562 THE ZUNI INDIANS [eth. ann. 23 



filled. All those belonging- to the fraternit}^ who have any ailment 

 whatever avail themselves of this opportunity to be cured. After the 

 medicine water is passed around, two characters representing- the cha- 

 parral cock, each holding an eagle- wing feather in each hand, leave the 

 choir and hop and skip birdlike to the altar; facing it, they extend 

 their hands outward and then draw them back, keeping the hands 

 and plumes in line, their movements being very graceful. In a few 

 moments they skip to the fireplace, and each lifts ashes with his plumes, 

 and returning to the altar they sprinkle it with the ashes. Again lift- 

 ing the ashes, they skip to the outer door, which is on the south side 

 of the room, and throw the ashes out. Gathering more ashes, they 

 throw them to the north of the room, and continue the same operation 

 for the west, south, and east. Returning to the altar, they dance for 

 a while, and then repeat the gathering and sprinkling of ashes toward 

 the four regions; and returning to the outer entrance they repeat the 

 sprinkling. Once more gathering ashes, they place them in a little 

 heap in front of the altar by the food which was deposited previous 

 to the afternoon meal. Each time the ashes are thrown (which is for 



physical purification) the men exclaim, " 8h u . u'." 



These men return to their positions in the choir, and the fraternity 

 fathers of two of the novices, the spirits of the Cougar and Bear being- 

 present in their bodies, appear on all fours and jump around the altar, 

 growling in the most savage manner. In a short time the}' are joined 

 by two others bearing the spirits of the Badger and the White Wolf, 

 and after indulging in extravaganza before the altar, invoking the 

 continued presence of the Beast Gods, each one takes a novice in 

 charge. The little boy's fraternity father carries him upon his back, 

 the child's feet dangling. The other novices are led I)}' their instruct- 

 ors, who dash wildly about among the people. When first leading the 

 novices the theurgists maintain an upright position, but thev growl 

 and make hideous noises; afterward the\' throw themselves and the 

 novices almost bodily on the floor, and in this way they approach an 

 invalid and suck at some spot upon the body. The theurgists are 

 given the power through the Beast Gods to see into the body and 

 detect disease and bring it forth, that they may see with the physical 

 eye what they have already seen with the mind's eye. It is but the 

 work of an instant. Suddenly the doctor raises himself and with the 

 palm of his right hand receives from his mouth what he is supposed 

 to have sucked from the body of the invalid. The legerdemain is 

 perfect. Amid a wild noise, and lietween a shout and a growl, the 

 hand is thrown around the head and the supposed extracted material 

 is deposited in a bowl which is guarded by an aged woman, wdio has 

 a vase of water and a gourd by her side, so that she can give water to 

 those who need it. The people seem to believe implicitly in this 

 humbuggery. 



