you about it as you told me to do." + +And Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai told him to gamble, and gave him things +to wager on the game, but said: "If he beats you I do not want you +to gamble any more." + +And Vandaih took the things which had been given him, and went & played +a game with this man who was so persistent, and won a game. And he +played another game and won that, and then he said, "That is enough, +I do not want to play any more;" but the other man kept on asking +him to play. + +But Vandaih refused & took the things which he had won to +Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai and gave them all to him. + +And the next morning he gambled again, and won twice, and he stopped +after the second winning, as before. + +And thus the young man kept on winning and Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai +made gainskoot (dice-sticks) for him, and this was one reason why he +won, for Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai was a powerful doctor & the dice +were charmed. + +And he beat every one who played against him till he had beat all +the gamblers of his neighborhood, and then distant gamblers came & +he beat them also. And so he won all the precious things that were in +the country and gave all to Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai & kept nothing +back. But one man went to Ee-ee-toy, who was living at the Salt River +Mountain (Mo-hah-dheck) and asked him to let him have some things +to wager against Vandaih. And Ee-ee-toy said: "You can have whatever +you want, and I will go along to see the game." + +But when Ee-ee-toy got there he found the dice were not like common +dice, and it would be difficult for any one to win against them, +they were made by so powerful a man. + +And Ee-eetoy went westward and found a powerful doctor who had a +daughter, and said to the father: "I want your daughter to go around +to all the big trees and find me all the feathers she can of large +birds, not of small birds, and bring them here. And I will come again & +see what she may have found." + +And her father told her, and the very next morning she began to +hunt the feathers, and when Ee-eetoy came again she had a bundle, +and Ee-eetoy took them and took the pith out of their shafts and +cleansed every feather which she had brought him. + +And Ee-ee-toy threw away the pith and cut the shafts into small +pieces and told the girl to roast them in a broken pot over a fire; +and she got the broken pot & roasted them, and they curled up as they +roasted till they looked like grains of corn. And then he told her +to roast some real corn & mix both together and grind them all up +very fine, and Ee-ee-toy told her to take some ollas of this pinole +in her syih-haw to the reservoirs. + +And she did so, and passed by where Vandaih was going to play, and +Vandaih said: "Before I can play I must drink." But the man who was +playing with him said: "Get some water of some one near," but Vandaih +said, "I would rather go to the reservoir." + +And Ee-ee-toy had prepared the girl before this, telling her that when +she passed the players Vandaih would follow her to the reservoir and +want to marry her. "Be polite to him," he said "and ask him to drink +some of the pinole, and to see your parents first." + +And the man who was going to gamble with Vandaih asked him not to +go so far, for he wanted to gamble right away, but Vandaih replied: +"I would rather go there. I will come right back. You be making holes +till I get back." + +So the girl went to the reservoir, and Vandaih followed her and asked +her to be his wife, and she said: "I want you to drink some of this +pinole, and in the evening you may go and see my folks and ask them +about it." + +So Vandaih mixed some pinole and drank it, and it made him feel +feverish, like one with a cold; and the second time he drank the +goose-flesh came out on his skin; and the third time he drank feathers +came out all over him; and the fourth time long feathers grew out on +his arms; and the fifth time he became an eagle and went and perched +on the high place, or bank of the reservoir. + +Then the girl went to the place where the other man was waiting to +play the game and told all the people to come and see the terrible +thing which had happened to Vandaih. + +And the people, when they saw him, got their bows and arrows and +surrounded him and were going to shoot him. + +And they fired arrows at him, and some of them struck him, but could +not pierce him, and then all were afraid of him. And first he began +to hop around, and then to fly a little higher, until he perched on +a tree, but he broke the tree down; and he tried another tree and +broke that down; and then he flew to a mountain and tumbled its rocks +down its side, and finally he settled on a strong cliff. And even the +cliff swayed at first as if it would fall,--but finally it settled +and stood still. + +And this was foretold when the earth was being made, that one of the +race of men should be turned into an eagle. Vandaih was a handsome +man, but he had a bad character, and ever since the beginning parents +had warned their children to practice virtue lest they be turned into +eagles; because it had been foretold that some good-looking bad person +should be thus transformed, and it was to be seen that good-looking +people were often bad and homely ones good characters. + +And Vandaih took that cliff for his residence and hunted over all the +country round about, killing jack-rabbits, deer and all kinds of game +for his food. And when the game became scarce he turned to men and +one day he killed a man and took the body to his cliff to eat. And +after this manner he went on. Early in the morning he would bring +home a human being, and sometimes he would bring home two. + +Then the people sent a messenger to Ee-eetoy, to his home on +Mohahdheck, asking him to kill for them this man-eagle. And Ee-ee-toy +said to the man: "You can go back, and in about four days I will +be there." But when the fourth day came Ee-eetoy had not arrived, +as he had promised, but Vandaih was among the people, killing them, +carrying them away to the cliff. + +And the people again sent the messenger, saying to him: "You must tell +Ee-ee-toy he must come and help his people or we shall all be lost." + +And the man delivered his message and Ee-ee-toy said, as before, +that he would be there in four days. + +And this went on, the people sending to Ee-ee-toy, and Ee-ee-toy +promising to come in four days, until a whole year had passed. And not +only for one year, but for four years, for the people had misunderstood +him, and when he said four days he meant four years, and so for four +years it went on as we have said. + +(Now Ee-ee-toy and Vandaih were relatives, and that was one reason +why Ee-ee-toy kept the people waiting so long for his help and worked +to gain time. He did not want to hurt Vandaih.) + +But when the fourth year came Ee-ee-toy did go, and told the people +to get him the "seed-roaster." + +And the people ran around, guessing what he meant, and they brought +him the charcoal, but Ee-ee-toy said: "I did not mean this, I meant +the 'seed-roaster'!" + +So they ran around again, and they brought him the long open earthen +vessel with handles at each end, used for roasting, and with it +they brought the charcoal which is made from ironwood. But he said: +"I did not mean these. I mean the 'seed-roaster.'" + +And they kept on guessing, and nobody could guess it right. They +brought him the black stones of the nahdahcote, or fire place, and +he said: "I do not want these. I want the 'seed-roaster.'" + +And the people kept on guessing, and could not guess it right, and so, +at last, he told them that what he wanted was obsidian, that black +volcanic stone, like glass, from which arrow heads are made. And this +was what he called the "seed-roaster." + +So the people got it for him. + +Then he told them to bring him four springy sticks. And they ran and +brought all the kinds of springy sticks they could find, but he told +them he did not mean any of these. + +And for many days they kept on trying to get him the sticks which +he wanted. And after they had completely failed Ee-ee-toy told them +what he wanted. It was a kind of stick called vahs-iff, which did not +grow there, therefore they had not been able to find it. And beside +vahsiff sticks were not springy sticks at all, but the strongest kind +of sticks, very stiff. + +So they sent a person to get these, who brought them, and Ee-ee-toy +whittled them so that they had sharp points. And there were four +of them. + +And Ee-ee-toy said: "Now I am going, and I want you to watch the top +of the highest mountain, and if you see a big cloud over it, you will +know I have done something wonderful. But if there is a fog over the +world for four days you will know I am killed." + +When he started he allowed one of the dust storms of the desert to +arise, and went in that, so that the man-eagle should not see him. + +For many days he journeyed toward the cliff, and when sunset of the +last day came he was still a good way off; but he went on and arrived +at the foot of the cliff after it was dark, and hid himself there +under a rock. + +About daybreak the man-eagle got up and flew around the cliff four +times and then flew off. And after he was gone Ee-ee-toy took one of +his sticks and stuck it into a crack in the cliff, and climbed on it, +and stuck another above it and so he went on to the top, pulling out +the sticks behind him and putting them in above. + +And when he got to the home of the man-eagle, Vandaih, on the top of +the cliff, he found a woman there. And she was the same woman who had +given Vandaih the pinole with eagles' feathers in it. He had found her, +and carried her up there, and made her his wife. + +When Ee-ee-toy came to the woman he found she had a little boy, and he +asked her if the child could speak yet, and she replied that he was +just beginning to talk; and he enquired further when the man-eagle +would return, and she said that formerly when game was plenty he had +not stayed away long, but now that game was scarce it usually took +him about half a day, so he likely would not be there till noon. + +And Ee-ee-toy enquired: "What does he do when he comes back? Does he +sleep or not? Does he lie right down, or does he go looking around +first?" + +And the wife said: "He looks all around first, everywhere. And even +the little flies he will kill, he is so afraid that some one will come +to kill him. And after he has looked around, and finished eating, +he comes to lay his head in my lap and have me look for the lice in +his head. And it is then that he goes to sleep." + +So Ee-ee-toy turned into a big fly and hid in a crack in the rock, +and asked the woman if she could see him, and she said: "Yes, I can +see you very plainly." + +And he hid himself three times, and each time she could see him, but +the fourth time he got into one of the dead bodies, into its lungs, +and had her pile the other dead bodies over him, and then when he +asked her she said: "No, I cannot see you now." + +And Ee-ee-toy told her: "As soon as he goes to sleep, whistle, so +that I may know that he is surely asleep." + +At noon Ee-ee-toy heard the man-eagle coming. He was bringing two +bodies, still living & moaning, and dropped them over the place +where Ee-ee-toy lay. And the first thing the man-eagle did was to +look all around, and he said to his wife: "What smell is this that I +smell?" And she said: "What kind of a smell?" And he replied: "Why, +it smells like an uncooked person!" "These you have just brought in +are uncooked persons, perhaps it is these you smell." + +Then Vandaih went to the pile of dead bodies and turned them over & +over, but the oldest body at the bottom he did not examine, for he +did not think there could be anyone there. + +So his wife cooked his dinner, and he ate it and then asked her to +look for the lice in his head. And as he lay down he saw a fly pass +before his face, and he jumped up to catch it, but the fly got into +a crack in the rock where he could not get it. + +And when he lay down again the child said: "Father! come!" And Vandaih +said: "Why does he say that? He never said that before. He must be +trying to tell me that some one is coming to injure me!" But the wife +said: "You know he is only learning to talk, and what he means is +that he is glad that his father has come. That is very plain." But +Vandaih said: "No, I think he is trying to tell me some one has come." + +But at last Vandaih lay down and the woman searched his head and sang +to put him to sleep. And when he seemed sound asleep she whistled. And +her whistle waked him up and he said: "Why did you whistle! you never +did that before?" And she said: "I whistled because I am so glad about +the game you have brought. I used to feel bad about the people you +killed, but now I know I must be contented & rejoice when you have +a good hunt. And after this I will whistle every time when you bring +game home." + +And she sang him to sleep again, and whistled when he slept; and waked +him up again, and said the same thing again in reply to his question. + +And the third time, while she was singing, she turned Vandaih's head +from side to side. And when he seemed fast asleep she whistled. And +after she had whistled she turned the head again, but Vandaih did +not get up, and so she knew that this time he was fast asleep. + +So Ee-ee-toy came out of the dead body he had hidden in, and came to +where Vandaih was, and the woman laid his head down & left him. And +Ee-ee-toy took the knife which he had made from the volcanic glass, +obsidian, and cut Vandaih's throat, and beheaded him, and threw his +head eastward & his body westward. And he beheaded the child, too, +and threw its head westward and its body eastward. + +And because of the killing of so powerful a personage the cliff +swayed as if it would fall down, but Ee-ee-toy took one of his +sharpened stakes and drove it into the cliff and told the woman to +hold onto that; and he took another and drove that in and took hold +of that himself. + +And after the cliff had steadied enuf, Ee-ee-toy told the woman to +heat some water, and when she had done so he sprinkled the dead bodies. + +The first ones he sprinkled came to life and he asked them where +their home was & when they told him he sent them there by his power. + +And he had more water heated and sprinkled more bodies, and when he +learned where their home was he sent them home, also, by his power. + +And this was done a third time, with a third set of bodies. + +And the fourth time the hot water was sprinkled on the oldest bodies +of all, the mere skeletons, and it took them a long time to come to +life, and when they were revived they could not remember where their +homes were or where they had come from. So Ee-ee-toy cut off eagles' +feathers slanting-wise (pens) and gave them, and gave them dried +blood mixed with water (ink) and told them their home should be in +the East, and by the sign of the slanting-cut feather they should +know each other. And they are the white people of this day. And he +sent them eastward by his power. + +And in the evening he & the woman went down the cliff by the aid of +the sharpened stakes, even as he had come up, and when they reached +the foot of the mountain they stayed there over night. They took some +of the long eagle feathers and made a kee from them, & some of the +soft eagle feathers and made a bed with them. And they stayed there +four nights, at the foot of the cliff. + +And after a day's journey they made another kee of shorter eagle +feathers, and a bed of tail feathers. And they staid at this second +camp four nights. + +And then they journeyed on again another day and build another kee, +like the first one, & stayed there also four nights. + +And they journeyed on yet another day and built again a kee, like +the second one, and stayed there four nights. + +And on the morning of each fourth day Ee-ee-toy took the bath of +purification, as the Pimas have since done when they have slain +Apaches, and when he arrived home he did not go right among the people +but stayed out in the bushes for a while. + +And the people knew he had killed Vandaih, the man-eagle, for they +had watched and had seen the cloud over the high mountain. + +And after the killing of Vandaih, for a long time, the people had +nothing to be afraid of, and they were all happy. + + + + + +NOTES ON THE STORY OF VANDAIH + +In the story of Vandaih we are given a curious glimpse into Indian +friendship. The reference to smoking, too, is interesting. The Pimas +had no true pipes. They used only cigarettes of tobacco and corn-husk, +or else short tubes of cane stuffed with tobacco. These I have called +tube-pipes. They smoked on all ceremonial occasions, but appear to +have had no distinctive pipe of peace. The ceremonial pipes of cane +had bunches of little birds' feathers tied to them, and in my photo +of the old seeneeyawkum he holds such a ceremonial pipe in his hand. + +"He gambles with the gain-skoot:" The gain-skoot were the Pima +dice--two sticks so marked and painted as to represent the numerals +kee-ick (four) and choat-puh (six), and two called respectively +see-ick-ko, the value of which was fourteen, and gains, the value of +which was fifteen. These were to be held in the hand and knocked in +the air with a flat round stone. At the same time there was to be on +the ground a parallelogram of holes with a sort of goal, or "home," +at two corners. If the sticks all fell with face sides up they counted +five. If all fell with blank sides up it was ten. If only one face +side turned up it counted its full value, but if two or three turned up +then they counted only as one each. If a gain was scored the count was +kept by placing little sticks or stones (soy-yee-kuh) in the holes as +counters. If the second player overtook the first in a hole the first +man was "killed" and had to begin over. Among all Indians gambling +was a besetting vice, and there was nothing they would not wager. + +Sometimes instead of the gain-skoot they used waw-pah-tee, which +was simply a guessing game. They guessed in which hand a certain +painted stick was held, or in which of four decorated cane-tubes, +filled with sand, a certain little ball was hidden and wagered on +their guess. These tubes were differently marked, and one was named +"Old Man," one "Old Woman," one "Black Head," and one "Black in the +Middle." Sticks were given to keep count of winnings. + +The moral advice which Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai gives Vandaih, is very +quaint, and the shrewd cunning with which he loads the dice, pockets +the proceeds, and yet finally unloads all the blame on poor Vandaih, +is quite of a piece with the confused morals of most folk-lore in +all lands. On these points it is really very hard to understand the +workings of the primitive mind. Here is certain proof that the modern +conscience has evoluted from something very chaotic. + +It will be noticed that Vandaih drinks the pinole, which bewitches +him, five times instead of the usual four. Whether this is a mistake +of the seeneeyawkum, or significant I do not know. Perhaps four is +a lucky and five an unlucky number. + +Another variation in the numerical order is in the woman whistling +only three times, in putting Vandaih to sleep. + +As I have before pointed out the reference to white men, and pens and +ink, is evidently a modern interpolation, not altogether lacking in +flavor of sarcasm. + +There are suggestions in this story of Jack the Giant Killer, of +the Roc of the Arabian Nights, of the harpies, and of the frightful +creatures, part human, part animal, so familiar in all ancient +folk-lore. + +The latter part of this tale is particularly interesting, as perhaps +throwing light on the origin of that mysterious process of purification +for slaying enemies, so peculiar to the Pimas. + +It seems to have been held by the Awawtam that to kill an Apache +rendered the slayer unclean, even tho the act itself was most valiant +and praiseworthy, and must be expiated by an elaborate process of +purification. From old Comalk Hawk Kih I got a careful description +of the process. + +According to his account, as soon as an Apache had been killed, if +possible, the fact was at once telegraphed to the watchers at home +by the smoke signal from some mountain. This custom is evidently +referred to in Ee-ee-toy's cloud over a high mountain as a signal of +success. The Indians apparently regarded smoke and clouds as closely +related, if not the same, as is shown in their faith in the power of +tobacco to make rain. + +As soon as the Apache has been killed the slayer begins to fast +and to look for a "father." His "father" is one who is to perform +all his usual duties for him, for he is now unclean and cannot do +these himself. The "father," too, must know how to perform all the +ceremonial duties necessary to his office, as will be explained. If a +"father" can be found among the war-party the slayer need only fast +two days, but if not he must wait till he gets home again, even if it +takes four or more days. It appears that this friend, who has charge +of the slayer, is humorously called a "father" because his "child" +is usually so restless under his long fast, and keeps asking him to +do things for him and divert him. + +If there is no "father" for him in the war-party, as soon as possible a +messenger is sent on ahead to get some one at home to take the office +for him, and to make the fires in the kee, that being a man's special +duty. And the wife of the slayer is also now unclean by his act, +and must purify herself as long as he, tho she must keep apart from +him. And she also must have a substitute to do her usual work. She +must keep close at home, and her husband, the slayer, remain out in +the bushes till the purification is accomplished. + +For two days the fast is complete, but on the morning of the third +day the slayer is allowed one drink of pinole, very thin, and no more +than he can drink at one breath. The moment he pauses he can have no +more at that time. + +When presenting this pinole, the "father" makes this speech: + +"Your fame has come, and I was overjoyed, and have run all the way +to the ocean, and back again, bringing you this water. + +On my return I strengthened myself four times, and in the dish in +which I carried the water stood See-vick-a Way-hohm, The Red Thunder +Person, the Lightning, and because of his force I fell down. + +And when I got up I smelled the water in the dish, and it smelled as +if something had been burned in it. + +And when I got up I strengthened myself four times, and there came +from the sky, and stood in the dish, Tone-dum Bah-ahk, The Eagle of +Light. And he turned the water in the dish in a circle, and because +of his force I fell down, and when I rose up again and smelled the +water in the dish it was stinking. + +And when I had started again I strengthened myself four times, and +Vee-sick the Chicken Hawk, came down from the sky and stood in the +dish. And by his force I was thrown down. And when I stood again and +smelled the water in the dish, it smelled like fresh blood. + +And I started again, strengthening myself four times, and there came +from the East our gray cousin, Skaw-mack Tee-worm-gall, The Coyote, +who threw me down again, and stood in the dish, and turned the water +around, and left it smelling as the coyote smells. + +And when I rose up I started again, and in coming to you I have rested +four times; and now I have brought you the water, and so many powerful +beings have done wonderful things to it that I want you to drink it +all at one time." + +After the third day the "father" brings his charge a little to eat +every morning and evening, but a very little. + +On the morning of the fourth day, at daybreak the slayer takes a +bath of purification, even if it is winter and he has to break the +ice and dive under to do it. And this is repeated on the morning of +each fourth day, till four baths have been taken in sixteen days. + +The slayer finds an owl and without killing him pulls long feathers out +of his wings and takes them home. The slayer had cut a little lock of +hair from the head of the Apache he had killed (for in old times, at +least, the Pimas often took no scalps) and now a little bag of buckskin +is made, and a ball of greasewood gum is stuck on the end of this lock +of hair which is placed in the bag, and on the bag are tied a feather +of the owl and one from a chicken hawk, and some of the soft feathers +of an eagle, and around the neck of the bag a string of blue beads. + +(And during this time the women are carrying wood in their giyh-haws +to the dancing place.) + +Now the Apaches are contemptuously called children, and this bag +represents a child, being supposed to contain the ghost of the dead +Apache, and the slayer sits on the ground with it, and takes it in +his hands as if it were a baby, and inhales from it four times as +if he were kissing it. And when it is time for the dance the slayers +who are a good ways off from the dancing place start before sunset, +but those who are close wait till the sun is down. And the "father" +goes with the slayer, through woods and bushes, avoiding roads. And +before this the "father" has dug a hole at the dancing place about +ten inches deep and two feet wide, just big enough for a man to squat +in with legs folded, and behind the hole planted a mezquite fork, +about five feet high, on which are hung the weapons of the slayer, +his shield, club, bow, quiver of