542 RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE ZUNI CHILD. 
mothers refused to be comforted at their loss, they said, ‘Tell our moth- 
ers we are not dead, but live and sing in this beautiful place, which is 
the home for them when they sleep. They will wake here and be al- 
ways happy. And we are here to intercede with the Sun, our father, 
that he may give to our people rain, and the fruits of the oe and all 
that is good for them.” The Ah-shi-wi then journeyed on, led by Ah- 
ai-t-ta and Ma-a-sé-we, to the present site of Zuni. Many, however, 
lingered at a sprivg some fifteen miles west of Zuni, and there estab- 
lished the village Tkap-qué-na (Hot Spring). 
The Ko-yé-mé-shi and Ko-mo-két-si passed down through the interior 
of the mountain into the depths of the lake, the waters of everlasting hap- 
piness. In the passageway are four chambers, where the couple tar- 
ried on their way and where at the present time the two priests of the 
Kok-k6 rest in their journey to the sacred waters. So credulous are 
the people that the priests delude them into the belief that they acthally 
pass through the mountain to the lake. 
Having heard of the wonderful cave in this mountain, our little party 
visited the place, prepared to explore it. Mr. Stevenson and Mr. H. L. 
Turner entered the fissure in the rock and squeezed through the crevice 
for sixteen or eighteen feet to where the rock was so solid that they both 
determined no human creature could penetrate farther. They examined 
the place most carefully by means of an artificial light. Through a 
small aperture stones could be thrown to a depth from which no sound 
returned, but excepting this solitary opening all was solid, immovable 
rock. In this cave many plume sticks were gathered. Near the open- 
ing of the cave, or fissure, is a shrine to the Kok-ko, which must be very 
old, and over and around it are hundreds of the plume sticks and tur- 
quoise and shell beads. 
I would mention here a little incident illustrative of the superstitious 
dread these Indians entertain of violating the priestly commands. We 
found it very difficult to persuade an old Zuni guide, who had visited 
the sacred salt lake, the mountain of the war gods, and other places of 
interest with as (to these he had gone by special permission of the High 
Priest), to accompany us to the spirit lake and the mountain of the 
Kok-k6. Our persuasive powers were almost exhausted ere we could in- 
duce him to guide us to them, but having consented he was willing to go 
even if he should be punished by death. He was a man renowned for 
bravery, but he was so overcome by his superstitious fears that his 
voice sank to a whisper and finally became scarcely audible. The morn- 
ing of theday on which wereached this place, the old map, who had been 
riding by my side, ahead of the rest of the party, suddenly halted and 
said in a half-angry voice, “Why do I go ahead? Lam not the chief 
of this party. Those who belong at the head must go to the head.” 
And he would not move until Mr. Stevenson and I went in advance. 
By this change he sought to transfer the responsibility to us. Finally 
he rode up to us and said in a whisper, ‘‘ We will camp here.” The 

