The Lamar register., 1891-12-19
DESTROYED THE TOWN.
WHY THEY SAVED THE WOMEN
AND CHILDREN.
Curious Bit OF Folk Lore Found Anon.
the indians of Acknowledged
Rests ON a Foundation SIX
Centuries Old.

hoqui man. told me. says a writer in
the Chicago Herald.
"Sikyatky" means yellow house /"
sikyatky was one of the ancient tovpa
,f the Moquis' enemies in the times
when the rivers were wider and tho
white man had never seen even the
,allest peaks of the mountains. Tn.
young corn people who came from the
east lived there, They were very
waritke people and proud race. But
they were not SO old as the Snakes
who came much earlier. and lived upon
the mesa The SylSs and the Snakes
lusrreled over water and the Young
singers OF the Snakes came over from
Walpi and tormented the Syks. for
they could throw so true as 70 hit n
bird in a tree SO the Syks put up
two towers in their village and after
that they had the best OF the fighting
30 long as they remained at home.
But they were not content with that
They wanted TO destroy the Snakes so
'hcro would De plenty OF water.
One day n Syk prOwled about walrL
tho village OF the Snakes up there on
the mesa and he saw maiden al ~,
window. She was a very beautiful
girl and the daughter OF a chief The
Syk took his bow and arrow. and
when no one was looking he leaped
upon rock and shot the maiden.
HIS arrow went through her neck.
Then her brothers heart was very
heavy, He loved his beautiful sister
and resolved to ayenCe her death.
But he did not say what he meant to
do. He waited till the Syks cels brated
the corn dance and he attended it 1t
was the custom for all those VINO took
part in tho games at this festival 70
wear helmets which hid their faces
tina, no one might tell who they were
There was no one In the village
VINO could run so fast as he nor any
one who could throw him down. He
won the prize and then. as that was
tho way Of the SySs. ho selected from
among the women watching the
sports the most beautiful maiden and
he climbed up 70 where she sat in the
wall OF the tower. He had In his
hand tho token Of his victory in the
games and this he offered 70 her. As
she leaned forward 20 receive It.
smiling upon him. and while all tho
people wondered who her brave lover
might be, no drcw his stone knife and
killed her. All tho Syks spranE up
and cried out when they saw her fall
They were mad. because they believed
this must DC Snake Then they
yer, surprised. for he threw OF the
helmet and they saw It was the brother
Of Tho girl who had been killed. And
the maiden he had stabbed was ths
only sister OF the bowman who had
slain the girl in WAlpL
All the Sy<s dArtsd after him. but
be climbed swiftly up the wall OF the
mesa, stopping only To cast stones AZ
them from his sling TIL he reached his
home But the Syks raised an army
and beFan again the war against the
Snakes. The battle ragged every day
and every night Not man from
either tribe could go away from homo,
for his women and children would be
killed while he was gone Many poo
pie were killed while tending their
gardens or their hocEs and the corn
Of the Syk- could not ripen because
the Snakes would not let them have
water enough 70 OIL the ditchesl
After great many years, when the
Young Snake whose sister had been
shot with an arrow had become war
chief an old Snake was coming home
one night carrying a bundle OF wood.
lie WAS very old and very good. But
he wa. tired climbing up the mesa
with his heavy load. He sat down on
a stone and Was thinking. His heart
WAS very heavy, for the war had been
going against his people and the Syks
had been able to get water for their
land. and the corn was ready to plant
While he sat there thinking a spirit
came to him. II was the girl who
had been shot by the Syke youth rs
she sat AZ her window. She told the
old man that Tomorrow the Syks
would plant their corn, and all the
men in the tribe would be in the fields.
for that was the custom OF the people.
sha told the old man 10 go to the war
chief and get him TO lead the Snakes
against the Syks as soon as the sun
was up
When they had all gone the war
chief bounded down into the town with
his men and they drove all the women
and children out but they burned up
ALI the houses and they tore down the
two towers. Then the Syks had no
place to fight and they were driven
away from the country. There are no
more Of them in the world and their
country and their springs are in the
a.. GraL-aS
When the war chief came to die his
men asked him why he had saved the
women and the children OF the Syk
village. and he told them the spirit OF
his sister whispered to him ms he lay
there in the starlight waiting for the
enemy to go out to plant that there
was beside her, though he could not
see. the girl who had been killed the
day of the corn dance His sister told
him she loved the girl and wanted
him to keep alive all women and chill
drep. and take care OF them in the
village OF the Snakes. And after that
no Snake or Moqui Indian had ever
~,