line running north
and south, and south of the line of plume piles. He sprinkled a bit of
corn pollen upon each ball; he then placed what the Navajo term a
night-owl feather under the balls with its tip pointing to the northeast.
(See Pl. CXIII). The young man facing west then filled the colored reeds,
beginning with the one on the north end. He put into the hollow reed,
first, one of the feather balls, forcing it into the reed with the quill
end of the night-owl feather. (A night-owl feather is always used for
filling the reeds after the corn is ripe to insure a warm winter; in the
spring a plume from the chaparral cock, _Geococcyx californianus_, is used
instead to bring rain). Then a bit of native tobacco was put in. When the
reed was thus far completed it was passed to the decorator, who had before
him a tiny earthen bowl of water, a crystal, and a small pouch of corn
pollen. Holding the crystal in the sunbeam which penetrated through the
fire opening in the roof, he thus lighted the cigarettes which were to be
offered to the gods. The forefinger was dipped into the bowl of water and
then into the corn pollen, and the pollen that adhered to the finger was
placed to the top of the tube. After the four tubes were finished they
were placed on the pieces of cloth, not, however, until a bit of pollen
had been sprinkled on the beads which lay on the cloth. The pollen end of
the tube pointed to the east. The four bunches of feathers were then laid
on the tubes. The song-priest rolled up each cloth and holding the four
parcels with both hands he placed them horizontally across the soles of
the feet, knees, palms, breast, back, shoulders, head, and across the
mouth of the invalid, and the invalid drew a breath as the parcel touched
his lips. He sat to the north of the rug facing east. The sick man then
received the parcels from the song-priest and held them so that the ends
projected from between the thumbs and forefingers, and repeated a prayer
after the theurgist, who sat facing the invalid. The prayer ran thus:

People of the mountains and rocks, I hear you wish to be paid. I
give to you food of corn pollen and humming-bird feathers, and I
send to you precious stones and tobacco which you must smoke; it
has been lighted by the sun's rays and for this I beg you to give
me a good dance; be with me. Earth, I beg you to give me a good
dance, and I offer to you food of humming-birds' plumes and
pr