Alameda High School - Acorn Yearbook (Alameda, CA)

Page 8 text:

THE ACORN These sounds continued for probably half an hour, denly, with a piercing yell, an Indian rushed in near lowed by two others who were blowing red whistles, which gave forth the most unearthly shrill sounds we had ever heard. dancers were typical braves with their bands of feathers around their heads, sandals on their feet, and fur mantles hanging from their shoulders down their backs. Their bodies were marked with black crosses in distinet lines. The dancers marched around the fire uttering strange noises, and the women continued to sway their bodies and to say their ‘‘Hic! Hace! Hoe!’’ adding a few more unintelligible sounds. +} Then, suddenly, they disappeared into the tent whence they had come. Faster the war dancers went around the fire until they flew like madmen, still keeping perfect time to the hrill music of the reed instruments. Then one, whom we soon recognized as George, gave a wild leap over the fire, landing just in front of us, and at the sam etime blowing notes from his reed whistle. Quickly he to the fire, snatched a red coal, threw it into his mouth, and his cireuit again. A look of dis the other dancers. A grunt escaped the captain, who was standing near us. Jim jumped to the side of his opponent, threw three coals in ] quick suecession into his mouth, leaped into the midst of the red embers, made a wild dash around the fire, and rushed into the tent The others followed. Soon they reappeared on the r They i] i dashed this way and that, still blowing their whistles. Then came y the skillful dancing—the really graceful movements, twists, turns, leaps, bounds and dashes to and fro. All these movements were in perfect time to the music. Jim, we saw, was losing ground. suddenly, he dashed past the other two dancers, leaped into midst of the coals, and then ran gracefully around the fire scre ing and yelling and giving an occasional whistling sound from his instrument. He shouted unintelligible words. The other two fol- lowed, but n the mad whirl around the fire, they became exhausted and disappeared in the tent. Jim continued his movements for about a minute longer, then snatched one final coal, threw it into his mouth, and rushed into the tent. Everybody began to move away, we with the rest. Soon a song came fro mthe tent occupied by the squaws., We stood and listened. It ended with a word we knew, ‘‘ Wadoo,’’ which means come. Soon we saw Sarah and Jim come, hand in hand, softly sing- ing. We knew then that all was well. A crowd followed them and gave one song, then left the two to walk together up the winding path to the captain’s home.

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JTATSCL MAATOT WAN LNA J SAIN Ue, Point Arena is the very important per- command for several years. During his Sarah returned from a four years’ course at the le. As she was an attractive girl, and could row, hunt, fish and gamble, all the young braves of yped to win her. ent among her suitors were two men, known as Jim and George. Captain John looked on both with equal favor, but Sarah seemed to prefer Jim, as she gave a little more encourage- ment to him than to his rival. The whole reservation took.an inter- est in the affair. Finally the crisis came. The Fourth of July is the day of days on this reservation. It is the gala day of the year. Among the festive displays is Ameri- can dancing. The war dance is indulged in only once in three or four years, as few can dance it well. Jim and George knew that the eaptain fondly clung to the old-time war dance, and asked permis- sion to have one. h knew that whoever danced the best would be in high favor with him, and if either of them was the lucky one, the maiden would be his. For a number of days everything was in preparation for the event. Finally, the great night came. We went to see the dance, and were invited to seat ourselves around a rope ring. In the middle of this ring a fire was burning, half a mass of glowing coals and the other flame and smoke. We sat there fighting the swarms of mosquitoes, when, from a tent the squaws came, arrayed in their best dresses, ribbons and handkerchiefs. Each carried a handkerchief in her hands. They quietly took positions on two sides of the fire, took their handker- chiefs in both hand and began swaying their bodies back and forth, 4 uttering a serie of sounds, at first in a low tone, then growing louder and louder, till they ended with a great burst, which sounded like ‘‘Hic! Hace! Hoe!’’

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ACORN ‘SKIDOO.”’ r day, about, oung Willie Jones ] all ; { broad, appeared from view, mgh in spac reappear d in fiendish glee, The: and eruel; ‘oung Willie “TH get you is skule.’’ at gifts of gab iny freshmen own; think that they’re too young and small talk to men full grown. they tossed him up again, higher than before; Doctor Thompson always said inst his law. vhen he did not reappear, gravity demands; thought that they had only brought A seandal on their hands. They looked up at the flagpole tall, Where their class emblem flew; They saw young Willie sitting there, Which put them in a stew. There sat this freshman all alone. Where every one eould see; He crossed out their class numerals And painted ‘‘Twenty-three.’’ —H. A. K.