arrows, perhaps his gun or lance. + +(The shield was made of rawhide, very thick, able to turn an arrow +and was painted jet black by a mixture of mezquite gum and charcoal, +with water, which made it glossy and shiny. The design on it was in +white, or red and white. The handle was of wood, curved, placed in +the centre of the inside, bound down at the ends by rawhide, and the +hand fended from the rough shield by a piece of sheepskin.) + +In this hole the slayer sits down and behind him and the fork lies down +his dancer, for the slayer himself does not dance but some stranger who +represents him perhaps a Papago or a Maricopa, drawn from a distance +by the fame of the exploit. Nor do the slayers sing, but old men who +in their day have slain Apaches. These singers are each allowed to +sing two songs of their own choice, the rest of the veterans joining +in. And as soon as the first old man begins to sing, the dancers get +up, take the weapons of the men they represent, and dance around the +fire, which the "fathers" keep burning, keeping time with the song. + +And the women cook all kinds of good things, and set them before the +singers, but the bystanders jump in and snatch them away. But sometimes +the wife of an old singer will get something and save it for him. + +And the relatives of the slayers will bring presents for the dancers, +buckskin, baskets, and anything that an Indian values. And as soon as +presented some relative of the dancer runs in and takes the present +and keeps it for him. + +And while this big war-dance is going on the rest of the people are +having dances in little separate groups, all around. And as soon as +the dance is over the weapons are returned to the forks they were +taken from. + +By this time it is nearly morning, and the slayers get up and take +their bath in the river, and return and dry themselves by the expiring +fire. Then returning to the bushes they remain there again four days, +and that is the last of their purification. + +As this dance is on the eve of the sixteenth day, there were twenty +days in all. + +Grossman's account differs considerably from this, and is worth +reading. + +During the time of purifying, the slayers wear their hair in a +strange way, like the top-knot of a white woman, somewhat, and in it +stick a stick, called a kuess-kote to scratch themselves with, as +they are not allowed to use the fingers. This is alluded to in the +Story of Paht-ahn-kum's War. A picture of a Maricopa interpreter, +with his hair thus arranged, is in the report of Col. W. H. Emory, +before alluded to. This picture is interesting, because it shows that +the Maricopas, when with the Pimas, adopted the same custom. When I +showed this picture to the old see-nee-yaw-kum he was much interested, +saying he himself had known this man, who was a relative of his, +there being a dash of Maricopa blood in his family, and that he +had been born in Mexico and had there learned Spanish enough to +be an interpreter. His Mexican name, he said, was Francisco Lucas, +but the Pimas called him How-app-ahl Tone-um-kum, or Thirsty Hawk, +a name which has an amusing significance when we recall what Emory +says about his taste for aguardiente, and that Captain Johnston says +of the same man, "the dog had a liquorish tooth." + + + + + + + + +STORIES OF THE SECOND NIGHT + + +THE STORY OF THE TURQUOISES AND THE RED BIRD + + +And at the vahahkkee which the white men now call the Casa Grande ruins +was the home of Seeollstchewadack Seeven, or the Morning green Chief. + +And one morning the young women at that place were playing and having +a good time with the game of the knotted rope or balls, which is +called toe-coll. + +And in this game the young girls are placed at each end, near the +goals, and at this time, at the west end, one of the young girls +gradually sank into the earth; and as she sank the earth around her +became very green with grass. + +And Seeollstchewadack Seeven told the people not to disturb the green +spot until the next morning; and the next morning the green spot was a +green rock, and he told the people to dig around it, and as they dug +they chipped off small pieces, and the people came and got what they +wanted of these pieces of green stone. And they made ear-rings and +ornaments from these green stones, which were tchew-dack-na-ha-gay-awh +or turquoises. + +And after the turquoises were distributed, and the fame of this had +spread, the chief of another people, who lived to the east, whose name +was Dthas Seeven (Sun-Chief) thought he would do something wonderful, +too, being envious, and he opened one of his veins and from the blood +made a large, beautiful bird, colored red. + +And Dthas Seeven told his bird to go to the city of Seeollstchewadack +Seeven and hang around there till that chief saw him and took him +in. And when they offered him corn he was not to eat that nor anything +else they gave him, but when he saw his chance he was to pick up a +bit of the green stone and swallow it, for when it should be seen that +he would swallow the green stones then he would be fed on turquoises. + +So the bird was sent, and when it arrived at the city of the +turquoises, the daughter of Seeollstchewadack Seeven, whose name was +Nawitch, saw it and went and told her father. And he asked, "What +is the color of the bird?" and she answered, "Red;" and he said, +"I know that bird. It is a very rare bird, and its being here is a +sign something good is going to happen. I want you to get the bird +and bring it here, but do not take hold of it. Offer it a stick, +and it will take hold of it, with its bill, and you can lead it here." + +And Nawitch offered the bird a stick, and it caught hold of the end by +its bill, which was like a parrot's bill, and she led it to her father. + +And Seeollstchewadack Seeven said: "Feed him on pumpkin seed, for +that is what this kind of bird eats." + +And Nawitch gave the bird pumpkin seed, but it would not eat. And +then she tried melon seed, but it would not eat. And then she tried +devil-claw seed, but it would not eat. And her father said, then: "Make +him broth of corn, for this kind of bird eats only new dishes!" And +she did so, but it would not eat the broth of corn. + +And the old man told her to try pumpkin seed again; and she tried the +pumpkin seed again, and the melon seed again, and the devil-claw seed, +and the broth of corn, but the bird would not touch any of these. + +But just then the bird saw a little piece of turquoise lying on the +ground and it sprang and swallowed it. And the daughter saw this and +told her father that the bird would eat turquoises. And her father +said: "This kind of bird will not eat turquoises, but you may try +him." And she gave it some turquoises and it ate them greedily. And +then her father said: "Go and get some nice, clean ones, a basket +full." And she did so, and the bird ate them all, and she kept on +feeding it until it had swallowed four basketful. + +And then the bird began to run around, and the girl said: "I fear our +pet will leave us and fly away" but the old man said: "He will not +fly away. He likes us too well for that," but after a short time the +bird got to a little distance and took to its wings, and flew back +to the city of Dthas Seeven. + +And Dthas Seeven gave it water twice, and each time it vomited, +and thus it threw up all the turquoises. + +And so Dthas Seeven also had turquoises. + + + + +NOTES ON THE STORY OF THE TURQUOISES + +Turquoises seem to have been regarded by all Arizona Indians as +magical and lucky stones, and the Story of the Turquoises professes +to give their origin. + +Of the game, toe-coll, here spoken of, Whittemore gives this account +in Cook's "Among the Pimas:" "One of the amusements of the women was +that of tossing balls. They had two small ones, covered with buckskin, +and tied about six inches apart. Young women and married, from thirty +to seventy-five in a group, assembled as dressed for a ball, their +hair carefully manipulated so as to be black and glossy. Each had +a stick of willow six feet long. With these they dextrously tossed +the balls high in the air, running after them until one party was so +weary that they gave up the game from mere exhaustion. + +"In order to make the excitement a success they had certain active +women, keen of wit and quick of action, practice weeks in advance." + +Sometimes the balls were formed by two large knots in a short piece +of rope. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF WAYHOHM, TOEHAHVS AND TOTTAI + + +And Seeollstchewadack Seeven wondered what this action of the bird +meant, and he studied about it till he found out who it was that had +sent the bird and for what purpose. + +And he sent a cold rain upon the home of Dthas Seeven. And it rained +a heavy rain for three days and three nights, so hard that it put +out all the fires in the city of Dthas Seeven, and Dthas Seeven was +dying with cold. + +And the people came about him to witness his dying, and they said: +"Let us send some one to get the fire!" And they sent Toehahvs. + +And Toehahvs went, and at last came to a house where he heard the +fire roaring within. And he looked in, and there was a big fire. And +he sat in the doorway holding out his paws toward the heat. + +And the owner of the house, whose name was Way-hohm, or the +Lightning, sat working within with his face to the fire and his back +to Toehahvs. And Toehahvs wanted to dash in and steal some fire, +but he did not dare, and he went back and told the people he had seen +the fire but he could not get it. + +On the fourth day it was still raining, and they sent another +person. And this time they sent Tot-tai, or the Road Runner, for they +said he could run almost as fast as Toehahvs. + +And Tottai came to the same house, and heard the fire, and peeped +in the door to warm himself. And there sat the owner of the fire, +Wayhohm, working with his face to the fire and his back to Tottai. And +Tottai dashed in and caught hold of a stick with fire at one end and +ran out with it. + +And Wayhohm caught up his bow, the Bow-of-the-Lightning, +Way-hohm-a-Gaht, and fired at Road Runner, and struck him on the side +of his head, and that is why the side of Tottai's head is still bare; +and Tottai ran on, and Wayhohm shot at him again and struck the other +side of his head. + +And Tottai whirled around then so that the sparks flew every way, +and got into all kinds of wood, and that is why there is fire in all +kinds of sticks even now, and the Indian can get it out by rubbing +them together to this day. + +But Tottai kept on, and got to the house of Dthas Seeven all right, +and they made a fire, and Dthas Seeven got better again. + + + + +NOTES ON THE STORY OF WAYHOHM + +There is a suggestion of Thor in the Story of Wayhohm, and also of +Prometheus. Wayhohm's house must have been the hall of the clouds. + +How true to nature, here, is the touch describing the Coyote-person, +Toehahvs. The excessive caution of the coyote, making it impossible for +him, however eager, to force himself into any position he suspects, +here stands out before us, contrasted in the most dramatic way with +the dashing boldness of the road-runner. + +When we reached the end of this story Comalk Hawk-Kih took two +pieces of wood to rub them together to make fire. But he was old and +breathless, and "Sparkling-Soft-Feather," the mother of my interpreter, +took them and made the fire for me. I have the implements yet. + +There were two parts to the apparatus. Gee-uh-toe-dah, the socket +stick was of a soft dry piece of giant cactus rib, and a notch was +whittled in one side of this with a small socket at the apex, that +is on the upper side. + +This was placed flat on the ground, with a bit of corn husk under the +notch, and held firmly in position by the bare feet. The twirling +stick, eev-a-dah-kote, was a hard arrow weed, very dry and scraped +smooth. The end of this was engaged in the little socket, at the +top of the cactus rib, and then, held perpendicularly, was twirled +between the two hands till the friction rubbed off a powder which +crowded out of the socket, and fell down the notch at its side to +the corn-husk. This little increasing pile of powder was the tinder, +and, as the twirling continued, grew black, smelled like burned wood, +smoked and finally glowed like punk. It was now picked up on the corn +husk and placed in dry horse dung, a bunch of dry grass, or some such +inflammable material, and blown into flame. + +It looked very simple, and took little time, but I never could do it. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF HAWAWK + + +And when Dthas Seeven had gotten better he meditated on what had +happened to him, and studied out that Seeollstchewadack-Seeven was +the cause of his trouble, and planned how to get the better of him. + +Now the Indians have a game of football in which the ball is not kicked +but lifted and thrown a good ways by the foot, and Dthas Seeven made +such a ball, and sent a young man to play it in the direction of the +city of Seeollstchewadack-Seeven. And the young man did so, and as +he kept the ball going on it came to the feet of a young girl, who, +when she saw the ball, picked it up and hid it under the square of +cloth which Indian girls wear. + +And the young man came up and asked her if she had seen the ball, +and she answered no, she had not seen it, and she kept on denying it, +so at last he turned back and said he might as well go home as he no +longer had a ball to play with. But he had not gone far before the +girl called to him: "Are you not coming back to get your ball?" And +he went back to her, and she tried to find the ball, but could not. + +But the ball was not lost, but it had bewitched her. + +And after a time this girl had a baby, a tall baby, with claws on +its hands and feet like a wild animal. + +And the people did not know what this meant, and they asked Toehahvs, +and Toehahvs knew because this had been prophesied of old time. And +Toehahvs said: "She is Haw-awk." + +And Hawawk grew and became able to crawl, but people were afraid +of handling her because of the scratching of her claws. Only her +relatives could safely handle her. And as she grew older, still, +she would sometimes see other children and wish to play with them, +but in a short time they would get scratched by her in her gambols +and would run home crying and leave her alone. And it got so that +when the children saw her coming they would tell each other and run +home and she could get none of them to play with her. + +She claimed Ee-ee-toy as her uncle, and when he had been rabbit-hunting +and came in with game she would run and call him "uncle!" and try and +get the rabbits away from him; and when he cleaned the rabbits and +threw away the entrails she would run and devour them, and the bones of +the rabbits the people threw away after the feasts she would eat, too. + +And when Hawawk grew older she would sometimes complain to Ee-ee-toy +if he came in without game. "Why is it you sometimes come in without +rabbits?" she would say, "And why do you not kill a great many?" And +he would reply: "It is not possible to kill a great many, for they +run very fast and are very hard to shoot with a bow and arrow." "Let +me go with you," she would say, "and I will kill a great many." But +he would tell her: "You are a girl, and it is not your place to go +hunting. If you were a boy it would be, but as it is you cannot go." + +And she kept on begging in this way, and he kept on refusing, she +saying that she could kill a great many, and he saying that only a +man or a boy could shoot many rabbits, because they ran so fast. + +But as she grew older still she began to follow the hunters, and when +the hunting began she would be in the crowd, but she tried to keep out +of her uncle's way so that he would not see her. And sometimes when she +would thus be following the hunt a rabbit would run in her direction, +and she would run fast and jump on it and kill it, and eat it right +there; and after a while she could do this oftener and caught a good +many; and she would eat all she wanted as she caught them, and the +others she gave to her uncle, Ee-ee-toy, to carry home. And Ee-ee-toy +came to like to have her with him because of the game she could +get. But after a time she did not come home anymore, but staid out +in the bushes, living on the game she could get. But when the hunters +came out, she would still join them and after killing and eating all +she wanted she would give the rest of her kill to her uncle, as before. + +And so she contrived to live in the wild places, like a wild-cat, +and in time became able to kill deer, antelopes, and all big game, +and yet being part human she would tan buckskin like a woman and do +all that a woman needs to do. + +And she found a cave in the mountain which is called Taht-kum, +where she lived, and that cave can be seen now and is still called +Hawawk's Cave. + +But she had been born near where the ruins of Casa Grande now are +and claimed that vahahkkee for her own. And when she knew a baby had +been born there she would go to the mother and say, "I want to see my +grandchild." But if the mother let her take the baby she would put it +over her shoulder, into her gyih-haw, and run to her cave, and put +the baby into a mortar, and pound it up and eat it. And she got all +the babies she could in this way; and later on she grew bolder and +would find the larger children, where they were at play, and would +carry them off to eat them. And now she let all the rabbits and such +game go, and lived only on the children she caught, for a long time. + +And Ee-ee-toy told the people what to do in this great trouble. He +told them to roast a big lot of pumpkin seeds and to go into their +houses and keep still. And when the people had roasted the pumpkin +seeds and gone into their houses, Ee-ee-toy came around and stopped +up the door of every house with bushes, and plastered clay over the +bushes as the Awawtam still do when they go away from home. + +After a time Hawawk came around, and stood near the houses, and +listened, and heard the people cracking the pumpkin seeds inside. + +And she said: "Where are all my grandchildren? They must have been +gone for a long time, for I do not see any tracks, nor hear any voices, +and I hear only the rats eating the seeds in the empty houses." + +And she came several times and saw no one, and really believed the +people had gone entirely away. And for a while she did not come any +more, but after a time she was one day running by the village and +she saw some children playing. And she caught two and ran with them +to her cave. And from that day she went on stealing children as before. + +And Ee-ee-toy made him a rattle, out of a wild gourd, and went and lay +on the trail on which Hawawk usually came, and changed himself into +the little animal called "Kaw-awts." And when Hawawk came along she +poked him with a stick of her gyih-haw and said: "Here is a little +kaw-awts. He must be my pet." And then Ee-ee-toy jumped up and shook +his rattle at her, and frightened her so that she ran home. And then +Ee-ee-toy made rattles for all the children in that place and when +they saw Hawawk coming they would shake their rattles at her and +scare her back again. + +But after a while Hawawk became used to the rattles and ceased to +fear them, and even while they were shaking she would run and carry +some of the children off. + +And one day two little boys were hunting doves after the manner of +the country. They had a little kee of willows, and a hole inside in +the sand where they sat, and outside a stick stuck up for the doves to +light on. And when the doves came they would shoot them with their bows +and arrows. And while they were doing this they saw Hawawk coming. And +they said: "What shall we do! Hawawk is coming and will eat us up." + +And they lay down in the hole in the sand and covered themselves +with the dove's feathers. And Hawawk came and said: "Where are my +grandchildren! Some of them have been here very lately." And she went +all around and looked for their tracks, but could find none leading +away from the place. And she came back again to the kee, and while +she was looking in a wind came and swept away all the dove-feathers, +and she sprang in and caught up the two boys and put them in her +gyih-haw and started off. + +And as she went along the boys said: "Grandmother, we like flat stones +to play with. Won't you give us all the flat stones you can find?" And +Hawawk picked up all the flat stones she came to and put them one by +one over her shoulder into the basket. + +And the boys said, again, after the basket began to get heavy, +"Grandmother, we like to go under limbs of trees. Go under all the +low limbs of trees you can to please us." And Hawawk went under a low +tree, and one of the boys caught hold of the limb and hung there till +she had gone on. And Hawawk went under another tree, and the other boy +caught hold of a limb and staid there. But because of the flat stones +she kept putting into her gyih-haw Hawawk did not notice this. And when +she got to her cave and emptied her basket there were no boys there. + +And when Hawawk saw this she turned back and found the tracks of the +boys, and ran, following after them, and caught up with them just +before they got to their village. And she would have caught them +there, and carried them off again, but the boys had gathered some of +the fine thorns of a cactus, and when Hawawk came near they held them +up and let them blow with the wind into her face. + +And they stuck in her eyes, and hurt them, and she began to rub her +eyes, which made them hurt worse so that she could not see them, +and then the boys ran home and thus saved their lives. + +After that she went to another place called Vahf-kee-wohlt-kih, +or the Notched Cliffs, and staid around there and ate the children, +and then she moved to another place, the old name of which is now +forgotten, but it is called, now, Stchew-a-dack Vah-veeuh, or the +Green Well. And there, too, she killed the children. + +And the people called on Ee-ee-toy to help them, and Ee-ee-toy said, +"I will kill her at once!" + +And Ee-ee-toy, being her relative, went to her home and said: "Your +grandchildren want some amusement and are going to have dances now +every night and would like you to come." + +And she replied: "You know very well I do not care for such things. I +do not care to come." + +And Ee-ee-toy returned and told the people she did not care to come +to their dances, tho he had invited her, but he would think of some +other way to get her to come where they were, that they might kill her. + +And he went a second time, and told her the people were going to sing +the Hwah-guff-san-nuh-kotch Nyuee, or Basket Drumming Song, and wanted +her to come. But she said: "I have heard of that song, but I do not +care to hear it. I care nothing for such things, and I will not come." + +So Ee-ee-toy returned and told of his second failure, but promised +he would try again. And in the morning he went to her and said: "Your +grandchildren are going to sing the song Haw-hawf-kuh Nyuee or Dance of +the Bone-trimmed Dresses Song and they want you to come." But she said: +"I do not care for this song, either, and I will not come." + +And Ee-ee-toy told of his third failure, but promised the people he +would try once more, and when the morning came he went to Hawawk +and said: "Your grandchildren are going to dance tonight to the +song which is called See-coll-cod-dha-kotch Nyuee," (which is a +sort of ring dance with the dancers in a circle with joined hands) +"and they want you to come." + +And she said: "That is what I like. I will come to that. When is it +going to be?" + +And he said: "It will be this very night." + +And he went and told the people she was coming and they must be ready +for her. + +Hawawk got ready in the early evening and dressed herself in a +skirt of soft buckskin. And over this she placed an overskirt of +deerskin, fringed with long cut fringes with deer-hoofs at the ends +to rattle. And then she ran to the dancing place; and the people +could hear her a long way off, rattling, as she came. And they were +already dancing when she arrived there, and she went and joined hands +with Ee-ee-toy. + +And Hawawk was a great smoker, and Ee-ee-toy made cigarettes for her +that had something in them that would make folks sleep. And he smoked +these himself, a little, to assure her, but cautiously and moderately, +not inhaling the smoke, but she inhaled the smoke, and before the four +nights were up she was so sleepy that the people were dragging her +around as they danced, and then she got so fast asleep that Ee-ee-toy +carried her on his shoulder. + +And all the time they were dancing they were moving across country, +and getting nearer the cave where she lived, and other people at the +same time were ahead of them carrying lots of wood to her cave. And +when they arrived at her cave in the mountain of Tahtkum they laid her +sleeping body down inside, and placed the wood in the cave between +her and the door, filling it all to the entrance, which they closed +with four hurdles, such as the people fasten their doors with, so +that she could not run out. + +And then they set the wood on fire, and it burned fiercely, and when +the fire reached Hawawk she waked and cried out. "My grandchildren, +what have I done that you should treat me this way!" + +And the fire hurt her so that she jumped up and down with pain, and +her head struck the ceiling of the cave and split the rock. And when +the people saw it they called to Ee-ee-toy, and he went and put his +foot