DANCING THE TJIKELELR. 
175 
foe hear that they are on the alert, as well as 
to keep themselves awake. Although it was 
sometimes distressing, when suffering from ac- 
tual fever or the weakness it left behind, to have 
this perpetual clamour so near to one, we should 
have been duly thankful to our guardians had 
they only given up when daylight rendered 
further effort needless. They generally danced 
from sundown till ten next morning, but some- 
times they seemed to get intoxicated with ex- 
citement and to be unable to stop, and we had 
days and nights of unceasing noise. 
Although so exciting to themselves, their 
dance is rather uninteresting to an onlooker 
after having once seen it. Eight or ten, each 
with a cylindrical drum in his hand, form a 
circle, and commence a slow swaying motion, 
changing gently from one foot to the other with 
each stroke of the drum, while maintaining a 
crouching attitude which does not show the 
figure to the best advantage by any means. 
One, meanwhile, in a sing - song monotonous 
voice, asks fowls to eat, saguire to drink, success 
in war, immunity from sickness, the wife he 
wants, and any particular need. At a certain 
point the others join in loud chorus, the beat 
of the tom-tom quickens, the gentle swaying 
