MATTHEWS.] MYTH: THE DISCOMFITURE OF IIS PURSUERS. 403 
there; it dug a cavern with four chambers. Then dark clouds gathered 
and rain began to fall. ‘Mave you anything with you that may help 
you?” asked the god. “TI have nothing,” said the Navajo, “but four 
sprays of spruce, which the Yaybicby bade me pluck from the tree on 
whick I descended into the canon the night I left the Ute camp.” 
“They will do,” said the wind god. ‘Make quickly four balls of mud 
and thrust through each ball a twig of the spruce, and lay them on the 
ground so that the tops of the twigs will point towards your enemies.” 
The Navajo did as he was commanded. Then Niltci blew the twigs and 
mud balls in the direction of the pursuers and told the Navajo to de- 
scend into the retreat which the whirlwind had formed. He went down 
and rested secure, while he heard oyerlead great peals of thunder, the 
loud rushing of the tempest, aud the heavy pattering of enormous hail- 
stones, to bring which the mud balls had been made. The noises of the 
storm died away, and about midday Niltci came into the cave and said 
to the man: ‘*Come forth; your enemies have been dispersed. Many 
have been killed by the hail, and the rest have gone towards their 
homes.” Then the Navajo came up out of the ground and set out in the 
direction of his old home at Dsilyit-qojoni. 
40. It was about sunset when he reached the top of the mountain. 
The snow began to fall heavily and a strong wind began to blow. He 
walked on to the western brow of the mountain, where there was a great 
precipice. Here the storm blew with such violence that he could scarcely 
stand, and yet the precipice was so steep that he did not see how he 
could get down. But soon, as on a former occasion of this kind, he 
discovered a spruce tree which grew against the side of the precipice, 
and at the same time Qastcéél¢i appeared to him again and directed 
him to go down on the spruce tree. He did so, and when he reached 
the bottom he found the yay there awaiting him. He addressed 
Qastceélgi: “Oh, my grandfather, I am tired and sore and sleepy. IL 
would like to lie down under this tree and sleep.” But the god answered, 
“ Go, my grandchild, to yonder fire and rest,” and he pointed to a distant 
gleam on the side of a mcuntain which lay beyond a very deep valley. 
** No, my grandfather,” cried the Navajo, “ Iam weary and my limbs are 
sore and weak; I can not travel so far.” ‘TI wil] help you,” said the 
yay, aud as he spoke he spanned the vailey with a flash of lightning, 
over which he led the man to the distant mountain. They reached it 
at a point close to the fire; bunt the moment they stood again on the firm 
earth Qastceéle¢i and the fire vanished. The man was bewildered and 
at a loss what to do. He walked around the mountain a short distance 
and then changed bis mind and walked back to the place from which 
he started. Here he found Qastcéélgi awaiting him. The yay spoke 
not a word, but pointed down into the valley and led the way thither. 
At the bottom of the valley they came to a great hole in the ground; 
the yay pointed in and agai. led the way. As they advanced into the 
cave the air grew warmer. In a little while they discovered a bright 
