Miscellaneous Papers. 271 



nity, headed the dancers. Immediately behind this priest followed 

 the bearer of the sacred medicine bowl. All the other representa- 

 tives of the order carried rattles in their hands, with which they 

 kept up a^continuous noise like that made by the sacred snakes. 

 Four times around the leveled space they danced, and sprinkled sa- 

 cred meal when they had arrived there. Then they lined up to 

 await the coming of the snake men, whom they had passed on the 

 way. With a majestic step the latter soon came, entered the en- 

 closed space, and lined up, facing the antelope priests. 



Thus lined up, the snake men presented a grewsome, diabolical 

 picture. Their bodies were daubed with dark red paint. Their 

 chins were blackened, and outlined with a broad white stripe. 

 Their breech-cloths and their moccasins were dyed red with the 

 blood of animals. From their ankles, knees, waists and necks sus- 

 pended rattling, hideous-looking objects. In their left hands they 

 carried snake whips. In the jars on their heads they carried the 

 snakes that were to play such a prominent part in the coming ex- 

 ercise. 



After the lining up of the snake men, for a moment there was a 

 breathless silence. Then at a signal they lifted the jars from their 

 heads and poured the snakes on the ground. At the same time a 

 deep humming of artificial rattles began, followed immediately by 

 a vigorous chant. The chant grew louder and louder. The two 

 lines of priests swayed slowly backward and forward towards each 

 other, like two lines of writhing snakes. The snake whips were 

 constantly waved over the wriggling reptiles. The chief medicine- 

 man of the snake ceremonies strode back and forth and scattered 

 sacred meal. The snake-priest lines suddenly broke up into groups 

 of three. The chant at once grew louder and louder. The dancers 

 became more and more excited. One man in each of the groups 

 of three dropjjed to one knee and arose with a squirming snake in 

 his mouth. Around the leveled area four times he then danced 

 with his snake, as another priest of the set of three to which he 

 belonged waved eagle feathers before the reptile to attract its at- 

 tention and prevent it from sinking its fangs into its bearer. 

 Reaching the starting-place the fourth time, the snake was dropped 

 to the ground, and was at once dexterously picked up by the third 

 member of the trio. Thus were the reptiles gathered up and 

 danced with again till every one in the collection had been danced 

 four times round the circle in the mouth of a "carrier" of each 

 group. 



As the snakes were being danced with the fourth time, the chief 



