The Red Cloud chief., 1901-09-06
SWIFT INDIAN RUNNERS
A CURIOUS RACE BY THE STRANGE
TAURi MAUR, TRIBE.

NhEVTbstuE.
Most tourists In Mexico sec little of
ID strange Tauri Mauri Indians.
writes the chihuahua CORRESPONDENT
OF the New York SIM. ,,Thc.frst Tauri.
Mlauri we saw was n mail carrier
among the San Lorenzo Mountains
q 40 miles sOuth of chihuahua.
This Indian makes two round trips
over u distance Of clghty.flvc miles
twice II week. making II total of some
34O miles u week on foot. Several
times, when the Government had rea.
sons for rushing mails TO their destina.
ton. he made eve three round trips
In seven and a half days. The route
leads from Guarichic to San Jose d.
los Crues over as rugged n mountain
trail as ever tried n n%ountaineer's
muscle.
The Indian mail carrier was bare.
beaded and. barelegasd, his c~nriressuit,
consisting OF about three yards Of
narrow cloth woven out Of goats
hair. On his back was n mil sack,
that. with its contents, weighed forty
pounds. This was supported by q
strap across his forehead and another
across his chest. He came trottinig
down the hill smoking u cigarette and
moving ~ easily and gracefully as "
just starting out. instead of having
some twenty miles already TO his
credit that morning.
AS he reached the level ground in
the valley ,hct dropEedV III ball about
the size of q baseball on the ground.
and. catching 1t dcftly on his toes.
gave ii a throw forward and raced
after IL with tGc speed Of n deer.
picking 1t up on his toes and throw.
ing II forward again without in the
least, SO far as We cOuld sec, checking
his speed. AS he overlook us the hall
was placed in his armpit. and he
trotted along by the side of the nules.
chatting quite socially.
Tho Tauvi Mauri Indian carries Que
Of these wooden balls with him every
where, tucked under the armpits until
he IL in q hurry: then IL is thrown
forward, and away the Owne- rusheG
after II. II is their way OF keeping In
training forsall the time. ard Of bur
rying themselves over the ground.
1t Is always thrown from tie toes.
and never from the hand.
There are some 10000 Tauri Mauri
Indians I'm Mexico. Twice every sum-
mer they meet for n sort of tourna-
ment. 1t Is n custom centuries old.
It was the writer's good fortune to ~
present ut one Of these periodical as.
semblies among the San LorenZos,
about twenty rilc1 southwest from
Chihuahua.
Tho Tauri 1iauris are lOng-liElbed
and slender, giving the impression of
being. over the average height. There
IL scarcely any muscle on their puny
arms. but their chests are deep, and
their backs broad, and their limbs as
trim and muscular as q greyhornd'a
They look rs If created for speed.
The great contest OF the tournament
was "A race. Tile wagcrs of the rival
towns We're piled up IN the centre CT
the plaza, ana consisted of strips OF
goat's-hair clUtli. bows. arrows,
sandals, GOa,s, chickens, and sheep.
with two wooden plows FOR high
prizes; hut thcs, were thrown far in
the shade wlrn some American visit
ors added n c5pful OF copper coins.
Il gaudy lithOgraph, ana q water color
painting Of II cross surrounded with
flowers. Such prizes had never been
offered in the memory OF the oldest
inhabitant, ami the runners sworc
that IL cllOnll b. the race OF their
lives.
In the aftcrrs>GI they asked Nc to
look over the curse. To u as
tonishmcnt we found that It was
twelve miles long and that the circuit
IA to DC made ten times. A royal
race. indeed. OF 120 miles. The ace
was To he run In the night and CON.
cludad in the cool OF the Text after
noon.
About five o'clock In tie afternoon
everything was ready. Ten athletes
stood on the right side Of the plaza
and ten on the left. TO each side
one wooden ball was allotted. The
racers were dressed in native trunks
Vi rOsit ~ IstlL tkCti, stkpst MANY ~ shNcN'
were discarded before the race was
over.
At the word both of TIE balls were
thrown forward and the twenty
bounded forward ut & speed that IT
| would tay II bicyclist To keep up with.
WI thought that such a burst OF speed
would soon tire them out, but 1t was
| meant only for the start OF three
miles straight away across the valley.
| Before reaching the other side or tint
| course the runner began cutting on
| the corners and racing ahead on the
| oval course so as to receive md carry
| ON the ball Of theirpar,y. The ball wa
| pitched forward by the foot ot TINS
first ~ and that side to reach II, INC
II a rival could reach 1t first 1t was
| thrown back ON the course. The pur'
DOSE was to get the ball around the
prescribed course, no matter how. &c
Hong M II was touched only by the
feet of the players. To tonch IL with
the hand was to lose all bets.
Tripping. cr0wdin:, and all tht
rosgh work of football players were
uermitted to prevent an opponent IRON