Then Cold-nose’s backers went to him and said:  “Here, Cold-nose, I see pretty plainly now our side will never get the best of it; I am sure that the stranger will beat us, for you see how our man was killed by just a push from his hand; when he gives a real blow the man will fly into bits.  Now, I advise you to dismiss the contestants and put an end to the game and stop challenging the stranger.  So, you go up to the stranger and shake hands,[29] you two, and welcome him, to let the people see that the fight is altogether hushed up.”

These words roused Cold-nose to hot wrath and he said:  “Here! you backers of mine, don’t be afraid, don’t get frightened because that man of ours was killed by a push from his hand.  Didn’t I do the same thing here some days ago?  Then what are you afraid of?  And now I tell you if you fear the stranger, then hide your eyes in the blue sky.  When you hear that Cold-nose has conquered, then remember my blow called The-end-that-sang, the fruit of the tree which you have never tasted, the master’s stroke which you have never learned.  By this sign I know that he will never get the better of me, the end of my girdle sang to-day."[30]

At these words of Cold-nose his supporters said, “Where are you!  We say no more; there is nothing left to do; we are silent before the fruit of this tree of yours which you say we have never tasted, and you say, too, that the end of your girdle has sung; maybe you will win through your girdle!” Then his backers moved away from the crowd.

While Cold-nose was boasting to his backers how he would overcome Aiwohikupua, then Aiwohikupua moved up and cocked his eye at Cold-nose, flapped with his arms against his side like a cock getting ready to crow, and said to Cold-nose, “Here, Cold-nose! strike me right in the stomach, four time four blows!”

When Cold-nose heard Aiwohikupua’s boasting challenge to strike, then he glanced around the crowd and saw someone holding a very little child; then said Cold-nose to Aiwohikupua, “I am not the man to strike you; that little youngster there, let him strike you and let him be your opponent.”

These words enraged Aiwohikupua.  Then a flush rose all over his body as if he had been dipped in the blood of a lamb.[31] He turned right to the crowd and said, “Who will dare to defy the Kauai boy, for I say to him, my god can give me victory over this man, and my god will deliver the head of this mighty one to be a plaything for my paddlers.”

Then Aiwohikupua knelt down and prayed to his gods as follows:  “O you Heavens, Lightning, and Rain, O Air, O Thunder and Earthquake!  Look upon me this day, the only child of yours left upon this earth.  Give this day all your strength unto your child; by your might turn aside his fists from smiting your child, and I beseech you to give me the head of Ihuanu into my hand to be a plaything for my paddlers, that all this assembly may see that I have power over this uncircumcised[32] one.  Amen."[33]