CHAPTER VII.
Among Indians any great feast, like the dance of the ayash tyucotzdescribed in the preceding chapter, is not followed by the blue Mondaywith which modern civilization is often afflicted. Intoxicating drinkswere unknown to the sedentary inhabitants of New Mexico previous to theadvent of Europeans. If it happened, however, that one or other of thefeasters overloaded his stomach with the good things set before him,after the ceremony was over a decoction made from juniper-twigs affordedprompt and energetic relief. Among the younger men it was not rare forsome to remain in company with the fair sex until the small hours ofmorning, in which case the rising sun found them somewhat out of sleep.But the majority were glad to retire to their habitual quarters for agood rest after the day's exertions, and these woke up the followingmorning bright and active, as if nothing had happened to divert themfrom the duties and occupations of every-day life. To this majoritybelonged Okoya.
After the dance was over he had loitered and lounged about for a timewith some companions of his own age, but as soon as the moon rose he hadsauntered home. His mother was busy putting things into shape, for theDelight Makers had left behind a fearful disorder. Shyuote was there,too; he was careful not to assist his mother, but to stand in her way asmuch as possible, which action on his part called forth some very activescolding. But it struck Okoya that she appeared more cheerful thanbefore. Her motions were brisker, her step more elastic. Say Koitzaplaced the usual food before her eldest son, and at this moment Zashuecame in also. He felt exceedingly proud of his exploits as a jester, andwas jollier than ever before. Okoya listened for a while to the clumsyand not always chaste jokes of his parent, and then retired to theestufa. The next morning, bright and refreshed, he strolled back to thehouse for breakfast, expecting to meet his father, who would assign himhis day's work.
Zashue had gone already. Nobody asked where, but it was taken forgranted that he had gone to see the old chief of the Delight Makersabout the approaching days of penitential retirement. His mother was up;and she addressed her son in a pleasant manner, set food before him, andthen inquired,--
"Sa uishe, who was the girl that danced by your side?"
"It was Mitsha Koitza," Okoya replied without looking up.
"Mitsha Koitza," she repeated, "where does she belong?"
"Tyame hanutsh."
"Who is her father?"
"Tyope Tihua. Do you like her?" and he looked at his mother pleadingly,as if asking her forgiveness and her consent to his choice.
The woman's brow clouded at the mention of a name so hateful to her. Shelooked hard at her son and said in a tone of bitter reproach,--
"And you go with that girl?"
"Why not!" His face darkened also.
"Have I not told you what kind of man Tyope is?"
"The girl is no Koshare," he answered evasively.
"But her mother is, and he."
Both became silent. Okoya stared before him; his appetite was gone; hewas angry, and could not eat any more.
What right had this woman, although she was his mother, to reprove himbecause he was fond of a girl whose father she did not like! Was thegirl responsible for the deeds of her parents? No! So he reasoned atonce, and then his temper overcame him. How could his mother dare tospeak one single word against the Koshare! Had she not betrayed him tothem? In his thoughts the hatred which she pretended to display againstthe Koshare appeared no longer sincere; it seemed to him hypocrisy,duplicity, deception. Such deceit could mean only the darkest, the mostdangerous, designs. With the Indian the superlative of depravity iswitchcraft. Okoya revolved in his mind whether his mother was notperhaps his most dangerous enemy.
