The Portland daily press., 1893-08-21
1.-TWO BITES" WELL NAMED.
visitors at the Fair Saw the Sun Dance In
Real Earnest.

New York, August 49, A telegram
to the Herald thus describes the dance
of the Cliff Dwellers at the Worlds FAIR
The Quackahl Indians in the Cavern OF
the Cliff Dwellers had sun dance last
night with all the accomplishments OF
self-torture. About once month, when
the moon is in the right sign, the ten
dency tow ard cannnibalism, once actively
cultivated among the Quackahl Indians,
begins to manifest itself So last night,
when the bare arm of Inspector George
Hunt presented itself conveniently, Two
Bites, the chief, sank his teeth therein
and chewed with all the avidity of a
hungry man devouring piece OF steak.
Ten Thousand Worlds Fair visitors
watched with fascinated gaze the dis
play of cannibalism from the shore of
the south pond. There were other strange
and even more barbarous sights seen on
the big float, which was anchored near
Two Bites got his piece of human flesh
he had danced all over the platform with
a rope passed through the flesh of his
naked back. George Hunt held the other
end of the rope. Joe Strong Back was
similarly harnessed and Driven. The two
Indians gave good imitation OF couple
of boys playing horse"
But the Quackahls were not playing
horse" They were performing the sun
dance, a religious rite which is rarely
witnessed in the civilized world and
which certainly has never been given
before such an audience as that which
saw it last night. The Quackahls did not
get half a chance at the International
ball in Midway Plaisance Wednesday:
= ,,4, ,i.rbf
After going through their usual warming
up exercises Two Bites and Joe Strong
Back retired to one corner of the platform
and pulled off their shirts. Half dozen
of the tribe crowded around them, while
the others chanted monotonous strain
to the dull music of a drum. George
Hunt produced a keen knife and two
pieces Of rope. He cut four deep gash,es
in the back of each Indian between the
shoulder blades. Then, raising the
flesh, he passed the ends of the rope be-
meath the skin and tied them.
Two Bites and Strong Back stood like
statues, while they were undergoing the
ordeal. The songs suddenly changed to
a wild and vehement cry, and the two
the platform, Juggling with all their
strength on the ropes With shrill cries
and grotesque gestures they dashed back
and forth, the red blood trucking down
their backs and glistening in the glare of
the lights which blazed over the scene.
The crowd was silent, with an astonish-
ment bordering on horror, as the specta=
tors began to realize what they were
witnessing Few knew that the sun
dance was being performed for them.
They only knew that they had never seen
the like before. A pause was given the
dance and then tableau was given, in
which Two Bites and Strong Back threw
all their weight on the ropes and tore
them out of their flesh fastenings.
$ Then Two Bites's face took on new
expression. His eyes snapped and glis-
tened like a wild animals, and, crouch
ing in the centre of the platform, he
uttered hoarse, inarticulate cries. Two
Indians sprang upon him and seized him
by the shoulders. He snapped and
snarled like mad dog until George
Hunt, the interpreter walked out and ex-
tended his bare arm With howl Two
Bites seized. the arm with his teeth, sink
ing them deep into the flesh. Thus he
was led across the PLATFORM until he re-
linquished his hold and squatted upon
the boards. He had chewed piece as
big as a fifty cent piece out of George
Hunts arm; but the nervy interpreter
only smiled as he looked at the. marks
of Two Bitess teeth.