﻿FLBTCHEH-LA 
  FLESCHE] 
  SOCIETIES 
  553 
  

  

  fraternity. 
  Immediately 
  following 
  the 
  termination 
  of 
  this 
  opening 
  procession, 
  a 
  song 
  

   in 
  faster 
  time 
  would 
  be 
  struck 
  up 
  and 
  the 
  solemn 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  members 
  would 
  

   suddenly 
  change 
  to 
  motions 
  full 
  of 
  dramatic 
  action. 
  Each 
  person 
  would 
  menacingly 
  

   thrust 
  forward 
  an 
  utter 
  skin 
  with 
  grinning 
  head, 
  which 
  he 
  carried 
  in 
  his 
  hands. 
  The 
  

   members 
  seemed 
  as 
  though 
  determined 
  to 
  destroy 
  each 
  other 
  with 
  the 
  magic 
  power 
  

   contained 
  in 
  the 
  otter, 
  and 
  everyone 
  uttered 
  a 
  peculiar 
  cry 
  which 
  gave 
  efficacy 
  to 
  the 
  

   sacred 
  skin. 
  Suddenly 
  a 
  man 
  would 
  fall 
  rigid 
  to 
  the 
  hard 
  floor, 
  trembling 
  in 
  every 
  

   limb, 
  as 
  though 
  shot 
  with 
  a 
  gun 
  or 
  arrow; 
  then 
  another 
  and 
  another 
  would 
  fall, 
  while 
  

   those 
  who 
  did 
  the 
  '"shooting" 
  moved 
  on 
  with 
  triumphant 
  cries. 
  After 
  a 
  moment 
  of 
  

   writhing 
  in 
  Beeming 
  agon} 
  those 
  who 
  had 
  been 
  "shot 
  " 
  would 
  rise 
  and 
  take 
  their 
  turn 
  

   at 
  "shooting" 
  others. 
  All 
  this 
  "shooting" 
  and 
  falling 
  and 
  the 
  uttering 
  of 
  mystic 
  

   erics 
  would 
  overwhelm 
  me 
  with 
  awe, 
  for 
  it 
  was 
  all 
  so 
  strange 
  and 
  so 
  far 
  beyond 
  my 
  

   understanding. 
  

  

  I 
  often 
  witnessed 
  this 
  peculiar 
  ceremony 
  when 
  a 
  boy, 
  and, 
  like 
  other 
  careless 
  

   observers, 
  1 
  as 
  often 
  went 
  away 
  impressed 
  only 
  by 
  tie- 
  songs, 
  the 
  solemn 
  procession, 
  

   the 
  rhythmic 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  "dance." 
  and 
  the 
  fine 
  regalia 
  of 
  the 
  society, 
  with 
  

   never 
  a 
  thought 
  that 
  beneath 
  all 
  this 
  outward 
  show 
  there 
  might 
  be 
  some 
  meaning 
  so 
  

   profound 
  in 
  its 
  nature 
  as 
  to 
  support 
  a 
  member 
  in 
  the 
  maintenance 
  of 
  his 
  dignity 
  while 
  

   going 
  through 
  acts 
  which 
  on 
  ordinary 
  occasions 
  would 
  make 
  him 
  appear 
  frivolous. 
  

  

  In 
  later 
  years, 
  when 
  I 
  began 
  the 
  serious 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  customs 
  and 
  cults 
  of 
  my 
  

   people, 
  I 
  learned 
  that 
  in 
  this 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  oiler 
  rites 
  there 
  were, 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  cere- 
  

   monies 
  given 
  publicly, 
  teachings 
  made 
  known 
  only 
  to 
  the 
  initialed, 
  teachings 
  wor- 
  

   thy 
  of 
  careful 
  thought 
  and 
  reflection. 
  Knowing 
  this 
  to 
  be 
  true, 
  I 
  sought 
  in 
  various 
  

   ways 
  to 
  obtain 
  a 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  ritual 
  and 
  teachings 
  of 
  the 
  Shell 
  Society 
  without 
  