On the other hand, Say Koitza, when she began to question her son, hadin view a certain object. She was anxious to find out who the maiden waswhose looks had at once charmed her. Next she was curious to knowwhether the meeting of the two was accidental or not. Therefore theleading question, "And you go with that girl?" Under ordinarycircumstances his affirmative reply might have filled her motherly heartwith joy, for Mitsha's appearance had struck her fancy; but now itfilled her with dismay. Nothing good to her could result from a unionbetween her child and the daughter of Tyope. That union would be sure tolead Okoya over to the home of his betrothed, which was the home of hermother, where he could not fail to gradually succumb to the influencewhich that mother of Mitsha, a sensual, cunning, sly woman utterlysubservient to her husband, would undoubtedly exert upon him. It was notmaternal jealousy that beset her now and filled her with flamingpassion, it was fear for her own personal safety. Under the influence ofsudden displeasure human thought runs sometimes astray with terrificswiftness. Say Koitza saw her son already going to the house of thatfiend, Tyope, night after night, whereas in reality he had never calledthere as yet. She fancied that she heard him in conversation with thisgirl, confiding in her little by little, just as Zashue used, before heand she became man and wife. But what could Okoya tell after all thatmight prove of harm to her? He was a mere child as yet. At this stage ofher reasoning, a cloud rose within her bosom and spread like wildfire.Was it not strange that the discovery of the owl's feathers, thebetrayal of that dread secret, almost coincided with Okoya's openrelations with the daughter of the man who, she felt sure, was at thebottom of the accusation against her? A ghastly suspicion flashed up andsoon became so vivid that no doubt could arise,--her own son mustaccidentally have discovered the fatal feathers; he himself withoutintending any harm must have mentioned them to the girl, perhaps even inthe presence of her mother.
Say became satisfied that she held the key to her betrayal. The riddlewas solved. That solution dissipated all hopes of salvation, for if herown son was to be witness against her in the dreaded hour when thetribal council had to determine for or against her guilt, there could beno doubting his testimony. And Tyope would have that testimony in anycase, for if Okoya should deny, Okoya's own betrothed might be broughtface to face with him as a witness. Thus she reasoned in much less timethan it can be written, and these conclusions overwhelmed her to such adegree that she turned away from her favourite child in bitter passion,with the conviction that her son in whom she had trusted was herdestroying angel. She hid her face from him in anger and grief.
Okoya noticed his mother's feelings. Her anger was inexplicable to him,unless it meant disappointment in relation to some of her own supposeddark designs. It made him angrier still, for Say's bitterness againstthe Koshare was in his opinion only feigned. Persuaded that his motherwas false to him, and that she was even harbouring evil designs, he roseabruptly and left the house in silence.
He could no longer refuse to believe that she was planning hisdestruction. Otherwise, why did she oppose what to him appeared theprelude to a happy future? And why that apparent duplicity on herpart,--condemning the Koshare to his face, and, as he thought, being insecret understanding with them? Only one explanation was reasonable, theonly one within reach of the Indian mind,--that Say Koitza was in someconnection with evil powers which she, for some reason unknown to him,was courting for the purpose of his destruction; in other words, thatSay Koitza, his own mother, was a witch!
Nothing more detestable or more dangerous than witchcraft is conceivableto the Indian. To a young and untrained mind like Okoya's the thought ofbeing exposed to danger from such a source is crushing. The boy feltbewildered, dazed. He leaned against the wall of the great house forsupport, staring at the huge cliffs without seeing them; he looked atpeople passing to and fro without taking any notice of their presence.He could not even think any more, but merely felt,--felt unutterablymiserable.
If only he knew of somebody who might help him! This was his firstthought after recovering strength and self-control. Why not speak toHayoue? The idea was like the recollection of a happy dream, and indeedhe had harboured it before. It roused him to such a degree that he torehimself away from the wall against which he had leaned as on a laststaff, and straightening himself he walked deliberately toward theupper end of the Rito, where the
cave-dwellings of the Water clan weresituated.
Hayoue might be at home, still it was more than likely that the Don Juanof the Rito had been spending the last night elsewhere. If at home, somuch the better; if not, there was nothing left but to wait until hecame. The prospect of waiting and resting was not an unpleasant one forOkoya, who felt exhausted after the shock of disappointment and disgusthe had just experienced. As he slowly approached the recess wherein thegrottoes of the Water clan lay, he halted for a moment to catch breath,and just then descried Shotaye, who was coming down toward him. Thewoman had been quite a favourite of his ever since she became so kind tohis sick mother. Nevertheless he had always felt afraid of her onaccount of her reputation as a doubtful character. Now the sight of hermade him angry, for she was his mother's friend and a witch also! So heresumed his walk and passed her with a short, sulky _guatzena_. Shotayenoticed his surly manner and looked straight at him, returning themorose greeting with a loud _raua_ that sounded almost like a challenge.Then she went on with a smile of scorn and amusement on her lips. Shewas not afraid of the young fellow, for she attributed his surly ways tositting up late.
