ng. The Old Men keep up a crooning accompaniment; from time
to time the Fighting Men join the singing and exhibit a growing
excitement as the dance progresses. At intervals, one and another
of them, leaps to his feet and joins the dance. At the last, the_
CHISERA, _whirling rapidly, falls to the ground. Instantly the
rattles are stopped, and the people wait in suspense the word of
the gods. The women are seen to steal up through the toyon
bushes. The_ CHISERA _lifts herself slowly on one elbow, as if
waking from a drugged sleep. She stretches out her hand for the
sacred sticks. She drops them with a quick turn of the wrist,
gathers them up and drops them again, seeking for an augury. She
throws up the arm with the medicine stick and begins to chant_.)

THE CHISERA

The bows of Castac shall be broken.
The bowstring shall break asunder.
The bows of thy foes shall be broken and the vultures come to the
battle.

(_Excitement and confusion._)

INDIANS

The omen, the omen! the war leader!

THE CHISERA
(_Chanting_)

The Maker of Arrows shall lead you.
He that makes arrows of eagles' feathers,
Arrow-Maker of Sagharawite, he shall lead you,
Simwa shall break the bows of Castac.

TRIBESMEN

Simwa!

(_The Indians break into a great shout for_ SIMWA. RAIN WIND
_puts a collar of bears' claws about_ SIMWA'S _neck, lifts his
war-bonnet and places it on his head._ SIMWA _raises his war-club
with a great shout, dancing about the half-prostrate form of the_
CHISERA, _the Fighting Men one by one falling into the dance with
wild exultant movements, chanting_.)

The bows of Castac shall be broken!
The bowstring shall break asunder!
He shall break the bows of Castac!

(_As they pass out on the war trail shouting, the women are seen
to come to the help of the_ CHISERA.)

CURTAIN

ACT SECOND

ACT SECOND

SCENE.--_The campody of Sagharawite, three months later, near the new
wickiup of the Arrow-Maker. At the right, the house of_ RAIN WIND,
_and behind all a spring under a clump of dwarf oaks. A little trail
runs between stones to connect the Arrow-Maker with the rest of the
campody, and beyond it the valley rises gently to the Sierra
foothills, brooding under the spring haze. A little to the fore of_
SIMWA'S _house lies a great heap of blankets, baskets, and camp
utensils, displayed to t