116 INDIANS OF THE SOUTHWEST. 
On the eighth day, the lines dance for some time 
facing each other and then the sprinkler goes to the 
snake booth, takes a small bundle of vines and corn 
stalks in his mouth and dances with it as if it were a 
snake. He is guarded by a snake priest. But on the 
ninth day after the two lines of priests have made the 
circuit of the plaza the snake priests go in pairs to the 
booth. One of each pair is given a snake which he 
holds in his mouth. His companion follows by his 
side with a snake whip with which he is prepared to 
soothe the snake and attract its attention should there 
be need. They move in this way down the plaza for 
some yards when the snake is dropped. Each pair of 
dancers is followed by a third snake priest who picks up 
the snakes as they fall and keeps them in his hands. 
When his hands are full, he passes some of them to the 
antelope priests who are still in line. The dancers re- 
turn for additional snakes until the entire number, fifty 
or more, have been carried in the dance. The head snake 
priest then makes a large circle of corn meal and draws 
six radii which represent the world quarters. Into this 
circle the snakes are thrown in a heap and the women 
sprinkle them plentifully with corn meal. At a given 
signal the snake priests approach, grab as many snakes 
as they can hold in each hand, run down the trails to 
the plain, and release the snakes. 
In alternate years the flute ceremony is held in the 
place of the snake dance. This ceremony is given by 
two orders, the blue and drab flute priests. The 
final public ceremony takes place at certain springs 
where songs and prayers are rendered. ‘The rite is 
characterized by playing on long flutes. An interesting 
feature of the ceremony is the placing of prayer 
offerings at the bottom of a deep spring for which pur- 
pose a priest enters it. 
