e 



240 THE PTMA INDIANS Ieth. an.n. 26 



"Show me that 3^011 are my chiklren," said he; "if you are, you can 

 do as I do." Then the younger sent the chain hghtning with its 

 noisy peal across the sky. The older sent the heat lightning with its 

 distant diapason tones. "You are my cliildren," exclaimed Cloud, 

 "you have power like unto mine." As a further test he placed them 

 in a house near by where a flood of rain had drowned the inmates. 

 "If they are mortals," thought he, "they will be drowned like the 

 others." Unharmed by the waters about them, the cliildren demon- 

 strated their power to survive, and Cloud then took them to his homo, 

 where they remained a long time. 



"WHien tliey longed to see their mother again. Cloud made a Ixiw 

 and some arrows different from any that they had ever known and 

 save to them. He told them tluit he would watch over them as thev 

 journeyed, and admonisheil them against speaking to anyone that 

 they might meet on the way. As the boys were traveling toward 

 the westward, they saw Kaven coming toward them, but (hey 

 remembered their father's injunction against speaking and turned 

 aside so as not to meet him. They also turned aside to escape meet- 

 ing Roiidrunner, Hawk, and Eagle. Eagle said: "Let's scare those 

 childriMi." So lie swooped (hiwn over their heads, causing the boys 

 to cry from fright. "Oil, we just wanted to tease you, that's all; 

 we don't mean to do you any harm," said Eagle. 



Thus they journeyed on until they met Coyote. They tried to 

 turn aside in order to avoid him, ])ut lie ran around and put himself in 

 their way. Cloud saw their predicament and sent down thunder 

 and lightning, and the boys by their magic power added to the bolts 

 that flashed before the eyes of Coyote until lie turned and fled. 



It was on the mountain top that the boys were halted by Coyote, 

 and one stood on each side t)f the trail at the moment when they were 

 transformed mto the largest mescal that was ever known. The place 

 was near Tucson. 



This is the reason why mescal yet grows on the mountamsand why 

 the thunder and lightning go from place to place — because the chil- 

 dren did. This is why it rains when we go to gather mescal." 



o A similar version of thi.s m>'th was related to Lieutenant Emory by the interpreter of tlic Cliief .Tuan 

 Antonio Llunas. This man siiid: •■ That in bygone days a woman of surpassing lieauty resided in a 

 green spot in the mountains near the place where we were encamped. All the men admired and paid 

 court to her. She received the tributes of their devotion— grain, skins, etc. — but gave no love or other 

 favor in return. Iter virtue and her detennination to remain unmarried were equallj; Arm. There 

 came a drouth which threatened the world with famine. In their distress the people applied to her, 

 and she gave corn from her stock, and the supply seemed to be endless. ITer goodness was unbounded. 

 One day as she was lying asleep with her body exposed a drop of rain fell on her stomach, which pro- 

 duced conception. A son was the issue, who was the founder of a new race which built all these houses." 



When he was asked if he beheved the story he replied: " No; but most of the Pimos do. We know, 

 in truth, nothing of their origin. ' It is all enveloped in mystery." W. H. Emory, Notes of a Military 

 Reconnoissance, S. Ex. Doc. 41. 83. 30th Cong., first sess., 1848. 