over the crack, and sealed it up, and you may see the track of +his foot there to this day. + +But Ee-ee-toy was not quick enough, and her soul escaped through +the crack. + +And then for a while the people had peace, but in time her soul +turned into a green hawk, and this hawk killed the people, but did +not eat them. + +And this made the people great trouble, but one day a woman was making +pottery and she had just taken one pot out of the fire and left another +one in the furnace, on its side, when this hawk saw her and came +swooping down from high in the air to kill her, but missed her, and +went into the hot pot in the fire, and so was burned up and destroyed. + +And one day they boiled greens in that pot, the greens called +choo-hook-yuh, and the greens boiled so hard that they boiled over, +and splashed around and killed people. And they boiled all day and +stopped at night, and at daybreak began again to boil, and this they +did for a long time; boiling by day and stopping at night. + +And the people sent for Toehahvs who lived in the east, and Gee-ah-duk +Seeven, or Strong Bow Chief, who lived where is now the ruin of +Aw-awt-kum Vah-ahk-kee, to kill the pot for them. + +And when they arrived Geeahduk Seeven enquired if the pot slept. And +the people said: "Yes, it sleeps all night." Then said Geeahduk Seeven, +"We will get up very early, before the pot wakes, and then we will +kill it." + +But Toehahvs said; "That is not right, to go and kill it at night. I +am not like a jealous woman who goes and fights her rival in the +darkness. I am not a woman, I am a man!" + +And Toehahvs said to Geeahduk Seeven: "I will go in the morning to +attack the pot and I want you to go on the other side, and if the pot +throws its fluid at me, so that I cannot conquer it, then do you run +up on the other side and smash it." + +Then Toehahvs took his shield and his club, in the morning, and went to +attack the pot. But the pot saw him, and, altho he held up his shield, +it boiled over, and threw the boiling choohookyuh so high and far +that some of it fell on Toehahvs' back and scalded it. And Toehahvs +had to give back a little. But at that moment Geeahduk Seeven ran in +on the other side and smashed the pot. + +And there was an old man with an orphan grandson, living near there, +and when the pot was smashed these came to the spot and ate up the +choohookyuh. And at once they were turned into bears, the old man +into a black bear, the boy into a brown bear. + +And these bears also killed people, and tho the people tried to kill +them, for a long time they could not do so. When they shot arrows at +the bears, the bears would catch them and break them up. And so the +people had to study out other ways to get the better of them. There +is a kind of palm-tree, called o-nook, which has balls where the +branches come out, and the people burned the trees to get these +balls, and threw them at the bears. And the bears caught the balls, +and fought and wrestled with them, and while their attention was +taken by these balls the people shot arrows at them and killed them. + +And thus ended forever the evil power of Hawawk. + + + + +NOTES ON THE STORY OF HAWAWK + +The Story of Hawawk opens with an interesting reference to the favorite +Pima game of football. The ball was about two and one half inches in +diameter, merely a heavy pebble coated thick with black greasewood +gum. Sometimes it was decorated with little inlays of shell. It was +thrown by the lifting of the naked or sandaled foot, rather than +kicked. Astonishing tales are told of the running power and endurance +of the older Indians. White and red men agree in the testimony. + +Emory says of the Maricopa interpreter, Thirsty Hawk, before alluded +to, that he came running into their camp on foot and "appeared to +keep pace with the fleetest horse." Whittemore, the missionary, says: +"Some young women could travel from forty to fifty miles in sixteen +hours, and there were warriors who ran twenty miles, keeping a horse +on a canter following them." G. W. Mardis, the trader at Phoenix, +told me he had known Indians to run all day, and my interpreter told +me of Pimas running forty to seventy miles in a day, hunting horses on +the mountains. Others ran races with horses and with a little handicap +and for moderate distance often beat them. On these long runs after +horses the men took their footballs and kept them going, saying it +made the journey amusing and less tiresome. And undoubtedly it was, +in the practice of this sport, that their powers were developed. Beside +the usual foot-races, in which all Indians delight, it often happened +that two champions would, on a set day, start in different directions +and chase their footballs far out on the desert, perhaps ten miles +and then return. The one who came in first was winner. The whole +tribe, in two parties, on horseback as far as they could get mounts, +followed the champions, as judges, assistants, critics and friends +and there was profuse betting and picturesque excitement and display. + +But the fine old athletic games seem to have all died out now. + +Stories of miraculous conception are not uncommon in Indian tradition, +and this story of the bewitching of the young girl into motherhood +thru the agency of the football is an instance. + +This gruesome and graphic tale is full of insight into Indian thought +and fancy. In reading it we are reminded of many familiar old nursery +tales of kidnapped child, pig or fowl ("the little red hin" of Irish +legend for instance) and of Were-Wolf and Loup-Garou. + +And here reappears the old myth of some god's or hero's footstep +printed in solid rock. + +Here is a hint, too, of transmigration in the various adventures of +the soul of Hawawk. + +My Indian hosts cooked me a pot of choohookyuh greens, and I found +them very palatable. + +The reference to the pottery making reminds me of Pima arts. Today the +Maricopas have almost a monopoly of pottery making, tho the Quohatas +make some good pottery too. It is shaped by the hands (no potters +wheel being known) and smoothed and polished by stones, painted red +with a mineral and black with mezquite gum and baked in a common +fire. It is often very artistic in a rude way, in form and decoration. + +The Papagoes do most of the horse-hair work, chiefly bridles, halters +and lariat ropes, and make mats and fans from rushes. + +The Pimas make the famous black and white, watertight baskets, which +are too well known to need description. The black in these is shreds +of the dead-black seed pod of the devil-claw and not some fibre dyed +black, as some suppose. + +There seems to have been no original bead work among Pima Indians. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF TAWQUAHDAHMAWKS AND HER CANAL + + +And after this the people had long peace, increased in numbers, +and were scattered all around. Some lived where the old vahahkkees +now are in the Gila country, and some lived in the Papago country, +and some in the Salt River country. And those who lived where the +mound now is between Phoenix and Tempe were the first to use a canal +to irrigate their land. And these raised all kinds of vegetables and +had fine crops. And the people of the Gila country and the people +of the Salt River country at first did not raise many vegetables, +because they did not irrigate, and they used to visit the people +who did irrigate and eat with them; but after a while the people +who lived on the south side of the Salt River also made a canal, +and you can see it to this day. + +But when these people tried their canal it did not work. When +they dammed the river the water did not run, because the canal was +uphill. And they could not seem to make it deeper, because it was +all in a lime rock. + +And they sent for Ee-ee-toy to help them. And Ee-ee-toy had them get +stakes of ironwood, and sharpen them, and all stand in a row with +their stakes in their hands at the bottom of the canal. + +And then Ee-ee-toy sang a song, and at the end of the song the people +were all to strike their stakes into the bottom of the canal to make +it deeper. But it would not work, it was too hard, and Ee-ee-toy gave +it up. + +And Ee-ee-toy said: "I can do no more, but there is an old woman +named Taw-quah-dahm-awks (which means The Wampum Eater) and she, +tho only a woman, is very wise, and likely can help you better than +I. I advise you to send for her." + +And the people sent for her, and she said: "I will come at once." + +And she came, as she had promised, but she did not go to where the +people were assembled, but went right to the canal. And she had brought +a fog with her, and she left the fog at the river, near the mouth of +the canal. And she went up the course of the canal, looking this way +and that, to see how much up-hill it ran. + +And when she reached where the canal ran up-hill she blew thru it the +breath which is called seev-hur-whirl, which means a bitter wind. And +this wind tore up the bed of the canal, as deep as was necessary, +throwing the dirt and rocks out on each side. + +And then the fog dammed up the river and the water ran thru the canal. + +Then the old woman did not go near the people, but went home, and in +the morning, when one of the people went to see why the old woman did +not come, he saw the canal full of water and he yelled to everybody +to come and see it. + +And in this way these people got water for their crops and were as +prosperous as the others below them. + + + + +NOTES ON THE STORY OF TAWQUAHDAHMAWKS + +In this story we find proof that the oldest digging utensil was a +sharpened stake. + +Before these people became agricultural they must have subsisted +mainly on the game and wild fruits of the desert. They showed me +several seed-bearing bushes and weeds which in old time had helped +to eke out for them an existence. + +Starvation must have often stared them in the face, and the references +to hunger, and the prophecies of plenty, and of visits to relatives +whose crops were good, are scattered pathetically all thru these +legends. + +And indeed, until very recently, mezquite beans and the fruit of +various cactus plants were staple articles of food. + +Mezquite beans grow in a pod on the thorny mezquite trees. The +gathering of them was quite a tribal event, large parties going +out. The beans when brought home were pounded in the chee-o-pah, +or mortar, which was made by burning a hollow in the end of a short +mezquite log, set in the ground like a low post. A long round stone +pestle, or vee-it-kote, was used to beat with, and sometimes the +cheeopah itself was of stone. But stone mortars were usually ancient +and dug from out the vahahkkee ruins. + +The beans, crushed very fine and separated from the indigestible seeds, +packed into a sweet cake that would keep a year. + +Various cactus fruits were eaten. They warned me that for a novice to +eat freely of prickly pears produced a lame, sore feeling, as if one +had taken cold or a fever. I noticed no symptoms however. The fruit of +the giant cactus is gathered from the top, around which it grows like +a crown, by a long light pole, made from the rib of the same cactus, +with a little hook at its end made by tying another short piece, +slant-wise, across. They called the constellation of Ursa Major, +Quee-ay-put, or The Cactus-Puller, from a fancied resemblance to this +familiar implement. + +The giant cactus, or har-san, was eaten ripe, or dried in the sun, or +boiled to a jam and sealed away in earthern jars. They also fermented +it by mixing with water, and made their famous tis-win or whiskey +from it. They had "big drunks" at this time, in which all the tribe +joined in a general spree. + +A sort of large worm (larva) was also gathered in large quantities, +boiled and eaten with salt. + +The confusion in the Pima thought on religious matters is well revealed +in this tale, in which Ee-ee-toy, who may be regarded as a god, +frankly admits that in some matters an old woman may be wiser and more +powerful than he. Nothing appears to have been very clearly defined +in their faith except that a mahkai might be or do almost anything. + + + + + + + + +HOW NOOEE KILLED EE-EE-TOY + + +Ee-ee-toy lived in the Salt River Mountain, which is called by the +Awawtam Moehahdheck, or the Brown Mountain, and whenever the girls +had ceremonial dances because of their arrival at womanhood he would +come and sing the appropriate songs. And it often happened that he +would tempt these young girls away to his mountain, to be his wives, +but after keeping them awhile he would grow tired of them and send +them back. + +And the people disliked Ee-ee-toy because of this. And when they +had crops, too, Ee-ee-toy would often shoot his hot arrows thru the +fields, and wither up the growing things; and tho the people did not +see him do this, they knew he was guilty, and they wanted to kill him, +but they did not know how to do it. + +And the people talked together about how they could kill Ee-ee-toy. And +two young boys, there were, who were always together. And as they lay +at the door of their kee they heard the people talking of sending +bunches of people here and there to kill Ee-ee-toy, and one said: +"He is only one, we could kill him ourselves." And the other one said: +"Let us go and kill him, then." + +So the two boys went to Moehahdheck, and found Ee-ee-toy lying asleep, +and beat him with their clubs, and killed him, and then came back and +told the people of what they had done. But none of the people went +to see the truth of this and in the morning Ee-ee-toy came again, +just as he used to do, and walked around among the people, who said +among themselves: "I thought the boys said they had killed him." + +And that same night all the people went to Moehahdheck, and found +Ee-ee-toy asleep, and fell upon him and killed him. And there was a +pile of wood outside, and they laid him on this and set fire to the +wood and burned his flesh. And feeling sure that he was now dead, +they went home, but in the morning there he was, walking around, +alive again. + +And so the people assembled again, and that night, once more, they +killed him, and they cut his flesh up into little bits, and put it +into a pot, and boiled it, and when it was cooked they threw it all +away in different directions. But in the morning he was alive again +and the people gave it up for that time. + +But after awhile they were planning again how to kill him; and one +of them proposed that they all go and tie him with ropes and take him +to a high cliff, and push him off, and let him fall. And so they went +and did this, but Ee-ee-toy was not hurt at all. He just walked off, +when he reached the bottom, and looked up at the people above him. + +The next scheme was to drown him. They caught him and led him to a +whirlpool, and tied his hands and feet and threw him in. But he came +up in a few minutes, without any ropes on, and looked at the people, +and then dived, and so kept on coming up and diving down. And the +people, seeing they could not drown him, went home once more. + +Then Nooee called the people together and said: "It is of no use +for you to try to kill Ee-ee-toy, for you cannot kill him. He is too +powerful for men to kill. He has power over the winds, and all the +animals, and he knows all that is going on in the mountains, and in +the sky. And I have power something like him." + +So Nooee told the people to come in, that evening, to his house. He +said: "I will show you part of my power, and I want everyone to +see it." + +And Nooee lived not far from where Ee-ee-toy did, south of the +Moehahdheck mountain, at a place called Nooee Vahahkkee, and that +was where he invited the people to come. + +And so, when the people assembled at Nooee Vahahkkee, Nooee made +earth in his habitation, and mountains on it, and all things on it, +in little as we say, so that the people could see his power; for +Juhwerta Mahkai had made him to have power, tho he had not cared to +use it. And he made a little world in his house for them to look at, +with sun, moon and stars working just as our sun and stars work; +and everything exactly like our world. + +And when night came, Nooee pushed the darkness back with his hands, +and spread it on the walls, so that the people could see his little +world and how it worked. And he was there four days and four nights, +showing this wonder to the people. + +And after this Nooee flew up thru the openings in the roof of his +house, and sat there, and saw the sun rise. And as soon as the sun +rose Nooee flew towards it, and flew up and up, higher and higher, +until he could see Ee-ee-toy's heart. And he wore a nose ring, as +all the brave people did, a nose ring of turquoise. But from his high +view he saw that everything looked green and so he knew he could not +kill Ee-ee-toy that day. + +And the next day he did the same thing, only he wore a new nose-ring, +made of a sparkling shell. And when he got up high enuf to see +Ee-ee-toy's heart he saw that the ground looked dry, and he was +very much pleased, for he knew that now he would, someday, kill +Ee-ee-toy. And he went home. + +And the third morning Nooee again put on his nose ring of glittering +shell, and flew up to meet the Sun, and he flew up and up until he +came to the sun himself. And Nooee said to the Sun: "You know there is +a Person, on earth, called Ee-ee-toy, who is very bad, and I want to +kill him, and I want your help, and this is the reason I come to you." + +And Nooee said to the Sun: "Now you go back, and let me shine in your +place, and I will give just as much light as you do, but let me have +your vi-no-me-gaht, your gun, to shoot with, when I get around to your +home." And the Sun said: "Moe-vah Sop-hwah, that is all right. But I +always go down over yonder mountain, and when you get to that mountain +just stop and look back, and see how the world looks." + +And Nooee took the Sun's place, and went down, that evening, over +the mountain, stopping, as he was told, to see how wonderful the +world looked; and when he came to the Sun's home, the sun gave him +the weapon he shot with. + +And the next morning Nooee rose in place of the Sun, and after rising +a little he shot at the earth, and it became very hot. And before noon +he shot again, and it was still hotter. And Ee-ee-toy knew, now that +he was going to be killed, but he tried to use all his power to save +himself. He ran around, and came to a pond where there had always been +ice, and he jumped in to cool himself, but it was all boiling water. + +And when it was nearly noon Nooee shot again, and it became terribly +hot, and Ee-ee-toy ran for a rock which had always been cold, but +just before he got there the heat made the rock burst. + +And he ran to a tree, whose cool shade he often enjoyed, but as he +came near it the tree began to burst into flame, and he had to turn +back. And now it was noon, and Nooee shot again. + +And Ee-ee-toy ran to a great post, all striped around with black and +white, which had been made by his power, and which had a hollow that +was always cool inside, and was about to put his arms around it when +he fell down and died. + +So Ee-ee-toy was dead, and Nooee went down to his setting, and returned +the weapon to the Sun, and then went home to his vahahkkee. + + + + + THE SONG OF NOOEE WHEN HE WENT TO THE SUN + + The Rising (Sun) I am going to meet. + + (Repeated many times) + + + + + WHEN NOOEE KILLED EE-EE-TOY [4] + + (A Song) + + The gun, he gave it to me as a cane; + With it I killed the Brother's heart. + + + + +NOTES ON HOW NOOEE KILLED EE-EE-TOY + +The hot arrows of Ee-ee-toy, that withered the crops, remind us +of Apollo. + +The idea often comes up in these stories that a person possessing +the powers of a mahkai was hard to kill, having as many lives as +a cat. It would also appear that there was a confusion as to what +constituted killing, anyway. They perhaps regarded mere unconsciousness +as death. Both Ee-ee-toy and Nooee are "killed," but after an interval +are alive again. And Whittemore relates: "An Apache, seeing Louis, the +Pima interpreter, came to him in high glee. Taking his hand, he said: +'You are the Pima who killed me years ago.' Louis then recognized +him as the man to whom he had dealt a heavy blow with a warclub, +and then left him for dead on the battle-field." + +Is there any connection between the the fact that when Nooee wore a +nose-ring of turquoise the earth looked green, and that when he wore +a nose-ring of glittering shell the earth looked dry to him? + +Could this whole story have been a myth of some great drouth? + + + + + + + + +EE-EE-TOY'S RESURRECTION AND SPEECH TO JUHWERTA MAHKAI + + +And after Ee-ee-toy was dead he lay there, as some say for four months, +and some say for four years. He was killed, but his winds were not +killed, nor his clouds and they were sorry for him, and his clouds +rained on him. + +And he lay there so long that the little children played on him, +jumping from him. + +But at last he began to come to life again, holding down the ground--as +a wounded man does, moaning, and there was thunder, and an earthquake. + +And Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai's daughter was grinding corn when this +happened, and the corn rolled in the basket, and she said: "How is +it that it thunders when there are no clouds, none to be seen, and +that the corn rolls in the basket?" + +And her father said: "You may think this is only thunder, but I tell +you wonderful things are going to happen." + +Ee-ee-toy, when he got a little stronger, picked up some stones and +examined them, and threw them away. He did this four times, throwing +away the stones each time, not liking any of them. And the children +went there to play, and found him alive, and asked each other: "Why +is that old man doing that, picking up stones, and throwing them away, +and picking up more?" + +And he began then to cut up all kinds of sticks, four at a time, and +to lay them down and look at them, but he liked none of them. Then +he cut arrow weeds, four of them, and he liked their look. And he lit +his pipe and blew the smoke over them, and spread his hand above them, +and he liked the light of them which came thru his fingers. + +And he put those sticks away in his pouch. And then he rose and took +a few steps, and began to walk. And all his springs of water had been +dried up while he was dead, but when he walked the earth again they +gushed forth, and he dipped his fingers in them and stroked his wet +fingers over his breast and he did the same to the trees. + +And he went on and came to the cliff, where Vandaih once was, and +he did the same to it, putting his hand to it and rubbing it. And he +went to see the Sun. + +He came to where the Sun starts, but the Sun was not there, but he +could see the road the Sun takes, and he followed it. And that road +was fringed with beautiful feathers and flowers and turquoises. + +And he came to the tree which is called The Talking Tree. And the Tree +took of its bark thin strips, which curled as owl feathers do when +split, and tied them on a little stick, and put them in Ee-ee-toy's +hair. And it gave him four sticks, made from that one of its branches +which dipped to the south. And from its middle branch it made him a +war club, and from a gall, or excrescence, which grew on its limb, +it made him a vah-quah, or canteen. + +After that he went along the beautiful fringed road which the Sun +travels, and came to the place where the Sun drinks. And he took a +drink there himself, putting his knee in the spot where the Sun's +knee-print is, and his hand where the Sun rests his hand. And in the +clear water he saw a stone like the Doctors' Stone, somewhat, but of +the color of slate, with a zigzag pattern around it. And he took his +four arrow-weeds and placed them under this stone and left them there. + +And he went on, and went down where the Sun goes down. And he went +to see Juhwerta Mahkai, to the place where he lived with his people, +those who sank thru the earth before the flood. + +And when Ee-ee-toy came to where Juhwerta Mahkai was, he said to him:-- + + +"There was an Older Brother, and his people were against him; +And he had made an earth that was like your earth; +And he had made mountains that were like your mountains; +And he had made springs of water, like yours, that were satisfactory; +And he made trees like yours, and everything that he made worked well. +And they shot him till he bounced, four times on the open ground; +And threw him with his face to the earth. +And he lay there, dead, but when he came to life he used the strength + of his right arm and rose up. +But things were changed, and looked different from the old times. +He examined the sticks, but none suited him; +He eyed along the river, that green snake, which he had made, and + found the sticks that pleased him. +And he cut those arrow-weeds, he found there, into four pieces, + and blew the smoke over them. +And out of them came sparks of light, that almost reached the Opposite +World, the World of the Enemy, where things are different. +And when he saw the light from the sticks he smiled within himself; +He was so pleased he had found the sticks that suited him. +And he brought the Black Fog from the West, and stroked the sticks + with it, and so finished them, +And from the Ocean he brought the Blue Fog, and stroked the sticks + with it, and finished them; +And from the East he brought the Fog of Light, and stroked the sticks + with it and finished them; +And from Above brought the Green Fog, and put it in hiding, and there + secretly stroked the sticks with it, and finished them; +From the West he brought the