MOONF.Y] UNTSAlVi', THE GAMBLER 818 



The l)i)\- looked, and tlif Imx was full of all kinds of snakes cflidiiig 

 over each other with tiieir heads up. He was not afraid, hut rmieni- 

 bered what the woman had told him, and phmged his hand to the lK)t- 

 tom and di-ew out a ji'reat ratth\snake and put it around his neck for a 

 necklace. II(> put down his liand again four times and drew up four 

 cojiperlieads and twisted them around his wrists and anldes. Then 

 his father yave him a war duh and said, '"Now you auist play u l)all 

 game with your two eldei- hrothers. They live beyond here in the 

 Darkening land, and I have sent for them." He said a hall game, but he 

 meant that the boy must tight for his life. The young men came, and 

 they were both older and stronger than the boy, but he was not afraid 

 and fought against them. The thunder rolled and the lightning Hashed 

 at every stroke, for they were the young Thunders, and tiie boy him- 

 self wa.s Lightning. At last he was tired from defending himself 

 alone again.st two, and pretended to aim a blow at the honey-locust 

 tree. Then his father .stopped th(^ tight, because he was afraid the 

 lightning would split the tnv. and he saw that the boy was l)rave and 

 strong. 



The boy told his father how tjfitsaiyi' had dared him to play, and 

 had even oifered to pla.y for the spots on his skin. "Yes," said Thun- 

 der, '"he is a great gambler and makes his living that way. but I will 

 see that you win." He brought a small cj^mling gourd with a hole 

 bored through the neck, and tiinl it on the boy's wrist. Inside the gourd 

 thei'e was a string of beads, and (tne end hung out from a hole in the 

 top, but there was no end to the sti'ing inside. "Now,"' said his father, 

 "go back the way you came, and as soon as he sees you he will want 

 to play for the ])eads. He is very hard to beat, but this time he will 

 lose every game. When he cries out for a drink, you will know he is 

 getting discouraged, and then strike the rock with your war club and 

 watiM' will come, so that you can play on without stt)pping. At last 

 he will l)et his life, and lose. Then send at once for your brothers to 

 kill him. or he will get away, he is so tricky." ' 



The boy took the gourd and his war club and started east along the 

 road by which he had come. As soon as tjntsaiyi' saw him he called 

 to him. and when he saw the gourd with tli(> bead string hanging out 

 he wanted to play for it. The boy drew out the string, but there 

 seemed to ]>e no end to it. and he kept on pulling until enough had come 

 out to make a circle all aromid the playground. '1 will play one 

 game for this much against your stake," said the boy. •"ainl when that 

 is over we can have another game." 



They began the game with the wheel and stick and the boy won. 

 tjntsaiyi' did not know what to think of it, l)ut he put up another 

 stake and called for a second game. '['h(> boy won again, and so they 

 played on until noon, when ITitsaiyi' had lost nearly everything he 

 had and was about discouraged. It was verv hot. and he said, " 1 am 



