siOBX; - Smithsonian Institution

146 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY eOT^^fla]
to be exhibited a scene of wild grandeur that beggared all description. As
there were no rules and regulations governing the manner of playing nor any
act considered unfair, each of course, acted under the impulse of the moment
regardless of consequences.
They threw back and ran over each other in the wild excitement and reckless
chase after the ball, stopping not nor heeding the broken limbs and bruised
heads or even broken neck of a fallen player. Like a herd of stampeded
buffaloes upon the western plains, they ran against and over each other, or anything
else, man or beast, that stood in their way; and thus in wild confusion
and crazed excitement they scrambled and tumbled, each player straining
every nerve and muscle to its utmost tension, to get the ball or prevent his
opponent, who held it firmly grasped between the cups of his trusty kapucha,
from making a successful throw; while up and down the lines [were heard]
the shouts of the players— " Falamochi ! Falamochi !
" (Throw it back!
Throw it back!) as others shouted Hokli ! Hoklio ! (Catch! Catch!) The
object of each party was to throw the ball against the two upright pieces of
timber that stood in the direction of the village to which it belonged ; and, as
it came whizzing through the air, with the velocity comparatively of a bullet
shot from a gun, a plaster running at an angle to intercept the flying ball, and
when near enough, would spring several feet into the air and catch it in
the hands of his sticks, but ere he could throw it, though running at full
speed, an opponent would hurl him to the ground, with a force seemingly suffi-
cient to break every bone in his body—and even to destroy life, and as No. 2
would wrest the ball from the fallen No. 1 and throw it, ere it had flown
fifty feet, No. 3 would catch it with his unerring kapucha, and not seeing,
perhaps, an opportunity of making an advantageous throw, would start off with
the speed of a deer, still holding the ball in the cups of his kapucha—pursued
by every player.
Again was presented to the spectators another of those exciting scenes,
that seldom fall to the lot of one short lifetime to behold, which language
fails to depict, or imagination to conceive. He now runs off, perhaps, at an
acute angle with that of the line of the poles, with seemingly super-human
speed; now and then elevating above his head his kapucha in which safely
rests the ball, and in defiant exultation shouts, "hump-he! hump-he!" (I dare
you) which was acknowledged by his own party with a wild response of ap-
proval, but responded to by a bold cry of defiance from the opposite side.
Then again all is hushed and the breathless silence is only disturbed by the
heavy thud of their running feet. For a short time he continues his straight
course, as if to test the speed of his pursuing opponents ; then begins to
circle toward his pole. Instantly comprehending his object, his running
friends circle with him, with eyes fixed upon him, to secure all advantage
given to them by any strategic throw he may make for them, while his opponents
are mingled among them to defeat his object; again he runs in a
straight line; then dodges this way and that; suddenly he hears the cry from
someone in his party in the rear of the parallel running throng, who sees an
advantage to be gained if the ball was thrown to him, " Falamolichi "
" Falamolichi " ! He now turns and dashes back to the line and in response
to the continued cry— " Falamolichi " ! he hurls the ball with all his strength
with fearful velocity it flies through the air and falls near the caller; and
in the confusion made by the suddenly turning throng, the latter picks it up at
full speed with his kapucha, and starts toward his pole. Then is heard the cry
of his hattak fabussa, and he hurls the ball toward them and, as it falls,
they and the throw-backs stationed at that pole, rush to secure it; and then