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Navaho Legends.

scalped him. Heretofore the younger brother bore only the name of To‘badzĭstsíni, or Child of the Water; but now his brother gave him also the warrior name of Naídikĭsi (He Who Cuts Around). What the elder brother's name was before this we do not know; but ever after he was called Nayénĕzgani (Slayer of the Alien Gods).127

328. They cut off his head and threw it away to the other side of Tsótsĭl, where it may be seen to-day on the eastern side of the mountain.128 The blood from the body now flowed in a great stream down the valley, so great that it broke down the rocky wall that bounded the old lake and flowed on. Nĭ′ltsi whispered to the brothers: "The blood flows toward the dwelling of the Bĭnáye Aháni; if it reaches them, Yéitso will come to life again." Then Nayénĕzgani took his peshál, or knife club, and drew with it across the valley a line. Here the blood stopped flowing and piled itself up in a high wall. But when it had piled up here very high it began to flow off in another direction, and Nĭ′ltsi again whispered: "It now flows toward the dwelling of Sasnalkáhi, the Bear that Pursues; if it reaches him, Yéitso will come to life again." Hearing this, Nayénĕzgani again drew a line with his knife on the ground, and again the blood piled up and stopped flowing. The blood of Yéitso fills all the valley to-day, and the high cliffs in the black rock that we see there now are the places where Nayénĕzgani stopped the flow with his peshál.129

329. They then put the broken arrows of Yéitso and his scalp into his basket and set out for their home near Dsĭlnáotĭl. When they got near the house, they took off their own suits of armor and hid these, with the basket and its contents, in the bushes. The mothers were rejoiced to see them, for they feared their sons were lost, and they said: "Where have you been since you left here yesterday, and what have you done?" Nayénĕzgani replied: "We have been to the house of our father, the Sun. We have been to Tsótsĭl and we have slain Yéitso." "Ah, my child," said Estsánatlehi, "do not speak thus. It is wrong to make fun of such an awful subject." "Do you not believe us?" said Nayénĕzgani; "come out, then, and see what we have brought back with us." He led the women out to where he had hidden the basket and showed them the trophies of Yéitso. Then they were convinced and they rejoiced, and had a dance to celebrate the victory.130

330. When their rejoicings were done, Nayénĕzgani said to his mother: "Where does Téelgĕt131 dwell?" "Seek not to know," she answered, "you have done enough. Rest contented. The land of the anáye is a dangerous place. The anáye are hard to kill." "Yes, and it was hard for you to bear your child," the son replied (meaning