46 THE SIA. 



clared be spoke the truth, the uiother took the boys to her breast and 

 said: "It is well, my children." In a short time the boys started out 

 on another tour. Before leaving home, they inquired of their mother 

 where Rood wood for arrow shafts could be procured. "Far off to the 

 north ill a (-anyon is good wood for shafts, but a bad man sits in the 

 road near by; this path is very narrow, and when one passes by he is 

 kicked intt) the canyon by this bad man, and killed." Ma'asewe de- 

 clared to his mother he did not care to go there, but he was not far 

 from her eyes before he i)revailed upon U'yuuyewe to accompany him 

 to this canyon, saying: "Let us go where we can And the best wood." 



It required some persuasion from Ma'asewe, as U'yuuyewe at first 

 declared he would not disobey his mother. They traveled a long way 

 eie reaching the bad old man, the cougar, but when they saw him they 

 approached very cautiously, and Ma'asewe asked him if he coidd tell 

 him "where to find good wood for arrow shafts." "Yes, I know," re- 

 plied the cougar; " down there is much," pointing to the canyon below. 

 Ma'asewe inquired, "How can I reach the canyon?" The cougar said, 

 "Pass by me; this is the best way." Ma'asewe declared he must not 

 walk before his elders, but the cougar insisted that the boys should 

 pass in front of him. They were, however, determined to pass behind- 

 Finally the cougar said, "All right." Ma'asewe asked him to rise 

 while they passed, but he only bent a little forward; then Ma'asewe 

 said, "Lean a little tlirther forward, the path is narrow;" and the cou- 

 gar bent his body a little more, when Ma'asewe placed his hands ou 

 the cougar's shoulders, pressing him forward, saying, "Oh! the way 

 is so narrow; lean just a little more; see, I can not pass." U'yuuyewe, 

 who was close to Ma'asewe, put both his hands ou the cougar's right 

 shoulder, while his brother placed his on the left, they saying to him, 

 "Just a little farther forward," and, with their combined efibrt, they 

 threw him to the canyon below, Ma'asewe crying out, " This is the way 

 you have served others." The cougar was killed by the fall. 



The boys then descended into the canyon and gathered a quantity 

 of wood for their arrow shafts. When their mother saw the wood she 

 cried, "You naughty boys! where have you been?" They replied, 

 "We have killed the cougar. " The mother refused to believe them, 

 but Ma'asewe declared they spoke the truth. She then embraced her 

 children with pride and joy. 



Two days the boys were busy making shafts, to which they attached 

 their arrows. Then Ma'asewe desired plumes for the shafts. " Mother," 

 said he, "do you know where we can find eagle plumes"?" "Yes, I 

 know where they are to be found. Away on the brink of a canyon in 

 the west there are many plumes, but there is a very bad man there." 

 Ma'asewe said, " Well, I do not care to go there. We will look else- 

 where for plumes." But he had scarcely left the house when he urged 

 U'yuuyewe to accompanj' him to the brink of the canyon. " No, " said 

 U'yuuyewe, " I do not care to go there. Besides the bad man mother 



