THE COUGAR AND LYNXES. 121 



We knew then that we were spectators of a Digger fu- 

 neral ceremony, and a literal dance of death, and I certain- 

 ly was glad to have had an opportunity of seeing both. 

 While looking on, he of the trousers asked for the cougar, 

 that he might burn it on the funeral pyre with the body, as 

 he would then be sure that his kinsman had entered the 

 Spirit Land as a recoguized true brave. He was told that 

 if he would skin it he could have the carcass, and, without 

 another word, he undertook the business. While he was 

 engaged in this operation, we were watching closely the 

 strange spectacle before us. The young men and women 

 were wailing fearfully, and jumping around the pyre with 

 all their might, but the aged and infirm were content with 

 walking and moaning. When the cougar was skinned the 

 carcass was thrown into the flames, near the corpse, amidst 

 indescribable yelling, the butcher being the most vehement 

 shouter or wailer. We spent half an hour gazing on this 

 weird, wild scene, then returned home; I, for one, feeling 

 as if I had been a spectator of some orgie among the fabu- 

 lous creatures that inhabit subterranean abodes. Two days 

 after this strange ceremony the dancers passed the house, 

 and their heads and features were so bedaubed with tar 

 that they bore a strong resemblance to veritable imps of 

 darkness. I learned subsequently that it is a custom among 

 the Diggers to mix the ashes left by the funeral pyre with 

 tar, and to bedaub themselves with it as a sign of mourn- 

 ing ; and as they do not remove it until it falls off through 

 age, they look like ogres and ogresses for six months some- 

 times. This is the reason, I believe, that the Californians 

 are locally called " Tar Heads," in contradistinction to the 

 natives of North Carolina, who are known as " Tar Heels," 

 on account of the large quantity of tar manufactured in 

 the State. 



The Indian who had left his trousers for safe -keeping 



quietly walked into the house and asked Mrs. V for 



them; but she, good woman, was so horrified at his ap- 

 pearance and costume that she ran out at the back-door 

 screaming. The sad-eyed mourner, thinking he had done 



6 



