Page:The Annals of the Cakchiquels.djvu/87

Rh 17. They rushed forth and passed across the sand, and following one another we came to the shore of the sea, and we arrived at the edge of the water. Then all the seven villages began to fear, and all the warriors spoke, and then the seven tribes spoke: "Do you not see our burdens? Yet it is not long since we lifted up our faces with you, ye rulers, ye warriors; did we not come from the sun rising with you, that we might seek our hills and valleys? Have you not seen the burden, the green feathers, the garlands?" So spake the seven tribes, and commanded and said, "It is well," and the seven tribes took counsel what to do. Afterwards they went on to the place Deogacvancu; and then they all went on to another place called Meahauh. There many gathered together; having thus arrived at Meahauh, they thence departed for the place called Valval Xucxuc, and there they rested. There many gathered together, and departing they arrived at the place called Tapcu Oloman.

18. Then all gathered together there, and we took counsel there, said our fathers and ancestors, Gagavitz and Zactecauh; and it was after we had arrived there that we first unloosed our burdens. All the warriors said: "Whom shall we make to be our head, we the masters of arms, the masters of booty, the assigners of tribute, oh thou, our younger brother, and thou, our older brother?" So said they to us. Then we said to them: "It is but a little while that we looked to make war, and already we are prepared, our standards are ready, our burdens are loosed; they are the burdens which were given us by our mothers and fathers; here are our standards; I, I am the Sage." Thus we spoke when we unloosed our burden, our loads of maize, our standards, our paints, bows, shields, and double-headed lances.

19. Thus we showed ourselves before the face of all; first we adorned ourselves with our bows, our shields, our two-headed lances, our feathers, our paints; we put them all on, and we said to them, "On with you, you our younger brothers, you our elder brothers, truly this