, 1879-06-25

rroaeAed' its meridian hight, tue preparations
for the moro Interesting ceremonies were made
As the .. reached IT. Highest poin. one o tlo
Will hands aIsl cyes toward tho burning sum
uttered fcrYett aud impressive prayer, Ihs
PRAYER wns tntcrpretsd to ma hy atr. t:haf'cy
vroTost, tho CantleMnnl7 aud obliEInk Agency
interpreter, and Was pers1aus
THE ftttaT rnAyEt or t.1KE rrTronT
over delivered by youug warrior. l1e nskod That
tho Grcat Spirit would givc him strength nnl
courage to hear tho ordeal through which he
wns nbont to pass; ,l.at the Indians =, might ho
Increase IN w!stfotn anA ii numbers; tl'nt they
might live at ncaco viii, tilcIr ralo.faced
brethren, and might learn Their why's; tl,at tho
"1asr sH un nR ey sS: II haa ' Srsen aes
bcrs. And thus, through It ali, uaa brcathed
Allowing, TENDER srts1T,
wldelv Ut variance with The ususl ins1inntlons Of
ttn younE men. The solemn, ,ttier silence i W.T..
enrncstncss Of 'talc snpplfcant: tho extended
arn,s,.. tl,e parehtd,, cracked tips, past
which food or ,sntcf lsaA not been during sixty
hours: tho cyaont salcslng.--a!l 'naa9 sseno @
removed mr hnt ansl bowed. nl.fl can readily
imagine hbw QUO might have been Affected 10
tears.
down ttoon f lis back, a,,d Two Of tl,n Medicine.
slen alyancelt mud, before his burning rycs
slowly whettcA q etsten!ng hwttl.cs-kni!o. aM1,
after repeated trials, fiuding the edge sat!a.
for a moment Of tho flesh upon fln breaat;
then, ceyatlng tho knife an Instant toward tho
| sltu, II Was
SLOWLY THRUST THROUGH THE ouivRnrNa
.tonDed Close Mp, Jaw tho bright blade ado with; b;
the dancer, wrill,o md qntycr. ,lm toes
and fingers drawn up convulsively,
and then relax: tnt no tin'Na wns needed to star
him. for he did not ra1sc n ffnror or shrfnka
halr's brcadth, a,.i no tnonn. esruped his lips.
| Tie cutting was then reueatGd upon The other
side OF the breast,-thc two psinctrrcs being
about eight Inches apart, through which showers
Hcre thrust, when tic two ends OF lartat
| suspended from lItUll up on the polo sesa tied
to the skewcrs; md. thus
| LITERALLY IARtATED nr Ills OWN FLESH,
he was LETT. Slowly ho raised himself to
/ sitting posture, looked sadly at tie 1nanRled
md inscrtci ti,e iea,nerei whistle between hta
| ltps. The arms were raised ngnitl; the head was
thrown back between the shoulders, that the sun
might reach straiEllt into tilc eye; mud 10 again
pu.lnt. back. until u.e skin md 1!cs!, upon the
| breast sFn5 iiswn oMtwatda SIX or eight tEshcs.
| Fhnt ',u danced around t'.e po'e. winding nna
unwintitng The ]nrfat; anil then violently threw
| this ilcall-fasten}ng: bat the human skin Ia
tough Xrl II refused to lenr, aud he WAS thrown
violently forward upon llia face. Tic aFosc slow
lr again, danced moment, and, stepping quick
| ly back, thro1 hlmselt Will, such forca that
| THE FRESH WAS To1sN OUT
with platnly-aulltte amp. aud ho, oRaiu fell
leadiong. lie tay t1,us. UNDECIDED q 1nnment:
| then rejofned Ills companions, AMI proceeded
with the dance. Had tic failed to break loose
hitnselt. others would hare 1crhed him back
This was repeated With the others, with tlttle
| vnriattou,- passing The ordca! braToar; ono.
however, being upwards Of l,alf.hous brcaiirf,
lcosc, mid repeatedly falling md fantinE.. But.
food or drink, no drop WAS allowed btm.-the
nearest approach to this hoing the blowing OF n
spray Of saliva over the bistercd face from tho
mouth 1T the attendant, aud the rubbing. ot 1t
OF With u bunch Of some nollrishing weed.
One, not content With the common mode OF
| worship, had cut from his body
| ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY DISTINCT PIECES
OF FLESM.
he WAS brown, small fellow oil about 81 years.
| lie advanced gnQ enelrcled the sacred polo With
his arms, 1nying hts cheek close up against It.,
ntl, while stumbling thus ono approached him
upon either side, aud simultaneously cut from
flesh about the size Of one's mb:-nail; then Z
similar piece was taken from ahe Ice. rear tho
ankle; 50, alternately ovenod below. tho cruel
knilc did It's work. To suspcnl for q moment
ped quickly acro.s to i post.ta' close beside
wllert sto.NI< and linclk hgalrst q polo there
stumbling, ,ylset, tl,t. kni7ea weru ncnn at work
until the cuta approached cnch other and Joined
nt the waist. And yrt tile wurk WIS not con1-
pietc. Then down and up each arm until tho
requisite number wero severed, Wien
lie EKEJoENHp THE DANCERS,
urn1er the still blaztns sun. ..-- ..-
When it Is remembered that these men lad
becu without food or dslak for thirty.stx hours
through its torty-eiCht hours' contInuancc, did
not touch either; that oil these two
days the sun Bhont down upon their bare bodies
md heads NTH nn Intense heat: tllat during
most OF tfc time their eyes Ncre fixed upon tho
sun, and ut one tfme'l saw fellow with mir
ror throwing tho reflected rays Into their eYes;
that the cutting and tearing ot 4iclr bodies was
rSss n9tno ,dt Tt0s s e s r.oaa T b 9 90a1e 5
will cause many wish that this almost horoie
matettal may be preserved In somc civilized and
harmless lnnnncT.
| nut WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE
OF oil thfs3, The popular belief has been Tint
worthy OF being led on The war.patA; mud t,lcro
;. Ia no doubt that to acqut oneself brnycly II,
thc dance gives him Boliewl,at Of prominence
but the cernInonY Is one of worship Inalnly.
Also, tho torture is undergone a. a ttank-oiIer
| Ing to tic Great Spirit for favors rccelfcd
During tho danco Just passed, ono ronng
bquaw took part. IN obedience to Il VOW mHdt
to tbs Great spi5is. thai, Il she should recover
other buck was lost tlpon thu psusrie. lIe
vowed that, II the Great Spirit wo,ild lead him
10 the wigmnH, b. would 1u,ce. Aud thtts Il
was with. many. Others took part ~ u pirs
aptrlt of worship. LINN
Il nsFonK THE nANCr.
E1<tsaf corrsslondtntt of Tat 7rtbHe.
FoKT nESEArT, D, T.. Juno 12-Tharo is !
prospect Of lively times on tho frontier ihr
summer. spottcl-Tatl & Co. nre to have BIT
"Sun+D Dance" near tkcls .Agelcy Qloacbud)
| 1nYitkt{onN konlN t1rnA 6IOEn fnttya ar1ief
the luuians ut all the Sioux agencies ou TIL
Missouri River; and, III severbl CASTS where
therr was doubt OF MI acceptance, tho invita-
tionS hayo been followed hy rlnncrs to ,isE'
forward aud putting iu an appearance durln,
, this important festival, where. without duuDt
the utd-ttms NONSENSE Of past and prcscn
curn speedy reaction III their flyor (accosdlnI
10 their !tlens) will be fully aud coi,petcntl
DISCUSSED. Tile conclusion viii prohaply bri.l!