244 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. VIII. 



Finally one of the players came out of the kiva to see for himself, 

 and when he saw the air full of smoke and the fire rolling towards 

 the villages, he cried out in despair to those in the kiva that the 

 reports about the approaching disaster were only too true. When 

 the latter also saw the smoke they rushed out of the kiva and to their 

 houses, trying to gather some of their effects before fleeing. But the 

 fire was now upon them and most of those who had procrastinated 

 were either suffocated or burned to death. Only a very few escaped 

 from the two villages. These, it is said, left that part of the country. 

 They lived at certain places for a little while and then moved on. It 

 is said that some of the small ruins in these parts of the country mark 

 the sites of the temporary houses of these former inhabitants of 

 PivanhonRapi and Htickovi. 



The village chief of Oraibi, when becoming aware of the approach- 

 ing danger, became very much worried. "My children are dear to 

 me," he said, "and I do not want to have them destroyed." So he 

 quickly proceeded to the house of Spider Woman, which is situated 

 south of the village, half-way down the mesa. She advised him to 

 at once make two arrows, using on the shafts the feathers of the blue- 

 bird and wurmawuu. This he did. When he was done he sent out 

 a messenger with one arrow, instructing him to thrust it into the 

 ground west of the village at the foot of the mesa. The other one he 

 took to the shrine of Achamali, north of the village, where he thrust 

 it into the ground in front of the shrine. Spider Woman then wove 

 a network of web between the two arrows which she moistened with 

 water. When the fire reached this protecting network of moist 

 spider-web its force was broken and the village of Oraibi saved from 

 destruction. 



102. THE DESTRUCTION OF SIKYATKI.* 



Hali'ksai! A long time ago the people were living in Walpi, but 

 not on top of the mesa. The village was then west of the mesa where 

 there are now the ruins. The people at Sikyatki were also living. 

 One time the Racer Katcinas from Sikyatki came over to Walpi to 

 have a race. During the race one of the Walpi men cut off the hair 

 knot of the H6msontaka Katcina, instead of cutting off just a small 

 portion of the side lock, as is usually done. This made the Katcina 

 very angry. He returned to Sikyatki and then for some time he 

 practiced running. When he had become very strong he made up 

 his mind that he was going to take revenge on the one who had cut 



' Told by Sikdhpiki (Shupaulavi). 