   Inning 
  to 
  becomes 
  member, 
  but 
  failed 
  in 
  each 
  attempt. 
  It 
  chanced, 
  however, 
  in 
  

   1898, 
  that 
  a 
  novitiate 
  who 
  had 
  lost 
  his 
  shell, 
  learning 
  that 
  I 
  was 
  to 
  visit 
  the 
  reserva- 
  

   tion, 
  wrote 
  to 
  me 
  to 
  bring 
  him 
  a 
  shell. 
  From 
  the 
  meager 
  description 
  he 
  gave 
  me 
  

   1 
  was 
  not 
  sure 
  of 
  the 
  kind 
  he 
  wanted, 
  so 
  I 
  purchased 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  several 
  varieties 
  and 
  

   took 
  them 
  out 
  with 
  me. 
  When 
  I 
  exhibited 
  my 
  collection 
  the 
  new 
  member 
  looked 
  

   them 
  carefully 
  over, 
  but 
  was 
  not 
  sure 
  which 
  was 
  the 
  right 
  kind. 
  To 
  his 
  great 
  relief, 
  

   the 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  society 
  by 
  whom 
  he 
  was 
  initiated 
  appeared 
  on 
  the 
  scene, 
  and 
  we 
  

   placed 
  before 
  him 
  the 
  pile 
  of 
  shells. 
  He 
  separated 
  the 
  right 
  kind 
  from 
  the 
  others, 
  

   and 
  then 
  waited 
  for 
  me 
  to 
  speak. 
  

  

  "I 
  have 
  brought 
  these 
  shells,'' 
  I 
  said, 
  "for 
  your 
  friend 
  and 
  for 
  you, 
  but 
  for 
  my 
  

   services 
  I 
  desire 
  to 
  know 
  something 
  of 
  the 
  inner 
  teachings 
  of 
  your 
  society." 
  

  

  "A 
  request 
  of 
  that 
  kind," 
  he 
  replied, 
  "usually 
  comes 
  with 
  proper 
  fees 
  and 
  cere- 
  

   monies 
  observed 
  by 
  us 
  all, 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  recommendation 
  of 
  members 
  in 
  good 
  stand- 
  

   ing, 
  but 
  since 
  you 
  seem 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  earnest 
  to 
  know 
  something 
  about 
  the 
  teachings 
  of 
  

   our 
  society, 
  and 
  as 
  we 
  are 
  in 
  need 
  of 
  the 
  shells, 
  I 
  will 
  waive 
  all 
  this 
  and 
  give 
  you 
  the 
  

   beginning 
  only 
  of 
  the 
  story, 
  which 
  is 
  long 
  and 
  beautiful. 
  There 
  are 
  I 
  wo 
  kinds 
  of 
  shell 
  

   used 
  in 
  our 
  society," 
  he 
  continued, 
  selecting 
  two 
  from 
  the 
  pile 
  and 
  holding 
  them 
  up; 
  

   "one 
  is 
  male 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  is 
  female. 
  The 
  distinction 
  so 
  made 
  comes 
  from 
  the 
  story 
  

   I 
  am 
  about 
  to 
  tell 
  you." 
  

  

  Then 
  he 
  proceeded 
  to 
  give 
  me 
  a 
  paraphrase 
  of 
  the 
  story 
  of 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  the 
  society, 
  

   which 
  was 
  later 
  obtained 
  in 
  full, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  ritual, 
  songs, 
  and 
  accounl 
  given 
  

   in 
  the 
  foregoing 
  pages. 
  

  

  Ceremonies 
  on 
  the 
  Death 
  of 
  a 
  Member 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  death 
  of 
  a 
  member 
  a 
  meeting 
  of 
  the 
  society 
  was 
  called, 
  and 
  

   the 
  regular 
  opening 
  ceremonies 
  already 
  described 
  (see 
  p. 
  521) 
  took 
  

   place. 
  It 
  was 
  said 
  that 
  "on 
  such 
  an 
  occasion 
  death 
  is 
  not 
  simulated, 
  

   I 
  >t 
  1 
  1 
  real 
  for 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  members 
  lias 
  passed 
  from 
  this 
  life." 
  The 
  body 
  

  

  