50 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



U'yuyewi, the woman walking between them. On their waj' U'yuyewi 

 told her that his house was very beautiful; but he was lying to her. 

 On reaching a cave in the rocks the woman asked: "Where are we?" 

 U'yuyewi replied: " Here is my house." At night the woman inquired: 

 " Where shall 1 sleep?" U'yuyewi said: "You will sleep between my 

 younger brother and me." U'yuyewi lay at the right of the woman 

 and Ma'sai'lema lay at her left. Each placed an arm across the woman. 

 Early in the morning U'yu3^ewi said: "Let us go now and look about 

 the country." "Whither are you going?'' inquired the woman. "Oh, 

 to walk about," said U'j^ux'ewi, who at the same time closed his left 

 eye and winked at his brother with his right as a signal to be ready; 

 and as U'yuyewi and the woman left the cave, Ma'sai'lema struck her 

 on one side of the head with his club. Then U'yuyewi struck her with 

 his club on the other side of the head, and the woman fell dead. Taking 

 her scalp, they went to the house of the Cougar of the North, who was 

 very angry on learning what the two had done. They then visited 

 the house of the Bear of the West, where they were also denounced 

 for the murder. Then going to the house of the Badger of the South, 

 they related their story, only to anger the Badger. Again they told 

 their stor}^ to the Wolf of the East, who also became very angry. On 

 reaching Shi'papolima they were kindly received by the ants, who, 

 after listening to their story, asked them to sit down in the ceremo- 

 nial chamber, where an altar stood in the west end of the room. 



Presently a voice was heard calling: "Where are m}^ husbands? 

 I want my husbands. '' And the Gods of War recognized the voice as that 

 of the woman they had killed, and they told the mo'sona (director) of 

 the Ant fraternity that the ghost woman had come. He called to the 

 woman to come in, and as soon as she entered the Gods of War again 

 struck her with their clubs, and, carrying her out, threw her some 

 distance. 



Returning to the chamber of the ants, the Gods of W^ar discovered 

 the tracks of a chaparral cock, made during their absence. The mo'sona, 

 examining the footprints of the bird, inquired "What is this?" The 

 Gods of War asked " Which way did the bird go?" U'yuyewi said 

 "It went out," but Ma'sai'lema declared that the bird had passed in. 

 "Then where is it gone?" they both cried; and after much hunting 

 Ma^sai'lema found it back of the altar. U'yuyewi joined his younger 

 brother behind the altar, and, holding the bird carefully, examined it 

 and counted the tail feathers; and, passing to the front of the altar, he 

 sat before it and said: "Listen! This bird has ten tail feathers; here- 

 after when a man takes a scalp he must observe continency and fast 

 from animal food, grease, and salt for the period of ten days." This 

 fast is observed at the present time. The closest relations were at that 

 time established between the Gods of War and the ants. U'yuyewi 



