irected to the Koshare Naua. The
latter turned to Tyope, saying,--

"Speak, satyumishe nashtio." He squatted again.

The eyes of all, Topanashka's excepted, who did not for a moment divert
his gaze from the chief of the Delight Makers, were fixed on Tyope. He
rose and dryly said,--

"I saw when Shotaye Koitza and Say Koitza, the daughter of our father
the maseua,"--everybody now looked at the war-chief in astonishment,
dismay, or sorrow; but he remained completely impassive,--"who lives in
the abodes of Tanyi hanutsh, caused the black corn to answer their
questions. And there were owl's feathers along with the corn. It was
night, and I could not hear what they said. It was in the beginning of
winter; not last winter, but the winter before."

"Is that all?" inquired the Hishtanyi Chayan in turn. It displeased him
to hear that Tyope had been eavesdropping in the dark,--the man had no
business in the big house at night.

"I know also," continued Tyope, "that Shotaye gathered the feathers
herself on the kauash toward the south."

"Did you see her?"

"Yes," boldly asserted Tyope. He lied, for he dared not tell the truth;
namely, that the young Navajo was his informant.

"Is that all?" queried the Hishtanyi again.

"After we, the Koshare, had prayed and done penance in our own kaaptsh I
at one time went back to the timbers on which we climb up to the cave.
At their foot, below the rocks, I found this!"

He drew from beneath his wrap a little bundle, and handed it to the
shaman, who examined it closely and gave it to his colleagues, who
subjected the object to an equally thorough investigation. Those sitting
along the wall bent forward curiously, until at last the bundle was
turned over to them also. So it went from hand to hand, each one passing
it to the next with sighs and marks of thorough disgust. The bundle was
composed of owl's feathers tied to a flake of black obsidian.

"I found a second one," quietly said Tyope, pulling forth a similar
bunch. Now the council gave demonstrations not only of amazement but of
violent indignation; the shamans and Topanashka alone remained calm.
Both bunches were given to the tapop, who placed them on the floor
before him.

The Hishtanyi Chayan inquired further,--

"Where did you find the feathers? Say it once more."

"At the foot of the rocks, where we ascend to our estufa on
cross-timbers."

"Did you see who put them there?"

"No."

"When do you think they were pl