406 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 
44. The next place they reached on their journey was Sai hyitsozi 
(Narrow Sand Hills). They entered the hill and came to the house of 
Ka¢ligi, the Butterfly, a dwelling filled with butterflies and rain- 
bows. They found Kadligi and his wife sitting there, and also Atsos- 
bebagani (House of Feathers), who wore black leggins. Here Niltci 
disappeared and the woman had to put her questions to the Navajo. 
She inquired, as the others had done, who he was, and he briefly told 
her his story. She arose, went out, and presently returned with a large 
basin made of a beautiful white shell; this was filled with water and 
soap root. She laid it before the Navajo, saying, ‘‘ You are about to 
visit some fair and beautiful people, and it is proper that you should 
bathe your body and wash your hair well.” When he had finished his 
bath he of the house of feathers took fine corn meal and applied it to 
the feet, the knees, the abdomen, and the other parts of the body which 
are usually touched in healing ceremonies. Then, under the directions 
of Atsds-bebagani, the Navajo rubbed his whole body with meal to dry 
himself and painted his face white with glee (white earth). House of 
Feathers next brought in small bundles of the following plants: teil- 
¢elgisi (Gutierrezia euthamic), goikal (Artemesia trifida), tséji, and 
tlo‘nasgasi (Bouteloua hirsuta), burned them to charcoal, and directed 
the Indian to blacken his legs and forearms with this substanee. When 
this was done he put spots of white on the black, and, in short, painted 
him as the akaninili, or courier (Fig. 52) sent out to summon guests to 
the dance, is painted to this day in the ceremonies of the dsilyidje 
qacal. When the painting was done Ka¢ligi Esgaya (Butterfly Woman) 
took hold of his hair and pulled it downward and stretched it until it 
grew in profusion down to his ankles. Then she pressed and worked 
his body and face all over until she molded him into a youth of the most 
beautiful form and feature. They gave him fine white moccasins and 
a collar of beaver skin with a whistle attached to it; they put the ka. 
bascan, or plumed sticks to represent wings, on his arms, and altogether 
dressed and adorned him as the akaninili is dressed and adorned. The 
woman gave him white corn meal mixed with water to eat, and he slept 
all night in the house of the butterflies. In the morning the woman (or 
goddess, as we night better call her) laid two streaks of white lightning 
on the ground and bade him stand on them with one foot on each 
streak. ‘+ Now,” she said, ‘‘ the white lightning is yours; use it how and 
when you will.” Then she told him to go to the top of the bill in which 
their house lay. When he ascended he found another house on the top, 
and in it he again met Ka¢lugi and his wife, who awaited him there. 
He observed a streak of white lightning that spanned a broad valley, 
stretching from the hill on which he stood to a distant wooded mount- 
ain. ‘ There,” said Ka¢ligi Esgayay pointing to the lightning, ‘ is the 
trail you must follow. It leads to yonder mountain, which is named 
Bisteagi.” 
