gO 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[JAN. 20, 1906. 

bank, clothes, robes and all, into deep water, as 
the mother-in-law suddenly appeared nearby. 
In the case of a white man, however, this cus- 
tom was somewhat modified; knowing that the 
latter paid no attention to it, the mother-in-law 
would come into a room or lodge where he was, 
but would not speak to him. I had taken a 
fancy to my mother-in-law, and I was glad to 
have her come around. After a time I even 
succeeded in getting her to talk to me. She 
was a good woman, a woman of great firmness 
of character and rectitude, and she had brought 
up her daughter to be like her. The two 
thought everything of each other, and Nat-ah’- 
ki never tired of telling how much the good 
mother had done for her, what advice she had 
given, how many sacrifices she had made for 
her sake. WALTER B. ANDERSON. 
[TO BE CONTINUED. ] 
child’s 
A Dance at San Juan. 
Wymnore, Neb.—Editor Forest and Stream: 
A member of my family. spent last winter in New 
Mexico for her health, and my wife and I made 
two trips down there to visit her, and we saw a 
number of Indian dances, which I have often 
thought I would like to describe to readers of 
ForEST AND STREAM, but as I doubt my ability 
to do the subject justice, I will send you this 
from a letter written to us by our little girl de- 
scribing a dance at San Juan. The Miss True 
mentioned in the letter is the Government 
teacher at the Pueblo de Santa Clara. ‘I copy 
that part of it relating to the dance literally, as 
follows: 
“EsSpANOLA, New Mexico, Monday Evening, 
Dec. 28, 1t004—Dear Papa and all: Saturday 
morning Miss True and I, with an Indian boy 
for a driver, went to San Juan, about seven miles 
from here. It was such a beautiful day that we 
enjoyed every minute of the drive, even if the 
dust was six inches deep. We forded the Rio 
Grande and I thought what a delightful place for 
a cold bath, but we did not take one. Every few 
minutes a band of mounted Indians in their 
paint and gay blankets would pass us on the dead 
run. “They made the air ring with Indian songs. 
Their voices are very good and it sounded very 
musical. 
“At San Juan we went to the dance, which was 
the attraction of the day. We sat in the buggy 
all the time, and our driver always got in the 
very best places for us to see. Miss True and 
I were the only Americans in evidence. The 
dancers moved from place to place in the plaza— 
the plaza is not really a plaza, as the church is 
in the middle of it. There were forty-seven men 
dancers in the line. I wish I could make you 
see it as I did. They were naked except for loin 
cloths and moccasins, and wore bracelets on the 
arms above the elbows and tucked evergreen in 
them. On one leg, just below the knee, was 
fastened a turtle shell to which was attached a 
lot of teeth, so that every time the foot came 
down the teeth rattled. Some of the more fortu- 
nate ones had sleigh-bells tied around the other 
leg. In each hand was a big branch ot evergreen 
and in one hand a rattle-box, such as I sent you. 
Can you imagine the forty-seven bare backs and 
the ninety-four bare legs? I forgot their heads. 
Each head was adorned with three long feathers, 
a twig of evergreen and a large red, yellow or 
green rosette. They sang all the time and kept 
perfect time; every’ right foot came up at the 
same moment and went down with a dull thud. 
They did not lift the other foot very often. They 
would all reach the rattle-box out at once and 
give it a shake; then they would commence to 
turn, and turn just half way. Each turned just 
as the next one was turned. It looked very 
pretty to look up the line and see them turning. 
Then another shake and they turned back, and 
did it all over again. The women brought them 
presents of meal and bread. There were two 
Indians that seemed to be dancing masters, as 
they looked after everything. There was a great 
crowd of Indians from the other pueblos as well 