Okoya was glad to get out of the woman's reach, and he did not stopuntil at the entrance to the caves which Hayoue and his folk occupied.There was no necessity of announcing himself; he merely lifted thecurtain of rawhide that hung over the doorway, and peeped in.
His youthful uncle--so much he saw at a glance--was not in. Anotheryoung gentleman of the tribe lay on the floor beside the other membersof the family. All were sound asleep yet, and Okoya dropped the curtainquietly and turned toward the brook. On its banks he selected a spotwhere, unseen to others, he could look down the valley. Here he threwhimself on the ground to watch, and await Hayoue's coming.
Although deeply anxious to meet his uncle, Okoya entertained no thoughtof impatience. He had to wait, that was all. Beside, his heart was soheavy, so full of grief and despair, that not even his surroundingscould divert him from gloomy thoughts. The brook murmured and rustledsoftly by his side, its waters looked clear and limpid; he neither heardnor saw them. He only longed to be alone, completely alone, until hisuncle should come. Okoya had not performed his morning ablutions, butthere was no thought of them; for he was in deep sorrow, and when theIndian's heart is heavy he is very careful not to wash.
Flat on his stomach, with chin resting on both hands, indifferent to thepeculiar scenery before him, he nevertheless scanned the cliffs as faras they were visible. The grottoes of Tzitz hanutsh opened right infront of him; lower down, the entrances of a few of the caves of Kohaiohanutsh could be seen, for the rocks jutted out like towering pillars.They completely shut out from his gaze the eastern cave-dwellings ofTzina hanutsh. Farther to the east, the wall of cliffs swept around tothe southeast, showing the houses of the Eagle clan built against itsbase, the caverns of Yakka hanutsh opening along a semicircleterminating in a sharp point of massive rocks. In that promontory theport-holes of some of the dwellings of the Cottonwood people werevisible. Beyond, all detail became undistinguishable through thedistance, for the north side of the Rito turned into a dim yellowishwall crowned by dark pine-timber.
Okoya lay there, scanning, watching every doorway back and forth thewhole length of the view; hours went by; there were no signs of Hayoue.Yet Okoya did not rise in anger and pace the ground with impatience, hedid not scratch his head or stamp, he did not even think ofswearing,--he simply waited. And his patient waiting proved of comfortto him, for he gradually cooled off, and freed from the effects of hisviolent impressions, began to think what he could do. Nothing,absolutely nothing, at least until he had seen Hayoue. To wait for thelatter was a necessity, if it took him the whole day. But to wait in thesame posture for hours was rather tiresome, so he rolled over on hisback, and folding his arms under his head began to gaze on the skies.
Bright and cloudless as they had appeared at sunrise, a change had comeover them since which attracted even Okoya's attention. Instead of theusual deep azure, the heavens had assumed a dingy hue, and long whitestreamers traversed them like arches. Had the boy looked in the west hewould have seen shredded clouds looming up behind the mountains, a suresign of approaching rain. But he had become fascinated by what wasdirectly above him, and so he watched with increasing interest the whitearches overhead. Slowly, imperceptibly, they pushed up, crossing thezenith and approaching the eastern horizon, toward which the boy's facewas turned. And while they shifted they grew in width and density.Delicate filaments appeared between and connected bow with bow,gradually thickening, until the zenith was but one vault of pale gray.The boy watched this process with increased eagerness; it caused him toforget his troubles. He saw that rain--one of the great blessings forwhich he and his people had so fervently prayed, chanted, and dancedyesterday--was coming on, and his heart became glad. The spirits--theShiuana--he thought, were kindly disposed toward his people; and thiscaused him to wonder what the Shiuana might really be, and why theyacted so and so, and not otherwise. The Shiuana, he had been taught,dwelt in the clouds, and they were good; why, then, was it that from oneand the same cloud the beneficial rain descended, which caused the foodof mankind to grow, and also the destructive hail and the deadlythunderbolt?[9]
A faint, muttering sound, deep and prolonged, struck his ear. Hestarted, for it was distant thunder. The Shiuana, he believed, had readhis thoughts, and they reminded him that their doings were beyond thereach of his mind. Turning away from the sights above, he looked againdown the valley. There, at last, came the long-expected Hayoue, slowly,drowsily, like one who has slept rather late than long. Hayoue, indeed,was so sleepy yet that his nephew had to call him thrice. After thethird _umo_, however, he glanced around, saw Okoya beckoning to him, andcame down to the brook. Yawning and rubbing his eyes he sat down, andOkoya said,--
"Satyumishe, I want to speak to you. Will you listen to my speech?"
