When the black dog leaped through the door the chief cried out, “There is the black dog belonging to Papa.”
When the red dog followed he said, “That is the red dog of Wakea.”
Then came the white dog, and the chief cried out, “That white dog belongs to us, O Chiefess.”
After this they prepared for a feast. The chiefess said: “Very far is the sweet water we wish. You send one of your men and I will send one of my women each with a calabash for water. If your man comes back first while we eat, we will marry.”
The chief gave a calabash to Mama-loa and he made ready to go—a woman with her calabash standing by his side.
At the word they started on their race. The man ran swiftly, thinking there was no one among all men so swift as he, but the woman passed him and was leaving him far behind. [[79]]
The chief called Pana-pololei, the straight shooter, and told him they needed his skill. He took his bow and arrows and shot. Far, far the arrow sped and whizzed just back of the head of the woman. She was so startled that she stumbled and fell to the ground and the man passed by.
After a time the chief said to Ike-loa, the far-sighted, “How are they running now?”
The servant said, “The woman is again winning.”
The chief said to his rat-hunter, “Perhaps you have another arrow?” and again an arrow sped after the swift runners. It grazed the back of the woman and she fell. Mama-loa passed her, rushed to the spring, filled his calabash and started back. But the woman was very swift, and, quickly dipping her calabash, turned and soon passed the man. An arrow sped touching the head of the woman, and she fell forward, breaking the calabash and spilling the water; but she leaped up and saved a little water and hastened after the man who had sped past her.