The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1881-10-08
The Indian Foot. Race.

The Governor OF san Juhn-lor eacn
pueblo has Governor of its own nomi-
nation and cicction,-graycly walked
down to clear the course, In his hand
he bore as sceptre what seemed to bea
bottle of whisky, but what in reality
was whisky bottle filed with gun
powder that he distributed as largesse
to the Indians with guns, and behind
him came company Of guards in their
finest clothes bearing green branches
and wearing-a part OF them, at least--
garlands Of green leaves upon their
shocks of hair. These guards be dis
tributed, at intervals Of a hundred yards
or so, in couples along the course; the
couples being taken, apparently, from
the opposite sides. This preliminary be-
ing settled tremendous. old patriarch,
with a waving mass Of gray hair down
to his shoulders and wrinkled beyond all
expression, stepped out midway in the
track bearing in his hands an ancient
drum. He was clad gaily in yellow
buckskin leggings, o checked shirt that
he SYSTEMATICALLY wore outside Of them
andia battered old straw hat, once black,
that he carried on his head as proudly
as kings in pictures were their crowns.
With becoming dignity no sounded a
long roll upon his drum the signal for
the race to begin. Long before he had
finished, two lads, the youngest Of the
racers, had started out together and on
an easy lope came down the course, while
the three or four thousand spectators
sent up q ringing yell. As the boys ar
rived at the goal two men started ont,
not together, but us far apart as the boys
we're when they came In. This was
rather puzzling, but after little inves-
tigation the principle Of the race was
clear. The two sides were divided, each
into.couples, one man Of each pair be-
ing at the end Of each track. As run
ner came in his partner 1T once started
out, while the partner Of the man who
lost the heat had 10 start rs far in the
rear as the distance by which the heat
had been lost. The final victory rested
with the man whose man came in first
on the final heat One advantage Of this
arrangement, as far as the spectators
were concerned, was TINT the race was
going on all the time and as the man
behind frequently overlook and passed
the man who had started out ahead. vic
tory constantly trembled in the balance
and from start TO finish the excitement
was kept at fever heat. For the most
part the running was magnificent, the
1.-the forms and vigorous muscles coming
out grandly under the spur Of emulation
and the encouraging shouts Of the
crowd. Indeed, the encouragement was
rather overwhelming, vigorous partisans
breaking through the line Of guards and
coming close 10 the runners 10 shout
AGA ]" "Acaw "0m side r. "Our
side" The scene along the course,
meanwhile, was as picturesque as il well
could be. Pressing close upon each
side over its entire length was the
brightly dressed crowd Of Indians and
Mexicans, on foot and on horseback,
brilliant scarlet blankets and white robes
giving the high lights, while softer col.
ors shone in the shawls and wraps Of the
Mexican women, and so graded of into
the warm browns Of the ground and oi
the clay houses TO the black sombrero.
OF the men. Higher up, along the roof.
OF the houses, the same color effect wa
repeated against the brilliantly cleal
blue sky. And down the wide lane ira
yersing the crowd from end TO end, the
magnificent fellows went tearing along
as hard as ever they could 90. II was q
barbaric rendering Of the Olympiar
games. San Juan Nv. ny Cor. Phiia
deiphid Times.