Page:The Pima Indians.pdf/179

174 one they sent a messenger to convey the information that in four or five days, according to the decision of their council, they wished to test their fortunes in a relay race, and that in the meantime they were singing the bluebird (or, as the case might be, the humming-bird) songs and dancing in preparation. Both had the same time to practise and the time was short; in this preparation the young men ran in groups of four or five. There were 40 or 50 runners in each village, and he who proved to be the swiftest was recognized as the leader who should run first in the final contest. It was not necessary that each village should enter exactly the same number of men in the race; a man might run any number of times that his endurance permitted. When the final race began each village stationed half its runners at each end of the track; then a crier called three times for the leaders, and as the last call, which was long drawn out, closed the starter shouted "Tâʼwai!" and they were off on the first relay. Markers stood at the side of the track and held willow sticks with rags attached as marks of the position of the opposing sides. Sometimes a race was ended by one party admitting that it was tired out, but it usually was decided when the winners were so far ahead that their runner met the other at the center where the markers also met.

The women encouraged their friends with shouts in concert that were emitted from the throat and ended in a trill from the tongue. At the close of the race the winning village shouted continuously for some time; after which the visitors would go home, as there was no accompanying feast.

Mention is made in the calendar records of parties of Pimas or Maricopas being engaged in swimming and diving to catch fish with their naked hands, and Mr Cook assures the writer that he has seen them do both.



The Pimas were deeply imbued with the passion for gambling, and many games were played for the gratification of that desire. The old games are now practically abandoned and those who have the means and the desire to gamble employ a deck of filthy Mexican cards. Beads, paint, blankets, and any and all personal or family property were wagered. The women were quite as fond of gaming as the men, and staked their blankets when all else was lost, making shift to get along with a smaller piece of cloth in lieu of a skirt. When everything was gone the loser might win some stipulated article from her opponent if she could beat her in afoot race. A woman might gamble away the family sleeping mat, the metate, in fact any household property, although she hesitated to wager the drinking gourd, prob-