Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 29.djvu/675

Rh this in turn gave way to a third that embodied still more prominently the peculiarities of the last. During all this marching the performers, each and severally, at varied intervals, cast into the blaze articles taken from their "medicine-bags" or amulet-pouches, offerings that consisted for the most part, as our olfactories afforded abundant evidence, of shreds of skins, bits of bone, horn, hair, and other animal matters, selected without regard to uniformity, but in accordance with the taste or fancy of the individual through some act or incident that was supposed to imbue the same with "medicine."

Turn and turn about these chants were repeated to a running accompaniment of drums, rattles, and bells in the hands of the acolytes or apprentices seated at the opposite side of the fire for the purpose and who varied their music in accordance with the rise and fall of the voices of their superiors, now and again instituting foul scents on their own account, or chorusing the din with responsive shrieks and howls.

In this way the powwow was carried on for an hour or more, when the entire chorus came to an abrupt stand, and with a final flourish of instruments face inward toward the sufferer. With another flourish each stretched forth his right arm, the hand holding the sacred medicine-bag, which was directed point-blank at the object of conjuration, a position that was maintained so long that it caused my arm to ache through sympathy. And then the leader uttered a sharp and authoritative "Hugh!—begone!" when march and tune were resumed as before.

Three times these ceremonies were gone over in all detail, and three times the obnoxious spirits were bidden to depart. Then, in response to queries propounded by Pou-ni-ka-ma-ta, the sufferer admitted some little benefit—that sensation was in some measure restored, or, as he expressed it, the arm felt as if awakening from a "big sleep."

Simultaneously with the expiration of the ninth series of ceremonials and the final "Begone!" the poor paralytic became animated by a species of ecstasy, as it were, and sprang into the air several times in rapid succession, whirling the maimed member around his head violently with apparently perfect command, at the same time uttering blood-curdling yells and screeches: then fell to dancing violently to music of his own improvising, more remarkable for volume and pitch than for harmony or sentiment; conducting himself for all the world as if possessed by an infinite number of those gentry that, in Scriptural times, were accredited with an unusual and somewhat precarious fondness for pork.

No one interfered. Indeed, all appeared to regard the matter as one of course. And when the poor crazed paralytic sank to the ground exhausted and helpless, frothing at the lips and every muscle tense and spasmodically twitching and quivering, not a hand was lifted for his resuscitation; after a few moments' gazing, audience and performers