Upon every important occasion the cacique must fast, either having only one meagre meal in a day, or sometimes none for four days; consequently the office is not a very popular honor. It demands a long, severe tutelage in physical endurance as well as in the deeper mysteries of the esoteric orders. During all fasts and ceremonies, unbroken continence is exacted, for the cacique is Watcher of the Sun. Moreover, he has to help the war captains to look after the _Katsina_, or masked impersonators of the gods which “function for rain, crops, animals, and the sick.” In times of war he is both surgeon and nurse for the wounded. Nevertheless the cacique has certain perquisites; for, although the people do not plant for him they do bring in to him his harvests. Also, each year they hold four rabbit hunts for him, one in each of the cardinal directions. This hunt comes “after the war chiefs say they have been fasting for four days and it is time to have a hunt.” A little later comes a general hunt in which women may join.[152] The ten _principales_, who are always of the Antelope clan, and who enjoy a life tenure, seem to act as a higher court. They may be quite young, and they instruct the cacique if he is old, as to what is going on, and what he must do. The _principales_ control the land distributions, agricultural land being allotted to individuals and grazing fields being held in common. “The war chiefs[153] have undoubtedly sacerdotal as well as military functions. They are said to pray morning and night and at ceremonials for the people, for their animals, for crops and for rain.” But of these rites Dr. Parsons[154] learned nothing definite. The present writer saw three of the war chiefs going forth about six in the morning, gorgeously blanketed and bedecked with many and various pendant ornaments, but too far away to be distinguished. Bandelier[155] says that the war captain occupies among the Keres a position of peculiar distinction. He is the military leader and sheriff. His supremacy over both governor and cacique arises from an old belief that he is representative of Ma-se-ua, one of the two sons of the Sun Father and Moon Mother. The other son, Oyo-ya-ya, is represented by the war captain’s lieutenant, who bears his name. These two brothers, equivalent no doubt to the Twins in Zuñi myths, are held in almost greater reverence than the sun and moon, and one of the chief public dances of the Keres is given in their honor, whereas formerly it was addressed to the sun. Although different informants gave Dr. Parsons no clear statement as to whether or not there is definite ranking of the clans, she concluded that it is the Antelope clan (_Kuüts Hanoch_) that governs, and that it has undoubtedly ceremonial prerogatives.[156] Its members choose the _Kasik_, who is the spiritual, and nominally the temporal, head of the pueblo, and is almost invariably a man distinguished for uprightness and wisdom.