334 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



After canyin^ the articles to his home the leader of the oame selects 

 his three associate players and four watchers (the seers who choose 

 the hidden cups) and returns with them to his house, where a number 

 of friends interested in the game have gathered. The leader is always 

 careful to choose players whom he may trust and who will not indi- 

 cate to the watchers of the opposite side where the cup with the ball 

 is placed. The players and watchers sit upon the floor midway of 

 the room, the head player having by his side a basket tray containing 

 the wafer bread, cigarette, and sack of te'nas'sali given him ])y the rain 

 priest whom he consulted. The leader and the head watcher each 

 deposit four corn husks upon the floor and all present, beginning with 

 the leader, deposit turquoise, ko'hakwa (white shell beads), micaceous 

 hematite, red hematite, and corn pollen in each corn husk. Each 

 places a reed cigarette in one of his packages and they fold each husk, 

 with the ofl'erings, into a rectangular package. 



The leader's prayer is addressed to the Gods of War, rain-makers, 

 the sun, moon, stars, and A'wonawirona" that he may be successful 

 in the game and have long life, that the other side may have bad 

 luck, and that his playing may bring much rain, many crops, and all 

 things to eat, and horses and sheep. The buckskin sack of te'na'silli 

 is then opened and a corn husk is placed beside it. A gourd of water 

 is now handed the leader. He dips a little water with his first three 

 fingers and drops it into the corn husk; then dipping a bit of the 

 te'nas'^silli with the tip of the banded gypsum, he mixes the powdered 

 plant with the water in the husk. If a rain priest chances to be pres- 

 ent, he dips the stone into the mixture and places it in the left ear, then 

 runs it across the face under the eyes, and puts it in the right ear of 

 the leader of the plaj^ers, who repeats the same with the rain priest 

 and then with the others of the group. The placing of the te'nas'sali 

 in the ear and under the eyes is to insure seeing and hearing unusual 

 or mysterious things and sounds. All now sit perfectlv still for a 

 few minutes and then the leader hands his corn-husk package con- 

 taining the cigarette to the first watcher, who is instructed to visit 

 the most eastern shrine of the elder God of War and ask him to 

 come with him. On reaching the shrine the man opens the husk 

 given him b}^ the head player and depositing the ofl'erings prays: 

 " 1 pray you, iV'ha>"uta, come with me at once to te'wita 'hhmn'a kwi 

 (large plaza place), for we l)egin our game to-morrow and we wish 

 vou to remain with us until the game closes.'' A line of meal is then 

 sprinkled, suggestive of the road over which the god is to pass 

 from the shrine to the point in the plaza where the game is to be 

 played, and then the man says, addressing A'hayuta: ''Sit here until 

 to-morrow, when we will come and be with you. Wait for us." The 



"See Classification of the higher powers. 



