The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-02-14

tegins and the rsttlesnakes nip an In
dian on the ear, cheek or breast the
antidote renders him poison proof.
Charles +. Lummis describes how
the captain of She snake band kneels
in front of a booth, thrusts his arm
behind a curtain, unties sack of
snakes and draws out big squirming
rattler. This he holds in his teeth,
| about six inches back of the snakes
head, and then stands erect "The
captain of the antelope order steps
forward and puts his left arm around
the snake captains neck, while, with
the snake whip in his right hand, he
smoothes the writhing reptile. The
two Indians then began the hippety-
hop dance of the Indians. The next
snake priest draws forth snake from
the booth and is joined by the next
antelope man ms his partner; and so
the ceremony goes on, until each of
the snake men is dancing with deadly
snake in his mouth The dancers hop
in pairs from the booth TO the dance
rock, then north, and circle toward
the booth again. When they reach
certain point, which completes about
three-quarters of the circle, each
snake man throws his snake, by n
movement of his neck, down to the
rock floor of the court, and inside the
ring of dancers, and again he dances
on to the booth again for fresh
snake.
The snakes sometimes run to the
crowd, ticklish affair for those
jammed upon the very brink of the
precipice. An Indian official snatches
the snakes back again, but il they coil
and show fight the antelope men tickle
them with the snake whips until they
uncoil and try to glide away. Then
they seize them with the rapidity of
lightning. Frequently the Indians
have five or six snakes in their hands
ut once. The reptiles are as deadly as
ever; not one has had its fangs ex-
tracted.
At last all the Indians rush in q
body to the foot of the dance rock,
and throw their snakes into a horrid
heap of threatening heads and buzzing
tails. have seen hillock of rattle
snakes foot high and four feet
across. For moment the dancers
leap about the writhingpile, while the
sacred corn meal is sprinkled. Then
they thrust an arm into that squirm-
ing mass, grasp number of snakes
and run at top speed to the four points
of the compass. At the bottom of the
great mesa table land) where the chief
snake dance is held, about 800 feet
above the plain, they release the un.
harmed serpents These astounding
rites last from half an hour to an
hour, and end only when the sun has
fallen behind the bald western desert.
Special Agent Scott says that the
speed of the Indians running with the
snakes is so great that no man can fol-
low them. During the ceremony the
celerity of the proceedings evidently
kept the snakes muddled. During the
dance Indians were stuck by the rat
tlesnakes and bitten in several places.
They drew back for moment, but
continued the dance, and no ill effects
were afterward noted. One Indian
struck in the nose had some difficulty
in shaking the snake off, and he only
did so with his attendants assistance.
1t may interest missionaries to say
that the snake order is spreading
among the Moquis.
The Indians are very tenacious in
holding to their ancient faith. Their
views on witchcraft almost amount to
a religion. The Zunis, in common
with other Indians, are very super
stitious, and have horror of a sup
posed witch. A person found guilty
of witchcraft is promptly executed.
The mode of execution is extremely
cruel. If victim escapes, his torturers
never allow him to return to the coun.
try. In 1890 an old woman was charged
with bringing grasshopper plague
into the country. She had no defender.
She was ordered to be hung up. Her