The National tribune., 1895-08-01

wore beaddresses Of tassels and girdles
strung from ears of corn, and the dried
grains were ratified in Ollas and gourds.
| The object of this corn dance was to invoke
rain, which for months had not fallen,
| though this was SpriDg-time Toward morn
| ing | wearied of the revelry and resolved
| to make my exit. Iglanced toward See ehO-
nah, and my look was strong enough TO lead
her; she followed me through the smoke up
the ladder and out into the plaza.
| Together we walked around the in
| closure. against whose eastern wall the de-
scending moon sent flood of light. On the
| face of the building above us See-cho- NAH
| pointed to some paintings and tried to trans
late them. They were OF animals and plants
| dore In colors, but presented without per-
spective or scenic effect. She made me un-
derstand that these hieroglyphic groupings
commemorated the defeat of the Apaches
when they stormed the bluffs of Oraibe.
| Then together we climbed to the tOpmost
| terrace, and saw the full moon smile behind
| the rim rock of the MagallOns.
Three days passed, and in spite Of the
| fiesta no rain had fallen, and the corn lay
| parching in the ground. The people of the
| village spent that evening on the terrace,
4 lOl AHc tStuld WIS CAUStN W tuc DuDllC anu
| the old men of the tribe met the Governor,
| Hualpee, there in council.
When the moon rose / sought See-cho-
nah, but did not find her. / searched
| through all the terraces, walking many
| times around the plaza she was not among
| the women of the tribe. Then I went down
| the steep trail which led to the springs
| under the bluff She was not at the
| springs so I returned by the other trail
| which led upward to the opposite side of
| the plaza. As gained the summit glanced
| over the fiat mud roof of the estufa and
| saw n solitary female figure lying near the
| hatchway. 1t was See-chO. nah, and she
| motoued me to silence. For 90 minutes
stood watching her in the moonlight. Then
she arose quickly, and coming to me said
in the hurried language of their signs that
/ to die. Their medicine man had
told the council that strange devil was
hidden in their camp, and that the rain god
would not come so long as he roamed free.
See-cho-mah knew where they would find
the devil. Together we described the
cobble trail that led past the sheep folds
into the valley, where my horse was graz
ing with a band of bronch0s and / could
not catch him. Her pinto pony was graz
ing with the band. She called him to her
and cut my saddle horse out of the herd
Then she cut strips from her blanket,
which 1 fashioned into bride. She babe
me make haste, and 1 beckoned her to
follow for moment she faltered, then
refused to come, saying they would miss
me sooner if she went along-that / must
fly.
Il left her standing by the acequia and
headed for the rim rock that lay q long
II
All night / travelled and until evening the
next day, camping on the crest of the rim
rock with the pine forest that extends
100 miles southwark to Fort Verde,
spread out 5000 feet below. / had come
without food, and was too weak to make
the descent that day, so lay down to
sleep.
II awakened Moqui captive. They
bound me hand and foot. Their jury had
already tried my case at the estufa, and now
my captOrs proceeded to execute its sentence
They selected two scrubby juniper bushes
that grew some 10 feet apart on this rocky
cliff and laid me ON the ground between
them. Then they lsshed rawhide riatas to |
my wrists and ankles, making the free ends
fast to the juniper bushes so that | was
extended between them, for the ropes were |
drawn so taut / could scarcely roll over on |
the ground where / lay. Next they brought |
rattlesnake, long as a earbine, and secured |
him by the nose of a long rawhide thong |
passed over his tail. Then they drove a
picket some yards from where lay and tied |
the thong to it, so that the snake could |
move about in circle, and left us.
Where / lay / could watch the move
ments of the snal<i At first the rattler
seemed frightened and crawled from me to
the length of his lariat. When he felt the
cord tighten he drew back, coiled and
struck angrily his full length beyond the
thong. Then he swung farther to the right,
and as the lash frightened he coiled and
struck again. This he repeated again and
again, each time more viciously than be-
fore and each stroke, rs he wheeled on his
circle, came nearer and nearer to me. / es-
timated that the length of his thong
would about permit him to reach me when
he struck toward me In q direct line.
Nearer and nearer he came, each stroke so
near that soon his saliva splattered on my
body. Now L could feel his fetid breath
tanning on my face; his next stroke would
be his nearest; could he reach me? /
closed my eyes as he coled. He struck.
but hardly tipped my clothing. He struck
again nearer my body and toward my feet,
but this next farther from me. He could
not reach me. A great joy entered my
soul
Il opened my eyes and found that he had
been pieketed too far.