190 THE ACOMA INDIANS [eth. anx. 47 



the men noticed a dark snake with red on his sides climbing up one of 

 the Cottonwood trees. He was climbing very swiftly. Soon he 

 reached the top of the tree. But he did not stop; he went on, out 

 into the air. He wa.s seen for some time traveling swiftly through the 

 air and clouds, until he finally disappeared. 



HI 



Some boys were herding cattle. One of the boys noticed that a 

 cow trampled on a snake's nest, crushing the eggs. A few hours later 

 the old snake came back and found her nest ruined. The snake 

 followed the footstejjs of the cow until she sought her out from the 

 herd. Wlien the snake had located the guilty cow she crawled down 

 the cow's throat. Very soon the cow died. When the men cut the 

 cow open they found that her insides had been cut all to pieces. 



