up in his hand and threw them over the mountain. That made them angry, and that is why they have always been so fierce.
These were the Indian people of which there were four tribes: The Wä-akĭ Âp,[1] the Apaches, the Maricopas, and, lastly, the Pimas, though they were given superior qualities—such as a knowledge of the seasons, the power to bring down rain from the sky, the ability to cure sickness, and the like.
These people occupied this country from that time forward and multiplied in numbers. The Yumas and Maricopas were at first united, but the Maricopas left the Yumas and joined the Pimas, finally settling in the Salt River valley, where they formed permanent settlements. They tried to build canals, but were not successful, on account of the hard rocks and soil.
The Maricopas asked Elder Brother for advice or assistance. He caused the ground to become soft for a while, but it hardened again, and upon being appealed to a second time he said he could do no more for them, but told them to go and see Toa’koă-atam Âks, White-eater-old-woman, Elder Brother's sister, who also had great power. She finished all the work in a single night, but Elder Brother refused to do anything more for the people. From that time on he began to do mischief, such as marrying the young women and then deserting them for others. The people began to be jealous of him and planned to destroy him.
For a time after the creation of the four tribes of men and the animals they were confined in a great house together. Rattlesnake was there, and was known as Mâ’ik Sol’atc, Soft Child. The people liked to hear hit rattle, and little rest or peace could he obtain because of their continual prodding and scratching. Unable to endure it longer, he went at last to Elder Brother to ask help of him. Elder Brother took pity upon him and pulled a hair from his own lip to cut in short pieces to serve as teeth for Soft Child. "Now," said he, "if anyone bothers you again, bite him." In the evening Tâ-âpi, Rabbit, came to Soft Child as he sat at the door and scratched him as he had so often done before. Soft Child raised his head and bit his tormentor as Elder Brother had instructed him to do. Feeling the bite, Rabbit scratched Soft Child again, and again was bitten; then he ran about telling that Soft Child was angry and had bitten him twice. Again he went to him and again he was bitten twice. During the night his body swelled and the fever came upon him. All through the dark hours he suffered and throughout the next day; often he called to those around him to prepare a place that might give him rest. No bed that they could make brought any ease to his stricken frame. He asked for sea sand that he might lie upon it and cool his
- ↑ "Go in Ap." An unknown tribe that is believed by the Pimas to have lived somewhere in the northwest, perhaps the Hualapis [Walapai.]
