The Helena independent., 1893-09-07

The performers to the number of about
80 were stripped to the breechcloth, and
with turtle shell rattles fastened to their
right legs were dancing in unison with
slow chorus. The dancers moved in dou-
BILE file in semicircle from one side to the
other of the kiva and then faced about
and danced back again.
The songs were like all Indian songs
weird, slow, monotonous and oft repeated
and the burden Of all was a prayer to the
water gods and an invocation of the spirits
of the thunder, the cloud and the rain. At
last, nearly at the midnight hour, two Of
the performers took hold of the long pole
stretched across in front of the stage and
fastening cords to it's ends drew it quickly
to the rafters. We now saw that it was
attached to curtain. The curtain was
covered with symbolic figures in various
colors, mostly representations of various
mythical deities, and all very artistically
drawn. Across the lower part of the cur
tain were six large holes, closed for the
.. time by movable flaps.
Six naked performers stepped out from
the rest, and going to the front took up
each snake and disappeared behind the
curtain. Another fastened sort of tube
or band over one shoulder and passed
through it one of the largest snakes, grasp
ing it tightly by the neck under his right
arm. Another, an old man, naked like the
rest. but with a small pouch hanging from
his neck, then put over his head mask
painted white, with long plumes. Sud-
denly arose chorus of most unearthly
sounds from behind the curtain as if q
whole menagerie had broken loose.
This was the signal. All at once the six
snakes which had been carried behind the
curtain darted their enormous heads
through the holes in its lower part one at
each hole. They came out, head, neck and
almost half their length moving their
heads from side to side as if singing out
spectator for attack, their white teeth
cleaning, their jaws opening wide and
again closing with a snap, and their red
forked tongues constantly darting in and
out of their mouths. At the same time the
performer who had taken the snake under
his arm seemed about to be overpowered by
its strength. 1t struggled to escape, twist
ing its ugly neck about his arm. darting its
tongue into his very face and then, rearing
up, would throw itself out with mighty
spring SO that he had to clasp both arms
around it and press it tightly against his
naked bosom to hold it. 1t was simply
awful.
All tnls bilne Une olu nun III tne WnlGe
mask was moving rapidly from one snake
to the other, sprinkling upon the head of
each some of the sacred meal from the
pouch hung at his neck. The snakes
stretched out their long necks as he ap-
preached, sometimes three or four feet be-
yond the curtain, pushing their heads
against each other and darting out their
tongues in their eagerness to get ut the
meal and their anger at the delay. As u
head was thrust out the old man would
throw his right arm around the Shiny neck
and hold it close against his side while he
allowed 1t to lick up the meal which he
held out to it in his left hand.
AS the snake turned and twisted it seem
ed to require his whole strength to hold it.
At the same time the other man was strug-
Cling with the other serpent, the sweat
rolling down his naked body and his mus
cles standing out like those on the I.aocoon.
The unca,thy cries and roars behind the
curtain never ceased for u moment, while
the dancers at either side kept up all the
while their monotonous chant a-step to the
time of this turtle rattles.
The effect was the result of an ingenious
mechanism of springs inside the bodies of
the snakes, with clever acting on the part
of the performers, but the illusion was al
most perfect II was as If one saw the lost
souls In hell struggling In the grasp OK tho
internal spirits.