The morning call., 1893-02-05

was Init an insignificant, coWaruly Dlegel,
descendant of an Insignificant, cowardiy
race and grew overbearing, tyrannlcal and
bloodtbirsty, He found many to answer
his challenges to fight, and within 10"
minutes was ingloriously defeated; DIS Dody
became a cushion for innumeraDie dlrksi
he was almost cut to pieces.
When IL became a matter OF certainty
that he could not live, white handKer-
chief was drawn tightly over his ehIire
face, and his dying struggles ior Dreath
gurgling through the cotton shield coulu Dc
heard for long distance. 1t was not re-
moved until he had gasped MS lass. IT,.
The origin of this revolving custom, which
! Is followed with the dying by all the Fresno
| Diggers, is lost in obscurlty. IL Is an
ancient rite to be duly honored.
One old woman explains that when An
| Indian is dying frightful devil movers
! near by to grab his spirit, and his lace is
covered that he may not see the disturbing
| apparition.
The blind old medicine man shakes his
| head and says:
mot right l have eyes no more. but
when my last sickness comes you VIII not
| fail TO cover my face TO maybe fool that
| devil. / am ready to catch him; one, a
| rich, good fellow with plenty OF horses as
the nuts of the pine in full season.the
| other, poor devil. who makes his captlves
| H.. h,
| When a man dies we Just put that handker-
| chief over his face to make that WORK devil
| believe he sleeps and he can go eaten some
| body else. But maybe he grabs him after
| all; we don't knowp'
| An ancient dame with wrinkled, leathery
| face like Egyptian parchment, disputed
| both stories, and ayers that the custom has
| no superstitiOus significance.
| 1--WE like to remember the friend as In
| health and not as when he is going through
| the conVulSions OF death" she says.
There is no Interpretation OF the rite
| which will prevent a white person from
! shivering with horror at its observance.
When Knife's face was covered two pro
| feSsional women m0uTners.c came, anu sitting
| on either sGe OF the death couch, in loud
! tones, bewaIed the speedy coming loss Of
| one Of their warriors In monotonous, gut
| tural chant. If Knife were conscious, IL an
| Indian has any seusibilities, fancy the feel
| ings Of the dying man!
As soon as the mOurners took their places
| horsemen were sent TO all the rancherias
within a radius Of twenty miles with invita-
! tions TO the deathbed scenes and subsequent
| fandango funeral, which would take place
as soon after death as all the company could
| be gathered together.
1t goes without saving that the invita-
! lions were all accepted and soon the noun
| tain trails and roads were alive with pic
| turesque groups Of excited men, women and
! children, in wagons, on horseback or afOOt;
| for there is 20 one, old or young, who would
| miss such merTy-naking.
1t may not be amss to tell that the fam
! lily horses. where there are any family
| horses, are monopolzed by the men and
! boys, the barefooted women doing the
| walking and doing ii in fine style too, with
| oftener than not the burden Of pap0ose
| strapped upon the back and sack Of -four
| or other provisions carried in the arms.
| Each guest brought at least one bottle of
| whisky, and on arriving at the rendezvous
| of death INDUCED in a preliminary hearty
! drink. Then all the men and boys joined hands
! and walled a death chant punctuated by
| the dying mans iabOTed gasplngs for breath
! and accompanied by the disc0rdant cries OF
| the professional mourners, the jangling of
| sounds discOncerting no one but the Ameri-
| can audience.
| Gradually the assumed grief grew greater
| at least the noise waxed greateT-tbe circle
! was broken, and one by one following a
| leader around the couch commenced a fanci-
| full step accompanied with motions of the
| arms and body. which lasted half hour.
| Then they took another drink, brought
! from their pockets packs OF greasy cards
! and gambled at poker and grew quarrel
| some and rIOtOus with frequent tipplings.
II adj II been dying woman or girl the
masculines would have concerned them
! selves with the pastimes of whisky and
! poker only, and LETT all the death cere-
| monies, excepting grim attendance at the
grave, to be performed by the women.
| ALI the women chanted laments unceas-
/ ingy. to and fro from their wigwams TO
| the spring with baskets of food on their
heads 10 be washed Tor the noon day meal,
| or within the wgwams pecing quilts or
! gazing into the smoky fire. They moaned
| something after the fashion of afflicted
| JOBS so many centuries agone:
The broad land which once was ours
has been taken from US! A few hills and
running spring are our scant portion.
Our people that once filled the broad
land are gone from US. We know not
where our mothers bones are laid.
! "Ihe threads of the pines weep with US;
for soon we shall all be slumbering under
their cones.
Another one is leaving US; oh, that dark
valley! soon may we leave it to dwell On
! the nigh mountain"
When poor Knife's heart gave its last
FAINT qniyer, the professional mourners
| announced II with a shrlll shrek. The
ominous cry sobeTed the reveling men in
stantly; they dropped their cards and
| again crcled around the deathbed, repeat
| ing the chants and steps with which they
| had helped their friends spirit TO take its
| flight TO that dark valley"
| There was no indecent haste to end this
ceremony; it was gone through with the
| utm oSt decoTum, but as soon as il was
ended there was wild race to the cards or
| whisky once more.
| There was some delay In the arrival of
relatives, so the corpse was not Inferred
| for several days, 10y which time il was in
| an advanced stage of decomposition. A
| box was neatly covered with black calico
| and the remains, dressed in white shirt and
| black suit, were wrapped in wet cloths.
| The air grew very offensive. but no one
| seemed TO care. all had plugged their noses
| with sprIgs OF mountain laurel, and as they
had stopped the sense of smelling thought
| nQthsng OF nhaling the corruption.
Worn out with protracted mourning and
ms M of
the women mourDers sckened; the drunken
| men, arousing themselves to chant and
dance AT morn and at night, divided them
| selves into squads and relieved each other
| in taking sleeping comfort under a long
arbor of pine and chaparral built for the
occasion by the women.
| The coffin stood under q spreading oak
some fifty feet away. On the ground at the
| head sat the chief mUurner, Knife's only
son, his wife and two children beside him.
| With bowed head, the laurel in his nostrils
| seemed like spt outing horns, and when the
boss chantress left the coffin and groveled
at his feet praising the dead mans parts
| from toe 10 scalp, at the same time fondng
| over the live sons muscles and joints and
| wishing that each would prove worthy OF
| his sire. the scene and act were re-
hinder of a spectacular burleSque opera
| company.
When the son at the evidently required
| points attempted To weep and could not
pump solitary tear from the dry reser-
vor ii was impossible TO repress a smile
just how long the fostering remains might
have been kept above ground If outside au-
thorities had not nterfered is an unsolved
| problem, but at the close of the fourth day
mounted official came with the command to
inter the eorpse Immediately. Under one
| preteXt or another the moon was high be-
| fore the cOrtege moved to the little ceme-
terry. BY this time the half-fanting women's
| voices were like cr0aking echoes; the
|
| grave was reached. After lowering the
coffin each in turn stepped and chanted
around the grave. finishing by throwing
| shovelful of earth into the hole in spasm
L ,.,...l h.