Page:The Pima Indians.pdf/233

228 He knew that they would defeat him, yet he struggled bravely to save his people and at the last to save himself. He first took some soot from his chimney, powdered it in the palm of his hand, blew it into the air, and darkness immediately fell so dense that Eider Brother's warriors could see nothing. Tc’tcûk Tâ’tai Siʼvan$y$ then threw down his dwelling and made his way through the midst of his enemies. But the god of darkness dispelled the night and the escaping leader was seen in the distance. Elder Brother's warriors succeeded in getting ahead of him and were about to surround and kill him when he wiped the tears from his eyes and blew the drops among the men about him. This produced a mirage which concealed him from view. But the god of the mirage caused the veil to lift and again he was seen fleeing in the distance. Again Tc’tcûk Tâ’tai Siʼvan$y$ was headed and in danger; but this time he took out his reed cigarette and blew puffs of smoke, which settled down upon his pursuers like a heavy fog through which he continued his flight. The god of the fog drove it into the sky and he was seen escaping. He now realized that he had but one more chance for his life. When the fog had formed clouds in the sky he took his belt and threw it upward and climbed up and laid himself against the clouds as a rainbow. It was impossible for the god of the rainbow unaided to bring him down; he made several unsuccessful attempts before he hit upon the expedient of making some spiders which he sent after the rainbow. They formed a web over the bow and brought it to the earth and destruction.

Elder Brother's warriors were so astonished at the prowess of Tc’tcûk Tâ’tai Siʼvan$y$ that they thought he must have a strange heart, so they cut it open to see and, sure enough, they found within it a round green stone about the size of a bullet. The stone is kept to this day in a medicine basket which they captured with his grandson, Before he had undertaken his flight he had told the boy, Kâʼkânyĭp, to go with his basket and hide under a bush; after the grandfather should be killed the lad should come, touch him, and swallow the odor of the body and he would acquire the power of the Siʼvan$y$. But a warrior named Sʼhohany discovered the little Kâʼkânyĭp and after a time sold him to the Papago chief, Kâk Si’sivĕlĭkĭ, Two-Whirlwinds. The box is yet kept by the Papago living 30 miles south of Gila Bend. If it is disturbed a severe storm is produced end cold weather prevails in Pima Land.

After capturing the pueblo at Sweetwater and destroying its chief the invaders moved against Vulture's pueblo, 6 miles west of where they fought the last battle.

They then sang: