Page:Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society V.djvu/216

186 529. "Now, my daughter," said Deer Raiser, "catch a deer for my son-in-law, that we may have fresh meat." She opened the eastern door, entered, and caught a big buck by the foot (just as we catch sheep in these days). She pulled it out. The Navaho walked in front; the young woman, dragging the buck, came after him, and the old man came last of all, closing the doors and putting in the stopple as he came. They brought the buck home, tied its legs together with short rainbows, cut its throat with a stone arrow point, and skinned it as we now skin deer. 530. Now Deer Raiser began again to plot the death of his son-in-law. He found he could not poison him, so he determined to try another plan. In a neighboring canyon, to which there was but one entrance, he kept four fierce pet bears. He determined to invite his son-in-law out to hunt with him, and get him killed by these bears. The rest of that day the Navaho remained at home with his wife, while the old man took the hoofs of the slain deer and made with them a lot of tracks leading into the canyon of the bears.

531. On the following morning, while the young woman was cooking in the other lodge, Deer Raiser came in where the Navaho sat and said: "My son-in-law, four of my pet deer have escaped from the farm. I have tracked them to a canyon near by, which has only one entrance. As soon as you have eaten I want you to help me to hunt them. You will stand at the entrance of the canyon while I go in to drive the deer toward you, and you can kill them as they come out. "No," said the old man after pausing for a while and pretending to think, "you must go into the canyon, my son-in-law, while I stay at the entrance and kill the deer. That will be better." When about to start on his hunt, the Wind People whispered to the Navaho: "Do not enter the canyon."

532. The two men walked along the steep side of the valley, following the tracks until they came to the high rugged cliffs that marked the entrance to the canyon. "When my deer escape, here is where they usually come," said Deer Raiser. A little stream of water ran out of the canyon, and here the old man had raised a dam to make a pool. When they reached the pool he said: "Here I shall stop to shoot the deer. Go you in and drive them out for me." "No, I fear the deer will pass me," said Natĭ'nĕsthani. Four times these words were said by both. At last the old man, seeing that his companion was obstinate, said: "Stay here, then, but do not let the deer escape you, and do not climb the hillsides around for fear the deer should see you," and he went himself into the canyon. In spite of all the warnings he had received, Natĭ'nĕsthani climbed a rocky eminence where he could watch and be out of danger. After waiting a while in silence he heard a distant cry like