ny
went to sleep for a while, but this is not deemed very polite to the
owner of the ranch, as the effect of the dancing is much greater upon
the gods when everybody takes part. I was told that to keep the people
awake a man sometimes goes around spurting cold water over the drowsy
and nodding heads.

The function had been opened by the owner of the ranch making alone
five circuits around the fire, carrying the musical instrument
and the two playing-sticks and doing reverence to the sun every
time he passed the altar. Just before sunrise the mitote concluded
with the dramatisation of the killing of the deer. Deer-skins were
brought from the bower of the altar, and the men put on their bows
and quivers, each of which contained twenty-five arrows and had two
slings attached to it. The men held the deer-skins in their hands and
danced five circuits. Two light-footed boys next appeared on the scene
to play the part of the deer. They had deer-skins on their backs,
and in their hands held deer-heads with antlers. These they showed
five times, alternately to the shaman who furnished the music, and
to the altar. Then they began to run, followed by the dancers, who
shouted and shot arrows, also trying to catch the deer by throwing
lassos that had been kept in the bower. Often they had to flee from
the deer, who chased them off the dancing-place. But they returned,
and at sunrise the deer were captured on a matting spread before the
altar, where the dancers now took positions. Starting from here they
next made five circuits around the dancing-place in the direction of
the apparent movement of the sun, then five circuits in the opposite
way. The shaman's beating slowed down, once more all the dancers
jumped up quickly, the music stopped, and the dancing was finished.

Now the feasting began. The food, that had been placed on the altar,
pinole and toasted corn, was brought forward, and the host and his
wife ate first. After they had thus broken fast, all sat down, and
to each one the following dishes were served on little earthenware
platters or bowls: A small slice of deer-meat that had been cooked
between hot stones in an earth mound, and a handful of toasted corn;
a ball made of pinole mixed with unbroken beans; four tamales, and
one ball of deer-meat and ground corn boiled together. The last-named
course is simply called chueena (deer). The boys who served it had
on their backs three bun-dies, each containing three tamales, w