374 GAMES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS  [nTu. any. 24 
Mr Frank Hamilton Cushing * first described the game, as follows: 
Hight players went into a ki-wi-tsin to fast, and four days later issued forth, 
bearing four large wooden tubes, a ball of stone, and a bundle of thirty-six 
counting straws. With great ceremony, many prayers and incantations, the 
tubes were deposited on two mock mountains of sand, either side of the 
“grand plaza.” A crowd began to gather. Larger and noisier it grew, until it 
became a surging clamorous black mass. Gradually two piles of fabrics—ves- 
sels, silver ornaments, necklaces, embroideries, and symbols representing horses, 
cattle, and sheep—grew to large proportions. Women gathered on the roofs 
around, wildly stretching forth articles for the betting; until one of the presid- 
ing priests called out a brief message. The crowd became silent. A booth was 
raised, under which two of the players retired; and when it was removed, the 
four tubes were standing on the mound of sand. A song and dance began. 
One by one three of the four opposing players were summoned to guess under 
which tube the ball was hidden. At each guess the cries ef the opposing parties 
became deafening, and their mock struggles approached the violence of mortal 
‘combat. The last guesser found the ball; and as he victoriously carried the 
latter and the tubes across to his own mound, his side scored 10. The process 
was repeated. The second guesser found the ball; his side scored 15, setting 
Fig. 494. Fig. 495 
Fic. 494. Stone ball for hiding game; diameter, 1} inches; Zuni Indians, Zuni, New Mexico; cat. 
no. 32599, Free Museum of Science and Art, University of Pennsylvania. 
Fig. 49. Counting straws for hiding game; length, 14} inches; Zuni Indians, Zuni, New Mexico; 
cat. no, 32599, Free Museum of Science and Art, University of Pennsylvania. 
the others back 5. The counts numbered 100; but so complicated were the win- 
nings and losings on both sides, with each guess of either, that hour after hour 
the game went on and night closed in. Fires were built in the plaza, cigarettes 
lighted, but still the game continued. Noisier and noisier grew the dancers, more 
and more insulting and defiant their songs and epithets to the opposing crowd) 
until they fairly gnashed their teeth at one another, but no blows! Day 
dawned cn the still uncertain contest; nor was it until the sun again touched 
the western horizon, that the hoarse, still defiant voices died away, and the 
victorious party bore off their “ mountains of gifts from the gods.” 
Subsequently Mr Cushing, in reply to my inquiries, kindly fur- 
nished me the following notes on the game with the four tubes: 
I’-yan-ko-lo-we is one of the principal tribal games of the Zuni. As a public 
function it is their leading game. It is played by two parties, one representing 
the East, the other representing the West, or, one representing the North, the 
other representing the South. Each party is made up, therefore, from members 
of the clans of its section, region, or direction. But it is to be noted in this 
connection that the game is played with various motives, all more or less 
divinatory in object—that is, it is a game of prognostication by victory. As 
the war dance is a sort of preliminary as well as reminiscent battle, dramatic- 
ally fought beforehand, to determine victory, so this game is, while celebrating 
