andmother who belonged to the
Holy Ones. Her home was well kept, clean and comfortable, and the boys
were glad to rest. Said she, "My grandchildren, your journey is long and
many trials will beset you before you reach the end. Take these life
feathers; they will help you; if difficulties befall you, use them," and
she gave to each two feathers plucked from a living eagle.

The boys took the feathers, thanked her, and resumed their journey. After
travelling a long way they came to a ridge of loose, yellow sand. It
afforded poor footing for an ascent, but the boys struggled to the top,
only to have the whole side of the ridge slide and carry them back. Three
times the bank gave way as they were about to reach its crest; on the
fourth trial they bethought themselves of the sacred feathers, and putting
them on their feet marched readily over.

They travelled unimpeded then for quite a long distance, in time coming to
four rows of tall, thorny reeds with spiked branches. The reeds grew far
enough apart to permit travellers to pass into them, but closed whenever
the unwary allowed himself to be caught, and he never escaped. The boys
marched boldly up to the reeds and started in, then darted back quickly.
The reeds closed instantly, but did not catch them. Then they put the life
feathers on their feet again and jumped over all four rows.

The next obstacle was a deep canon with precipitous walls. This, however,
was not a serious impediment, for the life feathers, as before, helped
them to cross it in one bound. By nightfall the boys had arrived at a
broad, beautiful meadow where lived the Wosakidi, or Grasshopper People,
who received them kindly, giving them food and beds for the night. On
being asked whither they were bound, the boys replied that they were
journeying to the home of the Sun, their father, whom they had never seen.

The Wosakidi cautioned the boys of dangers ahead, and as they were about
to depart in the morning gave them little balls of yellow sputum to put in
their mouths to prevent poisoning, should they find it necessary to eat or
smoke among hostile people, and two sacred wands of turquoise and white
shell. Two of the Wosakidi also accompanied them for a time as guides.

They had not been long on their way when they came to a place where the
trail ran between two high, smooth-faced bowlders. "These," said their
Wosakidi companions, "are the Bumping Rocks. If you step into that narrow
passageway between