The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-28

now begin-everybody must come What
ever effect the cigarette smoking and the
sacred singing may have had In paralyzing
the rabbits is certainly dispelled by the
discordant yells Of this town crier
About dark the squaws build fire near
the door Of the estufa. and then return to
their huts-women not being permitted TO
enter the sacred estufa, nor witness the
ceremonies The medicine-man furnishes
the spark for the fire by briskly rubbing
together two sticks. This Is considered sa-
cred fire; If furnished otherwise n would
be a PROCLAMATION, and, besides, they would
not kin any rabbits The Peublos believe
that the sacred fire rests in trees and that
It can be bad only in this manner.
Al a signal from the shaman, which Is a
grunt, all rise and form in line facing the
east-the shaman at the head. lie first
sprinkles the floor with corn-meal, and
then the men file before him, each receiv-
ing a sprinkling. The line has now formed
as a crescent, opening to the east. The
dance begins with a song. which is sup
posed to have the effect of so charming
the rabbits that they cannot hear the APP
preach of the hunter on the morrow The
dance Is a slow promenade in single file.
with a hippety-hop step, and the chant
ing is equally monotonous. Two men in
front carry concave gourds In their left
hands, over which they draw a notched
stick Those who have heard the raspings
Of a Chinese fiddle can have some idea OF
this excruciating noise. The men are bare
footed and bare-legged, wearing only a
patchwork of rabbit-skin around the body,
reaching from the shoulders TO the knees,
and around the loins. The breast is bare
with the exception Of a coat OF red paint,
describing the figures of rabbits. During
the hight of the music one OF the dancers
jumps into the middle of the room with a
"Ho! Hol" He initiates the jumping of a
rabbit and the manner in which that ami
NAL is to be killed the next day by the
successful hunters. This is received with
many grunts OF approval. The dance lasts
till after midnight or ends with the endur-
ance Of the dancers.
The next morning at sunrise the hunters
meet in the estufa. and, after each has
smoked a sacred cigarette they mount
their ponies and form a line facing to the
east-the direction OF the hunt. Each
hunter has several weapons like boomer
angs tied to his saddle by buckslSin thongs
A grunt from the shaman, and they form
into the shape Of a crescent, opening at
the east. Another grunt, and there is a
race to the point designated-two, or three
or even ten miles distant. Over the broad
mesas they charge, hurting their boomer
angs with almost unerring aim at the fee
ing rabbits; now dismounting to bag their
game, and off again with the speed of
the wind They know the haunts Of the
round the likely fields, some routing up the
rabbits, while others topple them over
with the boomerang
The hunt ends about shutdown, when the
hunters return to the village each carry
ing upon his pony the game that he has
bagged, in a sack made of rabbit-skins
Those who have not killed many have
very little to say. as usual with unlucky
huntsmen. AS they approach the village
singing the song OF the rabbit hunt, fires
are seen just within the gate and near
the shrine. and the chanting Of women
is heard. They have gathered to welcome
the return Of the hunters. and are re-echo-
ing the song OF the rabbit-hunt. They
meekly welcome the braves and follow
them to the cacique's house, all singing
Each hunter presents to the cacique a
choice rabbit-perhaps the largest Of the
catch-and after serenading him they ,ie-
part to their respective huts. and each
prepares his own family feast
SO the annual rabbit-hunt is ended. The
hunter eats the head OF the rabbit he
has killed. This is supposed to give him
power to XIII others. They roast the rab-
bits in adobe ovens. or stew them whole
with cOrnmeal. IN earthen jars. IL IS con-
sidered bad luck 70 eat a rabbit when
fried
In the folk lore Of the Pueblo Indians IS
found a pretty legend OF the rabblt-hunt.