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Show 120 EXPLORATION OF '!'TIE CANONS OF TllE COLORADO. and would make a rich feast for the people, his anger was appeased. "What matters it," said he, "who kills the game, when we can all eat id" So all the people were fed in abundance, and they proceeded on their . JOUrney. The next da:y the people again suffered for water, and the magical cup was empty; but the So'-kus Wai'-un-ats, having been told in their dream what to do, transformed themselves into doves, and flew away to a lake, on the margin of which was the home of Stone Shirt. Coming near to the shore, they saw two maidens bathing in the water; and the birds stood and looked, for the maidens were very beautiful. ri'hen · they flew into some bushes, near by, to have a nearer view, and were caught in a snare which tho girls had placed for intrusive birds. The beautiful maidens came up, and, taking the birds out of the snare, admired them very much, for they had never seen such birds before. They carried them to their father, Stone Shirt, who said: "My daughters, I very much fear these are spies_ from my enemies, for such birds do not live in our land;" and he was about to throw them into the fire, when the maidens besought him, with tears, that he wonld not destroy their beautiful birds; but be yielded to their entreaties with much misgiving. rrhen they took the birds to the shore of the lake, and set them free. When_ the birds were at liberty once more, they flew around among the bushes, until they found the magical cup which they had lost, and taking it up, they carried it out into the middle of the la.ke and settled down upon the water, and the maidens supposed they were drowned. The birds, when they had filled their cup, rose again, and went back to the people in the desert, where they arrived just at the right time to save them with the cup of water, from which each drank; and yet it was full until the last was satisfied, and then not a drop remained. The brothers reported that they had seen Stone Shirt and his daughters. The next day they came ncar to the home of the enemy, and the brothers, in proper person, went out to reconnoitre. Seeing a woman o-lcaning seeds, they drew near, and knew it was their mother, ~hom Ston: Shirt had stolen from Si-kor', the crane. They told her they were her sons but she denied it, and said she had never had but one son; but the boys related TITE SO-KUS W AI-UN-ATS TRIUMPIT AN'l\ 121 to her their history, with tho origin of the two from one, and she was convinced. She tried to dissuade them from making war upon Stone Shirt, and told them that no anow could possibly penetrate his armor. and that he was a great warrior, and had no other delight than in killing his enemies, and that his daughters also were furnished with magical bows and arrows, which they could shoot so fast that the arrows would fill the air like a cloud, and that it was not necessary for them to take aim, for their missiles went where they willed; they thought the anows to the hearts of their enemies; and thus the maidens could kill the whole of the people before a common arrow could be shot by a common person. But the boys told her what the spirit had said in the long dream, and had promised that Stone Shirt should be killed. They told her to go down to the lake at dawn, so as not to be endangered by the battle. During the night, the So'-lcus Wai'-un-ats transformed themselves into mice, and proceeded to the home of Stone Shirt, and found the magical bows and arrows that belonged to the maidens, and with their sharp teeth they cut the sinew on the backs of the bows, and nibbled the bow strings, so that they were worthless; while "To-go'-av hid himself nuder a rock near by. When dawn came into the sky, Tum-pwi-nai' -ro-gwi-nump, the Stone Shirt man, arose and walked out of his tent, exulting in his strength and security, and sat down upon the rock under which To-go'-av was hiding; and he, seeing his opportunity, sunk his fangs into tho flesh of the hero. Stone Shirt sprang high into the air, and called to his daughters that 'they were betrayed, and that the enemy was near; and they seized their magical bows, and their quivers filled with magical arrows, and hunied to his defense. .At the same time, all the nations who were surrounding the camp rushed down to battle. Hut the beautiful maidens, finding th eir weapons were destroyed, waved back their enemies, as if they would parley; and, standing for a few moments over tho body of their slain father, sang the death song, and danced the death dance, whirling in giddy circles about the dead hero, and wailing with despair, until they sank down and expired. The conquerors buried the maidens by the shores of the lake; but Tum-pwi-nai' -ro-gwi-mtmp was left to rot, and his bones to bleach on the sands, as he had left Si-kor'. 1() COL |
