The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-06

their brethren below. At the bottom life
might bo supported on fish and stray
fowl, and on the sides of their rocky
prison grew bushes and stunted trees
which yielded an abundance of berries and
plnoles In season. SO tho little band set
about to begin life again. First OF all
they sought to build path To their I'M
prisone~~ brothers on the upper mesa.
Their numbers were few and they had
only such rude Implements at hand AS
might be made from the tough young
saplings. Each day saw them painfully
and slowly advancing upward, but each
day told upon the hungry and suffering
people IN the aerial prison As the days
passed by tho workers made feverish
haste Sometimes, when the winds wero
still, they could hear the cries of anguish
and distress floating out upon the still
air. Then they would see the glaring
eager eyes as the despairng creatures
hung over the precipice and shouted for
aid. At times the steady monotone OF the
workers would be broken by a .shriek,
and, glancing upward they would sec be-
tween them and the sun the body OF some
one OF their demented kindred, who had
hurled himself into the abyss.
At last the workers reached the summit,
but To their horror not one Of their kins-
men was left. Strewed about in all
manner Of shapes were the remains OF
their loved ones and friends. Their
4
story of their death if it had not already
been known. Sadly and after the bar
barrie rites of their people, the remains
were committed 20 their final rest and their
companions returned TO what seemed
hopeless lives below.
But the Ava-Supis were brave and
patient, even in the shadow Of despair.
They set about and gathered large guam
Titles of the fruits and nuts, storing them
away for the winter season. lhe 1lsh
they dried To the same purpose. Then they
resolved TO continue the road from the
upper mesa still upward, with the hope
that perhaps they might again reach their
old homes. The work was slow. Almost
"a generation had passed before they
reached the broad mesas where once had
been their homes They saw nothing.
The plains stretched away on every side
in utter barrenness. Their only home,
after all, was down in the deep canyon
where the Great Spirit had sent them.
Sorrowfully they returned, and yet with
lighter hearts than they had known FOR
many days Most of them now had been
born in the shadow of the mighty walls.
There they would he contented TO live,
and perhaps, il they accepted the vengeance
that had been visited upon their fathers
and themselves in due meekness OF spirit,
il would not be counted against them
when they died and reached their home
behind the stars.
The tradition continues 10 relate how
men from other tribes generations after
ward, found the pathway hewn with so
much toll and care and came and settled
among the Ava-Supis. Gradually inter
course sprang up with the outside world.
From the Moqui villages they obtained
seeds Of many kinds and grew from year
TO year into Semi-civilized pursuits.
All traditions have more or less founda-
ton. though sometimes, and indeed. often,
IL is very meager. It Is possible that the
narrow defile which is now the happy
home of the Ava-Supis was the result of one
of those fearful earthquakes which in times
past were not at all uncommon in these
latitudes The mesa above is covered for
miles around with debris and volcanic
deposit, indicating mighty earth dis
turbance at some time