He found the old Hlahi. He had not finished his night’s work yet. This Hlahi was Kopus Kiemila.
“Old man, you must stop awhile,” said Lutchi. “Olelbis lost his wife, Mem Loimis, years ago. He has two children, and he and all the people are very dry; they are thirsting, they are dying for want of water. He wants you to come and see if you can tell us what to do to bring water back to Olelpanti. Olelbis will give you five sacks of acorns for your pay. You must sing five nights for these five sacks. They are old acorns.”
“I will do that,” said Kopus. “I will go with you.”
Lutchi returned to Olelpanti with Kopus, who was called also Pori Kipanamas, which means a man wearing a headband of fresh oak leaves with two green acorns thrust in on each side. His face was painted with acorn mould. A great many people were waiting there, all very dry, very thirsty,—all hoping for water.
“I sent for you to come,” said Olelbis, “and you must hlaha[2] five nights. All my people, all my children, are dry. I am dry myself. I lost my wife five years ago. I don’t know where she went, and we have no water since she left us. I want you to sing and to dance. I want you to find out where my wife is.”
[2] Hlaha means, “to perform as a Hlahi, or doctor.”
When night came, Olelbis gave a pipe filled with tobacco to Kopus and said, “Now you must hlaha.”
Kopus smoked, became tunindili,—that is, possessed. A Tsudi yapaitu came to him and began to chant. The yapaitu, speaking through Kopus, said,—
“I have looked all around the world, I have looked everywhere; every smell has come to my nose, every sight to my eyes, every sound to my ears, but to-night nothing comes to me. I cannot see, I cannot hear, I cannot smell.” And he stopped.
“I am going to dance the spirit dance,” said Kopus. “Who will sing for me?”