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Show difficulty was made so by the gods who did not wish them to approach the lake; his usually merry voice was reduced to a whisper; in fact before camp was made he was unable to speak. He said to the writert "If you insist on going, I will show you the way, but I shall offend the gods and I shall surely die." The guide led them to a camp a half mile from the lake, but in the morning he would not accompany them up to its edge. On horseback they circled the body of water and when they returned they found him near the shore, engaged in prayer. He stood erect, his hair blowing in the breeze. His right hand was extended toward the setting sun, and with it he was scattering prayer meal toward the lake. He gave no evidence of being aware of the approach of others until his prayer was completed, then turning with the old smile upon his face and his eyes again bright, he exclaimedt "I am very happy, and yet, I know I must die. I shall be contented to die, for I have looked upon the waters of the house of my departed fathers." He had approached the lake on foot, as this sacred ground must not be desecrated by the tread of beasts. The Zuni attempted to make a final offering privately, but Mrs. Stevenson would not leave him alone and eventually she reported that he said, "Well, I suppose you must see all." Whereupon he took a large quantity of bread, which he had secreted behind a tree, and consigned it to the camp fire, with a prayer to the dead that they would intercede with the Sun Father and the Kok'ko A'wan for his people and all the world. The old man had observed a strict fast during his stay in this camp for the purpose of saving his food to offer to the departed. Stevenson described the pinkish pigment that was ceremonially gathered near the lake. She reported that the Zunis prized it highly and said the rain would not fall if even a bit of it was lost. Despite the protest of the Zuni guide, the Stevensons took a quantity of the pigment. The Zunis, she reported, believed it came directly - 87 - |
