AMERICAN INDIAN DANCES o7 
laggards; those who had disobeyed the 
summons either had to pay a fine or sub- 
mit to the indignity of being thrown into 
the creek. In the meantime, the people 
assemble until the dance house is charged 
Then the musi- 
to its utmost capacity. 
cians, seated in 
the 
around a 
drum, strike up 
center 
big 
a tune, later re- 
inforeced by the 
voices of some 
of the women, 
and the mem- 
bers of some one 
of the four so- 
cieties rise to 
the 
turns 
perform 
vigorous 
and _ bendings 
characteristic of 
the dance. They 
give vent to pen- 
etrating cries in 
rapid 
sion, they bran- 
dish weapons at 
an = imaginary 
foe, 
succes- 
and thus 
proceed around 
the lodge until 
the ceasing of 
music makes 
them come toa 
sudden stop. 
While the ; so kai ie 
: we! = — ~ % 
dancers’ rest ou ae 5 a, Rape 
from their ex- 
ertions, some 
Crow eager to 
enhance his social prestige may decide 
to give away a horse. He comes riding 
in through the door (he has to bend low 
not to bump his head), the horse may 
balk or shy at the unexpected spectacle 
indoors and the noisy crowd, but the 
Two figures from a performance of the Grass Dance 
twenty-six years ago when Sitting Bull was still alive 
rider proceeds to go around the dance 
circle four times, whereupon a herald 
announces whom the donor desires to 
honor with the gift. It may be a Sioux 
visitor or some poor old man or woman 
from the clan of the donor’s father. In 
the latter 
the receiver of 
"ase 
the horse leads 
it away singing 
as he leaves the 
dance house, a 
song in praise of 
his benefactor. 
Meanwhile the 
music recom- 
mences and the 
members of a 
of the 
four clubs begin 
second 
to dance in ac- 
companiment. 
Any members 
who are loth to 
rise and perform 
this part are 
whipped “into 
dancing by an 
officer armed 
with a quirt for 
this purpose. 
All sorts of 
minor incidents 
may enliven the 
scene. On one 
occasion when I 
ales ae * was a spectator 
ae = while the Hot 
Photo by E. W. Dance was be- 
Deming 
ing performed, 
a group of boys 
came dashing through camp, painted 
with mud and disguised in clowns’ cos- 
tumes. They dismounted in front of 
the dance house, entered and to the 
extreme amusement of the onlookers, 
took part in the dance. At another 
