246 Kansas Academy of Science. 



returned to the public square in front of the estufa. From that 

 time on they mingled with the populace in the streets and plaza, 

 feasted, danced, crow-hopped, or posed, as the "spirit moved" each 

 individual or the whole group collectively till the close of the dance. 



Soon after the god-clowns had begun their march around the 

 village twelve men, dressed or undressed, as each one's fancy dic- 

 tated, their faces whitened with paint, issued from the estufa, and 

 began to chant a rude rhythmic shouting in the minor key; the 

 time was beaten with a single stick on a drum made from a hollow 

 log. These musicians advanced in a body through the plaza, keep- 

 ing time with their feet and gesticulating in a manner intended to 

 convey the meaning of their song. 



As soon as the musicians were far enough from the estufa to 

 give room, the dancers issued from that house and formed a fan- 

 tastic procession in double column, two men abreast, then two 

 women, and so alternating till the procession was completed. The 

 men stamped and the squaws tripped lightly, but all were keeping 

 time. They presented a weird appearance, tricked out in their 

 gaudy apparel and ornamented with flashy trinkets. The hair of 

 the men was worn loosely; tufts of feathers fluttered over their fore- 

 heads; while around their necks and dangling over their naked 

 chests were strings of shell beads, turquoises, bright pebbles, feld- 

 spar, obsidian — anything, in short, that glitters and shines. Fas- 

 tened about the waist and reaching nearly to the knee, a rude kilt- 

 like garment, dancing skirt made of buckskin or sacking, hung and 

 flapped. It was ornamented with an embroidery of red and black 

 threads. Below the knee, garters of buckskin, stained red, yellow, 

 and blue, formed a fringe, to which were attached tortoise-shells 

 and rattles. The ankles were encased with strips of black and 

 white fur. From the waist a fox skin hung, fastened at the back 

 and reaching almost as low as the heel. Each man carried a tuft 

 of hawk's feathers in his left hand, while the right grasped a rattle 

 fashioned from a gourd, partly filled with pebbles. The women 

 wore their ordinary black dress, trimmed, however, with a profusion 

 of necklaces, strings of beads, silver badges, wristbands, and ear 

 pendents, while in each hand was borne an ear of corn, which was 

 wagged from side to side. Both the men and women wore masks 

 and striking head-dresses. The masks were heart-shaped, with the 

 exception of the base, which was a straight line. They were made 

 of buckskin, were jjainted blue or green, and, like the circular 

 masks, had triangular holes cut in them for the eyes and a rec- 

 tangular hole for the mouth. The head-dresses consisted of a 



