The preliterate artist was faced with the dilemma of expressing intangible acts, thoughts or emotions without the help of the written word. This problem was solved by drawing sinuous geometric lines that conveyed the sense or quality of the action. The roar, the power, and perhaps the fetid breath of the cougar are represented by red lines emanating from his mouth, resembling blood spewing from a mortal wound. The force field or energy generated by the shaman was transmitted by power lines of differing orientation and complexity. The electricity flowing from this elaborate figure at the Brown Ranch site contrasts with the simple streamers floating from an ascending figure in northern Mexico. A miniature shaman from Rattlesnake Canyon rises above a comet of red dots that constitute his power lines. The unusual swirling smoke effect achieved by artists south of the Rio Grande is yet another use of geometric designs to portray unseen forces. The crisscrossing of myriad sinuous lines may have been considered as adding to or canceling out the predecessors’ power.