Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-24

right, firmly around the neck, or rather that
part of its body just behind the
head, with the thumb extended up
ward, ward along the head to keep it from
dom. The other hand constantly strokes the
body OF the reptile with a caressing, downward
motion, the fingers loosely encircling it. This
Is oo'h TO soothe the snake and to prevent it
from coiling around the arm. which might re-
suit In unfortunate complications.
yENoMous REPTILES.
There can be no doubt that the snakes used
in the dance and handled by the Indians are
venomous and are able to inflict fatal bite.
It was supposed by some that their fangs had
been drawn or their poison glands removed.
but DR.. Yarrow of the armyand an authority on
snakes. who was sent out by the Smithsonian
to investigate this point, reported that he
found the snakes to be undoubtedly venomous,
with their fangs and glands in place and the
latter well filed with poison.
Isolated instances of death by bites from the
snakes among the tribe also prove this point
THE HORRIBLE DANCE
The dance occurs in the pueblo and is per-
formed by upward of hundred Indians-men.
women and children-who have been ;rained to
their duties.
The performers are attired in special cos
tunes Tor the occasion, those Of the men being
OF the most simple character, while the women
array themselves in all possible colors and wear
dresses of a certain cut and pattern The men
are painted in hideous style with sort of kao-
In paste, and the little boys, partly and wholly
naked, are decorated in much the same fashion
THE CHIEF MEDICINE MAN,
arrayed in most fantastic costume and wear
ing top-knot of green leaves, is master Of
ceremonies. The dance consists Of process
sions and the carrying of the snakes from the
jars, into which they have been replaced into
the sacred lodge, oblations at the sacred rock,
lncantations and prayers, and finally the dis
position of the serpents. The professions are
weird and impressive, the music" coming
from gourds filed with pebbles to make a
sound like the falling rain The women group
themselves in one corner and the boys next to
them. The men then enter the pueblo and
march around 1t, returning to the place from
which they came. When they next appear, in
double line, each left-hand man holds in his
mouth one of the wriggling, Shiny, venomous
serpents with the fangs, ready to deal forth
death, playing within an inch of the face. The
teeth grasp the body just behind the head
which is pointed to the right The other man
keeps 1t from biting with his eagle feathers
The snakes are spat out on the ground in front
OF the women, who douse them with corn meal
significant material They are then picked
up by the little boys, who seem to have no fear
whatever, and placed in the sacred lodge.
THE SECOND PROCESSION
OF the men is even more frightful than the first,
for each one holds a snake in his mouth with
no one to amuse them with feathers As the
frenzy increases the mouths carry two snakes
at time, and some even try to carry serpents
that are too large round to 60 between the
teeth. All is the widest excitement Snakes
are continually getting away and coiling them
selves up In belligerent attitudes, from which
they are driven by the old men, who are ex-
perts in the art of snake handling. The women
are being driven from their position by angry
reptiles, the crowd, numbering many hun
dreds, enter into the spirit of the occasion and
shout forth plaudits for acts of especial reck-
lessness. The thing is kept up until all of the
snakes have been doused with the meal and
thrown into the lodge, when prayers are
offered and lamentations performed by the
medicine man. Then. at a given signal, the
lodge Is thrown open and the braves rush to it
and begln carrying snakes in their hands to
certain spot marked on the ground. Not only
do they carry one in each hand but they often
take three, four, five in their grasp, and Capt
Bourke even saw one man who took ten snakes
from the lodge on one trip, his arms being full
OF the venomous creatures. As soon as they
are all In the marked circle corn meal is thrown
on them In quantities until they are compile tely
covered. Then, with another prayer, the final
word Is given and the men, amid the most
hldeous noise, seize the snakes by hapdf,lIs and
dash with them down the side of the cliff to the
plain below, where they scattered to the
fonr winds. Not a snake has been hurt Some
times an Indian is bitten, but not often, and if
he Is he dies with the happy belief that his soul
is sacred.
This is the Moqui snake dance, probably one
OF the most revolving spectacles to be witnessed
anywhere on this continent. There are ele-
ments that cannot be depicted here that make
1t ten times more disgusting to the white man
than 1t would seem, the snakes giving forth a
most sickening stencil, and the noise made by
the performers combining into deviish dis
cord that is enough of itself to scare strong
headed he ri
dance with the snakes, and it then remains to
De seen whether their crops are good or not.
Saturday Smiles.
Usher Cat reception in Chicago, pompouslv.
as MIR. Foot and daughters enter)-"AIr. Foot
and the Misses Feeti'
And yet they say Chicago has no culture
Puck.
A gentleman, with his card case in hand,
rings the bell
Are Mr. and Mrs. B. at homer"
very well; then I'll call again."-Judge.
Professor-"How long can person live
without brains?"
Student don't know. How old are your"
-Neso York EUening Sun.
De Dummy accidentally running into
stranger rams z lm"oh-aw! Beg pardon!'
yourself, sirr'-Judge.
man would make irst-class highwayman."
Bisby-"What put such an idea into your
head?" 'N'
Bodkin-"He knows how to lie in weight.
nyhow2"-Kearney Enterprise.
Wife-"Just think, have sat here and seen
man going after man into that saloon over
there"
=, Husband-'You're right. That's Just what
theyr re dolng-every man who enters there
wlil assure you that he is going in after another
man. "-Detroit Free Press.
night"
smithson-''No; inexpressibly dreary. There
was young man there who tried to be funny"
Ne,o York Weekly.
va Moneybaggs Cat the altar with Miss De
PIide-"With all my worldly goods I thee an.
dow" ''e 0"-
=, Rejected suitor Gin back pew -"Hear, hearl'
Neso York Weekly.
Gladys (effusively)-"O Uncle Joe, the gipsy