win the axe in war from the hand of him who holds it, shall be our

chief. But if he who holds the axe dies unconquered, then his son

takes his place and with it the axe. It has been thus, indeed, for

four generations, since he who held Groan-Maker has always been

unconquerable. But I have heard that the great-grandfather of Jikiza

won the axe from him who held it in his day; he won it by fraud. For

when the axe had fallen on him but lightly, he fell over, feigning

death. Then the owner of the axe laughed, and turned to walk away. But