At last the governor came.  He offered a short greeting and received a careless reply.  Then he crawled into the cave, and his assistant followed him.  Soon a rustling noise was heard inside, a grating like that of a drill followed, and everybody outside became silent.  The tapop was starting the council-fire, and he used for the purpose that venerable implement of primitive times, the fire-drill.  It was a sacred performance, therefore the sudden silence of all within hearing of the process.  Little by little a glimmer of light illuminated the entrance of the cave; the fire had started, which was a favourable omen.  Now the conversation might be resumed, but nobody entered the room.  The fire was burning, and its light shone vividly through doorway and port-holes, and the men outside were beginning to move and to yawn, and some had even fallen asleep, but no one gave a sign of impatience.  Stillness prevailed; it was so late that all noise and bustle had ceased, and the rippling and rushing of the brook alone pervaded the night.

Several more men approached from various directions; their steps were almost inaudible, and when they reached the company each invariably uttered a hoarse “guatzena, sa uishe.”  One by one the new-comers glided into the estufa, until six of them had entered.  Then a metallic sound was heard within, as if two plates of very hard material were beaten against each other.  All rose at once; those who had fallen asleep were shaken and pulled until they woke; and one after another filed into the chamber, Topanashka being the last.  The metallic sound produced by two plates of basalt had been the call to council.

The interior of the estufa was as brightly illuminated as a small fire could make it, the smoke of which found egress through the door and the two air-holes, or rose to the low ceiling, where it floated like a grayish cloud.  The air was heavy and stifling, and the odour of burning pitch proceeded from the pine wood with which the flames were fed in the centre of the room.  Close to the fire the tapop had squatted, with three aged men by his side in the same posture.  All three wore short, black wraps with red stripes.  We recognize in one of these men, who sit with humble, downcast looks, the chief penitent, or Hotshanyi; the other two are his assistants, the shaykatze and the uishtyaka.  In their immediate neighbourhood sat three others, whose hair also was turning gray; but they sat upright and looked around with freedom and assurance.  Their dress had nothing particular or distinctive about it, but each carried on his head feathers of a certain kind.  One, with a tall, spare figure, an intelligent face, and dark complexion, wore behind each ear one blue and one yellow feather.  He was the Hishtanyi Chayan, the principal medicine-man of the tribe.  Next to him was the Shkuy Chayan, or great shaman for the hunt, equally tall, slender, and with a thin face and quick, unsteady glance.  The third, or Shikama Chayan, was an individual of ordinary looks and coarse features, who was decorated by a single upright feather.  The leaders of the societies of the Koshare and Cuirana had squatted among the central group, while a projection that ran around the whole room served as a bench, or settee, for the representatives of the clans.