MISS “YOU GUESS WHO.” 
Photo by A. D. McCandless. 
as a lot of Mexicans there; there was hardly 
room in the plaza for the dancers. The roofs of 
some of the adobes were covered with gaily- 
decked Indians. The women all had on their 
brightest dresses and shawls. The horsemen 
were thick, as were buggies and wagons. _ 
“T could hardly believe that I was in the 
United States; I did not suppose that such things 
were to be seen in this country now. ‘There were 
eight clowns to keep the crowd jolly, and they 
succeeded admirably. The clowns were painted 
and only wore what clothes were absolutely 
necessary. We could not understand their jokes, 
but could guess that they were funny. One old 
clown got a lard bucket and a rag and played 
that he was a priest; he repeated the prayer, 
said the amen, then sprinkled the people, then 
he put the rag on a stick and burned it for in- 
cense; but I am happy to say that the burning 
rag fell on his bare back and he stopped that. 
The Mexicans and Indians are all Catholics, but 
they thought that fun. They watched us like 
hawks to see that we did not take any pictures, 
as they put people out of the pueblo that try to 
take pictures, but | worked Miss True’s camera 
and think I have a fine picture of the dance, and 
it did not hurt them. 
“We got back to Espanola about 4, I got my 
mail and packages and went on with Miss True 
to Santa Clara to be ready for the dance there 
Sunday. Just a few minutes after sundown Sat- 
urday evening we heard the church bell ringing, 
so we set out for the pueblo to see the dance. 
There were twenty-five men dancing. They had 
dark blankets pinned around their necks, but 
were bare beneath them except a narrow cloth 
that hung from the waist to the knees. They 
looked very weird dancing in the twilight and 
chanting that weird song. Sunday they danced 
in just that same way at sunrise; we went to see 
it, of course, and then went back to breakfast. 
After breakfast we went again; this time they 
were dressed, or rather undressed, for the ball, 
with great wreathes of pine boughs around their 
necks. Just imagine jumping around all day with 
pine needles flopping up and down on your bare 
back and breast? The Santa Claras wore four 
feathers on their heads, two sticking out on each 
side. They kept it up nearly all day. Twice they 
went in to the Astufi, which is the place of their 
secret meetings. There are no doors or windows 
to the Astufi, but you climb a ladder to the roof 
and then go down one on the inside. It is sure 
death to try to get a peep into the Astufi, and 
angry looks to question. About three years ago an 
Indian woman was caught peeping, and she was 
stoned to death right by the school house. There 
were two girls in this dance. They knelt in front 
of the dancers and drew a stick across another 
notched one. It was a fitting accompaniment to 
the song. There were a great many spectators 
present; the priest from Santa Cruz was there. 
You must bear in mind that it was a religious 
ceremony, they did not make a frolic of it. There 
was lots of drinking at San Juan, but with all 
the crowd there was not the least disorder. A 
gang of white people, drinking as they were, with 
no restraint, wouuld have had fights aplenty. I 
would not want to have been in the thick of it 
as I was there. I wish you could be here to at- 
tend the inaugural ball Jan. 6; that will be the 
last dance of the season. The dances all stop at 
sunset. Sunday they all had to go to the Rio 
and bathe in the ice water. 
“Tt will be a new dance (to me) on the 6th. 
It is called the ‘Montechena.’ Montezuma and 
the Twelve Apostles, the wife of Montezuma, and 
Satan are the participants.” 
Well, we took the little girl by surprise and 
we were there on the 6th and saw the inaugural 
ball. A. D. McCAnpLess. 
The New “Forest and Stream.” 
New York, Jan. 10.—ForEST AND STREAM looks 
very dainty and attractive in its new dress. I 
think the change a decided improvement. 
FRANK MOooNnan. 
Erie, Pa., Jan. 11.—Allow us to congratulate 
you on the change you have made on the Forest 
AND STREAM. You are right up to date, and 
reducing the size of your paper has been a great 
improvement. The illustrations you are using 
are certainly fine and make a big addition to your 
paper. It is a big improvement over the old. 
TRIBUNE TRAP & TARGET Co., 
C. F. HumMMEL, Sec’y. 
New York, Jan. 12.—The changed form of 
ForEST AND STREAM is a tremendous improve- 
ment. The first issue, which has arrived this 
morning, is exceedingly attractive. We predict 
for you great prosperity in the future. 
AyrES ADVERTISING AGENCY. 
Detroit, Mich., Jan. 9.—I desire to congratu- 
late you in the change in form and improved ap- 
pearance of the Forest AND STREAM in its initial 
number for 1906. While the old form was al- 
ways readable and interesting as to matter, it 
was awkward to handle and of an undesirable 
size to bind or file. The present size is much 
more acceptable. I have been a reader and, for 
most of the time since 1876, a subscriber to your 
journal, and find it now, as always, the best ex- 
ponent of sporting outdoor life that has ever ap- 
N. P. MAnrtTon. 
peared. 

CABINO AND GRANDMOTHER, 
Santa Clara Pueblo, 
Photo by A. D. McCandless. 

