At length its visits became so frequent that the people were afraid to leave their lodges, and so a great council was called, to see what could be done to get rid of the monster.
At this council one of the young braves said, “I will go out and try to snare the bird. I will offer my life to save my people.”
“WITH A TERRIBLE CRY THE GREAT MOSQUITO FLEW DOWN WITH HIS ENORMOUS WINGS OUTSTRETCHED”
The young man cut strong bands of rawhide. [!-- original location of illustration --] He said, “I will try to throw one of these bands about the great bird, and snare him before he ends my life. Then you must come and kill him.”
So the young brave started out, and when he reached a bare place on the mountain side he sat down on the ground and sang his death-song while he waited.
Presently, with a terrible cry, the great Mosquito flew down with his enormous wings outstretched, and just as he buried his talons in the young warrior’s flesh, the brave youth sprang erect, threw one of the rawhide thongs about the foot of the bird and bound him to the rock.
The men of the tribe who had watched the conflict ran to the mountain side and let fly their arrows. Soon the great Mosquito lay dead upon the rocks.
There was great rejoicing in the village. The news was spread by runners, so that braves both young and old came from neighboring tribes to see the body of the monstrous bird.