is whether the snakes are drugged or have their fangs removed, and, if not, whether they ever bite their captors. Men who have attended as many as ten dances in various Moki pueblos say that they have never seen a dancer bitten by a poisonous snake, while others have seen a reptile strike or perhaps fasten upon the hand of a dancer and require to be shaken off. In the present state of the question everyone must judge for himself. One thing is very certain, the Mokis are extremely careful with a poisonous snake. At Wolpi, in 1897, two
ENTRANCE OF SNAKE PRIESTS, WOLPI.Vroman, photo.
large rattlesnakes, which from their age had perhaps been danced around the ring before, coiled together and for a time refused to move, almost breaking up the performance. An experienced snake driver at length succeeded in making them uncoil, when they were easily picked up. This is thought to be the secret of handling the rattlesnake; never to handle him when he is coiled, for it is said that this serpent cannot strike without
13
