328 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



another, one holding- the stakes, or, more frequently, a third party 

 has charge of the stakes, which are heaped in the large plaza. Some- 

 times the articles are afterward carried to the ki'wi"sine to which the 

 successful party belongs, while again they niu}^ pass to the winner in 

 the plaza, who in turn divides the profits among the runners of his side. 



It is interesting to see the very young bo3"s engaged in their foot- 

 races (plate Lxxxiii) and to observe how closel}^ they follow their 

 elders in the rules governing the stakes. Wagers are alwaj's made, 

 as the races would be of little interest even to the 3'ounger boys with- 

 out the element of chance associated with them. Beginning at so 

 earh^ an age, these people develop naturally enough into swift run- 

 ners. The writer has never known the Zufiis to loose a footrace with 

 other Indians or with the champion runners of the troops at Fort 

 Wingate, who sometimes enter into races with them. It is rather 

 common for the Zuiiis and Navahos to race. Though these races are 

 always informal, the stakes are often large, and the Navahos fre- 

 quently depart from the pueblo, leaving their precious beads, silver 

 belts, bridles, and valuable blankets in the hands of the Zuiiis. 



Sho'lkve {arrotr Teed><). The lot game of sho'liwe is second on the 

 list of the games of the Gods of War and is the great indoor gambling 

 game of the Zufiis. The implements are four split reeds, a bowl-shaped 

 basket, a buckskin, a blanket, bits of pith or the central core of a 

 corncob, straws for counters, and chips which are usually silver but- 

 tons. Legend says that this game was played for rain by the Gods of 

 War and the rain priesthood while the A'shiwi (Zufiis) were at Han'- 

 Hipinkia (see page S-i). The rain priests thought the reeds used for 

 the game were too long, so their length was measured from the tip of 

 the thumb to the tip of the middle linger, both extended. 



The rain priests considered this game so efficacious in bringing rain 

 that they organized a fraternity, which they called Sho'wekwe (Arrow- 

 reed people), for the express purpose of playing the game for rain. 

 Ten men were designated b}^ the rain priests as the original meml)ers 

 of the Sho'wekwe. The prayers of this fraternity were sure to bring 

 rain. 



When the gods visited I'tiwanna (Middle place, the site of the 

 present Zufii), eight days after the first appearance of ^KiJiklo (see page 

 65) in I'tiwanna, cei'tain ancestral gods gathered in the ceremonial 

 chamber of the Kia'kwemosi where the first ])ody of rain priests, the 

 Galaxy fraternity, and the ten members of the Sho'wekwe were assem- 

 bled. The Ko'yemshi at this time gave their songs and prayers to the 

 fraternities pi'esent, after which the Ne'wekwe and Sho'wekwe alter- 

 nated annually in personating the Ko'^^emshi (see page 33). 



The Great Fire and the Cactus fraternities are more recent acces- 

 sions to the personators of the Ko'yemshi. The four fraternities 



