Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1891-07-22

of the snake Tn position with hi
 left hand, while with his right, il
 which be carried a stick with two 1 long feathers attached, he kept the
 serpent from becoming entangleC
 in the hair of the dancer. Toe snake 1 after being carried around the cir.
 cle was thrown from the mouth
 when the third member of the group
 gathered it up and carried it foi
 the rest of the dance, occasionally,
 however, giving it to one of the
 spectators to hold, which they did
 in very modest manner.
 At times the serpents would try to
 make their escape and would make
 dash for liberty through the
 crowds which surrounded the dane
 CTS, and the spectators would scat
 ter in all directions until the snakes
 were recaptured by the dancers and carried back into the circle and
 more securely held
 The visits to the shed were con- tinued until at least l50 snakes had been brought from the enclosure, and all appeared to be in excellent condition judging from the manner in which they resisted capture after they had been dropped from tue mouth. Two or three instances were noticed of large bull-snakes being held by the neck and twin ing their bodies around the legs of the dancers. In one instance the snake had so entwined himself around the performer that he was unable to move for fear of falling. This predicament caused great outburst of laughter, but it looked anything but funny to the dancer.
 Those who danced with the snakes not unfrequently had three or four in the mouth at the same time. which, of all the performance, was the most repulsive. To see these naked human beings going around with the face completely hidden be- hind mask oftwisting and sauirm- ing snakes was enough to make the stoutest hearted man shudder with disgust, yet the other members of the tribe greeted these manifesto tions with applause.
 The applause of the spectators urged the dancers to greater feats, and as the dance proceeded the per formance became most horrible to behold. Some of the dancers would take two large rattlers in the mouth I at the same time, and as they slowly swung around the circle, would | chew on the living snakes until, in some instances, the serpents would l fall to the ground completely bitten in two. One dancer, who appeared | to be leader, at one time had six | serpents in his mouth at one time, and the swinging ends of the rep i tiles made gorgon appearnce of | his head as he whirled around the | outer edge of the circle.
 This ceremony lasted two hours. and when the dance was over the were thoroughly ex- hausted. While during the dance they had been upheld by the ec- static condition, the reaction was terrible, and while there was no per injury to the dancers, it took several days for them to recu- perate. This time was spent in sleeping and drinking weak sort of broth made from the dead snakes which had perished in the ceremony. During this, there is a peculiar lus- tre of the body and eyes which would i indicate that the performers had | been medicated and prepared for | the ordeal through which they were | about to pass. It was supposed by | some that the rattle-snakes had been | rendered harmless by the extraction of their fangs, but to show that such was not the case, dog was brought into the circle and was bit ten by snake. In a very short time the unfortunate animal was dead from the effcts of the bite.