, clothing, in glaring contrast with one another. In the
arena formed by the court-yard, form and colour intermingle with more
order and regularity; and at the same time greater brilliancy is
exhibited. The fantastic headdresses of the women nod and vibrate like
waving plants of Indian corn; the lustrous hair and the gaudy costumes
glisten and sparkle in the sunlight, fox pelts wag back and forth,
plumes and feathers flit and dance, the monotonous chanting, the dull
thumping and drumming rise into the deep blue sky, re-echoing from the
towering cliffs, whose pinnacles look down upon the weird scene from
heights far above the uppermost tier of spectators.

Among those looking on we may recognize some of our acquaintances.
Seated upon one of the terraces, his chin resting on his hand, is
Topanashka, who looks down upon the actors with a grave, cold, seemingly
indifferent gaze. Say Koitza stands in the doorway of her dwelling, her
wan face wearing an immobile expression. Her little girl, elegantly
arrayed in a breech-clout and turquoise necklace, clings to her mother's
wrap with one hand while the other disappears in her gaping mouth. The
child is half afraid, half curious; and has an anxious, troubled look.
Shyuote, however, evinces no sign of embarrassment or humility. Planted
solidly on his feet, with legs well apart and both arms arched, he gapes
and stares at everybody and everything, occasionally fixing his glance
upon the resplendent sky overhead. In vain we search for Zashue and his
elder son, Okoya.

The mass of spectators--hundreds are here already and more are coming
constantly--do not content themselves with devout and reverent
admiration. Criticism is going on, and it is exercised with the most
unlimited freedom. Should any one attract attention to himself, either
by the perfection or imperfection of his dress measured by the standard
of the critic, he is not only mentioned by name and his garb audibly
criticised, but pointed at approvingly or derisively. The men are made
the butt of their own sex among the audience; while the women praise or
depreciate, according as the occasion may seem to require, the female
members of the procession. Frequently, when the costume of some dusky
beauty in the arena is the object of publicly expressed admiration, some
other within hearing may be seen casting a covert glance of
disappointment at her own less successful apparel. Or she fixes her eyes
upon her gorgeous necklace