The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-10-27

| least sound The mouths could be opened
| and shut with IN ease that was astonish-
| ing. There were two rows CT shining
| white teeth in the mouth and long, forked,
! blood-red tongues were shot forth from
| the threats OF the snakes The bodies were
| painted exactly like huge rattlesnakes-
Even the scales of the reptiles were re
| produced with a fidelity 10 nature that
caused some shudders to the pale-faced
spectators
t AT the sudden beating of q drumlike
| affair that SC Inded similar to a Hindoo
| tomtom the performers of the night
| came running in from an adjacent apart
ment that WIS concealed from view by an
| ingeniousiy arranged curtain of some fab
ric as 10 res amble the walls of the kivG.
There were twenty eight dancers and they
were all strong limbed, tall, and athletic
Indian braves of between the ages of
/ eighteen and thirty. They were nude ex-
cept for bTeechcloths of skin, but painted
with white and yellow. Strings OF turtle
shell rattles were tied about their ankles
At another series of taps on the tom-tom
affair they ranged themselves at the front
OF the raised stage. and then, upon an
other signal, began a slow, weird dance
movement in perfect unison. The Tattles
I at their ankles were moved in exact time
! TO the words and rhythm Of their soEG-
The Indian guide whispered that that was
! the way the female water snake was
called to see what they were doing 10
please her. Other dances. songs-in diff
ferent time and movement-out all -
them slow and monotonous followed for
an hour or more The spirit of each of
| the savage inyocations was rain, and much
| of it.
Playing With Mathematics.
! Suddenly there was a furious beat ting of
! the tom-tom and the dancers disappeared
| iv had
appeared. Then two Indians came cut with
long pole and, having deity fastened
| cords to its ends, drew it up TO the ceiling.
| Attached to this pole was some fiimsy fab
ric that acted as a curtain in a theatre and
! shut of the view of the stage when il was
up. In a second a hush came over the
assembIage and everyone felt that now was
coming the climax The fire was renewed
ana the air became oppressively hot and
| ncisome. Another beating Of the tom
/ tom and three old Indians with nothing On
! but prodigious strings OF shells and teeth
OF wild beasts and paint from head TO
foot came forth Each had q live rattesnake
ABOUT its neck. They danced backward
| and forward. unwound the reptiles from
their necks and performed several feats
| with the writing creatures. They threw
| them in the air one would cat; they
placed them in their breechcloths and
their own mouths. while they leaped about
| and swung one another like roIlicking
little schoolboys.
| Another signal on the drum or tom-tom
| and ten young men arrayed in paint and
ornaments, as the others, ran forth upon
the raised pie forms. Each siezed one of
| the realistic representatives of the rat
| tiers, and il a second was back of the
curtain In a moment it seemed as if
pandemonium was let loose. Such a noise
| as came forth from behind the curtain
could hardly have been heard anywhere
! else than in menagerie of terrified
| BEASTS There were ear-splitting yells
| piercing shrieks, sepulchral groans, start
ling limitations of a coyote and the gTunt
of enraged grizzly bear, combined with
| Kisses. roars, and every harsh sound that
| the human voice is capable of and noises
made on Indian musical instruments. The
| stone chamber rang with the dreadful
sounds, and number of the white yisi-
tors were indeed very much frightened.
Mu1titudes of Serpents' Heads.
The noises had continued for moment
or so when, all al once the serpents which
their enormous heads through the holes in
its lower part, one at each hole. They
came out, head and back and almost half
their length, moving their heads from side
to side as if singing out spectator for
attack, their white teeth cleaning, their
Jaws opening wide and again closing with
a snap, and their red, forked tongues con-
stantly darting in aud cut of their mouths.
At the same time the performer who had
taken the snake under his arm, seemed
about to be overpowered by its strength.
1t struggled to escape, twisting its ugly
Il 11rf re enc q
into his very face and then rearing up,
would throw itself out with a mighty
spring. so that he had to clasp both arms
around it and press it tightly against his
naked bosom to hold 1t. It was simply
awful All this time the old man in the
white mask-who represented the uni
versal mother the creator and fructifer
of everything-was moving rapidly from
one snake to another, sprinkling upon the
head of each some Of the sacred meal
from the pouch hung at his neck.
The snakes stretched out their len
nec1s as he approached, sometimes three
or four feet beyond the curtain, pushing
out their tongues in their eagerness to
get at the meal and their anger at the
delay. AS q head was thrust cut the old
man would throw his right arm around
the Shiny neck and hold it close against
his side while he allowed it to lick up the
meal which he held out to IL in his left
hand AS the snake turned and twisted
Ii seemed to require his whole strength to
hold 1t, as much as if he were trying to
restrain an unruly horse by the bride.