Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1921-01-08

orally on hand to see the ancient mar
squat stone houses are crowded. Mol
children with scarcely stitch on them
sit along the cornices with their brown
legs hanging down. There are cow
boys from all over the territory, report
ers from newspapers, scientists from
the cities, and hundreds of Indians in
brilliant and quaint costumes. 1t Is
rare scene; zone fit for q salon pic
ture," said an enthusiastic artist. Tie
white people laugh, the dogs and chill
dren make tumult, while every one
awaits the opening Of the dance. At
just about six o'clock, when the sun
is dropped into the yellow desert
away to the west, some one calls:
"Here they come" Instantly there Is
silence. Everybody knows that the
entel0l> men-young athletic snake
dancers-are at last issuing from their
stone chambers. The braves are
scantily clad, and on each leg Is a
small terrapin SHE'LL in which are
placed small pebbles, which rattle as
the warrior moves, and make of him,
In sound at least. a human RATHER.
The dancers are smeared with red,
white and black paints. Around each
brow is bound flaming handkerchief.
the upper forehead being painted a
deep black, ard the lower half with
black and white bands.
;,tA IL, Thai, kda,&.,e
The band forms in a circle and a
sack of serpents is brought forth and
is placed in the branches of a cotton
wood shrub known as the kisi just
where 1t has stood on Moki dance
! days for countless generations.
chief hideousy painted. opens the
sack and as each brave marches past
thrusts his naked arm within and jerks
from 1t several writhing serpents,
+ which he hands to the buck. The
snake dancer bends and selzes the
snakes by their middle with his teeth,
while he holds one or two serpents In
each hand. The serpents rattle, hiss
and struggle while the human cap
tors, gestlculating and stamping, join
In a solemn rhythmic movement. in
which, after each man has been sup
piled with scrpents, the whole band Is
soon participating.
The Moki women and the several
hundred MOki bucks who do not pur-
ticipate in the dancing at first sit in
mute awe. AS the dance proceeds the
Ie.i.i |,
ming. which gradually develops. Loud
er and louder rises the din of dis
cordant voices until the women be-
come wildly excited, and leap to
their feet. Meanwhile the dance goes
on. The dancers glSten with per-
SEPARATION and the paint on their
bodies runs down their bare backs
and legs. Some of the older ones,
10 show their prowess with venomous
reptiles, carry three and five rat
tlesnakes about with them. They
weave the snakes about their heads,
they coil them in huge balls and toss
them up and down; they Irvine them
about their necks and tuck them be-
tween the belts of their kits and their
nude waists, and carry them, held at
The middle, in their mouths. All this
time they are hopping about the sun
baked plaza. Now they circle about
the kiS with their burden of serpents
in their hands. Then at a signal by
old kopali, the snake schief, the dane
erS form in thrces, and with the snakes
fnt To-, hni Il,
they march backward and forward
Another signal and they form in row
and toss the serpcnts TO and fro. Then
the dance starts anew. More circling.
, marchinSS and cOuntermarchings III
ones. twOs and threeS. Occasionally
reptile wriggles itself loose from an
, Indians hand. 1t is, however, instant
ly picked up like so much rubber hose.
An Hour of Horror
The snake dance lasts about fifty
minutes. AT its close the Indian spec
tators have risen TO their feet, and are
weaving their arms and bodies back
and forth In time to the rapid chorus
they are shouting over and over again.
h'N '"'Nt''7 nv ui'ppihS WIN PEI
Spirati0n. The white visitors are daZed
at the incredible scene. No one who
has not seen 1t would believe these
men can be so thoroughly Indifferent to
the Serpent'S venom. Several of the
dancers reel and stagger, but catch
themselves as they gyrate with the
tangled snarl Of serpents In their
hands.
Suddenly at signal from wrlnkled
Kopali the dancing ceases and the high
snake priest advances to an open
place. He solemnly sprinklcs meal in
ring, denoting all compass points to
which serpent messengers are to con
vey the Moki petitions. AT another
signal the rattlesnakes are thrown In a
heap within the circle. Meal Is hastily
thrown upon the wriggling heap while
a cultural invocation Is pronounced. In
a moment each of the dancers snatches
several Of the serpents In his hands.
and starts at full speed for the narrow
trail which leads down from the mesa
to the plains below. There the grue-
some burdens are thrown upon the