El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-11-05
THE WAR DANCE
Uncle Sans Wild Red Chill
dren Perform Curious
Ceremonies.
WITH UNEARTHLY HOWLS
The Braves Invoke the War God TO
Their Aida Typical War Dance
Of the Savage Tribes. Now Neary
by Extinct Music That Moves
Even the Savage.

Even the Savage.
Special correspondence Of the HERALD.
OMAHA, Oct. 23.-Today 1 visited
the Iod an exhibit Abou, four o'clock
in the afternoon the crowd began to
gather around large roped enclosure
at one side of the Indian epcampment
After while several Indians entered
the ring and placed boxes and panks
60 as to form seats for fifteen or twenty
people in hollow square at the
center, with bass drum suspended in
the midst of them. Then more In
tians entered one by. one; includ-
ing several squaws, seated Themselves
at this i'm provsed band stand, and be-
gan beating the drum in slow cadence
with the sticks which each held.
As the noise grew louder, one old
Indian with q face like Ratchet and
his blanket drawn up over his ears
began a most uuearthly song. which
: consisted of the syllable ay-ay-ay-sy
repeated over and over to a wild minor
tune. AS a specimen of music it was
decidedly inferior to the usual feline
repertoire, or the howls OF dyspeptic
dog. The spectators. at least the
more i'll mann cred of them, greeted
the solOist with cat calls and sarcastic
applause, at which he grinned good
udSoESo anu EdtSCo OIS Key d peg vi
two. Then the other drummers joined
ia the song, until a wild chorus rent
the suffering ii r.
Presently several Indians, resplend-
cnt 10 their war paint and feathers, en-
tered the arena and took their stand in
line near the musicians. One by one
other braves and souaws Joined them,
the latter sitting on benches. until per-
haps fifty gorgeous warriors were
gathered. The costumes were beyond
the power of men to describe. Most Of
the men had their chests and arms
bare, also the legs below the Thigh,
and their skins were painted either
bright yellow, or brick red, or a bril-
liant blue.
Tee garments were Of various sorts,
according to the tribe. and also the
! personal preference of the wearer.
/ Some wore both shirts and trousers,
With leggings of deerskin. Others
coDtented themselves with q girdle
ana apron, with strips of bright cloths
twisted about them. Nearly every
one had q head-dress of feathers some
of which reached far down the back
Many carried strings of scalps at their
| belts. Each Indian carried long
| spear and round shield made of calf
! or deerSsin stretched on round hoop.
and painted with symbolic desigus.
| Most of the men wore in adoiLiOn
c.ses sleigh bells, which ratified as
they walked.
we squsws all wore trousers-not
| b oomers, but very frank trousers,
hand =omely EN- broidered. They had
their hair elaborately done up. and
wore blankets over their shoulders.
! Several of them had small round pieces
of looking-glass sewed fast to their
garments, which flushed in the sun.
The whole group, when they were ar
| ranged in g circle, formed most start
| log and bizarre spactacle-the con-
trast of color being something fear
full: pioks aud puppies and blues all in
the 80 costume.
When the music sud- emily ceased,
| = big man dressed in white and red
robe, perhaps a "medicine man."
mOu tied bench and harapgued the
warriors IN some Indian tongue, wav
ing his stick wildly. He seemed to
be exhortiug them to bravery and
daring n the dance that WAS to fol-
low. He concluded with a prolonged
yell.
Then g chief stsndiDg within the cir
Gle raised his spear 10 the air, stepped
forward, the band began to drum aud
70 howl with redoubled energy. aud
the big Indian pranced alohg, lifting
MS feet and moving his shoulders for
all the world like plu ntat ton ''darky"
at a cake-wak. Now he would crouch
low and wave his hands about as If he
were skulking through the woods
against an unseen foe. Now be would
straie hteoynp and shake his spear in
defiant IA hion. When he had done
his turn" another red and yellow saw
age struited out and pranced along
just behind him: then another, and
another, until ten or u dozen of them
we're hopping around and screeching
N nnst gratifying and realistic m An
ner.
The whole number joined in with
tt cir encouraging yella, ard more and
more Indians entered the ring and
look up the rhythmic march, until one
ould hardly tell which was the be-
ginning of the procession and which
the end.
After each rest new Indians came in.
until there must have been a couple of
hundred 10 the circle; and each re-
newed effort was more vigorous than
the last, until the men seemed to have
every muscle set in theirst ange pranc-
ing walk which they call dance.
One old chief carried a cavalry car
bine: and fred this in the air to keep
up the interest. There was a good
deal of rnonotouy in the dance after
the ninth or tenth inning, but still the
oand hammered that drum and let loose
their yelps, and still the braves scalp
ed Imaginary enemies, and s,ill the lit
tie Indians capered around among the
legs of their elders. How long the af
fair LASTED this 0epOnent saith not; but
for an hour afterward, at any part of
the grounds within half mile, one
would hear that drum going and
tn sc squaws yelling. 1t was n con
tinuous s ow. JOHN r. SLATER.
Bucklen's Arnica Salve.