Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-21

Yes, dear the chin droops lower and
rests upon lOeS lockep; yes, dear babe,
an-old maid
INDIANS THAT SEEM FIRe-PRooF.
PecuIIsrIties Of the ''Bashkawn" Dance
/ OF the Savajoes-A Strange Scene,
Denver letter.
Mr.. John B. Sweet who has recently
been travelling in New Mexico and Ari-
zona. gives an interesting and graphic
| sketch Of the ~Hashkawn Dance, which
agencies II took place in a large corral
or inclosure of an ire gularly circular
form. about forty PAGES in diameter Its
fence, about eight feet high. was con-
struCted of fresh juniper and pinon
I boughs In the center was a conicsl pile
of dry wood, about thirteen feet high.
! which was TO make the great central fire.
Around this. few feet from the fence. a
dozen smaller fires were burning for the
comfort and convenience Of the specta-
tors, who numbered about 800 men.
women and children. gathered here from
the various parts of the Naya,O country.
The fire dance was the most picturesque
and startling of ali Some time before
the dancers entered heard stran ge sounds
! mingled with the blowing Of the buffalo
horn. The sounds were much like the
! call of the sand hill crane. and may. per.
haps. be properly called -rumpeting. !"
and they were made by the dancers con-
/ stantly during the exercises The noises
| continued 10 grow louder and come
! nearer, until We heard them ut the open
ing in the east and in mo-
ment after men having no more
clothing on than breeCh- Clout en-
tered Every man bore long. thick
bundle of shredded cedar bark in each
hand, except the leader, who carried four
4, smaller fagots of the same material
+ our times they all danced around the
! fire waving their bundles of bark toward
the fame then they halted in the east
the leader advanced toward the central
: fire, lit one of his little fagots and,
trumpeting loudly. threw it over the
fence o. the coral in the east lie per
| formed q milar act at the south. the
west. and the north, but before the north
ern brand was thrown he lit with il the
I fagots Of his comrades As each brand
disappeared over the fence, some of the
spectators blew into their hands.
and made motion as if tossing
| some substance after the departing flame,
When the fagOts were all Ill. the whole
band began a wild race around the fire
AT first they kept close together aud spat
/ upon one another some substance OF sup
posed medicinal virtue. Soon they scat
Tered and ran. apparently without concert,
the rapid racing causing the brands TO
throw out long brilliant stresmers OF
flame over the naked hands and arms OF
the dancers They then proceeded TO ap
ply the brands TO their own nude bodies,
and the bodies Of their comrades in front
OF them-no man ever once turning
around At times the dancer struck the
victim vigorous blows with his flaming
wand: again he seized the flame as if it
were a sponge. aud. creeping close 10 the
one pursued, rubbed the back of the lat
Ter for several moments as if he were
bathing him In the meantime the sufferer
would catch up with some one in front OF
him, and in turn bathe him in flame At
times when a dancer found no one in
front of him. be proceeded to sponge
his own back. and might keep this up
while making two or three circuits around
the fire, or until be overlook some one
else. At each application Of the blaze the
loud trumpeting was heard, and it often
seemed as if flock of a hundred cranes
werc winging their way overhead, south
ward through the darkness II q brand
became extinguished. it was lit again in
the central fire, but when il was SO far
consumed as 10 be no longer held con.
veuicntly in the hand. the dancer dropped
il and rushed trumpeting out of the cor
raj Thus one by one they all departed,
Ind the spectators stepped into the arena.
picked up the fascicles of the fallen frag-
ments of bark, lii them and bathed their
hands in the flames as a charm against the
evil effects of fire
Were they not blistered?" asked the
reporter.
They were not hurt in the least. was
the answer. Il believe they were pro
tected by coating of earth or clay paint
Thst however. did not make the effect
any less strange have beheld many fire
scenes on the stage. many acts Of fire
eating and fire handling by civilized Jug
glers, and many fire dances by other In
dian tribes, but nothing quite comparable
to this The scenic &C essories were
unique. Demons scourging lost souls
with the eternal fire could scarcely he
pictured TO look more awful.