324 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



only partly over the line, he is very cautious in betting/' The run 

 continues across the mesa to a shrine where prayers are offered and 

 meal mixed with crushed turquoise, ko'hakwa, and abalone shell is 

 sprinkled to the Gods of War for good luck in the race. Then on he 

 runs, dow.n the mesa over a regular course directed by the rain priest 

 over the Ojo Caliente road and around to the south and back to Zuni, 

 the distance covered being about 25 miles. 



The betting race is not conlined to the ki'wi'siwe or to any section 

 of the village, although statements to the contrary have been made. 

 A man approaches another with his plan for a race, and if it be 

 acceptable to the other, a race is arranged. It is heralded from the 

 house top by a civil officer of the village, who sht)uts: "To-morrow 

 there will be a race!" Those wishing to take part in the race gather 

 at the houses of the two managers. The swiftest runners are sure to 

 be present. After some discussion the originator of the race visits the 

 house of the other manager and learns from him how many runners 

 he will have in the contest. He then returns to his house and selects 

 the same number for his side. The number varies from three to six 

 on a side, one side representing the elder, the other the younger, God 

 of War. Each manager calls at the house of one of the first body of 

 rain priests, those of the North and Zenith excepted, and announces: 

 "My boys will run to-morrow. You will come to my house to-night." 

 The friends of each i^arty gather at the two houses, the runners being 

 on one side of the room and the friends on the opposite side. When 

 the rain priest arrives, bearing a basket tray of broken wafer bread, 

 he takes his seat on his wadded blanket, the manager sitting opposite 

 him. The rain priest places the basket upon the floor and asks for 

 corn husks. Preparing as man}- husks as there are runners for the 

 side, he sprinkles prayer meal into each husk and after adding bits 

 of white shell and turquoise beads, folds it and lays it on the bread in 

 the tra3\ Raising the tra}^ with both hands to his face, he prays for 

 success, and drawing four breaths from the contents of the trav, says: 

 "Si!" (Ready!). The runners approach; the rain priest deposits a 

 handful of broken liread from the tray in the blanket, supported }\v 

 the left arm of each runner, and hands a corn-husk package to each. 

 The body of runners who represent the elder God of War go to a 

 point north of the village; the others go south. An excavation to the 

 depth of a man's arm having been made b\^ an ancient bean planter at 

 each point, each runner opens his husk package, deposits the contents in 

 the excavation, and drops in the bread as oti'erings to the Gods of War 

 and ancestral gods. The one who prepares the earth to receive the 

 ott'erings covers the opening, leaving no trace of the excavation. All 

 now sit perfectly still and listen for sounds from the departed. When 

 the}^ hear any noise which they suppose comes from the dead, they are 



a Photographs were secured of these very interesting rock markings. 