Black Snake, which he had made, and + bound the sticks together, and finished them. +And from the Ocean he brought the Blue Snake, and bound the sticks + together, and finished them; +From the East he brought the Snake of Light, and bound the sticks + together, and finished them; +And from Above he brought the Green Snake, and bound them together + and finished them. +And then he rose up, and with the first step he stepped on the great + doctors of the earth and sank them down; +The next step he stepped on the Speaker, and sank him down; +The next step he stepped on the Slayer, and sank him down; +And the next step he stepped on the rushing young maid who gathers + the fruit to feed the family, and sank her down. +And then he sank down himself, and walked under the earth's crust + a little way, and then came out and found the Light's Road, his + own proper way, and walked in it. +Where he found his springs of water, which he had made, with their + green moss growing, and dipped his hand in them and moistened + his heart; +And every mountain he came to, which he had made, he entered and + there he cooled his heart; +And rested his hand on every tree he had made, and so freshened + his heart; +And came like a ghost to the place, the cliff, where he had killed + the man-eagle, and sat there. +And there was Someone there, whom he did not know, who asked him what + he wanted, coming there like a ghost; +Who said: 'I told you that you would be against my people and the + earth!' +And from there he went to the East and strengthened himself four times; +When he arrived at where the Sun arises; +Where he came to the four notches which the Sun uses when he is rising. +And where the Sun steps it is full of wind; +And where the Sun puts his hands it is full of wind. +In spite of that he climbed the way, the way in which the Sun rises. +And he went Westward, stopping and taking his breath four times; +Even at the fourth time, still going, still breathing westward. +It was the west-bound road he followed, the road adorned with all + beautiful fringes; +Fringes of soft feathers, and large feathers; and flowers made from + beautiful trees, and turquoises. +And he went along this road, pulling all the fringes, and whenever + he came to the doctors, tossing them up in the air. +And there he came to Nee-yaw-kee-tom Oas, The Talking Tree; +And he came to it like a ghost, and fell down on his knees toward it; +And the Tree asked him why he came like a ghost, and what he wanted:-- +'I have told you that some day you would be the enemy to my people + and to the earth.' +There the Tree pulled off its bark and stuck it in his head, like + split owl feathers; +And it was its middle branch which it cut down in fine shape for a + club and slipped under his belt; +And it was a nut-gall from its limbs which it made into a canteen + for him. +And these two together it slipped under his belt. + And it was the branch toward the ocean which it broke into four + pieces, equally, and handed to him. +And from thence he travelled on, on the Middle Road, and where there + were beautiful fringes he examined them as he went along. +And from the Middle Road he could see the road on either side, the + Road of the Enemy. +And it was among the fringes, where he was pulling the flowers made + from sticks, that he reached the Speaker and tossed him, too. +And there he reached the place where the Sun drinks. +And tho the print of the Sun's knee was full of wind, and the print + of his hand full of wind, there he knelt and drank as the Sun drinks. +And there, in the clear water, he found the Doctor's stone, the + Dab-nam-hawteh, which is square, and there, under it, left the + arrow-weeds. +And he started on from thence and went to the Sunset Place. +Going down as the Sun goes down, and slid down from there four times, + to the home of Juhwerta Mahkai. +When he sat down there a strong wind came from the West and carried + him to the East and brought him back and sat him down again; +And from Above a strong wind came and tossed him up toward the sky, + and returned him back and sat him down again. +And the Black Gopher, his pet from the West, was rolling over; +And the Blue Gopher, his pet from the South, was rolling over; +And the Gopher of Light, his pet from the East, was rolling over; +And the Yellow Gopher, his pet from the North, was rolling over; +Because of their trouble about him." +And Juwerta Mahkai picked up Ee-ee-toy like a baby, and held him in + his arms, and swept the ground, and set him down upon it. +And blew smoke over him, till he felt refreshed like a green tree. +One kind of smoke was the ghost-smoke, which he blew over him; +And the other kind was the smoke of the root called bah-wiss-dhack. +And there they built the O-num of Light: +Which means the circle of those great ones around the fire. +And thence they sent the Gray Owl, to go around the enemy and breathe + over them. +Who, when they heard him, were shaking with fear; +A fear that pulled out their thoughts so that they knew nothing and + were weak in arms and legs, +And they could not remember their dreams, and their skins became like + the skins of sick people; +And their lice became many, and their hair became coarse, and their + eyes became sore. +And they chose the little Blue Owl and sent him to the enemy, and he + breathed over them. +And he was invisible because of his blue darkness, and he breathed + over them quietly. +And they selected a Green Road Runner, and sent him to breathe + over them. +And the people could not see him because of his green darkness, + and he breathed over them quietly. +And they selected the small Gray Night Hawk; +And he blew a gray dust all thru the enemy's houses and swept their + ground. +And their springs of water were left dry, choked with driftwood and + covered with cobwebs. +And their kees, their houses, were full of soot, and their trails + like old trails; +And after that the fresh foot-tracks could be seen-- +And they went out and found the enemy by his fresh tracks and captured + him, for he had no weapons. +And from the sending out of the birds, even to the end, all this is + a prophecy. + + + + +NOTES ON EE-EE-TOY'S RESURRECTION + +The Story of Ee-ee-toy's Resurrection is perhaps the most poetic in the +series, and the opening picture of him lying on the ground, lifeless, +with the elements lamenting over him and the little children playing +on him, might challenge the genius of a great artist. + +It is particularly rich in the mystical element also. + +I confess that I am not very confident of my rendering of those of the +opening sentences of Ee-ee-toy's speech between "And he had made an +earth" and the statement "And they shot him," etc. My Indians seemed +to get hopelessly tangled over archaic words and other impediments here +and not at all sure of what they told me. The rest I think is correct. + +Here we came to the mystic colors of the four quarters, North, South, +East and West and of the zenith, the Above, which the Pimas reckoned +evidently as a cardinal point. If their mystic power was derived +from the cardinal points, might not their inclusion of the zenith +make five also sometimes a mystic number? I think that it perhaps was. + +Brinton says that among the Mayas of Yucatan, East is Red, West is +Black, North is White and South is Yellow. + +The Speaker: It was customary in the villages of the Awawtam for some +individual, perhaps a chief, or a mahkai, or some representative +of these, to mount on a kee, or other high place, and in a loud +voice shout news, orders, advice, or other important matters to the +people. This was the Speaker, a sort of town crier. + +To step on the rushing young maid who gathered the cactus fruit was +a blow at the enemy's subsistence. + +It seems to have been a custom among the mahkais to have pet animals +to assist them in their magic. + +A circle of bushes, stood up in the earth, forming a screen for shelter +or privacy, was called an onum. One or more may be found near almost +any Pima hut. + +To work witchcraft on a foe, so that he be left weaponless and +helpless, and off his guard against attack, seems to have been the +favorite dream of whoso went to war. Treachery was idolized. There +was no notion of a fair fight. + +Stories of mythical beings who, tho repeatedly killed, persist in +coming to life again, are common among many Indian tribes. + + + + + + + + +STORIES OF THE THIRD NIGHT + + +THE STORY OF EE-EE-TOY'S ARMY + + +And after Ee-ee-toy was thru speaking Juhwerta Mahkai addressed him, +and promised him his help, and that he would lead out to earth again +his people, who had sunk down before the flood, that these might +fight against the people whom Ee-ee-toy had made and who now had +turned against him. + +So when his people heard this they gathered together all their property +that they could carry, to take to earth with them. + +And Juhwerta Mahkai said to Ee-ee-toy: "You go ahead of the people +and I will follow." + +And they went out in bands. + +The first band was called the Mah-mahk-Gum. These were led by +Ee-ee-toy, and their color was red. + +The second band was called Ah-pah-pah Gum. And their colors were +white and yellow. + +The third band was called Vah-vah Gum. And their color was red. + +The fourth band was called Ah-pah-kee Gum. And their colors were +white and yellow. + +The fifth band was called Aw-glee Gum. And their color was red. + +And the sixth band was called Ah-pel-ee Gum. And their colors were +white and yellow. + +And these bands were so called because it was by these names they +called their fathers. + +As they were going to start they sent the Yellow Gopher ahead to open +a way for them to this earth. + +And the gyih-haws were loaded with their belongings, and stood up +beside the ranks. And the bands went thru, one by one. + +And when the fifth band was partly thru Toe-hahvs looked back and saw +the gyih-haws walking beside the ranks, and he was amused and said: +"I don't think there will be enemies enuf for us to kill, we are +so many, and there are these other things, beside us, that look so +funny." And he began to laugh. + +And as soon as he laughed the gyih-haws stopped walking, and ever since +they have never walked, and the women have been obliged to carry them. + +And after these words, too, the earth closed up, so that the sixth +band and part of the fifth band were left behind. And Juhwerta Mahkai +was left behind, also, and only Ee-ee-toy and Toe-hahvs, and some +other powerful men, went thru to lead the people. + +And after they had come out a little way they came to a place called +the White Earth. And Ee-ee-toy stopped then and the others camped +with him. + +And there the powerful men all sang, and the people joined in, and +all dressed themselves in their war-bonnets, and attired themselves +for war, and had a great war dance together. + +And they went on again, another journey, and camped at the place +called Black Mountain, and again sang and danced a war dance. + +So they went on, slowly, camping at one place, sometimes, for many +days or several weeks, making their living by hunting game. + +And whenever they stopped they sent scouts and spies ahead to look out +for the next stopping-place, so that they might go ahead safely. And +this went on for many years. + +And there were no deer in those days, and Ee-ee-toy said to the +wood-rat: "Let me make a deer of you." And the wood-rat said: +"Moevah Sophwah" (all right). But when Ee-ee-toy took out his knife +and began to cut at his skin to change him into a deer, he cried out +so hard that Ee-ee-toy let him go. And you may see the knife mark on +his chest and neck to this day. + +And Ee-ee-toy asked another rat, the little one with coarse hair, +called Geo-wauk-kuh-wah-paw-kum, if he might make him into a deer, +and the little rat said "Moevah Sophwah!" And this little rat was +brave, and let Ee-ee-toy cut and change him, and he became a deer. And +Ee-ee-toy said: "You shall not be like some animals, that love to roam +all over, you shall love only one spot and wish to stay there." And +that is why, to this day, the deer do not care to leave their own +places and wander as coyotes do. + +So there were now plenty of deer, and the people had something new +to live upon. + +And there were two brothers who were especially good at hunting +the deer. Their names were Hay-mohl and Soo-a-dack Cee-a-vawt. And +they hunted as the people marched, and kept them well supplied with +deer-meat. + +And there was a doctor among them who took the ears and tail of the +deer and worked such witchcraft on them that the deer could hide +away so well that the hunters could not see them. They hunted, as +the people journeyed along, but all in vain. + +And the hunters in their trouble sought to get help from a doctor, +and they happened to go to the very one who had helped the deer, and +they told him they wanted help to find the deer, for the children +were crying and hungry and they wanted meat to feed them. And the +doctor said: "I guess the trouble is that you look for the deer in +the old places, where you have already killed them. If you will hunt +for them in the 'cheeks' (the outlying flanks) of our line of march, +you will find them." And the hunters hunted for the deer in the cheeks +but could not find them. + +And they went that evening to the same doctor and told him of their +bad luck, and the doctor said: "If you will look for them next time +in the little valleys between the hills, I think, you will find them, +for they like to go there." + +And the hunters went the next day and looked in the little valleys, +but could not find the deer, and they came that evening and told the +doctor of their bad luck. And he said: "If you hear of anyone who +chances to kill a deer, even if it is only a fawn, bring me the tips +of its ears, and of its tail, and of its nose." + +And the doctor said: "I want you to bring me these because a deer +feels first with his tail that some one is after him, and, second, +hears with his ears that some one is near, and, third, smells danger +with his nose. And that is why I want you to bring me these." + +The next day these brothers were in a crowd and heard that a fawn +had been killed, and went to it and cut off the tips of its tail and +of its ears and of its nose and brought these to the doctor. And the +doctor took these, and then he took those which he had used at first +to hide the deer with, and with these in his hand he began to sing. + +And in his song he asked one of the brothers, Haymohl, for the +turquoise earrings which he wore; and then he asked Sooadack Ceeavawt +for the beads which were around his neck. But the brothers kept on +listening to his song and did not understand what he meant. + +And he told them to hunt the next day near the crowd of people, +and they did so and killed a fawn, and took it home and had meat +with their family. And then they went again to the doctor; who again +sang his song, asking for the same gifts. And this time the brothers +understood him and Haymohl said: "O, I never thought of these," and +took off his ear rings and gave them to him. And Sooadack Ceeavawt +took off his necklace of beads and gave them to him. And the doctor +told them that the next day they were to hunt near the crowd, and they +would find plenty of deer anywhere they might hunt for them. And he +went to where the fawn skin was, and took pieces of its skin and made +medicine-bags for the brothers, out of the cheek pieces of the fawn +stretched out and made into soft buckskin, and filled these with the +scrapings of the buckskin and the tips of the fawn's ears and of his +tail and nose and gave one to each of the brothers. + +And the brothers took these bags, and wore them at their belts, and +the next day they went out hunting and in a little while killed a +deer, and went on a little further and killed another, and after that +found plenty of deer; and from that time on the people had plenty of +venison again. + +And the people marched on in the order of their villages; and a member +of one village, a woman, was taken sick, and her fellow-villagers +stayed with her to take care of her, and the rest of the army marched +on, leaving this village behind. And these remained with her till +she died, and buried her, and then journeyed on till they overtook +the others. + +And as they traveled a pestilence broke out, a sickness which spread +thru all the villages and delayed them. But a doctor told them to +kill a doe and have a big dance, the dance that is called "Tramping +Down the Sickness," that the sick might get well. And they did this +and all their sick ones recovered. + + + + + THE FIRST SONG OF EE-EE-TOY'S ARMY + + The White Earth I come to and sing; + Where many war-bonnets are shaking with the wind; + There we come together to dance and to sing. + + + + + THE DOCTOR'S SONG TO THE HUNTERS + + Sahn-a-mahl! [5] + Haymohl give me the necklace! + Sooadack Ceeavawt give me the turquoise ear-rings! + + + + + + + + +THE DESTRUCTION OF THE VAHAHKKEES + + +(The Pima plural of vah-ahk-kee is vahp-ahk-kee, but I have made all +plurals English, as more understandable.) + + +And after this they were not sick any more, and they came to the Gila +Country, to Ee-ee-toy's land, the Land of the Vahahkkees, and here they +divided themselves into four parties, of which one went south; but the +doctors united them all by "The Light," so that they would know about +each other in case there was a battle in which any needed assistance. + +And as they came into this country the people there were stirred up +with alarm, and the great doctor who lived at Casa Blanca, whose name +was Tcheu-tchick-a-dah-tai Seeven, sent his son to Stcheuadack Seeven, +at Casa Grande, to enquire if there were any prophecies that he knew +of about the coming of this great invading army. + +So the boy went, but just before he got there he heard a frog, a big +one, which Stcheuadack Seeven kept for a pet and to assist him in his +work as a doctor, and when the boy heard the frog he was frightened, +and ran back, and when his father asked what he had learned, he said: +"Nothing, I heard a noise there that frightened me, so I ran home +again." + +And his father said: "That is nothing to be afraid of, that is only +the voice of his pet, his frog," and he sent the boy once more. + +So the boy went again, and came to Stcheuadack Seeven who asked him +what his father had sent him for, and the boy replied that his father +wanted to know if there were any prophecies about the coming of this +enemy, and how he felt about it every evening. + +When the boy returned his father asked him what Stcheuadack Seeven +knew, and how he felt, and the boy said: "He does not know anything. He +says he sits out every night, and hears the different animals, and +enjoys their pleasant voices, and in the morning he enjoys hearing +the sweet songs of the birds, and he always feels good, and does not +fear anything." + +So his father said: "I am well satisfied that I will not be the +first to see this thing happen. It will be Stcheuadack Seeven who +will first see it, and it will not be ten days before it will occur." + +And in a few days Ee-ee-toy's army came to the village of Stcheuadack +Seeven and killed all the people there. + +And Geeaduck Seeven, who lived at Awawtkum Vahahkkee, told his people +to flee: and many did so and ran to the mountains and other places, +but the others who did not run away came to Geeaduck Seeven's house, +and he told them to come in there. + +And the enemy came, and they fought, but it was not easy for +Ee-ee-toy's warriors to fight the men of Geeaduck Seeven, because they +were nearly all inside, but his men managed to set fire to the house, +and so destroyed it, and killed all who were therein. + +Then Ee-ee-toy's men marched on, north, to where Cheof-hahvo Seeven, +or Long Dipper Chief, lived, and as they marched along they sang +about the places they were conquering, and they sang of the beads that +they expected to get at this village, the beads called sah-vaht-kih, +and there was an old woman among them who said: "When you get those +beads, I want them." And so when they had conquered that vahahkkee +they gave the beads to her. + +And they went from there to the home of Dthas Seeven, who had a +cane-cactus fence about his place, and Ee-ee-toy's men heard of this, +and sang about it as they went along. And they took this place and +killed Dthas Seeven. + +And then they went on to where the Casa Blanca vahahkkees now are in +ruins; and the great doctor who lived there, the same who had sent his +boy to inquire of the prophecies, drew a magic line before his place, +so that the enemy could not cross. And when Ee-ee-toy's men came to +the line the earth opened, and they could not go further till one +of their great doctors, by his power, had closed it, and then they +could pass it. + +And they had a great battle there, for the place was very strong, +and hard to get into. And there was a doctor among them called Nee-hum +Mah-kai, or Thunder Doctor, and they asked him to use his magic power +to tear the place down, and he tried, but could not succeed. And they +asked another, called Tchu-dun Mahkai, or Earthquake Doctor, and he +tried and failed also. And then they asked another, a little man, +not supposed to have much power, and he took a hair from his head, +and held it up by the two ends, and sang a song, and turned it into a +snake. And he sent the snake, and it struck the house, and shook it +so that it broke and fell down from above. And then Ee-ee-toy's men +took the place, and killed everybody there except Tcheutchickadahtai +Seeven, who escaped and ran on. + +And one of Ee-ee-toy's warriors pursued him, and was going to strike +him with a club when he sank down, and the place where he sank was +filled with a fog, so that they could not see him, and he got out on +the other side and ran on. But they had a doctor called Ku-mi-wahk +Mahkai, or Fog Doctor, and they had him clear away the fog and then +they could see him and chased him again. + +And again, when about to be struck, he sank down, and a mirage filled +the place so that they could not see him, for things did not look +the same. And he got out beyond, and ran on. And they had a Sas-katch +Mahkai, or Mirage Doctor, who cleared away the false appearance, and +again they chased him, and were about to kill him, when again he sank. + +And this time a rainbow filled the place and made him invisible, +and again he ran on till their Kee-hawt Mahkai, or Rainbow Doctor, +removed the rainbow. + +And once more they were about to strike him when he sank, and the +quivers which heat makes, called coad-jook, filled the hole, and +again he got away. But they had a Coadjook Doctor, and he removed it, +and then they chased him and killed him. + +And they went northward again from there. + +And there was a rattlesnake who had never killed an enemy, and +he asked a doctor to help him do this, and the doctor told him +he would. And the doctor told his pet gopher to dig a hole to the +village of the doctor who lived beyond Od-chee, where is the place +called Scaw-coy-enk, or Rattlesnake Village. And this doctor was the +speaker of his village, and every morning stood on a big stone and +in a loud voice told the people what they were to do. And the gopher +dug a hole to this stone, through which the rattlesnake crawled and +lay in wait under the stone. And when the doctor came out to speak +to his people in the morning, the rattlesnake bit him and then slid +back into his hole again. And the doctor came down from the stone, +and went into his kee, and fell down there and died. + +And after taking this place they marched to the place called +Ko-awt-kee Oy-yee-duck, or Shell Field, where a doctor-chief lived, +named Tcheunassat Seeven, and this place they took, and Ee-ee-toy +himself killed this doctor, this being the first foe he had killed. + +And they went on again to the place where Nooee lived, called +Wuh-a-kutch. And Ee-ee-toy said: "When you come there you will know +the man who killed me by his white leggings, and when you find him, +do not kill him, but capture him, and bring him to me, and I will do +what I please with him." + +And Ee-ee-toy had the Eagle and the Chicken-Hawk go up in the sky to +look for Noo-ee, for he said he might go up there. And the Eagle and +the Chicken-Hawk found Nooee there, and caught him, and brought him to +Ee-ee-toy, who took him and scalped him alive. And Nooee, after he was +scalped, fell down and died, and the women came around him, rejoicing +and dancing, and singing; "O why is Seeven dead!" And after awhile +be began to come to life again, and lay there rolling and moaning. + +And Ee-ee-toy's men went on again to a village beyond Salt River, +where lived a chief who had a brother, and they were both left-handed, +but famous shots with the bow. And these brothers put up the hardest +fight yet encountered. But when the brothers were too hard pressed +they fled to Cheof See-vick, or Tall Red Mountain, and there they +kept shooting and killed a great many of Ee-ee-toy's men, who were +short of arrows, after so long fighting and many of their bows broken. + +Because of this, Ee-ee-toy's men had to fall back and surround +the place. + +And when this happened the band that had gone to the south knew by +the "Light" that it was so, and came to help them. And these had many +bows and arrows, and beside brought wood to mend the broken bows, and +wood to make new arrows; and when they came into the place they gave +their bows and arrows to Ee-ee-toy's men and made themselves new bows +from the wood they had brought. And these men were the ancestors of +the Toe-hawn-awh