Page 120 - TheHopiIndians

112 MESA POLK OF HOPILAND

then at a shrine, and in a very short time can scarce
ly be distinguished running far out by the arroyo
bounding the fields. John in this role is a sight not
soon to be forgotten.
This brings us to the story of John's Waterloo.
At sunrise on the last day of the Wawash ceremony
there are foot races in honor of the gods, and a curious
condition of these races is that the loser forfeits his
hair. Now the Hopi are like the Chinese in having
an aversion to losing this adornment. A bald Hopi
is a great rarity, and the generality of the men have
long, beautiful locks, black as a raven 's wing, washed
with soap-root and made wavy by being tied tightly
in a knot at the back of the head. Sikyabotoma en
tered the Waivash race with confidence, but when the
runners came back on the tortuous trail up the rocks
Sikyabotoma was second. A pair of sheep shears in
the hands of his adversary soon made havoc with his
locks. At the time this sketch was written John's
hair had grown again to a respectable length.
In making his toilet as Flute Messenger, to which
the writer was a witness, John found it necessary to
have his bang trimmed. This service was performed
by an old fellow who picked up from the floor a dubi
ous looking brush made of stiff grass stems, moistened
it with his tongue occasionally as he brushed John's
hair, and finally with a pair of rickety scissors cut the
bang to regulation shape.
Sikyabotoma, in spite of the drawbacks pointed out,