Thus wise were the Priests of the Bow established by teaching of the
Twain, whose breaths of destruction each one of them breathed in due
part; whom none might gainsay; nay, not even the fathers whose speakers
they were, and with whom none might contend; nay, not even sorcerers,
whose scourgers they were--nor yet the Fearful!
And so, when on a dark night thereafter the world groaned and the
shells sounded warning, all together the Twain and these their new
warriors sought the priest-fathers of the people, bidding them take
in hand for carrying, their tabernacles of precious possessions.
And swiftly and sternly too they wakened all sleepers, old ones and
young, and those who obeyed them were gathered in clan-lines and led
off to safety, for Áhaiyuta, the elder, and his warriors journeyed
before them, and Mátsailema, the younger, and his warriors followed
behind--shields of the people, makers and destroyers of pathways! But
those who loved sleeping or who murmured like children were left to
their evil; they were choked by the black fumes, or buried in the walls
of their houses, which fell when presently the earth heaved with dire
fumes, fire and thunder. Their bones are still digged by the gopher and
marmot.
Thus, from country to country journeyed the people, their fathers
the priests and the keepers of the mysteries, with the women and
children in their midst, while before them, from valley to valley, the
Bow-priests swept danger away.
THE WARS WITH THE BLACK PEOPLE OF THE HIGH BUILDINGS AND WITH THE
ANCIENT WOMAN OF THE K‘YÁKWEINA AND OTHER K´KÂKWE.
At last the people neared, in the midst of plains to the eastward,
great towns built in the heights (_héshotayálawa_). But in these times
the thoughts of their warriors were always those of the eagle or
mountain-lion or other fierce creatures of prey. Of those they met it
was "Lo, now! If I can but seize him and utterly overthrow him and eat
of his substance, feeding therewith also my kind!" Thus, only, thought
they.
Great were the fields and possessions of this people, for they knew
how to command and carry the waters, bringing new soil; and this too
without hail or rain. So, our ancients, hungry with long wandering for
new food, were the more greedy, and gave them battle. Now as these
people of the highlands and cliffs were of the elder nations of men
and were allied to the Ákâkâ-kwe (the Man-soul Dance-gods) themselves,
these our people, ere they had done, were well nigh finished of
fighting. For it was here that the K‘yákweina Ók‘yätsiki, or Ancient
Woman of the K‘yákweina, who carried her heart in her rattle and was
deathless of wounds in the body, led the enemy, crying out shrilly;
all of which, yea and more, beyond the words of a sitting, is told
in other speeches of our ancient talks, those of the Kâ´kâ. Thus,
it fell out ill for the fighting of our impetuous ancients; for,
moreover, thunder raged and confused their warriors, rain descended
and blinded them, stretching their bow-strings of sinew, and quenching
the flight of their arrows as the flight of bees is quenched by the
sprinkling-plume of the honey hunter. But the strong ‘Hléetokwe devised
bow-strings of yucca, and the Two Little Ones sought counsel of the
Sun-father, who revealed the life-secret of the Demoness and the magic
power over the under-fires (_kóline_) of the dwellers in the mountains
and cliffs; so that after certain days the enemy in the mountain town
were overmastered. And because our people found in that great town some
survivors hidden deep in the cellars thereof, and plucked them forth as
rats are pulled from a hollow cedar, and found them blackened by the
fumes of their own war-magic, yet comely and wiser than the common lot
of men withal, they spared them and called them the Kwínikwa-kwe (Black
people), and received them into their kin of the Black Corn.
THE ADOPTION OF THE BLACK PEOPLE, AND THE DIVISION OF THE CLANS TO
SEARCH FOR THE MIDDLE.
Now for once even the Warriors of the Bow were fully surfeited of
fighting, and paused to rest. Thus, warm hands of brothers elder and
younger were clasped with the vanquished; and in time (for at first
these people were wild of tongue) speech was held with them, whereby
our fathers gained much knowledge, even of their own powers and
possessions, from these Black people, in like manner as they had gained
knowledge from the People of the Dew, whence in like manner also they
grew wiser in the ways of living, and loved more to cherish their corn
and corn virgins that they might have life and abundance rather than
cause death and hunger. Yet were their journeyings not ended. Again,
and anon, the shell sounded warning.
When, therefore, the Twain Little Ones, Áhaiyuta and Mátsailema, again
bade the people arise to seek the Middle, they divided them into great
companies, that they might fare the better (being fewer in numbers
together) as well as be the better content with thinking that, thus
scattered, they would the sooner find the place they had for so long
sought. So, again the Winter people were bidden to go northward, that
in their strength they might overcome evils and obstacles and with
their bows strung with slackless fiber of the yucca, contend, winning
their way with the enemy in cold weather or warm, and in rain and
dryness alike. With them, as aforetime, they carried their precious
_múetone_, and with them journeyed Mátsailema and the Warriors of the
Knife, they and chosen Priests of the Bow.
Also, to the southward, as before, journeyed the Seed people and the
kinties of Corn and others of the Summer people, they and with them
the Black people, wise and possessed of the magic of the under-fire,
having dealings also with Kâ´kâ-kwe and with the wonderful Chúa-kwe--a
people like themselves, of corn, and called therefore People of Corn
grains,--they and their Kâ´kâ, the K‘yámak‘ya-kwe, or Snail Beings of
the South (those who waged war with men and _their_ Kâ´kâ in after
times), for these reasons they, the Summer people, led the people of
Corn and Seed and these alien people.
And as before, the people of the Middle--yea, and those of the Seed
and Dew who especially cherished the _chúetone_ and the Maidens of
Corn--sought the Middle through the midmost way, led of Áhaiyuta, the
elder, and his Priests of the Bow.