174 THE PIMA INDIANS [kth. a.nn. 26 



one they sent a messenger to convey the information that in four or 

 five days, according to the decision of their council, they wisiied to 

 test tlieir fortunes in a relay race, and tliat in the meantime the}- were 

 singing the bluebird (or, as the case might be, the humming-bird) 

 songs and dancing in preparation. Both had the same time to prac- 

 tise and the time was short; in this preparation the young men ran 

 in groups of four or five. There were 40 or 50 runners in each village, 

 and he who proved to be the swnftest was recognized as the leader 

 who shoidd run first in the iinal contest. It was not necessary that 

 each village should enter exactly the same number of men in the race ; 

 a man might run any number of times that his endurance permitted. 

 When the fuaal race began each village stationetl half its runners at 

 each end of the track; then a crier called three times for the leaders, 

 and as the last call, wliich was long drawn out, closed the starter 

 shouted "Ta'wai!" and they were oil" on the first rela3^ Markers 

 stood at the side of the track and held willow sticks with rags attached 

 as marks of the position of the opposing sides. Sometimes a race was 

 ended by one part}' achnitting that it was tired cnit, but it usually was 

 decided when the winners were so far ahead that their runner met the 

 other at the center where the markers also met. 



The women encouraged their friends with shouts in concert that 

 were emitted from the throat and ended in a trill from the tongue. 

 At the clo.se of the race the winning village shouted continuously for 

 some time; after which the visitors would go home, as there was no 

 accompanying feast. 



SWIMMING 



Mention is made in the calendar records of parties of Pimas or 

 Maricopas being engaged in swimming and diving to catch fish with 

 their naked hands, and Mr Cook assures the writer that he has seen 

 them do both. 



Games 



The Pimas were deeply imbued with the passion for gambling, and 

 many games were played for the gratification of that desire. The 

 old games are now practically abandoned and those who have the 

 means and the desire to gamble employ a deck of filthy Mexican cards. 

 Beads, paint, blankets, and any and all personal or family property 

 were wagered. The women were quite as fond of gaming as the men, 

 and staked their blankets when all else was lost, makhig shift to get 

 along with a smaller piece of cloth m lien of a skirt. When every- 

 thing was gone the loser might win some stipulated article from her 

 opponent if she could beat her in a foot race. A woman might gamble 

 away the family sleeping mat, the metate, in fact any household 

 property, although she hesitated to wager the drmkin^ gourd, prob- 