Hayoue smiled good-naturedly, but looked rather indifferent orabsent-minded as he replied,--
"I will; what is it about? Surely about Mitsha, your girl. Well, she isgood," he emphatically added; "but Tyope is not good, not good," heexclaimed, looking up with an expression of strong disgust and blowingthrough his teeth. It was clear that the young man was no friend toTyope.
Okoya moved uneasily, and continued in a muffled tone of voice,--
"You are not right, nashtio; it is not concerning Mitsha that I want tospeak to you."
"About what else, then?" Hayoue looked up in surprise, as if unable tocomprehend how a boy of the age of Okoya could think of anything elsethan of some girl.
His brother's son took from his neck the little satchel containingsacred meal. Without a word he opened it, and scattered the flour in theusual way to the six regions. Then he pointed to the clouds andwhispered, "The Shiuana are good," at the same time handing the bag tohis uncle. The latter's astonishment had reached its maximum; the boy'sactions were utterly incomprehensive to him.
Again the sound of distant thunder vibrated from the west, and thecliffs sighed in return.
"They are calling us," Okoya whispered.
Hayoue became suddenly very sober. He performed the sacrifice insilence, and then assumed the position of an earnest and attentivelistener.
"Do you like the Koshare?" began Okoya, in a whisper.
"No. But why do you ask this?"
"Because I don't like them either."
"Is that all you had to tell me? I could have told you that in their ownpresence." Hayoue seemed to be disappointed and vexed.
"That is not why I called you, umo," Okoya continued; "it is because theKoshare know that I dislike them."
"What if they do know it?"
"But they might harm me!"
"They cannot. Otherwise I should have been harmed by them long ago. ButI don't care for them."
Indian Pueblo Dances of To-day
(Upper picture) Lining up for the dance
(Lower picture) The "Clowns"]
Okoya shook his head and muttered,--
>
"I am afraid of the Koshare."
The other shrugged his shoulders.
"I am not," he said. "Men can do harm with their hands and with theirweapons; and against those you have your fist and the shield. ThoseAbove"--he pointed at the skies--"can harm us; they can kill us. Butmen--why, we can defend ourselves."
Okoya felt shocked at words which sounded to him like sacrilegious talk.Timidly and morosely he objected,--
"Don't you know that there are witches!"
"Witches! There are no witches."
Again there was a mutter from the west, a hollow, solemn warning; andthe cliffs responded with a plaintive moan. Even incredulous Hayouestarted, and Okoya sighed.
"I will tell you why I ask all this," said he, and he went on toexplain. Beginning with the incident provoked by Shyuote, he confessedto the suspicions which it had aroused in his mind, and laid the wholeprocess of his reasoning bare before his listener. His speech waspicturesque, but not consciously poetic; for the Indian speaks like achild, using figures of speech, not in order to embellish, but becausehe lacks abstract terms and is compelled to borrow equivalents fromcomparisons with surrounding nature. Hayoue listened attentively;occasionally, however, he smiled. At last Okoya stopped and looked athis friend in expectation. The latter cast at the boy a humorous glance;he felt manifestly amused by his talk.
"Mot[=a]tza," he began, "in what you have told me there is not moresubstance than in the clouds above, when the Shiuana do not dwell inthem. It is colour, white colour. It is nothing. You have been painting;the picture is done, but no spirit is there. Shyuote is a lazy, idlebrat; he shirks work; but when you say to him, Sit down and eat, then heall at once becomes active. In this way he sneaks around from house tohouse. He may have overheard something said about you and your ways, hemay even have surprised the Koshare while talking among themselves. Butit is quite as likely that the toad has invented the whole story just inorder to anger you, for he always finds time to sneak, to lounge, and tohatch lies, the lazy, good-for-nothing eavesdropper! I tell you what itis, that boy is fit for nothing but a Koshare, and a real good one willhe become."
