Twelve Mormon Homes : Twelve Mormon homes visited in succession on a journey through Utah to Arizona.

Twelve Mormon Homes, page 037

But, as if finding them of no avail, he threw himself suddenly upon Arrahpene, clasped him round the body, and rolled him from side to side. At this exercise he persevered until the specta- tors grew tired of watching him. At intervals he would jump up, chanting a tuneless, windy song, and snatch at one of the magic rags he had hung to the lodge-pole, appearing not to notice that he stepped through the burning fire to reach it. After this he stroked his hands now down his own sides, and now down Arrahpene's. Once more he threw himself on the body, -this time as if he wanted to squeeze the life out. Then he swallowed a bit of thick, red flannel, and after each few minutes spat it up, examined it as it lay in his palm, swallowed it again, after shaking his head, and resumed the rolling. Presently he divested himself of all his clothing, both the sick man and himself being bathed in perspiration, and the invalid showing other signs that life was coming back to him in force. Again and again he swallowed and threw up the bit of red flannel, and muttered over it, and again and again rolled on the- sick man, still singing his queer song, and jumping up at inter- vals to fumble with the "medicine" rags. At last it was over; a final diagnosis of the red flannel, changed to a repulsive, slimy mass, satisfied him. He turned, angrily kicked aside the ashes of the fire, scraped a hole in the ground underneath, and there buried the flannel, into which the evil spirit of the disease had passed. All that remained was for him to rake the ashes over the spot again, shake himself, and resume his clothing. The tent-flap was thrown open, the fresh air let in. The sick man thereupon rose, and left the lodge with Baptiste, perfectly restored to health. 37