234 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 184 
On the first day the fast is complete: they eat nothing, drink 
nothing. On the second and third days they eat only one small 
meal—a, little mush or beans, cooked without salt or grease—at 
midday. On the fourth day, after they have performed their cere- 
mony, they break their fast. The women of the pueblo bring food 
to the ceremonial house and the medicinemen can eat whatever 
they wish and as much as they want. They smoke a great deal 
during this 4-day period. 
On the first day of the second 4-day period, the society performs 
its ceremony twice: once in the forenoon and again at night. The 
program is the same for the second day—except that they have a 
light repast at noon after their ceremony. Very early on the morn- 
ing of the third day a medicine man from each society, accompanied 
by a gaotcanyi, goes to a spring to get a cpona (pottery canteen) of 
water. They run all the way, going and returning. Upon their 
return they pour the water into the two medicine bowls in the cere- 
monial chamber: one is on the sand painting itself, the other is in 
front of it, on the “road” of meal that leads to the door. 
On the morning of the fourth day each society performs its cere- 
mony in the forenoon as usual; they are joined by those members who 
did not take part in the 4-day fast. After their full meal at noontime 
the tcaiyanyi who fasted walk through the fields bestowing ianyi 
upon the growing crops. They bring back for those who did not fast 
any fruit or vegetables that are ready to eat. 
Each society is attended by a gaotcanyi during the entire 8 days of 
the retreat. Masewi himself serves as “guard” for the leading society 
(Flint or Koshairi); Oyoyewi attends the society next in rank (which 
will be either Flint or Koshairi, since they alternate yearly as leading 
society). The tsatya-gowatcanyi (i.e., Masewi’s helpers) attend the 
other four societies. The gowatcanyi have no work to do on the first 
2 days—it will be remembered that the medicinemen are free to do 
as they please on these days. On the third day the gaotcanyi, armed 
with bow and arrow, goes to the mountains with the medicineman 
who is to fetch the spruce and other materials required. During the 
second 4-day period, the gaotcanyi guards the society’s ceremonial 
house night and day. He sits on the roof of the house during the day, 
leaving his bow and arrow against the door. At night he takes his 
bow and arrow and sits outside the ceremonial chamber in the hall. 
He sleeps in the ceremonial chamber with the tcaiyanyi. He may 
fast with them or not as he pleases. If he does eat, however, he eats 
in the little vestibule, not in the ceremonial chamber. ‘If the gao- 
tcanyi knows his business he will get a bowl from the ceremonial cham- 
ber when it rains, catch some water, and take it to the tcaiyanyi to 
drink.” 
