Page 224 - TheHopiIndians

216 MESA FOLK OF HOPILAND

grass waist high, there were no cares, the people were
happy and long-lived, the gods propitious, Urukiwa,
the wind-god, did not drive away the rains; now all
this was changed.
The Walpi spokesman then in his turn pointed out
the benefits which the white man had brought. Said
he:
' ' What were we before the white man from the far
water came? Half naked, working our scanty crops
with hoes of wood, often suffering from famine as the
traditions relate, without sheep and beasts of burden,
without peach trees and many vegetables,, without
sugar, flour and tobacco, and driven from place to
place in the deserts by our ancient enemies. Where
did you get your shirt, your cotton cloth, and your
hoe T Has not Wasintona given us wagons and many
other things, and protected us from the Navaho and
Apache ? The white man is posh lolomi, ' very good. ' ' '
The old man seemed vexed at the force of this argu
ment, and he began a speech which lasted, it seemed
to the listeners, about two hours. It is a loss to sci
ence that this speech could not be taken down. As
near as could be gathered he began at the beginning
when the people came up from the underworld, and
traced the history through its various stages, detailing
the events, weaving in ancient lore arguing, expand
ing, and digressing until he brought it down to the
present.
As he drew his remarks to a close, a blast of wind
charged with sand blew down the canvas sun-shade.
The old chief found in this a corroboration of his
contention, and, in the confusion, seized his hoe and a
can of peaches, which was a present, and made off