KiRSTEN] BLOOD REVENGE, WAR, AND VICTORY FEASTS 27 



vention of friends. Their possibility of salvation then consists al- 

 most solely in breaking through the besieging ring and speedily flee- 

 ing to another house or into the forest. Before making this desper- 

 ate attempt, however, all inhabitants of the house, men, women, and 

 children, assemble to perform, in haste, a dance, hantsemata. Hold- 

 ing each other by the hands they move in a circle in the house in the 

 wa}' customary at most Indian dances, chanting or making noise and 

 playing a set of flutes made of the leg bone of the jaguar, called 

 tungui. The words uttered, or rather shouted, are the following: 



Mdsfeifwii, They won't kill us ! 



Mandoastata77ii, They won't take our lives ! 



Wuittnta/, They will retire ! 



Hinikitai, We will be able to escape ! 



The object of this ceremony is to "'tire out the enemy" {shuara 

 pimhiktinyu)^ so that he gives up the plan of attacking the house and 

 retires. Sometimes it also occurs that the besieging enemies, who, 

 of course, understand what the dancing and shouting in the house 

 mean, lose courage, give up the plan of attack, and draw off. 



Immediately after the dance mentioned has been performed the 

 inhabitants of the house try to escape through one or both of its 

 doors. As soon as the ambushing enemies notice this they incite each 

 other with cries: 



Shudra hiniwui, The enemy leaves the house! 



Aivui?naipa, Don't let them escape ! 



Ihuta, ikilta, ihuta, Lance them, lance them! 



During the fight ensuing it may happen that some, or the ma- 

 jority, of the people in the house are able to save themselves in the 

 darkness and the confusion. Generally, however, some old man or 

 some women, who are not able to run quickly enough, get into the 

 hands of the pursuing enemy, being killed or captured. If the victors 

 are satisfied w^itli this spoil, or if for one reason or another they do 

 not venture to continue the persecution, they speedily return, carry- 

 ing with them one or more heads which they have cut off or some 

 captured woman, and giving triumphant war cries : 



Hetektatai^ May they now pursue us ! 



Ai?7ilai/dhei, Now we carry off their comrade! 



Tuhi, uyuhl, uyuhi! 



Tuo^ tuo, tuof (War cries.) 



It is, however, only in case the attacked people have been surprised 

 unprepared and know they are absolutely inferior to the enemy that 

 they try in this way to save themselves by flight. In other cases it 

 happens that the attacking enemy is received by a number of well- 

 prepared and well-armed warriors who, after having in a hurry per- 

 formed the enema, gallantly go out to meet the assailants. A fierce 



