Sham-o-pari [pp. 316-319]

ShSzam-o-parz.
were bare, brown adobe walls, without doors
or windows but the many ladders leaning
against the walls indicated that the entrance
was by way of the roof; and the columns of
smoke curling up from the chimneys gave
evidence of life and warmth that were to be
found within.
Clirnmbing up one of the ladders I found
a circular opening in the roof. I removed
the cover of woven rushes and peered in.
Beside a cheerful-looking fire-place in a
corner of the room were seated two women
evidently mother and daughter, - who
after recovering from their astonishment
beckoned me to enter.
I.descended by another ladder to the
ground floor, and was given a seat on a
sheepskin by the fire. Owing to my ignorance of M\oqui, our attempts at conversation
were unsuccessful; but as the elder woman
at once busied herself in placing food before
me I inferred that I was welcome. The
meal consisted of jerked mutton and corn
stewed in a large olla or earthen jar, a jar
of stewed peaches, and a basket of peki, or
corn bread baked in sheets as thin as paper
and made into a long roll, which also
answered the purpose of a spoon.
During the repast I had time to observe
my surroundings more closely. The elder
woman, who I afterwards observed was a
fair type of her race, was about forty years
of age. She had the copper colored complexion of the North American Indian, but
not the high cheek bones usually seen in
that race. Her eyes were black; her hair
also black was woven into two braids behind
her head. The daughter resembled her
mother in features, but her hair was banged
in front close to the eyes; and this, with a
full round face and a symmetrical figure
gave her a decidedly pretty look. They
both wore short dresses of coarse woolen
material of their own weaving; buckskin
leggings and moccasins, made up a picturesque and graceful attire.
On one side of the large, white-washed
room were hanging long strings of jerked
mutton and venison; and through a doorway opening into another room I saw great
piles of corn, mnelons, and peaches, garnered
for winter use.
Our meal ended, I presented my new
found friends with some smoking tobacco,
of which they are passionately fond, rolling
it into cigarettes with corn husks for papers.
We had settled down to a sociable smoke
when I saw a pair of moccasins and leggings
dangling from the entrance in the roof.
To these were gradually added the body
and then the head of a Moqui warrior.
Upon alighting on the floor he introduced
himself in broken Spanish as "Mose," and
assured me that I had fallen into good hands
and was welcome to Moqui land. He then
went on to tell me that a great dance was to
take place that very evening in honor of the
first snowfall of the season; for as he
expressed it, " Much snow, much water,
much corn, many melons."
It was already time for this dance to
begin, so we proceeded to the plaza. Here
we found about fifty warriors congregated.
In spite of the intense cold their only coverings were narrow strips of gaily embroidered cloth around the wrists, waists, and
ankles. Their naked bodies were striped
with red, green, and yellow paint, and
plumes of brightly colored feathers were
woven in their hair. These men, "Mose"
told me, were to represent Summer with its
flowers and verdure.
The chief medicine man with the tom-tom
or drum now stationed himself in the center of the plaza, and the dancers formed in
two lines on either side of him, and to the
beating of the tom-tom began dancing or
jumping from one foot to the other. As
they did so they slowly advanced down the
street, singing ip chorus in a low and measured strain. From time to time as they proceeded a warrior would appear with a jar
hnd a brush, and sprinkle cold water upon
the bare back of each of the dancers, and
the half suppressed shiver would show how
painful had been the application. This
"Mose" said was to represent the summer
showers; but to the poor victim I imagine
that the similitude must have been terribly
unreal. Twice they made the circuit of the
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[Mar.