Aw-aw-tam, the present Papagoes, and that is why to +this day the Papagoes are most expert in making bows and arrows. And +then the fight began again and the two brave brothers were killed. + +And from there they went on to another awawtkumvahahkkee, where is +now Fort McDowell, where lived another seeven whom they fought and +conquered. + +And from there they went on westward thru the mountains. But when +they came to Kah-woet-kee, near where is now Phoenix, one of the +chiefs in Ee-ee-toy's army said: "I have seen enuf of this country, +and I will take this for my part and remain here." And he did so. + +And the bands went on and came to the Colorado River, and there one of +the great doctors, called Gaht Mahkai, or Bow Doctor, struck the river +with his bow and laid it down in the water. And the water separated +then so that the people were able to go over to the other side. And +beyond the Colorado they came to a people who lived in holes in the +ground, whom they found it hard to fight, and they asked help of their +Thunder Doctor, and when the people came out of their holes to fight +he struck right in the midst of them, but killed only one. Then they +asked help of the Earthquake Doctor, and he was able to kill only +one. And these two were all they killed. And these people were called +Choo-chawf Aw-aw-tam, or the Foxes, because they lived in holes. + +And after the army failed to conquer the Foxes they returned across +the Colorado River, near where is now Yuma. And here again the Bow +Doctor divided the water for them. But before all the bands were +across the waters closed, and some were left behind. And these called +to those who were across to have the Bow Doctor hit the waters again, +that they also might get there. But those who were across would not +do this, but told them that there was plenty of land where they were +that would make them a comfortable home. And those left there were +the ancestors of the present Yumas and Maricopas. + + + + + SONG BEFORE THE FIGHT WITH CHEOF-HAHVO SEEVEN [6] + + In the land where there are a great many galley-worms-- + I will get the doctor out, + It will lighten his heart. + + + + + A SONG OF THE DOCTOR WHOSE SNAKE THREW DOWN THE VAHAHKKEE + + I made the black snake; + And he went across and wounded the vahahkkee. + + + + +NOTES ON THE STORY OF EE-EE-TOY'S ARMY AND THAT OF THE DESTRUCTION +OF THE VAHAHKKEES + +In the Story of Ee-ee-toy's Army we come to an amusing superstition of +the Pimas. There is a funny little creature in Arizona, related to the +tarantula, perhaps, which the Pimas say is very poisonous, and which +is certainly very quick in motion and the hardest thing to kill I ever +saw. It is covered with a sort of fuzzy hair, which blows in the wind, +and is sometimes red and sometimes yellow or white. Now there seems +to be a connection in the Indian mind between this way-heem-mahl, +as they name him, and this story of Ee-ee-toy's Army. The bands, it +is related, were distinguished by certain colors--some took red, and +some yellow and white, for their badge-color. And the Pimas of today +suppose themselves descended from these bands, and some clans claim +that the bands of the red were their forbears, and some trace back +to the bands of yellow and white. And not many years back there was a +rivalry between these, and the wayheemmahls, having the same colors, +were identified with the bands, and the Pimas descended from a band +of a certain color would not kill a wayheemmahl of that color, or +willingly permit others to do so, but would eagerly kill wayheemmahls +of the opposite color. If, then, a Pima of the red faction saw a +yellow wayheemmahl, running over the ground, he was quick to jump +on it; but if a Pima of the yellow stood near he would resent this +attack on his relation, and a hair-pulling fight would result. This +custom is probably altogether obsolete now. + +It will be noticed that the fantastic explanations of why gyihhaws +are now carried by the women, is contradicted by the carrying of +gyihhaws by various women in previous stories. + +The closing of the earth cuts down the six bands to four and a +fraction. + +Wardances, and extravagant and boastful speeches prophesying success, +seem to have preceded all the military movements of the Awawtam. + +The creation of deer in this story, by Ee-ee-toy, is contrary to their +presence in earlier tales, as in that of Ahahnheeattoepahk Mahkai. + +The careful mention of the sickness and death of an apparently +unimportant woman is curious, and hard to explain. Perhaps this was +the inauguration of the pestilence. + +The Story of the Destruction of the Vahahkkees has the most historic +interest of any. + +The uniting of the bands by the "Light" is very curious. My Indians +could not tell me what this was, only something occult and mysterious +by which they had clairvoyant ken of each other's needs. Its use +appears in the fight at Cheof Seevick. + +The resemblance to the Israelites crossing the Red Sea is remarkable +in the exploit of the Bow Doctor, and the crossing of the Rio Colorado. + +The Choochawf Awawtam appear to have been cave-dwellers, and my +Indians were confused in memory as to whether they were encountered +on the hither or far side of the Colorado. + +The statement that the closing of the waters left the Yumas and +Maricopas on the far bank of the Colorado is likely only a mahkai's +fanciful attempt to explain their presence there. As the Indians of +the Yuman stock speak an entirely different language from the Indians +of the Piman stock, it is unlikely they were united in the original +invading army. There is no other evidence that there ever was any +alliance between them till the Maricopas, fearing extermination +from the Yumas, joined the Pimas sometime in the first half of the +nineteenth century. + +Comalk Hawkkih gave me this account of the coming in of the Maricopas: +The Yumas and the Maricopas were once all one people, but there was +a jealousy between two sons of a chief, one of whom was a favorite +of his father, and one killed the other, and this grew to a civil +war. The defeated party, the Maricopas, went first to Hot Springs, +where they staid awhile, and then to Gila Bend, but each time the Yumas +followed and attacked them and drove them on. Fearing extermination +they came to the Pimas for protection. The Pimas adopted them. Now +began war between Yumas and Mohaves on one side, and Pimas, Papagoes +and Maricopas on the other. There were only two battles after the +Maricopas came in, but in the second battle all the Yuma warriors +engaged were killed, and the Mohaves had to flee over the mountain, +and only a part of these escaped. This battle was fought at what is +now called Maricopa Mountain. + +So terrible was the defeat, that to this day the Yumas hold an annual +"Cry," or lamentation, in memory of it. Their old foes are invited, +and if any Pima or Maricopa attends he is given a horse. This war +reduced both Yumas and Maricopas to a mere remnant. + +Since then the Maricopas have lived with the Pimas, and in customs +are almost exactly similar, except that they burn their dead, and +still speak their distinctive language. + +They are a taller, larger race than the Pimas, more restless, said +to be quicker witted, but more inclined to vice, and to be rapidly +dying out; while the Pimas yet hold their own in numbers, despite +recent inroads of tuberculosis. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF SOHAHNEE MAHKAI AND KAWKOINPUH + + +Now when the bands were going thru this country they had selected +the places for their homes, expecting to return, and each band, as +it selected its place, drove down short sticks so as to know it again. + +And after returning across the Rio Colorado the bands went again to +these places which they had selected and settled there. + +Only the Toehawnawh Awawtam (the Papagoes) did not at first go to +their selected place, but went on beyond Awn-kee Ack-kee-mull, the +Salt River, to where is now Lehi. + +And there was one doctor among them named So-hah-nee Mahkai, and he +had no child, but he had found one of the children belonging to the +country, which had been left alive, and he had adopted it for his +own. And he went on and lived by himself at the place then called +Vah-kah-kum, but now named Stcheu-a-dack-a-Vahf, or Green Cliff. + +And the Aw-up, or Apaches, were a part of the original people of +this country, and this child which Sohahnee Mahkai had adopted was +an Apache. + +And when he had grown up to be quite a large boy the Apaches planned +to capture Sohahnee Mahkai; but Sohahnee Mahkai knew of this and told +the boy to go to a place where he had been clearing up a farm and to +find the stick there with which he had been cutting down bushes, and +to dig a hole there under the bushes, and then to come back home and +eat his supper. And after he had eaten his supper he was to return to +the place where the stick was, and hide in the hole under the bushes +which were there. + +And the boy's name was Kaw-koin-puh, and he dug the hole under the +bushes, as he was directed, and returned for his supper. + +And then Sohahnee Mahkai said to him: "Now to-night the Apaches will +come to kill me, but here is a basket-box which I want you to have +after I am dead. And when you are safe in your hole you will hear +when they come to kill me. But don't you come out till they are far +enuf away. Then come and find my body, no matter whether h is here or +dragged away. And when you find it, do not mind how stained and bloody +it is, but fall upon it, and put your mouth to mine, and inhale, and +thus you will inherit my power. And when you leave my body, do not +attempt to follow after the Apaches, for they would surely kill you, +for tho you are one of them they would not know that, because you do +not speak their language. But I want you to return to where we left +some people at the place called Vik-kuh-svan-kee." + +So the boy took the little basket-box, and went to his hole, and +early in the evening the Apaches came and surrounded the house, +and staid there till near morning, and then began the attack. And +the boy could hear the fighting, and could hear Sohahnee Mahkai yell +every time his arrow killed anyone; and he could hear the old woman, +his wife, shout out in her exultation, too. And it was after the sun +was up that the old woman was killed; and then Sohahnee Mahkai ran +out and the Apaches chased him and killed him, and said: "Now let us +cut him open and find what it is that made him so brave, and enabled +him to kill so many of us." And they cut him open and found under +his heart a feather of the chicken hawk. + +And the Apaches took that feather, and that is how they are so brave +and even if there are only two of them will often attack their enemies +and kill some of them. + +And after the Apaches were far away the boy came out of his hole and +found the old woman, and from there tracked till he found the old man; +and he fell over him, as he had been told, and inhaled four times; +and then he went to Vikkuhsvankee, but he got there at night, and +did not attempt to go into any house, but staid outside all night in +the bushes. + +And in the morning a girl came and found the boy, and went back and +told the people there was some one outside who was a stranger there, +some one with short hair. And they came and stood around him, and +teased him, and threw dirt at him, until finally he cried out: "Don't +you remember me, who I am? My name is Kawkoinpuh and I was here once, +but went away with the doctor, Sohahnee Mahkai. And now the Apaches +have killed him and the old woman, his wife, and I am left alone." + +And when he said this the people remembered him, and took him by +the hand, and led him to a doctor named Gawk-siss Seev-a-lick, who +adopted him, and he was treated nicely because he was a good hunter +and used to keep the doctor in plenty of game. + +And the doctor had a daughter, and when she was old enuf he gave +her to Kawkoinpuh for his wife. And Kawkoinpuh staid with his wife's +people; and his wife expected a child, and wanted different things to +eat. So Kawkoinpuh left home and went to the mountain called Vahpkee, +and there got her a lot of the greens called choohookyuh. And after +a while he wanted to go again, but she said: "Do not go now, for +the weather is bad. Wait till it is more pleasant." But he said, +"I am going now," and he went. + +And this time he was hunting wood rats instead of greens, and he had +killed three and was trying to scare out the fourth one, where he could +shoot it, when the Apaches came and surrounded him a good ways off. + +He saw them and ran for home, but there were many Apaches in front +of him, and they headed him off. + +But he jumped up and down and sideways, as Sohahnee Mahkai had done, +shooting and killing so many that finally he broke thru their ring, +and started for home. But he kept turning back and shooting at them +as he ran. And one of them came near and was about to kill him, but +he shot first and killed the Apache. And then another came near and +this time the Apache shot first, and so Kawkoinpuh was killed. + +And when evening came, Gawksiss Seevalick came out, and called aloud, +and invited the people to his house, and asked them if any had seen +his son, Kawkoinpuh; who had seen him last; for he knew something had +happened to him, as he always came home after his hunt, because he +loved his home. But nobody had seen anything of Kawkoinpuh, because +no one had been out, the weather being bad. + +But Gawksiss Seevalick knew the boy was killed, because he was a +doctor, and there is a being above, called Vee-ips-chool, who is +always sad and who makes people sad when anything bad has happened. + +So they went out the next morning, and tracked the boy, and came to +where he had killed the wood-rats, and then they found the tracks of +the Apaches, and then found a great many Apaches whom he had killed, +and finally they found his body. + +The Apaches had cut him open, and taken out his bowels and wound +them around bushes, and cut off his arms and legs and hung them on +trees. And one of the men, there, told them to get wood and to gather +up these parts of Kawkoinpuh's body and burn them. And some of the +people remained behind and did this, and then all went home. + +And in the evening Gawksiss Seevalick again called the people together +and sang them a song to express his grief. + +And the next morning he went with his daughter to where Kawkoinpuh had +been burned, and there they found some blood still remaining and buried +it. And that evening again he called the people together, and said: +"You see what has happened; we have lost one of our number. We ought +not to stay here, but to return to the place we first selected." And +the people took his advice and got their things ready and started. + +And they went slow because they were on foot, and it took them four +nights to get to the place where they wanted to go. And the first +night there was no singing, but the second night there was a doctor +named Geo-goot-a-nom-kum who sang a song for them; and the third night +there was a doctor named Geo-deck-why-nom-kum who sang a song for them; +and on the fourth night there was a doctor named Mahn-a-vanch-kih +who sang for them a song. + + + + +NOTES ON THE STORY OF SOHAHNEE MAHKAI + +In this we are given a most graphic and pathetic glimpse of Indian +warfare. + +Notice the bushes are "cut down" (broken off more likely) by a stick. A +glimpse of the rude old tools. + +Very poetic is the conception of Veeipschool, "the being above who is +always sad, and makes people sad when anything bad has happened." A +personification of premonition. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF PAHTAHNKUM + + +And when they came to their journey's end the wife of Kaw-koin-puh +had a baby, which grew up to be a fine boy, but the mother cried all +the time, where-ever she went, on account of her husband's death. + +And the people, after they had settled down, used to go rabbit-hunting, +and the children too, and this boy, Paht-ahn-kum, used to watch them +wistfully, and his mother said: "I know what you are thinking of, +but there is nothing for you to kill rabbits with. But I will send +you to your uncle, my brother, whom I am expecting will make a bow +and arrows for you." + +And the next morning, early, the boy went to his uncle, who said: "Why +do you come so early? It is an unusual thing for you to come to see +me so early instead of playing with boys and girls of your own age." + +And the boy replied: "My mother said she was expecting you to make +me a bow and arrows." + +And his uncle said: "That is an easy thing to do. Let us go out and +get one." And they went out and found an o-a-pot, or cat-claw tree, +and cut a piece of its wood to make a bow, and they made a fire and +roasted the stick over this, turning it, and they made a string from +its bark to try it with; and then they found arrow-weeds, and made +arrows, four of them, roasting these, too, and strengthening them; +and then they went home and made a good string for the bow from sinew. + +And then the boy went home and showed his mother his bow and arrows. + +And the next morning the children went hunting and little Pahtahnkum +went with them to the place of meeting. + +And they found a quotaveech's nest near them, with young ones in it, +and one of the men shot into it and killed one of the young ones, and +then the children ran up to join in the killing. And when Pahtahnkum +came up, one of the men threw him one of the young birds, and said: +"Here, take it, even if your mother does not wish to marry me." + +And the little boy ran home and gave his game to his mother, and when +she saw it she turned her back on it and cried. And he wondered why +she cried when he had brought her game and was wishing she would cook +it for his dinner. + +And his mother said: "I never thought my relatives would treat you +this way. There is an animal, the caw-sawn, the wood rat, and a +bird, the kah-kai-cheu, the quail, and these are good to eat, and +these are what they ought to give you, and when they give you those, +bring them home and I will cook them for you." She said, further; +"This bird is not fit to eat; and I was thinking, while I was crying, +that if your father were living now you would have plenty of game, +and he would make you a fine bow, and teach you to be as good a +hunter as there is. And I will tell you now how your father died. We +did not use to live here. But beyond this mountain there is a river, +and beyond that another river still, and that is where we lived and +where your father was killed by the people called Apaches, and that +is why we are here, and why we are so poor now. + +I am only telling you this so you may know how you came to be +fatherless, for I know very well you can never pay it back, for the +Apaches are very fierce, and very brave, and those who go to their +country have to be very careful; for even at night the Apaches may +be near them, and even the sunshine in their country feels different +from what it does here." + +And the little boy, that night, went to his uncle, who asked: "Why +do you come to me in the night?" + +And the little boy said: "I come to you because today I was hunting +with the bow and arrows you made me, and someone gave me a little +bird, and I was bashful, and brought it right home for my mother to +cook for me, and she cried, and then told me about my father and how +he died. And I do not see why you kept this a secret from me. And I +wish you would tell me what these Apaches look like, that they are +so fierce and brave." + +And his uncle said: "That is so. I have not told you of these things +because you are just a baby yet, and I did not intend to tell you +until you were a man, but now I know you have sense enuf to wish to +learn. There is nothing so very different or dangerous about these +Apaches; only their bows, and their arrows of cane are dangerous." + +And the little boy went on to another doctor, who said: "Why do you +come to me? Are you lost? If so, we will take you home." But the little +boy said to him: "No, I am not lost, but I want you to tell me one +thing--why the Apaches are so dangerous--are they like the har-sen, +the giant cactus, with so many thorns?" And the doctor answered: +"No, they are men like we are, and have thoughts as we have, and eat +as we do, and there is only one thing that makes them dangerous and +that is their bows and their arrows of cane." + +So the little boy went to the next doctor, and this doctor also asked +him if he were lost, and he said: "No, but I want you to tell me +just one thing--why the Apaches are so dangerous. Are they like the +mirl-hawk, the cane-cactus, with so many branches all covered with +thorns?" And the doctor replied: "No, they are human beings just +as we are, and think just as we do, and eat as we do, and the only +things that make them dangerous are their bows and their arrows of +cane." And the little boy said: "I am satisfied." + +But he went yet to another doctor and asked him also why the Apaches +were so dangerous, were they like the hah-nem, the cholla cactus? But +the doctor said no, and gave the same answer as the others had done, +and the little boy said: "I am satisfied, then," and went back to his +uncle again and began to question him about what people did when they +got ready for war, and what they did to purify themselves afterward, +and his uncle said: "It is now late at night, and I want you to go +home, and tomorrow come to me, and I will tell you about these things." + +So the little boy went home, but very early in the morning, before +sunrise, he was again at his uncle's house, and came in to him before +he was yet up. And his uncle said: "I will now tell you, but we must +go outside and not talk in here before other people." + +And he took the little boy outside, and they stood there facing the +east, waiting for the sun to rise, with the little boy on the right +of his uncle. And when the sun began to rise the doctor stretched +out his left hand and caught a sunbeam, and closed his hand on it, +but when he opened his hand there was nothing there; and then he used +his right hand and caught a sunbeam but when he opened his hand there +was nothing there; and he tried again with his left hand, and there +was nothing, but when he tried the second time with his right hand, +when he opened it, there was a lock of Apache's hair in his hand. + +And he took this and put it in the little boy's breast, and rubbed +it in there till it all disappeared, having entered into the little +boy's body. + +And then he told the little boy to get him a small piece of oapot or +cat-claw tree, but no, he said, I will go myself; and he went and got a +little piece of the oapot, and tied a strip of cloth around the boy's +head, and stuck the little piece of wood in it, and then told him to +go home to his mother and tell her to give him a new dish to eat from. + +And this stick which the doctor had put into the boy's hair represented +the kuess-kote or scratching stick which the Pimas and Papagoes used +after killing Apaches, during the purification time; and the doctor +had made it from cat-claw wood because the cat-claw catches everybody +that comes near, and he wanted the boy to have great power to capture +his enemies. + +And his uncle told the boy to stay at home in the day time, lying +still and not going anywhere, but at night to come to him again. "And +before you come again," he said, "I will make you something and have +it ready for you." + +And the little boy kept still all that day, but at night he went to +his uncle again, and his uncle had four pipes ready for him, made from +pieces of cane, and he said, "Now tonight when the people gather here +(for it was the custom for many people to come to the doctor's house +in the evening) they will talk and have a good time, but after they +are thru I will roll a coal from the fire toward you, and then you +light one of the pipes and smoke four whiffs, and after that slide the +watch-kee, the pipe, along the ground toward me, as is the custom, +and I will smoke it four times and pass it to my next neighbor, and +he will do the same, and so the pipe will go all around and come +back to you. And even when it is out, when it comes back to you, +you are to take it and stick the end that was lighted in the ground. + +So that evening the people all assembled as usual, and told all the +news of the day, and about the hunting as was their custom. And when +they were thru, and had quieted down, the uncle moved to the fire and +rolled a coal toward Pahtahnkum, who took it and lit one of the pipes, +and smoked it four times, and then slid it slowly (the pipe must be +slid slowly because if it were slid rapidly the enemy would be too +quick and escape, but if it is done slowly the enemy will be slow +and can be captured) along the ground to his uncle. And his uncle +took the watchkee, the pipe-tube, and smoked it also four whiffs, +and passed it on, but saying: "Of course you are all aware that if +any man among you has a wife expecting to have a baby soon, he should +not smoke it, but pass it on without smoking to his neighbor, for if +you smoke in such case the child will not be likely to live very long." + +And so the pipe passed around, and the boy, when the pipe came to +him again, buried it as he had been told, and then he began to make +this speech:-- + +"I am nothing but a child, and I go around where the people are cooking +and when they give me something to eat I generally suffer because it +is so hot. And there was a hunt, and you gave me nothing but