_From Copyright Photograph 1904 by E.S. Curtis_
From his father, Chunnaai, Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani had knowledge of another evil
thing and how to destroy it. Cutting off a piece of Elk's intestine, he
filled it with blood and fastened it about his waist. Then he told his
mother to strip off the hide and while it was still soft sew it into a
suit that would cover him completely. When the suit was finished he put it
on, hid Elk's antlers under it, and departed westward in search of Itsa,
the Eagle, who every day killed a man. When Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani approached the
home of Eagle the latter swooped down from his high rock and four times
tried to seize him, but could not fasten his talons in the hardened hide.
At the fourth attempt Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani allowed Eagle to take hold of his
suit in the front, whereupon the bird carried him up and up, and from a
tremendous height dropped him upon the sharp rocks. Though unhurt, to
deceive Eagle he tore open the piece of intestine, allowing the blood to
gush out upon the rock. Itsa told his two children to go and eat, but when
they drew near Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani made a sound, "Sh!" and they stopped in
fright. Again they came near and again heard the sound "Sh!" So the
Eaglets went to their father, perched high on the point of the rock, and
said:
"That body is not dead, it makes a noise 'Sh!'"
"Never mind that; go and eat!" commanded the parent Eagle, who then flew
away for his day's hunting.
When Itsa was gone, Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani arose, took off the elk-skin suit, and
addressed the frightened Eagle children:
"In what weather does your father come home?"
"In a great storm of thunder and lightning," they answered.
"And in what weather does your mother come home?"
"When all the sky is clouded and a slow rain falls."
Presently a great storm arose, and the Eaglets exclaimed, "Our father is
coming!" Soon the Eagle came rushing through the air, and from afar
Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani heard wailing, for Eagle had a man in his talons. From far
aloft, as was his wont, he dropped the man upon the rocks. Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani
took up one of Elk's antlers and just as the great bird was alighting on
his perch hurled it at him, striking him on the head. Listening, he heard
the body drop upon the rocks far below. Then a slow rain began to fall,
and the Eaglets cried, "Our mother is coming!" Soon the mother Eagle came.
She too had a man in her talons, and with the other horn Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani
killed her. Then he warned the Eagle children that they must not grow any
larger, or ever attempt to carry away people; and they promised to be
content with hunting animals.
But Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani found that there was no way to get down from the rock,
for it was steep and very high, so high that it made him dizzy to look
over the edge. Chunnaai told him to wait there, for he would send someone
to bring him down safely. At last Naye{~COMBINING BREVE~}nayezgani saw somebody below, who
proved to be Bat.
"Come, help me down!" he called.
[Illustration: Canon _Hogan_ - Navaho]