"But," Okoya rejoined, "if the Delight Makers have spoken about the yayaand me, there must be some cause for it."
"Don't you know that these shutzuna always find some occasion forgossip?" Hayoue cried. "Don't they run into every house? Don't theirwomen stick their noses into every bowl, in order to find out what thepeople cook and eat? Rest easy, satyumishe, your mother is good, she hasnothing in common with the Koshare."
"But is not the nashtio one of them? Your brother, my father? Is he likethe rest of them?"
Hayoue replied, assuming an important mien,--
"It is true that brother is, and I don't like it; but we can't changeit. It was so ordained long ago, for my father himself was Koshare.Beside, let me tell you that not all that the Koshare do is wrong. Ifthere were no Koshare, it would not be good for the people. They mustsee that Those Above assist us when the corn ripens, and inasmuch asthey perform their duties, they are necessary to us. It is also wellthat they should bring joy and mirth among the tribe, but"--he raisedhis hand and his eyes flashed--"they must not go beyond their duty.Their leader shall not presume to be more than the Hotshanyi, who has tosuffer and bear for our sake and for our good. They shall do their dutyand no more. It is not their duty to make people believe that they arewiser than the chayani and to induce the people to give them bowl afterbowl full of meal, feathers, shells, and whatever else may be good andprecious. For it is not to the Koshare as a body that all these thingsare distributed; it is only their naua who gets them, and through himhis hanutsh, at the expense of all the other clans. Neither shall theKoshare alone enjoy our makatza, pretending that it pleases ThoseAbove!"
It thundered again, louder and longer than before. Hayoue stopped, andthen went on.
"Zashue fails to see all this. He is Koshare, and follows in the tracksof the others like a blind man. But we, the Cuirana,--we see it. I amnot a principal, I cannot sit in council and speak, but withal I havenoticed these doings for a long time. I tell you, mot[=a]tza, that ifthe Delight Makers, the old fiend who rules them, and Tyope are notrestrained very soon, there will be sorrow in the tribe; the people willbecome weak because they will be discontented, and finally the Moshomemay come and destroy us all."
"But if the Koshare are so powerful," retorted Okoya, "must I not be onmy guard?"
"With some of them, to be sure. Beware of Tyope and of the old rogue;they are base and dangerous men. Avoid Shtiranyi, avoid Ture Tihua,Pesana, and the like of them. But your father, Zashue, and Shiape, yourgrandfather's brother,--do you believe they would forsake you? Mind,boy, even if the Koshare be against you, you are not lost. There is yourumo, Topanashka, and he has great weight with the old men, with thecouncil, and with the people. There is your clan, Tanyi, and in fine Iand my people are here too." He uttered these words proudly, looking athis nephew encouragingly. But Okoya was not fully reassured; his doubtswere not removed. There was one thing yet that he held in reserve forthe last, and that was his dread of witchcraft and the suspicion thatsuch a danger threatened him from his own mother. He resolved to tellhis friend all, including the scene of the morning and the conclusionshe had drawn from it.
"Hayoue," said he, "you are good and wise, much wiser than I; still,listen to me once more."
Louder and nearer sounded the thunder. Hayoue bent over toward Okoya, aclose, attentive, sympathizing listener. The young man relatedeverything,--his relations with Mitsha, how he had quarrelled with hismother, and the conclusions at which he had arrived touching hismother's evil designs and practices. At this point Hayoue began tolaugh, and laughed till he coughed.
