Page 240 - TheHopiIndians

232 MESA FOLK OF HOPILAXD

of himself, for no one has succeeded in getting ahead
of him at a bargain. Of course when a pair of sheep
shears or a stone is too frequently found in a bag of
wool after weighing, people will suspect cheating. It
is well to keep watch on Chakwaina !
On the other hand, Chakwaina was one of the first
to move down permanently from the mesa when the
Government offered inducements to the Hopi to
descend from their eyrie. He has always been friend
ly to the white people ; he aided in the establishment
of a day school at the "Sun Spring," and used his
influence to persuade the people to send pupils to
the school at Ream's Canyon. He has also traveled
much, adding Spanish, Xavaho, and a smattering of
"American" to his Hopi-Tewan repertory of lan
guages, for the Tewa, besides being the most pro
gressive inhabitants of Tusayan, are the best linguists.
This is due to the fact that the people of the little
town of Hano have preserved their own language, and
being within a stone-throw of Walpi, must also know
Hopi. Hence the step toward learning other tongues
is made easier.
Chakwaina has his house near Ishba, or "wolf
spring, ' ' in very picturesque surroundings. Below, in
the wash, are his cornfields and melon patches, show
ing skillful engineering in diverting the water on the
arable ground by means of dams and wings. Here
he and his faithful adjutant, "Tom Sawyer," the
Paiute, put in many a laborious hour, the latter waging