The largest camp of the dancers prior to the departure for the North was located upon Wounded Knee creek. Other camps of considerable extent existed upon White Clay creek, four miles from the agency headquarters, upon Porcupine and Medicine Root streams. No Water’s camp became, later, the general rendezvous. The shamans took the dance under their charge. One of them seemed to be “high priest,” or at least controlled the affair. Three or four assistants served, and had power to stop or start the dance. [Illustration: NO WATER’S CAMP OF GHOST DANCERS, 1890 A. Council Lodge. B. No Water’s Tipi Sketch by Husté, Pine Ridge. ] ----- Footnote 16: Written in 1890, at Pine Ridge CHAPTER X. THE DANCE Several sweat-houses are erected in order to prepare the young men for the dance. When a good number of young men, say fifty or sixty, have taken the sweat-bath, and prepared themselves, the high priest and his assistants come forward. The high priest wears eagle-feathers in his hair, and a shirt reaching nearly to his knees. The assistants are dressed in similar manner, but wear no ornaments other than the eagle-feathers. The dancers wear no ornaments whatsoever, and enter the circle without their blankets. That Indians should lay aside all ornaments and finery and dance without the trappings which they so dearly love proves conclusively that some powerful religious influence is at work. In their other dances, (the Omaha, the Old Woman, the Sun) feathers and bangles; weapons, herbs or painted and plaited grasses; porcupine quills, horses’ tails and bits of fur-skins; necklaces, bells, silver discs, etc., are worn in great profusion. At Pine Ridge few candidates for “conversion” fasted. After they have come forth from the sweat-house they are ready to enter the sacred circle. The high priest runs quickly from the village to the open space of ground, five or six hundred yards distant, and, stationing himself near the sacred tree, begins his chant as follows: “Hear, hear, all you persons! “Come, hurry up and dance, and when you have finished running in the circle, tell these people what you have seen in the spirit land. “I myself have been in the spirit land and have seen many strange and beautiful things, all of which my eyes tell me are good and true.” As the speaker proceeds, the men and women crowd to the dance-ground. They form two or three circles, according to the number of persons who wish to participate, and, grasping hands with fingers interlocked (“Indian grip”), the circles begin to move around toward the left.[17]