POWELL] MYTHIC TALES. , 53 
When they had proceeded with this digging until they were quite 
under ground, Ta-vwots’, standing on the rock above, hurled the magical 
ball which he was accustomed to carry with him, and striking the 
ground above the diggers, it caved the earth in, and they were all 
buried. “Aha,” said he, ‘why do you wish to hinder me on my way to 
kill the Sun? A’-nier ti-tik’-a-niimp kwaik-ai'-gar” (fighting is my eating 
tool I say; that’s so!), and he proceeded on his way musing. “I have 
started out to kill; vengeance is my work; every one I meet will be an 
enemy. It is well; no one shall escape my wrath.” 
The next day he saw two men making arrow-heads of hot rocks, and 
drawing near he observed their work for a time from a position where 
he could not be seen. Then stepping forth, he said: ‘‘ Let me help you”; 
and when the rocks were on the fire again and were hot to redness he 
said: ‘Hot rocks will not burn me.” And they laughed at him. ‘‘ May 
be you would have us believe that you are a ghost?” “Tam not a ghost,” 
said he, “but I am a better man than you are. Hold me on these hot 
rocks, and if I do not burn you must let me do the same to you.” To 
this they readily agreed, and when they had tried to burn him on the 
rocks, with his magic breath he kept them away at a distance so slight 
they could not see but that the rocks did really touch him. When they 
perceived that he was not burned they were greatly amazed and trem- 
bled with fear. But having made the promise that he should treat 
them in like manner, they submitted themselves to the torture, and the 
hot rocks burned them until with great cries they struggled to get free, 
but unrelenting Ta-vwots’ held them until the rocks had burned through 
their flesh into their entrails, and so they died. “Aha,” said Ta-vwots’, 
“lie there until you can get up again. [am on my way to kill the Sun. 
A!-nier ti-ttk'-a-nimp kwaik-ai'-gar.”. And sounding the war-whoop he 
proceeded on his way. j 
The next day he came to where two women were gathering berries in 
baskets, and when he sat down they brought him some of the fruit and 
placed it before him. He saw there were many leaves and thorns among 
the berries, and he said, “ Blow these leaves and thorns into my eyes,” 
and they did so, hoping to blind him; but with his magic breath he kept 
them away, so that they did not hurt him. 
Then the women averred that he was a ghost. ‘I amno ghost,” said 
he, “but a common person; do you not know that leaves and thorns 
cannot hurt the eye? Let me show you;” and they consented and were 
made blind. Then Ya-vwots’ slew them with his pa-riim/-o-kwi. “ Aha,” 
said he, “‘ you are caught with your own chaff. Iam on my way to kill 
the Sun. This is good practice. I must learn how. <A/-nier ti-tik/-a- 
niimp kwaik-ai/-gar.” And sounding the war-whoop he proceeded on his 
way. 
The next day he saw some women standing on the Hurricane Cliff, and 
as he approached he heard them say to each other that they would roll 
rocks down upon his head and kill him as he passed ; and drawing near 
