song of the snake men continued, and gradually died away until there was
no sound but the warning rattle of the snakes, mingled with that of the
rattles in the hands of the chiefs, and finally the motion of the snake
whips ceased, and all was silent."

Several hours later these snakes are used in the public Snake Dance, and
until that time they are herded on the floor of the kiva by a delegated
pair of snake priests assisted by several boys of the Snake Clan,
novices, whose fearless handling of the snakes is remarkable.

Already (on the eighth day) in the plaza has been erected the Kisa, a
tall conical tepee arrangement of green cottonwood boughs, just large
enough to conceal the man who during the dance will hand out the snakes
to the dancers. Close in front of the Kisa is a small hole made in the
ground, covered by a board. This hole symbolizes the sipapu or entrance
to the underworld.

[Illustration: Figure 9.--Antelope Priest with Tiponi.

--Courtesy Arizona State Museum.]

At last comes the event for which the thronged village has been waiting
for hours, and for which some of the white visitors have crossed the
continent. Just before sundown the Antelope priests file out of their
kiva in ceremonial array--colorfully embroidered white kilts and sashes,
bodies painted a bluish color with white markings in zigzag lines
suggestive of both snakes and lightning, chins painted black with white
lines through the mouth from ear to ear, white breath feathers tied in
the top of their hair, and arm and ankle ornaments of beads, shells,
silver, and turquoise. (See Figure 9.) Led by their chief, bearing the