Page:The Pima Indians.pdf/231

226 After his death his skeleton was exposed for a long time, until one day some boys were playing near where it lay. They heard a strange noise like thunder that shook the earth, though there were no clouds in the sky. The boys saw that Elder Brother was regaining life and power. He sat up and rocked back and forth like a drunken person. The boys ran and told their story to the people, who were perplexed and alarmed. They gathered together, bringing all their weapons, and finally surrounded Elder Brother, who was by this time in full possession of his power. As the people came about him with their bows and arrows in hand he began to sink down into the earth, and in spite of their outcry he disappeared before their eyes.

Elder Brother sank through the earth and found the people that Earth Doctor had assisted to reach that side in order to escape the flood. Elder Brother told the people there of his ill treatment and asked them to come through and fight with him and to take the land away from the Indians. After four months' preparation they set out upon their journey, first singing the following song:

Eider Brother told Gopher (Tcʼohŏ) to bore a hole for the people to come through. Gopher made a hole through the earth like a winding stair.

Coyote learned that these people were coming out in our country and he went about looking for the place of their emergence. He finally discovered them coming through like ants from their hills. Elder Brother told Coyote not to go near them until all had come forth. Coyote did not heed the caution, but went and looked down the hole and laughed, which caused the opening to close. Five gentes had come out, and it is supposed that those that were shut in belonged to yet other gentes. Upon their emergence Elder Brother and his followers danced and sang as follows: