STEVENSON] WITCHCRAFT 405 



hatchway. Again the warriors gathered about the two packages and 

 listened to the niarveh)us tales told by the accused; then Na'iuchi took 

 possession of them and the party ascended to the upper floor, where the 

 boy was set to work to remove more plaster, in the hope that the much- 

 coveted prayer plumes might })e found. After another hour's work an 

 old prayer plume appeared among- the plaster, which the boy declared 

 to be one of those he was looking for. This plume stick, he asserted, 

 when planted in the ground the top down, or when worn in the belt 

 in the same position, so oti'ended the rain-makers that they refused to 

 water the earth. It must be worn over the heart to convert one into 

 animal form. If the ))oy tricked the warriors with the plume stick, sup- 

 posed to be found in the plaster, the deception was well done. There 

 was great rejoicing among them, ])ut the}' were not to be satisfied with 

 the one prayer plume; they must have the other, and they did not leave 

 the room until driven out late in the day by the intense cold and the 

 dust from the plaster. At the suggestion of the writer, the accused 

 now accompanied her to her camp under guard of Xa'iuchi and the 

 grandfather of the girl. She was not sure what Na'iuchi intended to 

 do with the boy, but was determined that the poor fellow should not 

 be hanged. The boy was seated with a warrior on eith(M- side of him, 

 and the writer talked to him and doctored him a little, and tinally con- 

 vinced Na'iuchi that the boy would never again be able to practice his 

 diabolical art, and that therefore it was not necessary to hang him. He 

 was not 3^et freed, however, but was conducted to the large plaza, where 

 Na'iuchi called the warriors to assemble. The populace, in the mean- 

 time, crowded into the place, people of both sexes and all ages. When 

 the warriors did not respond promptly, Na'iuchi called in loud and angry 

 tones for their immediate presence. They were not long in obeying the 

 second command of their chief. A wagon in the plaza was filled with 

 women and children, who took advantage of the elevated position. The 

 sun had set and the shadows of night were gathering. The accused 

 looked weary and he leaned agamst the wagon, as if sadly in need of 

 support. The warriors gathered closely about him, and the writer 

 stood by the side of Na'iuchi. The eager spectators apparently under- 

 stood that the boy was about to speak, and there was a profound 

 silence. As the night advanced seveial lanterns were l)rought forth, 

 the writer placing hers in the hand of a warrior who stood by her side so 

 that she could direct the light as she chose. The appetite of the warriors 

 for marvels was not yet satisfied. Na'iuchi called upon the already 

 exhausted youth to confess his crimes before the people. He was 

 kept talking until midnight, when the prayer plumes and medicines 

 produced by the accused earlier in the day wer(> placed by Na'uichi 

 upon the ground immediately before the youth, whereupon the people 

 moved in a great wave toward the spot to peer at the mysteries. 



