Ri-ssELL] MYTHS 241 



SKUI.L ANU HIS MAGIC 



Onoe there was a pretty <;irl wlio was unwilliiiL!; to marrv anvono. 

 All the yoiinix m(>n hrou^lit iirescnts of Ljanie to her ))arents, l)tit iiont- 

 found favor in the eyes of tlie critical maiden. At last to the surprise 

 of neifjhhors and kinsmen she chose for her husl)aiid one who was a 

 man ])v ni<;;ht and a skull hy day. Then all lau<ihed at the marriage, 

 saying, ''One man in this valley has a hone for a son-in-law." 



One morning the crier of the village made this ])roclamation: 

 "To-day we hunt deer in the mountains to the northward!" Skull 

 went ahead of the party and hid in a delile in the mountains. When 

 the hunters came driving the game before them the deer all fell dea<l 

 at the sight of gruesome Skull: so the people had an abundance of 

 venison without the trouble of trailing and killing. Thus it was that 

 Skull rose in their regard and ridiiule was no longer heaped upon him. 



The next day had been appointed for the foot race in whi<h the 

 nmners would kick the ball. Skidl entered as one of the contestants, 

 though his neighbors laughed and said: "IIow can one ball manage 

 another?" But when ho reached the goal a winner the last voice of 

 contumely was silenced. 



ORIOIN OK THE HORSE 



Two brothers who lived apart from their kinsfolk were skillful deer 

 hunters. Day by day they followed the deer and antelope, and when 

 their chase was successful they carried the game home on their shoul- 

 ders. This was heavy work, and at last the elder in the goodness of 

 his heart took pity on his younger brother, saying: "You must help 

 me to carry out my ])lans and I shall become transformed into some- 

 thing that will be useful to you. Shoot an arrow through my body 

 from front to back and another from side to side; cut me transversely 

 into four pieces and throw them into the water. In four days you 

 may come back and see what has happened." 



When the younger man, sorrowing and wondering, had obeyed he 

 returned to find four strange animals which we now call horses, two 

 males and two females, colored black, white, bay, and yellow or 

 "buckskin." lie was not frightened, for his brother had given him 

 warning, and he had provided himself with a rope, which he tied around 

 the neck of one of the horses, took a half hitch in its mouth, and rode 

 it home, driving the others. 



Thereafter horses multi])lie(l in Pimeri'a and in time all were pro- 

 vided with moimts, though had it not been for the sacrifice of the 

 good brother we should never have had any. 

 26 KTH— 08 18 



