the
starlight. "I sabez!" he said at last. "Blood of man, it no belong to
self but to tribe. So with Injuns. So with some whites. Not so with
_hombres_."

Again the eagle, disturbed by voices, dipped across the canyon. "See,
Suma-theek, make the story for me," said Jim. "There are the eagle and
the flag so young and the Elephant so old. Make the story for me."

There was a long silence once more. The desert wind sighed over the two
men. The noise of building came up faintly from below but the radiance
of the stars was here undimmed.

Finally Suma-theek spoke:

"Long, long, many, many years ago, before whites were born, Injuns lived
far away to the west, maybe across the great water. All Injuns then had
one chief. He very great, very wise, very strong. But he no have son. He
heap wise. He know, man no stronger than number of his sons. He get old.
No have son. Then he call all young men of tribe to him, and say: 'That
young man shall be my son who shows me in one year the strongest thing
in world, stronger than sun, stronger than wind, stronger than desert,
than mountains, than rivers at flood.'

"All young men, they start out to hunt. All time they bring back to old
chief strong medicine, like rattlesnake poison, like ropes of yucca
fiber, like fifty coyotes fastened together. But that old chief he laugh
and shake his head.

"One day young buck named Theeka, he start off with bow and arrow. He
say he won't come back until he sure. Theeka, he walk through desert
many days. Injuns no have horses then. Walk till he get where no man go
before. And far, far away on burning sand, he see heap big animal move.
It was bigger than a hundred coyotes made into one. Theeka he run, get
pretty close, see this animal is elephant.

"And he say to self, 'There is strongest thing in world.' And he start
follow this elephant. Many days he follow, never get closer. The more he
follow, the more he want that elephant. One morning he see other dot
move in desert. Dot come closer. It woman, young woman, much beautiful.
She never say word. She just run long by Theeka.

"All time he look from elephant to her. All time he feel he love her.
All time he think he no speak to her for fear he lose sight of elephant.
By'mby, beautiful girl, she fall, no get up again. Theeka, he run on but
his heart, it ache. By'mby he no can stand it. He give one look at
elephant, say, 'Good-by, you strongest thing! I go back to her I love.'
Then his spirit, i