The Arkansaw traveler., 1882-06-11
THE PROXY NAVAJO.
4 Stirring Episode of Frank Cushing s
 Zuni Career
lsiarper's Magazine for June.l

Zunt N&reeT.
 Isiarper's Magazine for June.
 The arsist's work was a source of won Uer to the Zunis. and they looked upon his spirited pourayals with intense inter est. They were. until recently, extremely superstitious about portraits. and nothing could induce any of them to allow their pictures to be made. They believed that something of their actually personality went with their likeness and that whoever possessed 1t would also possess certain control over themselves. d control which might bring evil upon them. But Mir. Gushing, who has talent for skctchIng which has been oi great service to him Tn his notes. banished this superstition. It nearly cost him his life one time. but they saw that no evil came of Il. so they out grew their objections. There seems to be no Chinese conservatism about them. but when they see the light they readily ac- cept It. In MT. Cushing's earlier days Tn Zuni his sketching caused a secret resolve to be made to kill him for practices that might bring disaster to them all. IL was to be done at great dance that WAS soon to come off. He sat upon q neighborlng honse-top wlth skctch-book in hand, when two hidcous figures among the dancers. painted a diabolical black. came to ihe foot of the adjacent ladder. and pounded upon il with their war clubs. shouting out something which caused the multitude to look toward him. He thought Il d loou- lar part of the performance, and smiled good-naturedly. But he understood enough of the language at the tune te dis tingush the cries among the crowd: :: Kill him. kill him .'' II was part of the per formanCe to kill symbolicai Navajo. the Navalos being the aneicn, enemies of the Zunis. Mir Gushing had no ldea tha, he was cast for the part ui that NavaJo and did not comprehend the real gravity of the situation unul he heard the women echo the cries. .'hes. kill hlm klll hin' The people rose up and booked his w.,s. The asscmblage was silent with cNpccta- tion. He glanced behind: there was 4 wall ,.i dark figure -fraMuing down upon him. hali muificd in thelr blankets, and standing inInuiablc as statues. The iwin hends below made ready Ia e"mc up thc ladder. Mi. Cushing now SAW that hi> life was really threatened. \ thoas1nd against one' Attempt at escape wa> hopeless. He thought his last moment had come, and his heart wds terribly frightened. But to glvc w.ls to lear wsis useless. and snmcthin. told hm ia faec the danger coollv M he lclsufcls laid down his skctch-book. plae cd Il stone upon the leaves to keep them from blow ing III the wind. produced d new huniIns- knife. which he had lust brought back with him trnm tori Nmgatc where hc had been on Il trIp nobody knew he had and rourisi,e,i Il. the same tune breaking out into a loud. deiin, laugh. The evident ceelne>s ot the ae, his bold ness Tn facing them. took his .tsssllants aback they paused. and uttered word meaning spiritual friend. that k. .t friend possessing supernatural character istics. making hlm more than common earthly friend qualities which would bring good te them as :. people.
 "A spiritual friend we mus, not kill l spiritual friend .'' ened the two: but VIC kill Navajo - the, shouted
 So out"f the court they rushed III scIrche of a NasaJ9 \ few minutes. aAd fear ful yclping Mas heard. In they rushed. dragging T ''\avaIo. III the shape "i :. great yellow cur. half paTalyzed with fright. They stunned hm with thclr clubs: before he was dead they had him disembowled. and in thcir frenzy were ravcnously eating tine smoking .isais. Mi. Gushing iooked an m gratitude that he was not just then ln the place of that dog playing the part of Il \avalo. Bu, the even, turned out to be the most fortunate thing for him. It fixed him in the alice tions of the whole tribe. and from that day was to be dated his great influence in Zuni.
 The superstition about portraits now fingered only among some of the old womcn-thosc conscr, ators ot the ancient order of things with all people. \, fes- eado the artis, had made a sketch of Il pretty little girl. Al Zuni Mir Gushing showed il to the child's grandmother. d white-haircd old crpne. who looked It il ardently for a moment. then left the room. sobbing wildly, saving. My poor little Lupolita. how could you bc SD cruel as ,o let such an evil come upon her.
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