"And you really believe this!" he cried. But at once he grew veryserious and even stern. "Mot[=a]tza, it is not right in you to thinkthus of your mother. Say Koitza is good; she is better than most womenat the Tyuonyi, far too good for my brother Zashue, and better than I oryou. I know her well, and even if there should be witches, which I donot believe--"
A loud thunderpeal caused the mountains to tremble. Hayoue started,shook his head, and muttered,--
"They call loudly. It may be that there are witches. At all events"--heraised his voice again--"if there are such women, your mother does notbelong to them. It is not right, brother, for you to think such thingsof your mother. You have done her a great wrong, for I tell you againshe is good and she is your best friend. Where do you belong? Whoseblood is yours? Is it your father's? Are the Water people your people?No, Tanyi is your hanutsh. Your mother's clan are your kindred. Mind,satyumishe, our life is in our blood, and it is the blood of her whogave you life that flows in your veins. When you say aught against yourmother, you tarnish your own life."
"But why does she not want me to go with Mitsha?" Okoya asked, andpouted.
"Don't you see why, satyumishe? Don't you understand it? Say knowsTyope; she mistrusts him and is even afraid of him. Mitsha is a goodgirl, and your mother has nothing against her; but she is her mother'sdaughter, and that mother is Tyope's wife. If Mitsha becomes your wifeyou will go and live with her, until Tyame hanutsh has a house ready forMitsha. You will even have to stay at the home of Tyope's wife. Now Icannot say that Hannay, the wife of Tyope, is really bad; she is notnearly as bad as he, but then Hannay is silly and allows him to make herhis tool. Everything that concerns her clan--things that he of course isnot entitled to know--she tattles to him; and she tells him everythingelse that she sees, hears, or imagines. I know it to be so. Now, yourmother is afraid lest through Mitsha's mother, first Mitsha, afterwardthrough her you, might become entangled in the coils of that sand-viperTyope. For I tell you, mot[=a]tza,"--his eyes flashed, and he shook hisclenched fist toward the houses of the Eagle clan,--"that man is a badman; he is bad from head to foot, and he thinks of nothing but injury toothers for the sake of his own benefit."
"But what has Tyope done? How do you know that he is such a bad man?"
"That's just it. He never a
cts openly. Like the badger, after which heis named, he burrows and burrows in darkness and covers up his ways; andwhen the earth caves in beneath those who walk over his trap and theyfall, he is already far away, and looks as innocent and bland as abadger on top of the ground. But if you follow him, then he will turnaround and snap at you, like a real tyope. Your mother is right infearing him; perhaps not so much on her account as for your sake. Youand Mitsha are both very young, and that man knows how to entrap suchlittle rabbits."
Okoya could not deny the truth of his uncle's speech. He felt that hehad wronged his mother, had misinterpreted her motives; and now he wasashamed of himself. Nevertheless Indian nature is exceedingly wary andsuspicious in all important matters, and it struck him that Hayoue wastrying to dissuade him from his project of union with Mitsha. Knowingthe propensities of his gallant uncle in the matter of women, he beganto suspect that the latter might wish to estrange him from the girl orfrighten him off in order to step into his shoes. So he assumed an airof quiet indifference and said,--
"I think it is better, after all, not to see Mitsha any more." With thishe attempted to rise; but Hayoue held him back, and spoke veryearnestly,--
"No; it would not be well. You are fit for each other, and you must cometogether. I will help you all I can."
"Can you help me?" Okoya exclaimed, delightfully surprised.
"Perhaps I can, perhaps not. I will talk to your mother and get her tobe in your favour; but there is one thing you must promise mefaithfully, and that is to be very, very careful. When you go to thehouse of Tyope's wife and you are asked about anything, say nothing;reveal nothing in regard to matters of our clans but what you mightshout over the housetops with perfect impunity. Otherwise"--and hisvoice sounded like an impressive warning--"you may do great injury tothe tribe."
"But if Mitsha herself inquires of me?"
