, be ready; we must play to-day."
Then he looked in and saw Juiwaiyu sitting between the two sisters. "I know now who that man is; he is from the east. Feed him well, dress him well, father-in-law; we must have fun before he goes from here. He must show what he can do before he leaves us."
The old man went out and scolded Kechowala:
[paragraph continues] "You talk loud, you want fat venison; that's what you have come for, that's why you are at this sweat-house."
Jupka heard all that Kechowala said.
"I will go home now," said Kechowala, "and be here after breakfast."
"My son-in-law will be killed to-day," said Pahnino Marimi; "what can we do? They are going to kill our son-in-law who brings so much venison. Stay in the house, do not go out," said Pahnino.
"Do not go out," said the brothers; "we will meet those people."
All looked, and saw a great crowd coming from the west. The brothers-in-law were coming, and when near they shouted to Damhauja's sons. The two sisters tried to stop Juiwaiyu.
"Let me go, wives," said he, "let me go. If I stay here, they will call me a coward; I will let no one give me that name."
"I want to see that new man who is here," cried Kechowala, "I want to talk with him."
"I will go out," said Juiwaiyu, to his wives. "My father and mother told me of this place. I know what it is."
"Come out!" called Kechowala at the door, "come out; don't be afraid of us, don't be a coward."
"I will come when I am ready, I will meet you."
Kechowala went to his people. "He will be here soon," said he.
All laughed; all were glad. "If he comes," thought they, "we will kill him."
Juiwaiyu went out and stood on the house-top, looked around, looked at his enemies, went down slowly, went as if he did not like to meet them.
"Why are you afraid?" asked Kechowala. "Do you think that we will hurt you?"
He went to them, he sat on a stone. He had but one arrow, and that without a point. This was a staff which his uncle had given him. The playground was beyond a hill at some distance from the sweat-house. "Stand up and play," said the sons-in-law; and they pushed Juiwaiyu to throw him, but he did not fall. All went to the playground. Juiwaiyu caught the bones on his club at the middle point, then hurled them; ran and caught them the second time, ran again, put the bones beyond the barrier. He did the same a second time, and won the first game. He won two games; no one else could win.
"Well," said the western brothers-in-law, "we have never seen any one play bone like him. We will try him in some other way."
Next they gave him a start in racing. The race was to a mountain opposite. Juiwaiyu was to get there first if he was able. They thought to strike him from behind, kill him easily, but they could not come near him. He was at the mountain before they had run half the distance. In the afternoon they played bone a second time. They thought to kill him surely in this way. Between the middle of the playground and Juiwaiyu's barrier they put a great poison spider right on the path where Juiwaiyu was to run, Jupka knew their plan,
and pointed out the spider to his nephew. Juiwaiyu jumped on the spider, crushed it right away before it could turn to poison him; then he took the bones beyond the barrier.
He went back to the middle of the playground. Kechowala's men said nothing, made no mention of the spider. Juiwaiyu took the bones beyond the barrier that time, and won the second inning. This made the first game of the afternoon. While they were making ready for the second game, Kechowala had flint knives and spear-points put on the path so that Juiwaiyu should fall and kill himself.
They commenced the second game. Juiwaiyu took the bones from all and ran ahead, ran quickly. When near the knives and spear-points, Jupka told him where they were; he came down between some, sprang over others, took the bones beyond the barrier, came back as if nothing had been put upon his path; went a second time and won the second game.
He had beaten all who had played against him. They were very angry. "We must kill him surely in another way," said Ke