_From Copyright Photograph 1903 by E.S. Curtis_
The earth was smooth, flat, and barren, so Kuterastan made a few animals,
birds, trees, and a hill. Then he sent Agocho, the Pigeon, to see how the
world looked. Four days later Agocho returned and said all was beautiful,
but that in four days more the water on the opposite side would rise and
flood the land. Kuterastan at once created a pinon tree. This Stenatlihan
skilfully tended until it grew to be of gigantic size at the end of four
days. Then with four great limbs as a framework she made a very large
water bottle, _tus_, covering it with gum from the pinon. When the water
appeared as predicted, Kuterastan went up on a cloud, taking his
twenty-eight helpers with him, while Stenatlihan summoned all the others
and put them into the _tus_, into which she climbed last, closing the
mouth at the top.
[Illustration: Mescal Camp - Apache]