A special effort had been made that Mrs. Burton and her party have entrance to this underground chamber where the first part of the famous festival was to take place.
It was then nearly noon and it was with difficulty that each person made the way along. Except that Ralph tried to be of service to Mrs. Burton in engineering her, and Sally clung to Terry Benton’s arm, the others struggled alone, too intent on the surroundings to think of anything else.
Moreover, the procession of Snake Priests were passing on their way to the kiva.
Each priest wore on his head a brilliant head-dress of gay feathers and about his knee a tortoise shell rattle. And all of them were painted in an alarming fashion and had their necks strung with silver and jeweled beads.
They went first into the underground chamber which was on the outskirts of the village, the persons who were to be allowed to enter following behind them. For, this rite of the Snake Ceremony the Indian guards carefully.
The Camp Fire party was standing crowded to one side and as near the entrance as possible.
The scene made one’s nerves on edge with a curious combination of fear, repulsion and curiosity.
A large bowl in which holy water was placed was brought into the kiva and the floor then sprinkled with sand for about ten feet. Around the sand the Snake Priests seated themselves on flat stones, one priest costumed as a War God.
All this the Camp Fire party watched with absorbing interest and no particular horror.
But, now, three or four of the priests arose and, going over to a corner of the kiva, picked up great jars in which the rattlesnakes had been kept for several days.