CHAPTER XVII
As they flew far upward and were lost to sight on high, Snipe and his companion looked down at the lower jaw of the lizard plowing the earth like a shovel, and it was a fearful thing to see. It was plain their fellows must all be dead, and they returned and told Aiwohikupua what they had seen.
Then Kalahumoku, Aiwohikupua's great man-eating dog, was fetched to go and kill the lizard, then to destroy the sisters of Aiwohikupua.
When Kalahumoku, the man-eating dog from Tahiti, came into the presence of his grandchild (Aiwohikupua), "Go up this very day and destroy my sisters," said Aiwohikupua, "and bring Laieikawai."
Before the dog went up to destroy Aiwohikupua's sisters the dog first instructed the chief, and the chiefs under him, and all the men, as follows: "Where are you? While I am away, you watch the uplands. When the clouds rise straight up, if they turn leeward then I have met Kihanuilulumoku and you will know that we have made friends. But if the clouds turn to the windward, there is trouble; I have fought with that lizard. Then pray to your god, to Lanipipili; if you see the clouds turn, seaward, the lizard is the victor; but when the clouds ascend and turn toward the mountain top, then the lizard has melted away; we have prevailed.[54] Then keep on praying until I return."[55]
After giving his instructions, the dog set out up the mountain, and Aiwohikupua sent with him Snipe and Turnstone as messengers to report the deeds of the dog and the lizard.
When the dog had come close to Paliuli, Kihanuilulumoku was asleep at the time; he was suddenly startled from sleep; he was awakened by the scent of a dog. By that time the lizard was too late for the dog, who went on until he reached the princess's first guardian.
Then the lizard took a sniff, the guardian god of Paliuli, and recognized Kalahumoku, the marvel of Tahiti; then the lizard lifted his upper jaw to begin the fight with Kalahumoku.
Instantly the dog showed his teeth at the lizard, and the fight began; then the lizard was victor over Kalahumoku and the dog just escaped without ears or tail.
At the beginning of the fight the messengers returned to tell
Aiwohikupua of this terrible battle.
When they heard from Snipe and his companion of this battle between the lizard and the dog, Aiwohikupua looked toward the mountain.
As they looked the clouds rose straight up, and no short time after turned seaward, then Aiwohikupua knew that the lizard had prevailed and Aiwohikupua regretted the defeat of their side.
In the evening of the day of the fight between the two marvelous creatures Kalahumoku came limping back exhausted; when the chief looked him over, gone were the ears and tail inside the lizard.
So Aiwohikupua resolved to depart, since they were vanquished. They departed and came to Kauai and told the story of the journey and of the victory of the lizard over them. (This was the third time that Aiwohikupua had been to Paliuli after Laieikawai without fulfilling his mission.)
Having returned to Kauai without Laieikawai, Aiwohikupua gave up thinking about Laieikawai and resolved to carry out the commands of Poliahu.
At this time Aiwohikupua, with his underchiefs and the women of his household, clapped hands in prayer before Lanipipili, his god, to annul his vow.
And he obtained favor in the presence of his god, and was released from his sinful vow "not to take any woman of these islands to wife," as has been shown in the former chapters of this story.
After the ceremonies at Kauai, he sent his messengers, the Snipe and the
Turnstone, to go and announce before Poliahu the demands of the chief.
In their bird bodies they flew swiftly to Hinaikamalama's home at Hana and came and asked the people of the place, "Where is the woman who is betrothed to the chief of Kauai?"
"She is here," answered the natives of the place.
They went to meet the princess of Hana.
The messengers said to the princess, "We have been sent hither to tell you the command of your betrothed husband. You have three months to prepare for the marriage, and in February, on the night of the seventeenth, the night of Kulu, he will come to meet you, according to the oath between you."
When the princess had heard these words the messengers returned and came to Aiwohikupua.
Asked the chief, "Did you two meet Poliahu?"
"Yes," said the messengers, "we told her, as you commanded, to prepare herself; Poliahu inquired, 'Does he still remember the game of konane between us?'"
"Perhaps so," answered the messengers.
When Aiwohikupua heard the messengers' words he suspected that they had not gone to Poliahu; then Aiwohikupua asked to make sure, "How did you two fly?"
Said they, "We flew past an island, flew on to some long islands—a large, island like the one we first passed, two little islands like one long island, and a very little island; we flew along the east coast of that island and came to a house below the hills covered with shade; there we found Poliahu; that was how it was."
Said Aiwohikupua, "You did not find Poliahu; this was Hinaikainalama."
Now for this mistake of the messengers the rage of Aiwohikupua was stirred against his messengers, and they ceased to be among his favorites.
At this, Snipe and his companion decided to tell the secrets prohibited to the two by their master. Now how they carried out their intrigue, you will see in Chapter XVIII.