a little +quotaveech, and stuck it under my belt as if it were something good +to eat: and when I took it home to my mother, and dropped it down +by her, she turned her back upon it and began to cry. And when she +had done crying she told me of all that had happened before, about my +father's death, and the story entered my heart; and I went for help to +a respectable person, a doctor, one to whom a child would not be likely +to go, and he kindly assisted me, and told me what I asked of him. + +And I wanted to be revenged on the slayers of my father, and in +imagination a day was appointed for the war, and I went; and the +first night I feared nothing and felt good, and the second night, +too, I feared nothing and felt good, but the third night I knew I +was in the land of the Apaches, an enemy with shield and club, and +I did not feel good, and it seemed to me the world was shaking, and +I thought of what my mother had said, that the land of the Apaches +was different from ours. + +And the fourth day I went on and came to the mountain of the Apaches, +and I found there the broken arrows of my father's fight; and I sat +down, for it seemed to me the mountains and the earth were shaking, +and shook my knees, and I thought of what my mother had said that +the land of the Apaches felt entirely different. + +And the next day I went on and came to the water of the Apaches. And my +hair lay over the water like moss. And I looked and found my skull, and +I used it for a dipper, and parted the hair with it, and dipped up the +water and drank it. And when I drank from the skull I felt as if I were +crazy, and clutched around with my hands at things that were not there. + +And from there I went on to another water, and that was covered with +the white war-paint of my hair, which lay like ashes on the water, +and I looked around and found my skull, and drank from that water, +and it smelled strong to me like the smell of human flesh and of +black war-paint. + +And all this was caused in my imagination by the thought of my dead +father, and of how the Apaches had gone along rejoicing because they +had killed him. + +And the next place was a great rock, and I sat down under it, and it +was wet with my tears; and the winds of the power of my sadness blew +around the rock four times, and shook me. + +In the far east there is a gray cousin, the Coyote, and he knows where +to find the Apaches, and he was the first I selected to help me and +be my comrade, and he took my word, and joined me; and stood up and +looked, and saw the Apaches for me and told me; and I had my band +ready, and my boys captured the Apaches, who had no weapons ready to +injure them. + +And after killing them I took their property, and I seemed to get +all their strength, all their power. And I came home, bringing all +the things I had captured, and enriched my home, strengthening myself +four times, and the fame of my deed was all over the country. + +And I went to the home of the doctor, taking the child I had captured, +and when we were there the blue tears fell from the eyes of the child +onto my boys and girls. + +And all of you, my relatives, should think of this, and be in favor +of the war, remembering the things we have captured, and the enemies +we have killed, and should make your singing all joy because of our +past successes." + +And after the speech was done, feeling it the speech of a child, +the people were silent, but at length Toehahvs said: "I like the +way of the child, because I am sure he is to be a powerful person, +perhaps stronger than any of us, and I respect him, and that is +why I am kind to him, and I want that we should all take a smoke, +and after that you will get over your feeling of his insignificance." + +And then they all smoked again, and began to talk about the war, +and of the things they lacked, but the boy wanted them to get ready +in four days, telling them that was plenty of time. And so they all +began to get ready for the war, making and getting ready shields, +clubs, bows, arrows, shoes, and whatever was needed. + +And so the people departed for the war, and the very day they left, +the mother of Pahtahnkum went and got clay to make the new dishes for +the men who should kill Apaches, for she foreknew that many would be +killed, and so she sang at her work. And a few of the people were +left at home, and one of these was an old man, and he passed near +where the mother (whose name was Koel-hah-ah) was making her pottery, +and heard her singing her song, and he said to the people: "It is +very strange that this woman who used to cry all the time is singing +now her boy has gone to the war. Perhaps she is like some wives, who +when their time of mourning is over are looking out for another man." + +And the war-party went by near where Tawtsitka (Sacaton) now is, around +the mountain Chirt-kih, and west of the Sah-kote-kih, (Superstition) +mountains, and there they found tracks of the Apaches, and paused, +and the boy, Pahtahnkum, told them to wait there while he went forward +and found where the Apaches were. + +And Toehahvs said: "I will go with you, so we can help each other +and be company, and you will feel that you have some strength, and +I will feel the same." + +So Pahtahnkum and Toehahvs went out on their scout, and went up an +arroyo, or washout valley, In the mountains, and in making a turn +came suddenly upon some Apache children playing in the sand, and the +children saw them and ran up the valley to where the Apache houses +were. And the two scouts stood and looked at each other and said: +"What shall we do now! for if we go back the people will blame us +for letting the Apaches see us first." + +And Pahtahnkum said: "You go back and step in my tracks, and I will +turn into a crow and fly up on this rock." And this was done, and +when the Apaches came they could see only the coyote tracks, and they +said: "There are no human tracks here. It must have been a coyote the +children saw," and they went back home. And then Pahtahnkum flew to +where Toehahvs was, and came down and took his human shape again. + +And the band had been anxious about them, because they were gone +so long, and had followed their tracks, and now came near, and when +Pahtahnkum saw them, instead of going back to them, he and Toehahvs +turned and ran toward the Apaches, and all the band rushed after them, +and they took the Apache village by surprise, and conquered and killed +all the men, and then killed all the women, and scalped them all. + +And because Pahtahnkum had been so brave, and had killed many, the +people brought all the scalps to him, and all the baskets, and bows +and arrows, and other things they had taken, and laid them around +him; and then they all stood around him in circles, the oldest in the +middle next to the boy, and the others, in the order of their age, +in circles outside. [7] And then Pahtahnkum began to yell, he was +so rejoiced, and he threw the scalps of the Apaches up into the air, +and then, after them, the other things, the bows and arrows, and all +things captured, because he wanted to make a cloud; for when an Apache +is killed it will rain. + +And while this was happening, his mother was rejoicing at home, +knowing all that was happening to her boy. + +So the people took everything the Apaches had, and a good many children +as captives, and they returned by the same road, and before they got +home they sent a messenger ahead. + +And when they got home they presented all the property taken, and +all the weapons and all the captives to the mother of Pahtahnkum. + +Now when the neighbors of those Apaches heard of this they formed a +big war-party, and followed Pahtahnkum's trail, but when they came +to the place called Taht-a-mumee-lay-kote they stopped, because they +did not know where to find water, and so they turned back, tho from +there they could see the mountains where Pahtahnkum lived. + +And after Pahtahnkum had gone thru the prescribed purifications, and +the war-dances and rejoicing proper to the occasion, he again formed +a war-party, and again took the trail after the Apaches, only this +time he went to the other end of the Superstition Mts. And there +they saw the lights at night on a peak, where the Apaches lived, +and went up there and killed them, except the children, whom they +took for captives. + +And then they went down into an open place in the desert, and there +placing Pahtahnkum and Toehahvs in the center, they again formed the +circles, with the older ones nearest the middle, and again brought +all their trophies to Pahtahnkum and Toehahvs, who threw them up with +rejoicing, as before. + +And again the Apaches formed a war-party, and pursued them; and again +they, when they came to the low mountains south west of where Tawtsitka +now is, were frightened, as they looked over the desert, and said: +"This country is unknown to us, and we do not want to die of thirst," +and again they abandoned the pursuit, and returned home. And because +the place where they made fires was found, these mountains are called +Aw-up Chert-taw to this day. + +And again everything was given to Koelhahah, as before. + +And once more, after the purification, Pahtahnkum formed a war-party; +and this time they went to the east, and there again found Apaches +at the place called Oy-yee-duck, or The Field, because there the +Apaches had cultivated fields, and here they fought the Apaches, +and defeated them; but they had hard work to kill one Apache, who was +very brave, and who kept his wife before him and his child behind him, +and as the Papagoes did not want to kill these they could not get at +the man. But finally Pahtahnkum killed a man near him, and some one +else killed the woman, and then Pahtahnkum killed this man and took +the little boy captive. + +And again they went out to an open place, and formed the circles, +and rejoiced as before. + +And a party of Apaches pursued them again and again were discouraged, +and turned back at the red bluff to the eastward, where they dug +a well, which place is still called Taw-toe-sum Vah-vee-uh, or the +Apache's Well. + +And again, in due time, a war-party was formed, and this time it +went far east, and there was found a single hunter of the Apaches, +and this man they killed and cut up and mutilated as had been done +with Pahtahnkum's father, putting his flesh out as if to jerk it. And +they went south-east from there and again found a single hunter; and +him they scalped and placed his scalp like a hat on a giant-cactus, +for which reason the place is still called Waw-num, which means a hat. + +And Pahtahnkum walked behind, for he was very sad, thinking of +his father. + +And then Pahtahnkum returned home, having revenged his father, and +this was the last of his wars. + +And once more the Apaches followed him, but stopped at a place near +the Superstition Mts. where, as there had been rain and the ground +was wet, they stopped to clean a field, See-qua-usk, or the Clearing, +but they gave it up and returned, not even planting the crop. + +And his mother made a large olla, and a small flat piece of pottery, +like the plates tortillas are baked on. And she put all the Apache +hair in the olla, and placed the flat plate on top to cover it with +greasewood gum to seal it up tight. And then she went and found a cave, +and by her power called a wind and a cloud that circled it round. + +And then she returned to her people, and, placing the olla on her +head, led them to the cave, and said. "I will leave this olla here, +and then when I have need of wind, or of rain, I can form them by +throwing these up, and so I shall be independent." + +And after this Pahtahnkum was taken ill, and the people said it was +because he had not properly purified himself. + +And he went to the tall mountain east of Tucson, and from there to +other mountains, seeking the cool air, but he got no better, and at +last he came to the Maricopa Mts., and died there, and his grave is +there yet. + +And his mother died at her home. + + + + + THE SONG OF KOELHAHAH ABOUT HER SON + + My poor child, there will be great things happen you! + And there will be great news all over the world because of my boy. + The news will go in all directions. + + + + +NOTES ON THE STORY OF PAHTAHNKUM + +In this, in the smoking at the war-council, appears a curious +superstition concerning the effect of a man's smoking upon his +unborn child. + +Another superstition appears in the idea that the killing of an Apache +and throwing up of his accoutrements or scalp would cause rain. + +I have a boy's bow and arrows just like those described in this story, +bought of a Pima child. + +War arrows were a yard long, with three feathers instead of two, +and tipped with flint or, later, with iron. But even a wooden arrow +would kill a deer. + +Bows were made from Osage orange, cat-claw, or o-a-pot; or, better +still, from a tree called gaw-hee. Arrows from arrow-weeds. The Apache +arrows were made of cane. + +The Pimas were formerly famous for archery, and the shooting of bird +on the wing, and of jack rabbits at full run while the archer was +pursuing on horseback, were favorite feats. + +The Apache well: I am told the old Arizona Indian wells were not +walled up, and the sides were at such a slant that the women could +walk down to the water and back with their ollas on their heads. + +Wells are now obtained without great difficulty, but the water is +salty and often alkaline and none too cool. + + + + + + + + +STORIES OF THE FOURTH NIGHT + + +THE STORY OF THE GAMBLER'S WAR + + +And after this, for a long time, there was peace toward the Apaches, +but it happened, once, that two brothers of the country went to +gamble with the Awup, playing the game called waw-pah-tee in which +the gamblers guess in which piece of cane a little ball is hidden. + +And one of the brothers, after losing all his goods, bet his brother +and lost him, and then bet the different parts of his own body, +leaving his heart to the last, and finally wagered his heart against +all his previous bets, saying it was worth more than they, and hoping +so to recover all, but he lost that also. + +And when the game was ended the Apaches killed his brother, but +allowed him to walk away, and he returned to his own land. + +But all the way he would see his brother's tracks, and whenever he +stopped to camp he would see his brother's body, where it lay, and +how he looked, lying there dead; and when he got home he felt so sad +he cried aloud, but no one paid any attention to him. + +And when he got home his folks gave him food to eat, and water to +drink, but he would neither eat nor drink, feeling so sad about his +brother, and he took nothing for four days. + +But on the fifth day he went out and sought the cool shade of trees +to forget his brother, and went upon the hills and stood there, but +he could not forget; and then, in coming down, he fell down and went +to sleep. + +And in his sleep his brother came to him, and he seemed to know him, +but when he tried to put his arms around his brother he woke up and +found he was not there. + +And he went home and ate, and then made this speech:-- + +"My pitiful relatives, I will pity you and you will pity me. + +This spread-out-thing, the world, is covered with feathers, because +of my sadness, and the mountains are covered with soft feathers. + +Over these the sun comes, but gives me no light, I am so sad. + +And the night comes, and has no darkness to rest me, because my eyes +are open all night. + +(This has happened to me, O all my relatives.) + +And it was my own bones that I raked up, and with them made a fire +that showed me the opposite land, the Land of the Enemy. + +(This was done, my relatives.) + +The sticks I cut for the number of days were my own sinews, cut and +bound together. + +It was my own rib that I used as an eev-a-dah-kote, or fire rubbing +stick. + +It was my own bowels that I used for a belt. + +And it was my scalp, and my own hair, that I used for sandals. + +It was my own skull that I filled with my own blood, and drank from, +and talked like a drunkard. + +And I wandered where the ashes are dumped, and I wandered over the +hills, and I found it could be done, and went to the shadows of the +trees and found the same thing. + +On the level ground I fell, and the Sun, the Traveller, was overhead, +and from above my brother came down, and I tried to hug him, but only +hugged myself. + +And I thought I was holding all sadness, but there was a yet stronger +sadness, for my brother came down and stood on my breast, and the +tears fell down and watered the ground. + +And I tried to hug him, but only hugged myself. + +And this was my desire, that I should go to the powerful woman, +and I reached her quietly where she lived. + +And I spoke to her this way: + +'You were living over there. + +You are the person who makes a hoop for her gyihhaw from the Apaches' +bow, and with their arrows makes the back-stop, the oam-muck, and +with their blood you color the gyihhaw prettily; and you split the +arrow-heads and make from them the ov-a-nuck, and tie it in with the +Apaches' hair, weaving the hair to the left and then binding it on.' + +And this way I spoke to her. + +And then she gave me good news of the weakness of the Apaches and I +ran out full of joy. + +And from there I rose up and reached the Feather-Nested Doctor, +Quotaveech, and I spoke to him this way: + +'And you belong here. + +And you make the ribs of your kee from the Apache bows, and you tie +the arrows across with the bow strings, and with the sinews of their +bows you tie them. + +And with the robes of the Apaches, and with their head-wear, and with +their moccasins, you cover the kee instead of with arrow weeds. + +And inside, at the four corners, there are hung locks of Apaches' hair, +and at the corners are the stumps of the cane-tube pipes, smoking +themselves, and forming the smoke into all colors of flowers--white +and glittering and gray and yellow.' + +And this way I spoke to him, and he gave me the good news of the +weakness of the Apaches. + +And I came down and went Southward to the other doctor, called +Vahk-lohn Mahkai and there I reached him. + +And this way I spoke to him: + +'And here is where you belong. + +The Apache bow you make into the likeness of the pretty rainbow, +and the arrows you make into the likeness of the white-headed grass. + +And the fore shaft of the arrows you turn into water moss, and the +arrows into resemblance of flat clay. + +And the hair of the Apaches you make into likeness of clouds.' + +And this way I spoke to him, and he told me the news of the weakness +of the Apaches. + +And I ran out of the house, and went westward, and found the old +woman doctor, Tawquahdahmawks. + +And I said to her: + +'You belong here. + +And you make the bow of the Apaches into the hoop of the game the +Aw-aw-bopp, the Maricopas, play, the rolling hoop that they throw +sticks after. + +And their arrows you flatten up with your teeth, and wear around your +brows like a crown. + +And the fore shafts of the arrows you have split, and painted red +with the Apache blood, and made into gainskoot, the dice sticks. + +And the Apache hair you make into a skirt.' + +And this way I spoke to her, and she told me the thought of the two +different peoples, the Awawtam and the Awup, that they were enemies, +and she told me this, and I went out from there and strengthened +myself four times. + +And I spread the news when I got home, and set the doctor over it. + +And there was the stump of the doctor's pipe standing there, and +smoking itself, and I imbibed it, and smoked it toward the enemy, +and the smoke changed into different colors of flowers, white, +glittering, grey and yellow, and reached the edge of the earth, +the land of the Apache, and circled around there. + +And it softened the earth, and brought fresh grass, and fresh leaves +on the trees, so that the Apaches would be gathered together. + +And my western famous enemy went and told his son to go to his uncle, +to see if it was so that there was plenty of grass and plenty of +things to eat there. + +And his son went and said: 'My father sent me to find out about these +things,' and his uncle said: 'It is so what he has heard, that we have +plenty of things to eat, and all kinds of game, and that is what I eat. + +You go back and tell the old man to come, so that I will be with +him here.' + +So the boy went and told the old man this, and he got up and put on +his nose-ring of turquoise, and took his cake of paint, and his locks +of hair, and his pouch. + +After he got everything together he started out and camped for one +night, and arriving at his destination the next morning, after the sun +rose, came to his brother and called him, 'Brother!' with a loud voice. + +And the next morning the brother got up and went hunting, and found +a dead deer, and brought it home, and called it fresh meat, and they +ate it together. + +But instead of eating deer they ate themselves up. + +And their skins became like sick person's skin, and their hair became +coarse, and their eyes were sore, and they became lousy, and were +so weak that they left their hands beneath their heads when they +scratched themselves lying down. + +And the brother's wife went and gathered seed to eat, and found it +easy to gather, without husks, and thought to enjoy eating it, but +when she ate it she ate her own lice, and her skin became as a sick +person's skin, her hair became coarse, her person lousy, her eyes sore. + +And my enemy in the far east heard about food being so plenty to eat +there, and sent his son to ask his uncle if these reports were so. + +And his father got up and took his war-bonnet of eagle-feathers, +and his moccasins, and, using his power, brought even his wind and +his clouds and his rainbow with him, and all his crops, for tho he +had plenty at home he thought to find more at his brother's place. + +And, camping one night on the road, he came to his brother, after +sunrise, and called him 'Brother' with a loud voice. + +And everything happened to this enemy from the east, and his brother, +and brother's wife, that had happened to the enemy from the west and +his brother and brother's wife. + +And I found the Apache enemy early in the morning, lying asleep, +still needing his blanket, and covering himself up, and captured him +without trouble. + +And there I captured all his property, and took from him captives +and many scalps, and my way coming back seemed to be down hill, +and I strengthened myself and came to the level ground. + +And when I came to the hollow where I drank, the water rippled from +my moving it. + +And I appointed messengers to go ahead and tell those at home, the +old men and women waiting to hear of us, the good news of our victory. + +And after sending on the messengers I went on, rejoicing, carrying +the consciousness of my victory over the Apaches with me; and arriving +home at evening I found the land filled with the news, even the tops +of the hills covered. + +And I told my people to send word to our western relatives, and to +our southern relatives, and our eastern relatives, that the good news +might be known to all." + +After this he called the people together for war, and the first +evening they camped a man prophesied, and said: + +"Now we have heard our war-speech, and are on our way, and I foresee +the way beautiful with flowers, even the big trees covered with +flowers, and I can see that we come to the enemy and conquer them +easily. + +And the road to the east is lined with white flowers, and the Apaches, +seeing it, rejoice also, with smiles, thinking it for their good, +but really it is for their destruction, for it is made so by the +power of our doctors. + +And in the middle of the earth, between us and the enemy, stood the +Cane-Tube Pipe and smoked itself. + +I inhaled the smoke and blew it out toward the East, and saw the +smoke rising till it reached the Vahahkkee of Light, and up still +till it reached the Cane of Light. + +And I took that cane and punched it at the corner of the Vahahkkee, +and out came the White Water and the White Wasps, and the wasps flew +around it four times and then they went down again. + +And then in the South I saw the Blue Vahahkkee, and the Blue Cane, +and I took the cane and punched it into the corner of the vahahkkee, +and there came out Blue Water and Blue Wasps, and the wasps flew +around four times, and then sank down again. + +And in the West there stood the Black Vahahkkee, and the Black Cane, +and I took the cane and punched at the corner, and there came out +Black Water and Black Wasps, and the wasps flew around four times, +and then went in again. + +And in the North stood the Yellow Vahahkkee, and the Yellow Cane, +and I took the cane and punched it at the corner, and there came out +Yellow Water and Yellow Wasps, and the wasps flew around four times, +and then went in again. + +And on top of this vahahkkee was a Yellow Spider, and I asked him to +help me, and he stretched his web four times, and there found my enemy. + +And there he bound his heart with his web, and bound his arms, and +bound his bow and his arrows, and left him there in the state of a +woman, with nothing to defend himself with. + +And he pushed me toward where he had left him, and I captured him +very easily, and all his property, and all his children. + +You, my relatives, may not like the noise of our rejoicing, but it +is only for a short time that we rejoice over the enemy." + +And they camped out another night, and another one spoke, and he said: + +"I was lying in ashes, and praying the distant mountains for strength, +and the far doctors for power. + +And there