Then the people were happy, for there was plenty of water; and they brought much food and made a great feast. But while they were feasting it grew dark and began to rain. The river also kept rising until at last it overflowed its bank. Then the people became frightened and they tried to stop up the spring in the river, but they could not do so. Then the old men said: “We must flee to the mountains, for the river gods are angry and we shall all be drowned.” So the people fled toward the mountains and all but two of them were overtaken by the water and drowned. The two who escaped were a brother and sister named Wígan and Búgan—Wígan on Mt. Amúyao and Búgan on Kalauítan. And the water continued to rise until all the Earth World was covered excepting only the peaks of these two mountains.
The water remained on the earth for a whole season or from rice planting to rice harvest.[63] During that time Wígan and Búgan lived on fruits and nuts from the forests that covered the tops of the two mountains. Búgan had fire which at night lit up the peak of Kalauítan, and Wígan knew that there was someone else alive besides himself. He had no fire, and suffered much from the cold.
At last the waters receded from the earth and left it covered with the rugged mountains and deep valleys that exist to-day; and the solitary brother and sister, looking down from their respective peaks, were filled with wonder at the sight.
III
The repopulation of the Earth World.—As soon as the earth was dry, Wígan journeyed to Kalauítan where he found his sister Búgan, and their reunion was most joyous. They descended the mountain and wandered about until they came to the beautiful valley that is to-day the dwelling place of the Banáuol clan—and here Wígan built a house. When the house was finished, Búgan dwelt in the upper part and Wígan slept beneath.
Having provided for the comfort of his sister, Wígan started out to find if there were not other people left alive in the Earth World. He traveled about all the day and returned to the house at night to sleep. He did this for three days, and then as he was coming back on the third evening he said to himself that there were no other people in the world but themselves, and if the world was to be repopulated it must be through them. * * * At last Búgan realized that she was pregnant. She burst into violent weeping, and, heaping reproaches on his head, ran blindly away toward the East, following the course of the river. After traveling a long way, and being overcome with grief and fatigue, Búgan sank down upon the bank of the river and lay there trembling and sobbing.[64] After having quieted herself somewhat, she arose and looked around her, and what was her surprise to see sitting on a rock near her an old man with a long white beard! He approached her and said: “Do not be afraid, daughter! I am Maknón͠gan, and I am aware of your trouble, and I have come to tell you that it is all right!” While he was speaking, Wígan, who had followed his sister, appeared on the scene. Then Maknón͠gan placed the sanction and blessing of the gods upon their marriage, assuring them that they had done right, and that through them the world must be repeopled. He told them to return to their house, and whenever they were in trouble to offer sacrifices to the gods. After Búgan had become convinced in this manner, they left Maknón͠gan and returned home.
In the course of time nine children were born to Wígan and Búgan, five sons and four daughters. The four oldest sons married the four daughters, and from them are descended all of the people of the Earth World. The youngest son, who was named Igon, had no wife.[65]
IV
The sacrifice of Igon.—One year the crops failed, there was much sickness, and everything went wrong. Then Wígan remembered the advice of Maknón͠gan, and he told his sons to procure an animal for the sacrifice. They caught a rat and sacrificed it, but the evil conditions were not remedied. Then they went out into the forest and captured a large snake and sacrificed it to the gods, but the disease and crop failure still continued. Then Wígan said: “The sacrifice is not great enough, for the gods do not hear! Take your brother Igon, who has no wife, and sacrifice him!” So they bound Igon, and sacrificed him, and called upon the gods. And Maknón͠gan came, and all the other great gods, to the feast. And they took away the sickness, and filled the granaries with rice, and increased the chickens, the pigs, and the children. Then Maknón͠gan said to the people: “It is well, but you have committed an evil in spilling human blood and have thereby brought war and fighting into the world. Now you must separate to the north, south, east, and west, and not live together any more. And when ye have need to sacrifice to the gods, do not offer rats, snakes, or your children, but take pigs and chickens only.”
And one of the sons of Wígan went to the north, and one to the south, and one to the east, and one to the west; and from them are descended the peoples of the Earth World, who fight and kill one another to this day because of the sacrifice of Igon.