"You must be wise, brother, wiser than she is; for women are seldomwise,--only forward, curious, and inquisitive. Wisdom"--and the dandy ofthe Rito shrugged his shoulders--"is a gift to man, never to woman.When you and Mitsha are together alone, be wise. Don't ask her anythingthat does not concern you; and if she begins to pry into your matters,you will have a right to say to her, 'I don't pry into your affairs, sodon't ask me about those of my people.' I am sure that she will let youalone thereafter, for Mitsha is a good girl. Nevertheless, be careful,for it is as certain as that the brook runs through here that they willattempt to draw you out. Tyope will say to his wife, 'Find out this orthat from him.' He may even tell her why he wants to know it. The womangoes to her daughter, and bids her ask the boy about such and such athing. But she is careful not to let out why, and that Tyope is at thebottom of the inquiry. The girl suspects nothing wrong and asks you, andyou tell her all you know. In this manner precious things get little bylittle into evil hands, and the end of it is evil. If you will promiseme that you will be very cautious, I will speak to Say Koitza such wordsthat she will feel glad to see you and Mitsha become one."
Okoya seized the hand of his friend, breathed on it, then clasped itwith both hands, lifting it up to heaven. He could not utter a word; joyand hope deprived him of the power of speech. Hayoue suffered him to gothrough this ceremony; he also felt glad.
The storm was drawing nearer; dense clouds hovered over the Rito, butthey did not notice them. Louder and louder the thunders rolled, and inquicker succession came the peals; they heeded not. From the heights inthe west there was a sound of gushing rain; they paid no attention toit.
Hayoue spoke again,--
"Something I have yet to tell you. Although Mitsha may like you, andeven if her mother be in your favour,--perhaps as much for her own sakeas on her daughter's account," he added, with a scornful smile,--"it isby no means certain that Tyope will give his consent. If you become histool, if you let him wield you as a hand wields flint or stone, then hewill be in your favour; if not, he will not be. He knows very well howprecious Mitsha is, and with the aid of her mother and of that mother'sclan he hopes to sell his pretty girl to his own best advantage. Unlessyou are willing to let him use you to grind his corn as a woman grindsit on the yanyi, you have no chance; he will barter away Mitsha to aNavajo, if thereby he reaches his ends."
Okoya started, horrified. "Is Tyope as bad as that?" he asked.
"Do you recollect Nacaytzusle, the savage stranger boy?" Hayoue inquiredin return.
"I do; but he has left us."
"It does not matter; for to that wild wolf he would rather give Mitshathan let her be your wife. There is no danger of my obtaining her," headded, with a grim smile, "for he hates me like a water-mole. True it isthat I, too, detest him as I do a spider."
Okoya felt bewildered.
"Why should he give Mitsha to a Moshome?" he timidly inquired. "Whatwould he gain by it?"
"I don't know; and nobody knows, except perhaps the young Navajo, thatfiend. But sure it is, and it bodes no good for us at the Tyuonyi."
A violent crash of thunder was followed by a few drops of rain. Hayouelooked up and said,--
"Kaatsh is coming; let us go."
Both rose and walked toward the caves for shelter. On the high mesaabove, the wind roared through the timber; in the valley, it was yetquiet. Lightning flashed through the clouds. Hayoue stood still, graspedthe arm of his companion, and pointed at the southern heights.
"If you ever go up there," he warned, "be very careful." Okoya failed tounderstand, and only stared.
"Be careful," the other insisted, "and if possible never go alone." Heturned, and Okoya followed. What he had heard and learned went beyondhis comprehension.
Ere they could reach the caves a fiery dart shot from the clouds thatshrouded the mountain-crests; it sped across the sky and buried itselfin the forest above the Rito. A clinking and crackling followed, as if amass of scoria were shattered, then a deafening peal shook the cliffs tothe very foundations. A strong gust of wind swept down the gorge. Itcaused the tall pines to shake, and the shrubbery surged in the blast.In the nooks and angles of the cliffs the wind whirled, raising cloudsof dust and sand. Raindrops began to fall, large and sparse at first,afterward smaller but thick and fast. The first rain of the seasonpoured down upon the Rito de los Frijoles.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 9: A clear definition of the Shiuana is not easy to give. In ageneral sense, they might be called the "spirits of the Fetiches." Aseverything strange, unusual, or inexplicable is attributed to spiritualorigin, the numbers of the Shiuana are very great. Even the pictures ofthe sun-father, of the moon-mother, etc., are Shiuana, in the sense oftheir supposed spiritual connection with the deified beings theyrepresent.]