STEVENSON] COYOTE MYTH. 151 



like red pepper, aud when they become blind we cau kill them ; you 

 will take two of the clubs and I will take two, one in either hand.'' 

 When the ka'wate reached the hares she spoke to the hare chief. 

 "Hare, listen; I saw a dead coyote over there." "Where?" cried the 

 chief. ''There by the river." "You are not lying?" said the chief. 

 "No; I speak the truth, there is a dead coyote." "What killed the 

 coyotef "I don't know what killed him, but I think he must have 

 fallen into the water far above and was brought here by the river." 

 And the chief communicated the news to all of his companions and 

 they concluded to send one hare alone to see if the ka'wate spoke the 

 truth. "Go quickly," said they to the hare, "and see if the woman 

 speaks the truth." The hare hastened off, and when he reached the 

 coyote be looked carefully all about aud concluded the coyote had been 

 dead some time, for he saw that the body was covered with worms and 

 returning he told his people what he had seen, but some refused to be- 

 lieve that the coyote was dead. It was decided to send another mes- 

 senger, and a second hare was dispatched to see if the first one's story 

 was correct. He returned with the same news and so a third and 

 fourth were sent, and each came bearing the story that a coyote was 

 dead aud being eaten by worms. Then the hares decided to go in a 

 body and see the dead coyote. The men, women, and children has- 

 tened to look upon the dead body of the coyote, and rejoicing over his 

 death they struck him with their hands and kicked him. There were 

 crowds of hares and they decided to have a great dance. Kow and 

 then a hare would leave the group of dancers aud stamp upon the 

 coyote, who lay all the time as though he were dead, and during the 

 dance they clapped their hands over their mouths and gave a whoop 

 like the war whoop. 



After a time the ka'wate stepped apart from the group and said, "All 

 of you hares look up, do not hold your heads down, look up t;o the 

 cloud people while you siug and dancej it is much better to hold your 

 heads up." All threw their heads back and looked to ti'ni'a. Then 

 the ka'wate threw high her mephitic fluid, which fell like rain upon the 

 faces aud into the eyes of all the hares, and their eyes were on fire; all 

 they could do was to rub them; they could not see anything. And the ' 

 coyote quickly rose, aud handed the ka'wate two of the clubs, keeping 

 two himself, and they killed all of the hares; there was a great number^ 

 and they were piled up like stones. Then said the coyote, " Where 

 shall I find fire to cook the hares? Ah," said he, pointing across to a 

 very high rock, "that rock gives good shade and it is cool; I will find 

 the fire and cook my meat near the shade of the rock;" and he and the 

 ka'wate carried all of the hares to this point and the coyote made a 

 large fire and threw them into it. When this was done he was very 

 warm fi-om his work about the fire and he was also tired, and lie lay 

 down close to the rock in the shade. He was now perfectly happy, and 

 contented to be quiet, but only for a short time. He must be at work 



