688 GAMES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS [eru. ann. 24 
The runners then bathe in a solution made from a root called que-me-way. 
The time for the contest is at hand. The every-day attire is exchanged for the 
simple breech-clout. The hair is done up in a neat knot on the top of the head, 
and the priest pronounces a blessing as he fastens in it an arrow-point, the 
emblem of fleetness. He then places a pinch of ashes in front of each racer, 
and, standing before him, holding an eagle-wing in each hand, he first touches 
the ashes with the tips of the wings and then brushes the racer from head to 
foot. Then turning to the north, he touches the wings together and says a 
prayer, the same to the west, south, east, the earth, and sky. I suppose the 
idea of the Zuni in this to be, that as he has sent a prayer to the four points of 
the compass, the earth, and sky, he has cut off every possible source of misfor- 
tune and danger. 
Hverything being now ready, the priest leads his favorites to the course across 
the river. Excitement in the pueblo has reached its height; the mest venture- 
some are offering big odds in the plaza, and now all assemble to see the start. 
Should a side be at all doubtful of its suecess in the race, an old woman is 
procured to sit and pray during the entire race. She sits in the middle of the 
room. The racers sweep the floor around her and then pile up everything that 
is used about the fire, such as pokers, ladles, stirring-sticks, and even the stones 
used to support the pots during cooking: these are to make their opponents 
warm; also the mullers with which they grind the corn, and the brooms: these 
will make them tired. A woman is chosen rather than a man, because she is 
not so fleet of foot. 
As each side is brought to the course the priest gives a parting blessing, and 
the runners take their positions opposite their opponents in single file along 
the course. The tik-wa, or stick to be kicked, is about the size of the middle 
finger. That belonging to one side has its ends painted red and that of the 
other side its center painted red, so that they may be easily distinguished. The 
rear man of each file places the tik-wa across the base of his toes and sprinkles a 
little sacred meal upon it. Surrounding the racers will be three or four hundred 
mounted Indians dressed in the gayest colors. All is now ready; each rider has 
his eye on his favorite side, an old priest rides in advance and sprinkles sacred 
meal over the course, the starters kick the sticks, and the wildest excitement 
prevails. As each racer left his home he put into his mouth two shell beads— 
the one he drops as a sacrifice as he starts, the other when he has covered about 
one-half the course. The stick is tossed rather than kicked, and a good racer 
will toss it from 80 to 100 feet. Over the heads of the runners it goes and falls 
beyond the first man. He simply points to where it lights, and runs on. The 
next man tries to kick it, but should he fail to get under it he goes on, and the 
next man takes it. The race is not to the swift alone, although this has much 
to do with it. The stick can in no case be touched with anything but the foot, 
and should it fall into a cactus bush, a prairie-dog hole, or an arroyo much 
valuable time is lost in getting it out. Not infrequently it happens that one 
side will be several miles in advance of the other when the stick falls into some 
unnoticed hole. The wild and frenzied yelling which takes place as those who 
were behind come up and pass can only be imagined and not described. So skill 
in tossing it plays a prominent part. On, on they go to the southern hills, east 
to Ta-ai-yal-lone, north to the mesas, follow these west for miles, then to 
the southern hills, and back again to the starting-point. The distance tray- 
ersed is nearly 25 miles, and they pass over it in about two hours. Racing 
is indulged in by the excited horsemen as they approach the goal, and it is not 
unusual to see a pony drop over dead from exhaustion as they near the village. 
The successful runner crosses the river and runs around the heap of wagered 
goods near the church, then, taking up the tik-wa in his hands for the first 