was a Sun that rose from the east and followed the western +road. + +And all the four-footed animals met together and called themselves +relatives, and all the birds met together and called themselves +relatives, and in this order followed the Sun. + +And the Sun rose again, and brought me the See-hee-vit-tah Feather, +the Sunbeam, to wear on my head, and hugged me up to him. + +And the Sun rose again, and brought the Blue Fog, and in the fog took +me toward the enemy. + +But instead of taking me to the enemy it took me up into the sky, +to the Yellow Crow. + +And the Yellow Crow, as a powerful mahkai, went down to the enemy +and divided their land four times, and slew the human beings, and +painted the rocks over beautifully with their blood. + +And from there I went to the Yellow Spider, living on the back of +the mound at the North, and asked him to help me. + +And he stretched his web four times, and found my enemy, and bound +him, and pushed me toward him, and I took him, and all his, captive, +and came home rejoicing. + +So, my relatives, think of this, that there will be victory. You may +not like the noise of our rejoicing, but it is only for a short time +that we rejoice over the enemy." + +And they went toward the mountains where the Apaches live, and camped +there, and there were empty Apache houses there, and one of them +spoke using himself figuratively as a type of his people: + +"Perhaps these Apaches have gone from here to my house, and have +killed me and have dragged me thru the waters we passed coming here, +and have beaten me with all the sticks we saw on the road, and have +thrown ashes over me, and maybe these are my bones that lie here, +and this dry blood is my blood. + +This has been done, my relatives, and there in the East is a Vahahkkee +of Light, and within it there is a Butcher-bird of Light. + +And I asked the Butcher-bird for power, and he followed his Road of +Light, and touched the ground four times with his tail, and came to me. + +And he went on the road that is lighted by a mahkai, and following +that reached my enemy. + +And my enemy thought himself a good dreamer, and that his dreams were +fulfilled for good, and that he had a good bow with a good string, +and good cane arrows, but the Butcher-bird had already punched his +eyes out without his knowing it. + +And all the animals and birds of the Apaches think they have good +eyes to see with, but the Butcher-bird has punched their eyes out +without their knowing it. + +And the winds of the Apaches think they have sharp eyes, and the clouds +of the Apaches think themselves sharp-eyed, but the Butcher-bird has +punched their eyes out without their knowing it. + +So he treated the enemy like that, and left him there as a woman, +and then pushed me toward him, and I went and captured him easily. + +And I gathered all the property, and all the captives, and, turning +back, looked ahead of me and found the country all springy with water, +and wasps flying, and I followed them. + +And ahead of me was a road with many flowers, and a butterfly that +beautifully spread itself open and led the way, and I followed. + +And I brought the dead enemy home, and from there the news spread +all over my country. + +So, my relatives, think of this, that there will be victory. + +And you may not like the sound of our rejoicing, but it is only for +a short time that we rejoice over our enemy." + + + + +NOTES ON THE STORY OF THE GAMBLER'S WAR + +In this we are given wonderful glimpses into the strange, fierce, +sad, extravagant poetry of the Indian speeches, which seem oftenest +inspired by the passion of revenge. Notice that in these stories, +if several speeches are given in any one story, they generally have +a quite similar ending, a sort of refrain: "So, my relatives," etc. + +This story ends abruptly, and is, I think, manifestly only a +fragment. Following the speeches, which were mere boastful prophecies, +should have been an account in detail of the actual campaign, as in +the story of Pahtahnkum's war. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF NAHVAHCHOO + + +Ee-ee-toy was once wandering along when he found some moss that had +been left there ever since the flood, and he stood and looked at it, +wondering how he could make it into a human being. + +And while he watched it the sun breathed on it, and it became not a +man, but a turtle. + +And he wandered on again and found some driftwood, and while he stood +wondering how to make it into a human being, the sun breathed on it, +and it became a man, but he could not see its face, which was covered +as with a mask. + +And the turtle and the masked man, thus created, went westward, +and came to a Blue Vahahkkee, and they went in and staid all night. + +In the morning, when the sun rose, they were frightened at the blue +beams that shone thru the vahahkkee, and they left. + +And after going a little way they came to a Black Road, and Black +Birds flew over them to keep them from being seen. + +And they came to a Black Night. In that night was a Black Bow, which +stretched as if it were going to shoot them, so that they were afraid +to lie down all night. + +And the next day they came to a Blue Road, and a flock of Blue Birds +flew over them, and all around, striking them. + +After a while they came to a Blue Night, and in the night was a Blue +Bow, which stretched itself threateningly at them, as the Black Bow +had done the night before. + +And they could not sleep for fear that night, either; and the next day +they came to a White Road, and a flock of White Birds followed them, +striking them. + +And they came to a White Night, and in that night was a White Bow, +which threatened them as the others had done, so that again they +could not sleep. + +And the next day they had a similar experience, only it was a Yellow +Road, with Yellow Birds, and a Yellow Night with a Yellow Bow. + +The next day there was no danger any more, and they went on and came +to a mountain, Co-so-vah-taw-up-kih, or Twisted Neck Mountain, and +there the Nahvahchoo (masked man), having run ahead, left the turtle +behind, and when evening came sat down and waited for the turtle +to come up. But the turtle was too far behind, and when night came +stopped where he was, and made a fire, and made corn and pumpkins, +and roasted the corn and set the pumpkins around the fire, as the +Indians do, to scorch them before putting them in the ashes. + +And Nahvahchoo heard the popping sound of the cooking, and came running +back, and tried to steal a piece of the fire to have one of his own, +but the turtle would not let him. And so the Nahvahchoo went off and +made a fire of his own, and corn and pumpkins of his own, and cooked +them as the turtle had done. + +In the morning, after they had feasted on the pumpkin and corn, the +turtle, Wee-hee-kee-nee, sank down and went under the earth to the +ocean, and made that his home, and Nahvahchoo sank down and went in +the same direction, but not so far, coming up on the sea shore. + +And Nahvahchoo went along the sea-shore, toward the east, till he came +to a great deal of driftwood, and many flowers, and handled all these, +and got their strength, and made his home in the east. + +One day Nahvahchoo heard the earth shaking, and ran out of his house +to try and find where the shaking came from, and he went south and +did not feel it, and went west and felt it a little, and went north +and felt it more. And so he ran back and put on his mask, and took +his bow, and went north. And the first time he stopped and listened +he heard it somewhat, and the next time he heard it more, and the +third time still more, and the fourth time he came to where many +people were singing the song Wah-hee-hee-vee, and dancing the dance +Vee-pee-nim, in which the dancers wear gourd masks, on their faces, +pierced full of little holes to let the light thru. + +And they were dancing, too, the dance Kawk-spahk-kum, in which the +dancers wear a cloth mask, like Nahvahchoo, with a little gourd, +full of holes, over the mouth-hole, to sing thru. + +And they were dancing also the dance Tawt-a-kum, in which the dancer +wears a bonnet of cloth, and a mask like Nahvahchoo does. + +And the people sitting around in these dances had little rods which +they rubbed upon notched sticks, in time to the singing and the +dancing. + +At first Nahvahchoo was greatly excited by all this dancing, for all +these people seemed to do nothing else but sing and dance, and make +the rods and notched sticks and stand them up in bunches; but after +a few days he began to think of game, for he was a great hunter, +and he went out and found the tracks of a deer. + +And measuring these with his arrow he laughed, covering his mouth with +his hand, and said: "This deer will not run very fast, I could catch +him myself." For a deer that measures a good way between his tracks +is long-bodied, and cannot run fast, while a deer that measures short +between tracks has a short body, and jumps quicker. + +And he followed the deer, which heard him coming, and began to run, +and when Nahvahchoo saw by its tracks that it was running, he ran, too, +and getting on a hill saw the dust of its running away off; and he ran +after it, and when he came to the next hill it was close, and he ran +down, and killed it, and took it back to the singers, and they fell +ravenously upon it and ate it all up, not leaving him even the bones. + +Nahvahchoo sat off a little way and watched them, and one of their +speakers addressed him, and said: "We know you, who you are. You +are a great doctor, and a great hunter, and a great farmer, and a +powerful man every way. And maybe you expected us to join in your +hunt and help you carry the game. But we want you to join us, and +become a singer, and you will have plenty of corn and beans to eat, +and you will find that such food will last, while, as you see, the +game, when you bring it in, lasts but a little while." + +So Nahvahchoo staid with them and became a singer, and after a +while the people told him to go to a certain vahahkkee, and said: +"You will find something there with which you will be pleased. And +then go to the opposite one, and you will find that with which you +will be still more pleased. + +And one of these vahahkkees was called See-pook (Red-bird) Vahahkkee +and the other was named Wah-choo-kook-kee (Oriole) Vahahkkee.--But +tho they told him to go to these they did not allow him to do so, but +one day he slipped away, when they were not looking, and opened one, +and saw in it many wonderful things, clouds forming and sprinkling +all the time; and in the other it was the same. + +And one was covered with red flowers, and the other with yellow +flowers, and where they came together the mingling of red and yellow +was very pretty. + +At the door of each vahahkkee was a corn-mill. And he stole one of +these and went west. But after a while he stopped and said: "I wonder +what is going to happen, for the east is all green and the west is +of the same color." + +But he ran on, and the clouds came over him, and it began to sprinkle, +and then to rain, and then the water began to run, and get deeper +and deeper, and he said: "This is happening to me because I stole +this mill, but I am not going to let it go, I am going to keep it." + +And he ran on and came to where he had separated from Weeheekeenee, +and went on and over Cosovahtawupkih, the Twisted Neck Mountain. + +And on that mountain he felt rather faint, and put his hand in his +pouch and found a root and chewed it, the root Cheek-kuh-pool-tak, +and breathed it out, and it stopped raining. + +And he went on to the Quojata Mountain, and sat there and took a smoke; +and then on to Ahn-naykum; and then to Odchee, where he left the mill; +and then to Kee-ahk Toe-ahk, where he also rested and took a smoke; +and then he went home. + +And when Nahvahchoo arrived home he made a speech: + +"Where shall we hear the talk that will make us drunk and dizzy with +the flowers of eloquence? + +There was near the water the driftwood lying, and from above the sun +breathed down and a being was made. + +And it was the beautiful daybreak that I took and wiped its face with, +and the remains of darkness that I painted its face with. + +And there were all kinds of bird's feathers that I made a feather +bonnet from. + +And there were joining wasps that came and flapped on the bonnet. + +And there were many butterflies that flapped their wings upon the +bonnet, upon its feathers. + +And it was from the rainbow that I made its bow, and from the Milky +Way that I made its arrow. + +From a red skin it was that I made its saw-suh-buh, to cover its arm +for the bow-string not to injure it. + +And it was a red kuess-kote that I made and put in its hair to +scratch with. + +And it was the gray fog that I fastened in its shoulders for its +mantle. + +And the strong wind it was that I used for its girdle, around its +waist. + +In the middle of the earth lay a square water moss, and the sun +breathed on it and it turned into a creature, a turtle. + +And from there the Driftwood-Being went west with it. + +From there they went westward and watched the sun rise in the Blue +Vahahkkee, and were frightened, and returned. + +From there they came to a Black Road, and Black Birds followed them, +and to a Black Night wherein a Black Bow frightened them. + +And from there they came to a Blue Road, with Blue Birds following, +and to a Blue Night with a Blue Bow to frighten them. + +And from there they came to a White Road with White Birds following, +and a White Night with a White Bow to threaten them. + +And the next day it was a Yellow Road and Yellow Birds, and after +that a Yellow Night and a Yellow Bow. + +And there was a square water full of ice, and he went around it +four times. + +And there he found Seepook Vahahkkee, with its red flowers, and +Wahchookookkee Vahahkkee with its yellow flowers, and there he got +the everlasting corn-mill, and went westward and strengthened himself +four times. + +And as he went westward there came a wind which felt good and +refreshed him, and pleasant clouds that sprinkled him with water, +and then there was rain, and the rattling of running water, and he +went on his road rejoicing. + +And he reached the Twisted Neck Mountain, and there he felt faint a +little, and took from his pouch the root Cheekkuhpooltak, and chewed +it, and breathed it out, and was refreshed and went on. + +And he refreshed himself four times and went on, and found Tonedum +Vahahkkee, the Vahahkkee of Light, and there he gave his power to +the people who were gathered together, and said: 'My relatives, I +want you to think of this, that our country will be more beautiful +and produce more, because you know our country will not hereafter be +what it has been'." + +And he made another speech: + +"It was after the creation of the earth, and there was a mud vahahkkee, +and inside of it lay a piece of wood burning at one end, and by it +stood a cane-tube pipe, smoking, and we inhaled the smoke, and then +we saw things clearer and talked about them. + +In the West there was a Black Mocking Bird, and from him I asked +power, and he brought the news and spread it over all the earth, +and to every hill and every mountain and every tree, that the earth +would stand still, but it did not, it still moved. + +(And you, Black Mocking Bird, take back your Black Winds, and your +Black Clouds, and stay where you are, and your relatives may sometimes +come to you for power.) + +And in the South there was a Blue Mocking Bird, and I asked it for +power, and it stretched the news over all the earth, and over every +hill and every mountain, and to every tree, that the earth stood still, +but it did not, it still moved. + +In the East was a Mocking Bird of Light, and I asked it for power, +and it stretched the news over all the earth, and to every hill, +mountain and tree, that the earth stood still, but it still moved. + +And Above there was darkness, where lived the Feather Nested Doctor, +who is famous for his power, and I asked him for power, and he spread +the news, as the others had done, but the earth still moved. + +And in the North lived a Yellow Spider, and I asked him for power, +and he stretched his news, and made his web, and tied the earth up +with it, and made a fringe like a blanket fringe at each corner, +and laid his arrows over it. + +The fringe at the West corner he made black, and covered it with +the Black Vahahkkee to hold it down; and he put the blue fringe at +the South corner, and over it the Blue Vahahkkee to hold it down, +and he put the black arrows over the Black Vahahkkee, and the blue +arrows over the Blue Vahahkkee. + +And in the East he put the Vahahkkee of Light over the fringe and +the arrows of light over it. + +And after all this was done the earth stood still. + +And after this is done you are carried away like a child, and are +set down facing the East, and your heart comes out towards it, and +can be seen going up and down till it reaches it. + +And over the land your seed shall spring up and grow, and have good +stalks and many flowers, and have good wide leaves and heads of +good seeds. + +And after the seed is ripe they will take it and put it away and +grind it with sunbeams, and the boys and girls shall eat and be happy, +and all the old men and women shall eat it and lengthen their lives." + + + + +NOTES ON THE STORY OF NAHVAHCHOO + +The story of Nahvahchoo was celebrated till lately among the Pimas by +dancing games, resembling those described in this story, the players +wearing masks and gourds, and rattling notched sticks, one of them +impersonating Nahvahchoo himself. + +In the reference to the earth's moving, in one of the speeches, one +might suspect a glimpse of true astronomical knowledge, but this is +likely only a poetic figure. + +The "everlasting corn will" reminds a little of the old folk-lore +tale of the everlasting salt mill whose continuous grinding makes +the ocean salt. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF CORN AND TOBACCO [8] + + +There was a powerful mahkai who had a daughter, who, tho old enuf, was +unmarried, and who grew tired of her single life and asked her father +to bury her, saying, we will see then if the men will care for me. + +And from her grave grew the plant tobacco, and her father took it and +smoked it and when the people who were gathered together smelled it +they wondered what it was, and sent Toehahvs to find out. + +But, altho the tobacco still grew, the woman came to life again and +came out of her grave back to her home. + +And one day she played gainskoot with Corn, and Corn beat her, and +won all she had. But she gave some little things she did not care for +to Corn, and the rest of her debt she did not pay, and they quarreled. + +She told Corn to go away, saying; "Nobody cares for you, now, but they +care a great deal for me, and the doctors use me to make rain, and +when they have moistened the ground is the only time you can come out." + +And the Corn said: "You don't know how much the people like me; the +old as well as the young eat me, and I don't think there is a person +that does not like me." And Corn told Tobacco to go away herself. + +There were people there who heard them quarreling, and tho Tobacco +staid on, whenever she would be in a house and hear people laughing she +would think they were laughing at her. And she became very sad, and one +day sank down in her house and went westward and came to a house there. + +And the person who lived there told her where to sleep, saying, +"Many people stop here, and that is where they sleep." + +But she said: "I am travelling, and no one knows where I am, and if +any one follows me, and comes here, you tell them that you saw me, +that I left very early in the morning and you do not know which way I +went." And she told him that she did not know herself which way she +would go, and at night, when she went to bed, she brought a strong +wind, and when she wanted to leave she sank down and went westward, +and the wind blew away all her tracks. + +And she came to the Mohaves and lived there in a high mountain, Cheof +Toe-ahk, or tall mountain, which has a cliff very hard to climb, +but Tobacco stood up there. + +And after Tobacco had gone, Corn remained, but when corn-planting +time came none was planted, because there was no rain. And so it went +on--all summer, and people began to say: "It is so, when Tobacco was +here, we had plenty of rain, and now we have not any, and she must +have had wonderful power." + +And the people scolded Corn for sending Tobacco away, and told him +to go away himself, and then they sent for Tobacco to come back, +that they might have rain again. + +And Corn left, going toward the east, singing all the way, taking +Pumpkin with him, who was singing too, saying they were going where +there was plenty of moisture. + +And the next year there was no water, and a powerful doctor, +Gee-hee-sop, took the Doctor's Stone of Light, and the Doctor's +Square Stone, and some soft feathers, and eagle's-tail feathers, and +went to where Tobacco lived, asking her to come back, saying "We are +all suffering for water, and we know you have power to make it rain, +And every seed buried in the ground is begging for water, and likely +to be burned up, and every tree is suffering, and I want you to come." + +Then Tobacco said: "What has become of Corn? He is still with you, +and corn is what you ought to eat, and everybody likes it, but nobody +cares for me, except perhaps some old man who likes to smoke me, +and I do not want to go back, and I am not going!" + +But Geeheesop said: "Corn is not there now, he has gone away, and we +do not know where he is." And again he asked Tobacco to come back but +she refused, but gave him four balls of tobacco seed and said to him: +"Take these home with you, and take the dirt of the tobacco-worm, +and roll it up, and put it in a cane-tube and smoke it all around, +and you will have rain, and then plant the seed, and in four days it +will come up; and when you get the leaves, smoke them, and call on +the winds, and you will have clouds and plenty of rain." + +So Geeheesop went home with the seed balls, and tobacco-worm dirt, and +did as Tobacco had told him; and the smoking of the dirt brought rain, +and the seeds were planted in a secret place, and in four days came up, +and grew for a while, but finally were about to die for want of rain. + +Then Geeheesop got some of the leaves and smoked them, and the +wind blew, and rain came, and the plants revived and grew till they +were ripe. + +When the tobacco was ripe Geeheesop gathered a lot of the leaves and +filled with them one of the gourd-like nests which the woodpecker, +koh-daht, makes in the har-san, or giant-cactus, and then took a few +of these and put them in a cane-tube pipe, or watch-kee, and went to +where the people gathered in the evening. + +And the doctor who was the father of Tobacco said: "What is this I +smell? There is something new here!" + +And one said, "Perhaps it is some greens that I ate today that you +smell," and he breathed toward him. + +But the mahkai said, "That is not it." + +And others breathed toward him, but he could not smell it. + +Then Geeheesop rolled a coal toward himself, and lit up his pipe, +and the doctor said: "This is what I smelled!" + +And Geeheesop, after smoking a few whiffs, passed the pipe around to +the others, and all smoked it, and when it came back to him he stuck +it in the ground. + +And the next night he came with a new pipe to the place of meeting, +but the father of Tobacco said: "Last night I had a smoke, but I did +not feel good after it." + +And all the others said: "Why we smoked and enjoyed it." + +But the man who had eaten the greens kah-tee-kum, the day before, said: +"He does not mean that he did not enjoy the smoke, but something else +troubled him after it, and I think it was that when we passed the +pipe around we did not say 'My relatives,' 'brother,' or 'cousin,' +or whatever it was, but passed it quietly without using any names." + +And Tobacco's father said "Yes, that is what I mean." + +(And from that time on all the Pimas smoked that way when they came +together, using a cane-tube pipe, or making a long cigarette of +corn-husk and tobacco, and passing it around among relatives.) + +So Geeheesop lit his pipe and passed it around in the way to satisfy +the doctor. + +And the people saved the seeds of that tobacco, and to day it is all +over the land. + +And the Corn and the Pumpkin had gone east, and for many years they +lived there, and the people they had left had no corn, and no pumpkins; +but after a while they returned of themselves, and came first to the +mountain Tahtkum, and lived there a while, and then crossed the river +and lived near Blackwater, at the place called Toeahk-Comalk, or White +Thin Mountain, and from there went and lived awhile at Gahkotekih or, +as it is now called, Superstition Mountain. + +While they lived at Gahkotekih there was a woman living near there +at a place called kawt-kee oy-ee-duck who, with her younger brother, +went to Gahkotekih to gather and roast the white cactus, and while +they were doing this Corn saw them from the mountain and came down. + +And the boy saw him and said: "I think that is my uncle coming," +but his sister said, "It cannot be, for he is far away. If he were +here the people would not be starving as now." + +But the boy was right, it was his uncle, and Corn came to them and +staid with them while the cactus was baking. And after awhile, as he +sat aside, he would shoot an arrow up in the air, and it would fall +whirling where the cooking was, and he would go and