CULIN] RACKET: CHEROKEE 577 
around on the outside, while the women stand in line a few feet away and 
dance to and fro, now advancing a few steps toward the men, then wheeling 
and dancing away from them, but all the while keeping time to the sound of 
the drum and chanting the refrain to the ball songs made by the drummer, 
who is seated on the ground on the side farthest from the fire. The rattle is 
a gourd fitted with a handle and filled with small pebbles, while the drum 
resembles a small keg with a head of ground-hog leather. The drum is partly 
filled with water, the head being also moistened to improve the tone, and is 
beaten with a single stick. Men and women dance separately throughout, 
the music, the evolutions, and the songs being entirely distinct, but all combine 
te produce an harmonious whole. The women are relieved at intervals by 
others who take their places, but the men dance in the same narrow circle the 
whole night long, excepting during the frequent halts for the purpose of going 
to water. 
At one side of the fire are set up two forked poles, supporting a third laid 
horizontally, upon which the ball sticks are crossed in pairs until the dance 
begins. As. already mentioned, small pieces from the wing of the bat are 
sometimes tied to these poles, aud also to the rattle used in the dance, to 
insure success in the contest. The skins of several bats and swift-darting 
insectivorous birds were formerly wrapped up in a piece of deerskin, together 
with the cloth and beads used in the conjuring ceremonies later on, and 
hung from the frame during the dance. On finally dressing for the game at 
the ball ground, the players took the feathers from these skins to fasten in 
their hair or upon the ball sticks, to insure swiftness and accuracy in their 
movements. Sometimes-also hairs from the whiskers of the bat are twisted 
into the netting of the ball sticks. The players are all stripped and painted, 
with feathers in their hair, just as they appear in the game. When all is 
ready an attendant takes down the ball sticks from the frame, throwing them 
over his arm in the same fashion, and, walking around the circle, gives to 
each man his own. Then the rattler, taking his instrument in his hand, begins 
to trot around on the outside of the circle, uttering a sharp “ Hi!” to which 
the players respond with a quick ‘“ Hi-hi’!” while slowly moving around the 
circle with their ball sticks held tightly in front of their breasts. Then, with 
a quicker movement, the song changes to ** Ehu’! and the responses to “ HAhi’! 
Ehu’! Hahi’! Ebu’! Hahi’!” Then, with a prolonged shake of the rattle, it 
changes again to “Ahiyve’!” the dancers responding with the same word 
“Ahiye’!” but in a higher key: the movements become more lively and the 
chorus louder, till at a given signal with the rattle the players clap their 
ball sticks together, and, facing around, go through the motions of picking 
up and tossing an imaginary ball. Finally, with a grand rush, they dance up 
close to the women, and the first part of the performance ends with a loud 
prolonged “ Hu-ii!”’ from the whole crowd. 
In the meantime the women have taken position in a line a few feet away, 
with their backs turned to the men, while in front-.of them the drummer is 
seated on the ground, but with his back turned toward them and the rest of the 
dancers. After a few preliminary taps on the drum, he begins a slow, measured 
beat. and strikes up one of the dance refrains, which the women take up in 
chorus. This is repeated a number of times until all are in harmony with the 
tune, when he begins to improvise, choosing words which will harmonize with the 
measure of the chorus, and at the same time be appropriate to the subject of 
the dance. As this requires a ready wit in addition to ability as a singer, the 
selection of a drummer is a matter of considerable importance, and that func- 
tionary is held in corresponding estimation. He sings of the game on the mor- 
24 ETH—05 M ST 
