76 The American Naturalist. [January, 
then made the boys smoke some poison in first, a turquois pipe, and 
second, in an ivory pipe. He did this the second time, apd still the 
boys were unhurt. 
The sun said to his servants “Make a sweat-house and put four 
irons in it, one of the irons shall be white, one blue, one yellow, and 
one black, and make the house boiling hot.” 
Just as the boys started to go into the sweat-house a Gopher came 
up through the ground and told the boys to crawl into his hole. The 
hole was inside of the sweat-house.® 
The Gopher said “If you stay in there the sun will throw water on 
the irons and the irons will break and kill you.” So the boys went 
into the Gopher’s hole. The Gopher then said, “If your father asks 
you if you are warm you go out of the hole and say, yes. You can 
thus fool him. He will throw the water, but you will be safe in this 
hole. He will then be through with you.” 
The sun placed a blanket over the mouth of the sweat-house ‘sil 
did as the Gopher had said. When the sun looked in he saw the boys 
sitting there unhurt. Then he kissed the boys and told them that 
they were his sons, and that they had gone through with all of the 
forms that could kill them. The sun then took the boys home with 
him and made his other son and daughter shake hands with them. 
The young wife was then in a good humor, and dressed up her step- 
sons. One of them she painted red, with white streaks down his back, 
representing the lightning; the other one she painted white. 
The sun then asked the boys what they wanted as a gift. The Spirits 
on their ears said, “do not answer him until he asks you another 
question.” The father took them through a large iron gate to the east 
and showed them fine horses of all colors. The father said, “ Boys, 
do you want these?” The Spirit said, “Tell him no.” Then he 
opened a large iron gate to the north and showed them some fine 
sheep, and said, “Do you want these?” The Spirit said, “ Tell him 
no.” He next opened a large iron gate to the west and showed them 
some fine goats, and said, “Do you want these?” ‘The Spirit said, 
“Tell him no.” He then opened a large iron gate to the south and — 
‘The Navajo Indians have sweat-houses at the present day. The house is made in — 
a hemispherical form. Its first roof consists of poles, the second one is stones, and 
the third one is dirt. A hole is left in one side for ingress and egress. The house 
is usually located in close proximity to some stream or pond, and is used for medical 
_ purposes. Rocks are heated and thrown into the sweat-house and water is throws 
on n the heated rocks, causing steam to fill the apartment. The patient now goes into — 
covers the door with a blanket. After a time he comes out and i 
a pga into the adjoining lake or river. This process is often repeated in winter. 
