June, 1902. Thk Mishongnovi Ckkemonies- Dorsev. 231 



PI. CV, a). Namurztiwa then took a particle of clay from the stone 

 which had been I3 ing at the left of the cloud symbols, and smeared a 

 small portion of it on the bottom of the foot of each of the runners, 

 the explanation of this being, so it was said, to induce the rain 

 clouds to come more quickly, the mud having been taken from a 

 spring. While the men who were soon to take part in the race 

 now stood in line awaiting the signal (see PI. CV, />), Namurz- 

 tiwa began walking toward the village, passing over successively the 

 second and third set of cloud symbols, until he reached the fourth, 

 or the one nearest the' village. While he had been doing this, the 

 two Kalehtakas had twirled their bull roarers and shot their lightning 

 frames over the shrine. They now started in the direction of the 

 fourth set of symbols, but one went at one side of the path and the 

 other at the other side. In making the journey from the first to the 

 second set and from the second to the third and from the third to the 

 fourth, tliey described two spiral curves crossing each other at each 

 cloud symbol, and taking opposite sides of the path as they 

 met each set of "cloud symbols. Their arrival at the fourth cloud 

 symbol, where Namurztiwa was awaiting them, was the signal for the 

 start of the race, all of the runners starting forward simultaneously, 

 yelling vociferously as they passed each set of cloud symbols. The 

 race was now one of deadly earnestness, and made an extremely 

 pretty picture, with the men strung out in a long line, their bodies 

 glistening with the early morning sun, while the noise, produced by 

 the bells on their legs, could be heard at a long distance. Namurz- 

 tiwa having started at the head of the line of racers was the first to 

 appear up the trail of the mesa, where he stopped at the edge of the 

 first terrace. Shortly after the first of the racers made his appear- 

 ance, having easily outdistanced the remainder of the line ; as he passed 

 Namurztiwa he was handed the ring and viongwikuru, and went on up 

 to the kiva (see PI. CVI, a). The winner proved to be a young 

 man by the name of Talahkuiwa. He was not a member of either the 

 Snake or the Antelope Fraternity. Namurztiwa now sprinkled meal 

 on the trail and deposited four nakwakwosis, and awaited the arrival 

 of the two Kalehtakas. In the meantime, others of the racers had 

 arrived at this point where they halted, sat down on the rock, and 

 waited (sfee PI. CVI I). Soon the first Kalehtaka appeared, and 

 when he had reached the trail near the spot where Namurztiwa had 

 deposited the nakwakwosi, he faced the east, shot the lightning frame 

 once, and then twirled the bull roarer four times. He now re- 

 mained standing by the side of and to the east of Namurztiwa, 

 awaiting the second Kalehtaka, who soon appeared, and at once 



