arranged themselves somewhat after the fashion of football
players, to intercept the passage of the ball toward their goals.
Now they awaited the coming of the ball.

There were several young girls, the daughters of chiefs. The most
beautiful of these appeared. She was not more than sixteen or
seventeen years of age, as slender and graceful as a young deer,
and she was dressed in the finest and most richly embroidered
deerskin. Her head was crowned with a red coronet, crested with
plumes, made of the feathers of the eagle and heron. She wore
silver bracelets and a silver necklace.

The girl, bearing in her hand the ball, sprang into the very
center of the arena, where, amid shouts from all the warriors,
she placed it upon the ground. Then she sprang back and joined
the throng of spectators. Two of the players, one from each
side, chosen for strength and dexterity, advanced. They hooked
the ball together in their united bats and thus raised it aloft,
until the bats were absolutely perpendicular. Then with a quick,
jerking motion they shot it upward. Much might be gained by this
first shot or stroke, but on this occasion the two players were
equal, and it shot almost absolutely straight into the air. The
nearest groups made a rush for it, and the fray began.

Not all played at once, as the crowd was so great, but usually
twenty or thirty on each side struck for tile ball, and when they
became exhausted or disabled were relieved by similar groups.
All eventually came into action.

The game was played with the greatest fire and intensity,