pick it up. + +Finally he said to the woman: "Would you not better uncover the +corn and see if it is cooked yet?" And she said: "It is not corn, +it is cactus." + +Again, after a while, he said: "Would you not better uncover the +pumpkin and see if it is done?" And she replied: "It is not pumpkin, +we are baking, it is cactus." But finally he said "Well, uncover it +anyway," and she uncovered it, and there were corn and pumpkin there, +together, all nicely mixed and cooked, and she sat staring at it, +and he told her to uncover it more, and she did so and ate some of it. + +And then he asked about the Tobacco woman, if she were married yet, and +she said, "No, she is not married, but she is back with us again, now." + +Then he asked her to send the little boy ahead and tell the people +that Corn was coming to live with them again. But first the little +boy was to go to the doctor who was the father of Tobacco, and see if +he and his daughter wanted Corn to return. If they did he would come, +and if they did not he would stay away. And he wanted the boy to come +right back and tell what answer he got. + +So the little boy went, and took some corn with him to the doctor, +and said: "Corn sent me, and he wants your daughter, and he wants to +know if you want him. If you do he will return, but if you do not he +will turn back again. And he wants me to bring him word what you say." + +And the mahkai said "I have nothing to say against him. I guess he +knows the people want corn. Go and tell him to come." + +And Corn said: "Go back to the doctor and tell him to make a little +kee, as quick as he can, and to get the people to help him, and to +cover it with mats instead of bushes, and to let Tobacco go there +and stay there till I come. + +And tell all the people to sweep their houses, and around their houses, +and if anything in their houses is broken, such as pots, vahs-hroms, +to turn them right side up. For I am coming back openly; there will +be no secret about it." + +So the little boy went back and told the doctor all that Corn had told +him to say, and the doctor and the people built the kee, and Tobacco +went there, and the people swept their houses and around them as they +were told. + +And before sunset the woman came home with the corn and pumpkins she +had cooked at the mountain, but Corn staid out till it was evening. + +And when evening came there was a black cloud where Corn stood, and +soon it began to rain corn, and every little while a big pumpkin would +come down, bump. And it rained corn and pumpkins all night, while Corn +and his bride were in their kee, and in the morning the people went +out and gathered up the corn from the swept place around their houses. + +And so Corn and Pumpkin came back again. + +The people gathered up all the corn around their houses, and all their +vessels, even their broken ones, which they had turned up, were full, +and their houses were soon packed full of corn and pumpkins. + +So Corn lived there with his wife, and after a while Tobacco had a +baby, and it was a little crooked-necked pumpkin, such as the Pimas +call a dog-pumpkin. + +And when the child had grown a little, one day its father and mother +went out to work in the garden, and they put the little pumpkin baby +behind a mat leaning against the wall. And some children, coming in, +found it there, and began to play with it for a doll, carrying it on +their backs as they do their dolls. And finally they dropped it and +broke its neck. + +And when Corn came back and found his baby was broken he was angry, +and left his wife, and went east again, and staid there awhile, and +then bethought him of his pets, the blackbirds, which he had left +behind, and came back to his wife again. + +But after awhile he again went east, taking his pets with him, +scattering grains of corn so that the blackbirds would follow him. + +Corn made this speech while he was in the kee with Tobacco: + +In the East there is the Tonedum Vahahkkee, the Vahahkkee of Light, +where lives the great doctor, the king fisher. + +And I came to Bives-chool, the king fisher, and asked him for power, +and he heard me asking, and flew up on his kee, and looked toward +the West, and breathed the light four times, and flew and breathed +again four times, and so on--flying four times and breathing after +each flight four times, and then he sat over a place in the ground +that was cut open. + +And in the West there was a Bluebird, and when I asked him for power +he flew up on his kee, and breathed four times, and then flew toward +the East, and he and Biveschool met at the middle of the earth. + +And Biveschool asked the Bluebird to do some great thing to show his +power, and the Bluebird took the blue grains of corn from his breast +and then planted them, and they grew up into beautiful tall corn, so +tall its tops touched the sky and its leaves bowed over and scratched +the ground in the wind. + +And Biveschool took white seeds from his breast, and planted them, +and they came up, and were beautiful to be seen, and came to bear +fruit that lay one after another on the vine--these were pumpkins. + +And the beautiful boys ran around among these plants, and learned +to shout and learned to whistle, and the beautiful girls ran around +among these plants and learned to whistle. + +And the relatives heard of these good years, and the plenty to eat, +and there came a relative leading her child by the hand, who said: +"We will go right on, for our relatives must have plenty to eat, +and we shall not always suffer with hunger. + +So these came, but did not eat it all, but returned. + +So my relatives, think of this, that we shall not suffer with hunger +always." + +And Corn made another speech at that time to Tobacco's father: + +"Doctor! Doctor! have you seen that this earth that you have made +is burning! The mountains are crumbling, and all kinds of trees are +burning down. + +And the people over the land which you have made run around, and +have forgotten how to shout, and have forgotten how to walk, since +the ground is so hot and burning. + +And the birds which you have made have forgotten how to fly, and have +forgotten how to sing. + +And when you found this out you held up the long pinion feathers, +mah-cheev-a-duck, toward the East, and there came the long clouds +one after the other. + +And there in those clouds there were low thunderings, and they spread +over the earth, and watered all the plants, and the roots of all the +trees; and everything was different from what it had been. + +Every low place and every valley was crooked, but the force of the +waters straightened them out, and there was driftwood on all the +shores: and after it was over every low place and every valley had +foam in its mouth. + +And in the mouth stood the Doctor, and took the grains from his +breast, and planted them, and the corn grew and was beautiful. And +he went on further, to another low valley, and planted other seeds, +and the pumpkin grew and was beautiful. + +And its vine to the West was black and zigzag in form, and to the +South was blue and zigzag in form, and to the East was white and +zigzag in form, and to the North was yellow and zigzag in form. + +So everything came up, and there was plenty to eat, and the people +gathered it up, and the young boys and girls ate and were happy, and +the old men and the old women ate and lengthened even their few days. + +So think of this, my relatives, and know that we are not to suffer +with hunger always." + +And the Dog-Pumpkin Baby lay there broken, after Corn went away, +but after awhile sank down and went to Gahkotekih, and grew up there, +and became the Harsan or Giant Cactus. + +And the mother and grandfather could not find the Dog-Pumpkin Baby, +and called the people together, and Toehahvs was asked to find it, +and he smelled around where it had been, and went around in circles. + +And he came to where the Giant Cactus was and thought it was the baby, +but was not sure, and so came back, and told them he could not find it. + +And they wanted Nooee to go, and Toehahvs said to Nooee: "I did see +something, but I was not quite sure, but I want you to examine that +Giant Cactus." + +So Nooee flew around and around and examined the Giant Cactus and +came back, and when the people questioned him said: "I have found it +and it is already full-grown, and I tell you I think something good +will happen to us because of it." + +And when the Cactus had fruit the people gathered it, and made tis-win, +and took the seeds and spread them out in the sun. + +And the Badger stole these seeds, and when the people knew it they +sent Toehahvs after the thief. + +And Toehahvs went and saw Badger ahead of him in the road, and saw +him go out and around and come into the road again and come toward him. + +And when they met, Toehahvs asked him what he had in his hand. And +Badger said "I have something, but I'm not going to show you!" + +Then Toehahvs said: "If you'll only just open your hand, so I can see, +I'll be satisfied." + +And Badger opened his hand, and Toehahvs hit it a slap from below, +and knocked the seeds all around, and that is why the giant cactus +is now so scattered. + + + + +NOTES ON THE STORY OF CORN AND TOBACCO + +In the Story of Corn and Tobacco we touch the superstitions about rain, +the most desired thing in the desert. The mahkais used tobacco in +their incantations, both for curing sickness and for making rain. It +would appear that the Piman mind confused clouds of smoke and clouds +of vapor, and because tobacco made clouds it was probably supposed +to be potent in begetting rain. The Pimas told me that the Doctor's +Square Stone was used in the incantations for rain, and there appears +to have been a connection in Piman thought between feathers and clouds, +and therefore between feathers and rain, and it will be noticed that +when Geeheesop went to get Tobacco's help in making rain he took +feathers and both kinds of Doctor-stone. + +This story seems to profess to give the origin of tobacco, giant +cactus and of tiswin. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF THE CHILDREN OF CLOUD + + +There was a woman who lived in the mountains, who was very beautiful, +and had many suitors, but she never married anyone. + +And one day she was making mats of cane; and she fell asleep and a +rain came and a drop fell on her navel. + +And she had twin babies, and all the men claimed them, but when the +babies were old enuf to crawl she told all the claimants to get in +a circle, and she would put the babies in the middle, and if they +crawled up to any man he would be the father. + +But the babies climbed upon nobody, and she never married. + +And when these twin boys were old enuf their mother showed them a +cloud in the east, and said: "That is your father, and his name is +Cloud, and the Wind is your uncle, your father's older brother." + +But the children paid little attention, but when they got older they +asked their mother if they could go and see their father. And their +mother let them go. + +And they went, and came to a house, and the man who lived there asked +them where they were going, and they said they were looking for their +father, whose name was Cloud. + +And the man pointed to the next house, and said: "That man, there, +is your father." + +And they went to that man, but he said: "It is not so. He is your +father. He is Cloud," and sent them back again. + +But the first man sent them back once more to the second, who was +really Cloud. + +And Cloud said, that time; "I wonder if it is so that you are my +children!" + +And the boys said: "That is what they say." + +And Cloud said: "I want you to do something to prove it." + +Then the oldest boy thundered loud and lightened, and the other +lightened a little, and Cloud said, "It is true, you are my children!" + +And before night Cloud fed them, and then went into his kee and shut +it up and left them outside all night. And it rained and snowed all +night, but they staid outside. + +And in the morning Cloud came out, and said: "It is really so, that +you are my children." + +And the next night he took them to a pond, where there was ice, and +left them there all night. And the next day, when he came there and +found they had staid in the water all night he said: "It is really +so--you are my children." + +So Cloud acknowledged them for his children and took them into his +kee. And after awhile the boys wanted to go back to their mother, +and Cloud said: "You may go, but you must not speak to anybody on +the way. And I will be with you on the journey." + +So the boys started, and cloud was over them, in the sky, shadowing +them. + +And after a while they saw a man coming, and the younger boy said: +"We must ask him how our mother is." + +But the older brother said: "Don't you remember that our father told +us not to speak to anyone?" + +The younger said: "Yes, I remember, but it would not be right not +ask how our mother is." + +So when the man came the boy asked: "How is everybody at home, and +how is the old woman, our mother?" + +And then the cloud above them lightened and thundered, and they were +both turned into century plants. + + + + +NOTES ON THE STORY OF CLOUD + +In Emory's report, before alluded to, also in Captain Johnston's, +we find variants of The Story of the Children of Cloud. Thristy Hawk, +the Maricopa, told Emory "that in bygone days a woman of surpassing +beauty resided in a green spot in the mountains, near where we were +encamped. All the men admired and paid court to her. She received +the tributes of their devotion, grain, skins, etc., but gave no love +or other favor in return. Her virtue and her determination to remain +unmarried were equally firm. There came a drought which threatened +the world with famine. In their distress, people applied to her, and +she gave corn from her stock, and the supply seemed endless.... One +day as she was lying asleep with her body exposed, a drop of rain +fell on her stomach, which produced conception. A son was the issue, +who was the founder of a new race which built all these houses" +(ruins, vahahkkees). + +Johnston has it: "The general asked a Pima who made the house I had +seen. 'It is the Caza de Montezuma,' said he, 'it was built by the +son of the most beautiful woman, who once dwelt in yon mountain; she +was fair, and all the handsome men came to court her, but in vain; +when they came, they paid tribute, and out of this small store she +fed all the people in time of distress, and it did not diminish; +at last, as she lay asleep, a drop of rain fell upon her navel, and +she became pregnant, and brought forth a boy, who was the builder of +all these houses." + +The seeneeyawkum gives her twins but knew nothing of any story of +their children or of these buildings, the vahahkkees. + + + + + + + + +THE STORY OF TCHEUNASSAT SEEVEN + + +Stcheuadack Seeven wanted to gamble with Tcheunassat Seeven, who lived +at Kawtkee Oyyeeduck, and sent a man with an invitation to come and +play against him, and bring all his wives. + +And Tcheunassat Seeven said: "I will go, for my wives are used to +travelling, and we will take food, and will camp on the road, and +day after tomorrow, about evening, we will be there." + +So the messenger went back with this word, and in the morning +Tcheunassat Seeven got his lunch ready, and he and his wives started; +and the first night camped at Odchee, and the next day came to the +little mountain, near Blackwater, called Sahn-a-mik, and they crossed +Ak-kee-mull, The River, the Gila, there, and Tcheunassat Seeven told +his wives to wash their hair and clean themselves there, and then he +told them to go ahead to Stcheuadack Seeven while he took his bath. And +while he bathed they went on and came to Stcheuadack Seeven's house, +where he was singing and his wives dancing. + +Then the wives of Tcheunassat Seeven did not ask for invitation, but +went right in and joined the dance, and went to Stcheuadack Seeven and +took hold of his hand in the dance, pushing each other away to get it. + +And Stcheuadack Seeven thought from this that he would get all of +Tcheunassat Seeven's wives away from him. + +Tcheunassat Seeven, after his bath, cut a piece of oapot wood and +sharpened it, and split the other end into four pieces, and bent them +over and tied the ends of crow's feathers to them, and stuck it in +his hair, and dipped his finger in white paint and made one little +spot over each eye, which was all the paint he used, and then he went +and watched his wives dancing and taking Stcheuadack Seeven's hand. + +And Stcheuadack Seeven asked them if that was their husband, and +they said: "Yes, he is our husband. He is not very good-looking, +but we care so much for him." + +Tcheunassat Seeven watched the dancing awhile and then stepped back +a little and took out his rattle and began to sing. And at once +everybody crowded around him, and all his wives came back to him, +and finally all Stcheuadack Seeven's wives came and contended for +his hand, as his wives had been doing with Stcheuadack Seeven. + +And this went on into the night, all dancing and having a good time, +except Stcheuadack Seeven, who walked around looking at his wives +dancing. + +And finally he sent a message to the most beautiful of his wives (who +had a beautiful daughter) and told him to tell her: "I am sleepy, +and I want you home now, and I want all my wives to go into the house." + +And she said: "I will come. I will tell my daughter, who is over there, +and then we will come home." + +But she did not tell her daughter, and did not come home, and +Stcheuadack Seeven waited awhile, and then found his messenger and +asked him: "Did you tell her?" + +And the messenger said: "I did." + +And he said: "Tell her again that I am waiting outside here, and I +want her to come to me and we will go home." + +Then the messenger told the woman again, but she did not come, and +Stcheuadack Seeven wandered around outside till morning. + +And near morning Tcheunassat Seeven sang a beautiful song, and began +to move toward his own home, dancing all the way, and all the women +going before him. + +And he did this till morning, and then stopped, and went home, taking +all his own wives and all of Stcheuadack Seeven's wives with him. + +And Stcheuadack Seeven went home, when he saw this, and took his +beautiful cloak all covered with live butterflies and humming-birds, +and lay down, covering himself with it. + +But four days after, Stcheuadack Seeven told the messenger to take this +beautiful cloak to Tcheunassat Seeven, and ask him to send back that +beautiful wife and her daughter, and to keep the rest of the wives; +and to keep the cloak and use that to marry more wives. + +But Tcheunassat Seeven said to the messenger: "Tell him I do not +want his cloak. I have one just like it, and I have all I want, and I +will not send back any of his wives. It was his wish that we should +gamble, and if he had been the better singer and had won my wives I +would not have asked for any of them back." + +And now Tcheunassat Seeven appeared as a beautiful person, with long +hair and turquoise ear-rings, and he said: "He need not think I always +look as I did when I came to his dance. That was only to fool him." + +The beautiful daughter of the beautiful wife grew up, and Tcheunassat +Seeven married her, too, and she had a baby. + +And when Stcheuadack Seeven heard of it, he said: "I am going to +punish him." And he made a black spider and sent it thru the air. + +And in the evening when the mother wanted to air her baby's cradle, +she took it out, and then the black spider got in the baby's cradle +and hid himself, and when the baby was put back the spider bit it, +and it began to cry. + +And its father and mother tried to pacify it, but could not, and when +they took it out of the cradle, there they found the black spider. + +And Tcheunassat Seeven sent word to Stcheuadack Seeven to come and see +his grand-child, which was about to die, but Stcheuadack Seeven said +to the messenger: "What is the matter with Tcheunassat Seeven? He is +a powerful doctor. Tell him to cure the child. I will not come. The +bite of a black spider is poisonous, but it never kills anybody. Tell +him to get some weeds on Maricopa Mountain and cure the child." And +he sent the messenger back again. + +And Tcheunassat Seeven said: "How can I get those weeds when I do +not know which ones are right and there are so many! I cannot go." + +And he did not go, and the child died. + + + + + A SONG OF TCHEUNASSAT SEEVEN + + There stands a dead vahahkkee + On top of it there runs back and forth the Seeven + And he has a robe with yellow hand prints on it. + + + + + THE LARK'S SONG ABOUT HIS LOST WIFE [9] + + My poor wife! + In the West she seems to be bound by the song of the Bamboo. + + + + + + + + +THE LEGEND OF BLACKWATER + + +A little off from the road between Sacaton, and Casa Grande Ruins +there is, or was in the old days, a mysterious pool of dark water, +which the Indians regarded with superstitious awe. + +They said it was of fathomless depth, that it communicated with +the ocean, and that strange, monstrous animals at times appeared in +it. There are Indians still living who declare they have seen them +with their own eyes. + +I visited this famous place once with my interpreter, Mr Wood. After +galloping a while thru a mezquite forest we suddenly emerged upon +its legendary shores. Alas, for the prosaic quality of fact! It was +but a common-place water-hole, or spring-pond, a few rods across, +with bogs and bulrushes in its center. + +The unkindness of irrigation ditches, withdrawing its waters, revealed +that like most bottomless pools of story it was very shallow indeed. + +It was nearly dry. + +Its name of Blackwater has been given to the nearby surrounding +district. + +This was the only trace of the common Indian superstition of water +monsters I found among the Pimas. + + + + Koo-a Kutch + + The End + + + + + + + + +ERRATA + + +In this book of Pima legends, various errors with regard to Indian +words have occurred which will be corrected in a second edition. These +are principally as follows: + +The rule was made that all Indian words should be printed the first +time in italics, with hyphens to facilitate pronunciation; afterwards +in roman type, without hyphens. This rule has many times been violated. + +There is a lack of uniformity in the spelling, etc., of many of the +Indian terms. Thus the name of the old seeneeyawkum has been spelled in +different ways, but should always be Comalk Hawkkih. The name of the +Creator should always be Juwerta Mahkai. The name of his subordinate +should be Eeheetoy. Gee-ee-sop should be Geeheesop. Cheof should be +Cheoff. Vah-kee-woldt-kee, as on page 8, should be Vahf-kee-woldt-kih +as on page 112. Sah-kote-kee, on page 183, should be Sah-kote-kih, +and Chirt-kee should be Chirt-kih. On page 224, vahs-shroms should +be vahs-hroms. Tcheuassat Seeven (page 237) should be Tcheunassat +Seeven. Stchenadack Seeven (page 238) should be Stcheuadack +Seeven. Scheunassat Seeven, on page 239, should be Tcheunassat +Seeven. In the story of the Turquoises and the Red Bird (page 99) +the name of the chief who lived in the Casa Grande ruins should have +been spelled with a u, instead of a w, to secure uniformity; also the +Indian name of the turquoises. The name of the Salt River Mountain, +wherever it occurs, should always be Moehahdheck. + + + + + + + + +NOTES + + +[1] Many doubt that the Indians of North America knew anything about +the diamond, but my interpreter insisted that the Doctor-stone was +the diamond, therefore I have taken his word for it. Perhaps it +was crystal. + +[2] What the Pimas call the haht-sahn-kahm is the wickedest cactus in +Arizona. The tops of the branches fall off, and lie on the ground, +and if stepped on the thorns will go thru ordinary shoe leather and +seem to hold with the tenacity of fish-hooks, so that it is almost +impossible to draw them out. + +[3] "To swallow charcoal" implies the swallowing of meat so greedily +it is not properly cleansed of the ashes of its roasting. + +[4] The reference to the "gun" shows clearly that this song was made +after the advent of the white man. + +[5] This word was not translated--probably archaic and the meaning +forgotten. + +[6] This song is evidently imperfect, for in the context it is said +that before this fight they sang about the beads, sah-vaht-kih, +but there is no mention of them here. + +[7] The reason why the older people went inside the circle was to +protect the younger ones from the impurity of anything Apache, and +they went inside as more hardened to this. + +[8] Read before the Anthropological Society of Philadelphia, May +11, 1904. + +[9] This is a Pima flute-song, a record of which I obtained for my +phonograph while in Arizona. It has no direct connection with the +legends; but illustrates the Story of Tcheunassat Seeven a little, +as it is about a woman, the wife of an Indian named the Lark, who is +led away by the seductive singing of another Indian named the Bamboo; +the Indians having an idea that women were most easily seduced by +music. The Pimas, when they speak English, calling the wild cane +bamboo. + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Aw-Aw-Tam Indian Nights, by J. William Lloyd + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AW-AW-TAM INDIAN NIGHTS *** + +***** This file should be named 38064.txt or 38064.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/0/6/38064/ + +Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ for Project +Gutenberg (This file was produced from images generously +made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |