26 



THE STA. 



the TiniDber gathered on these tri])s. The rats are suspended by a yucca 

 ribbon tied around the necks of the animals. Tlie excitement increases 

 as the horses ascend the hill; and after entering the corral it reaches the 

 highest point, and the women and (diildren run about among the horses, 

 entirely devoid of any fear of the excited animals, in their eftbrts to 

 snatch the rats from their necks. Many are the narrow escapes, but 

 one is seldom hurt. The women throw the lariat, some of them being 

 quite expert, and drawing the horses near them, i)ull tlie rats from 

 their necks. Numbers fail, but there are always the favored few who 

 leave the corral in triumph with as many rats as their two hands can 

 carry. The rats are skinned and cooked in grease and eaten as a great 

 delicacy. 



Fig. 9. — Women rtprinkling tlu; earth. 



COSMOGONY. 



The Sia have an elaborate cosmogony, highly colored with the heroic 

 deeds of mythical beings. That which the writer here presents is sim- 

 ply the nucleus of their belief from which spring stories in infinite 

 numbers, in which every phenomenon of nature known to these people 

 is accounted for. Whole chapters could be devoted to the experiences 

 of each mythical being mentioned in the cosmogony. 



In the beginning there was but one being in the lower world, Sus'sis- 

 tinnako, a .spider. At that time there were no other animals, birds, 



