La Junta tribune., 1915-09-11

rsth the leaves still on. In vEich the
snakes we're placed in sack before
the dance began Then came the
snzke clan o, ,~enty-oae. dancing
round and round the dancing space /
before the snake booth.
Thsy had reddish brown feathers
IL their hair and their various neck
iac-s and belts and sash and . short
'I.atner apron extending ali around
,hera. all OF the above were in the
satae reddish brown color scheme.
TIE aprons we're also decorated with
Va -sous small hammered silver ornA-
meats and irinksts. Their bodies
froEa the waist up. also their arms
ald lover limbs. were all bare and
painted in the same red brown tints
with small white spots and stripes
Through the whole ceremony they
we're continually chanting their weird
chants and always dancing. and the
Antelope elan had tortise shell rat
Ties tied on their legs which added
% the music. All through the oere-
moay four Indian women ualIy
sprtnklet their sacred corn meal on
the ground. and also on the dArAsrs
and the snakes. After the Snake
elan danced around a short time they
bsgan reaching In the snake booth as
they went by and getting a snake
hich they Immediately put IN their
mouth. holding il about eight inches
from its head. JAey continue 10
dance around and around In couples.
the two forming each couple having
one arm over the Others shoulders.
thus leaving each with one arm free.
the one with the snake using his to
fondle the snakes tail or get another
make, and his partner having in
his free hand a sort OF fork made OF
large turkey feathers with which he
sndsayored to keep the head OF the
make away from his partners face.
! sas at least four get bit In the chin
and fingers. the Indians having To
pull hard to remove the fAngs. yet
they danced right on as though moth
Ing had happened. Some OF the
dancers would drop their snakes and
others would pick them up and the
dancers would get new ones from the
booth until near the end OF the
dance those that were dancing each
had two snakes In their mouth and
several OF the Others each had from
five TO seven In their hands. Please
remember that these we're ALI rat
tiers. and all sizes. and evidently
fighting mad. They must have had
nearly sixty OF them altogether.
As ! stated before I held q position
near the rope and had TO step back
~ each dancer passed to keep the
snakes In their mouths from hitting
me in the face. Finally the snake
priest made 4 circle OF sacred corn
meal on the ground. within four feet
OF me. and they threw the entire
sixty raitlers down In the circle and
then grabbed for them again. As
quickly as they got them all they ran
down the trails toward, the four
corners OF the earth and turned the
snakes loose among tn. rocks. Then
they came back Up TO the village and
removed everything they had on. ex-
eept n br~ech cloth. and the women
washed them all over from several
tubs Of liquid they had prepared for
the purpose. The dancers also
drank a portion Of the liquid. which
Immediately made them vomit over
the side Of IN. cliff. This ~ss the
sntitode. II seems. for the snake pol.
son. and also the ceremony OF purifi.
cation. The dance only lasted thir-
~ minutes. but II ~as some interest
ing thirty minutes. believe me. and
consider myself very fortunate In
having been sble to see Il.
Immediately after the dance ne
started on our se,enty-fis- mile
home~srd trip. but Just at dark ~e
got stuck In . oornfieid. IN tn. mud
up TO the asles. We had TO desert our
wagon until morning BY having the
Indian carry the bedding and soms
grub. aud my two companions to
hixh ground where ~. oamp.d for
the night. ~as fortunate enough
TO be riding the saddle. pony At IN.
time and kept on hirh ground. Tn.
next morning ve succeeded In getting
out with some difficulty. and after
helping an auto load out. who we're
stuck In the mud behind us. We con-
iinasd on our way with only one
more difficulty. and this ~as when