ToMyDaughtersDORA，IRENE，VIRGINIA，ELEANOR，ANDFLORENCE

IDedicatetheseStoriesoftheOldIndianLife，andespeciallyoftheCourageousandWomanlyIndianWomanCONTENTS

GLOSSARY

PARTONE

THEWARRIOR

I

THELOVEOFANTELOPE

I

UponahangingprecipiceatopoftheEagleScoutButtethereappearedamotionlessandsolitaryfigure——almosteagle—likeheperched！Thepeopleinthecampbelowsawhim，butnonelookedathimlong。

Theyturnedtheirheadsquicklyawaywithanervoustingling，fortheheightabovetheplainswasgreat。Almostspirit—likeamongtheuppercloudstheyoungwarriorsatimmovable。

ItwasAntelope。Hewasfastingandseek—

ingasignfromthe"GreatMystery，"forsuchwasthefirststepoftheyoungandambitiousSioux[whowishedtobeanotedwarrioramonghispeople。

Heisaprincelyyouth，amongthewildSioux，whohuntsforhistribeandnotforhim—

self！Hisvoiceissoftandlowatthecamp—

fireofhisnation，butterror—givinginthefieldofbattle。SuchwasAntelope’sreputation。

Themorehesoughtthe"GreatMystery"insolitude，themoregentleandretiringhebe—

came，andinthesameproportionhiscourageandmanlinessgrew。Nonecouldsaythathewasnotakindsonandagoodhunter，forhehadalreadypassedthe"two—arrow—to—kill，"

hisbuffaloexamination。

Onahotmidsummermorningafewweekslater，whilemostoftheinmatesoftheteepeeswerebreakfastingintheopenair，thepowerfulvoiceoftheheraldresoundedamongthepine—

cladheightsandgreenvalleys。

"Hearye，hearye，warriors！"hechantedloudly。"Thecouncilhasdecreedthatfourbraveyoungmenmustscoutthecountrytothesunsetwardofthecamp，forthepeaceandprotectionofourpeople！"

Alllistenedeagerlyforthenamesofthechosenwarriors，andinanothermomenttherecamethesonorouscall："Antelope，Ante—

lope！thecouncilhasselectedyou！"

Thecampwaslarge——fullyfourhundredpacesacross;butinthatcountry，intheclearmorningair，suchanannouncementcanbeheardagreatway，andinthesilencethatfol—

lowedthehillsrepeatedoverandoverthemu—

sicalnameofAntelope。

Induetimethefourchosenyouthsappearedbeforethecouncilfire。Theoathofthepipewasadministered，andeachtookafewwhiffsasreverentlyasaChurchmanwouldpartakeofthesacrament。Thechiefofthecouncil，whowasoldandofastrikingappearance，gavethechargeandcommandtotheyouthfulbraves。

Therewasascoreormoreofwarriorsreadymountedtoescortthembeyondtheprecinctsofthecamp，andthe"fearlessheart"songwassungaccordingtothecustom，asthefourranlightlyfromthedoorofthecouncilteepeeanddisappearedinthewoods。

Itwasapeculiarlytryingandhazardousmomentinwhichtoperformthedutiesofascout。TheSiouxwereencroachingupontheterritoryofhostiletribes，hereinthefoot—hillsoftheBigHornMountains，andnowandthenoneoftheirhunterswascutoffbytheenemy。

Ifcontinualvigilancecouldnotsavethem，itmightsoonbecomenecessarytoretreattotheirownhunting—grounds。

Itwasasavagefetishthatawarriormustbeproofagainstthealluringwaysofprettymaidens;thathemustplacehishonorfarabovethetemptationsofself—indulgenceandindolence。Cold，hunger，andpersonalhard—

shipdidnotcountwithAntelopewhentherewasrequiredofhimanyspecialexertionforthecommongood。Itwascausetohimofsecretsatisfactionthatthecouncil—menhadse—

lectedhimforadangerousserviceinprefer—

encetosomeofhisrivalsandcomrades。

Hehadbeenrunningfortwoorthreehoursatagood，evengait，andhadcrossedmorethanoneofthesmallercreeks，yetmanydeepgulchesandbadlandslaybetweenhimandthefurthestpeakthatmeltedintothebluedomeabove。

"IshallstandupontheBear’sHeart，"hesaidtohimself。"IfIcandothat，andstillreportbeforetheothers，Ishalldowell！"

Hiskeeneyeswereconstantlysweepingthecountryinhisfront，andsuddenlyhepausedandshrankbackmotionlessinacrouchingat—

titude，stillsteadilykeepinganeyeuponamovingobject。Itwassoonevidentthatsomeonewasstealthilyeyinghimfrombehindcover，andhewasoutwittedbytheenemy！

Stillstooping，heglideddownalittleravine，andashereachedthebedofthecreekthereemergedfromitalargegraywolf。

ThiswasveryopportuneforAntelope。Hegavethegraywolf’sdanger—callwithallhismight;waitedaninstantandgaveitasec—

ondtime;thenheturnedandranfleetlydownthestream。Atthesamemomentthewolfap—

peareduponthetopofthebank，infullviewoftheenemy。

"Herehecomes！"theywhispered，andhadtheirarrowsonthestringasthewolftrottedleisurelyalong，exposingonlyhishead，forthiswasacommondisguiseamongtheplainsIn—

dians。Butwhenhecameoutintotheopen，behold！itwasonlyagraywolf！

"Ugh！"theUtesgrunted，astheylookedateachotherinmuchchagrin。

"Surelyhewasaman，andcomingdirectlyintoourtrap！WesangandprayedtothegodsofwarwhenourwarchiefsentusaheadtoscouttheSiouxpeople，tofindtheircamp。

Thisisamystery，amagic！EitherheisaSiouxindisguise，orwedon’tknowtheirtricks！"exclaimedtheleader。

Nowtheygavethewar—whoop，andtheirarrowsflewthroughtheair。Thewolfgaveayelpofdistress，staggeredandfelldead。In—

stantlytheyrantoexaminethebody，andfoundittobetrulythatofawolf。

"Eitherthisisawonderfulmedicine—man，orweareshamefullyfooledbyaSiouxwar—

rior，"theymuttered。

TheylostseveralminutesbeforetheycaughtsightofAntelope，whohadfollowedthebedofthecreekasfarasitlayinhisdirectionandthencameoutofitatfullspeed。Itwouldbesaferforhimtoremaininconcealmentuntildark;butinthemeantimetheUtewar—

riorswouldreachthecamp，andhispeoplewereunprepared！Itwasnecessarytoexposehimselftotheenemy。Heknewthatitwouldbechieflyacontestofspeedandhehadanex—

cellentstart;butontheotherhand，theUtesdoubtlesshadtheirhorses。

"TheSiouxwhoplayedthistrickonusmustdieto—day！"exclaimedtheirleader。"Come，friends，wecannotaffordtolethimtellthisjokeonusatthecamp—firesofhispeople！"

AntelopewasheadeddirectlyforEagleScoutButte，forthecampwasinplainviewfromthetopofthishill。Hehadrunprettymuchallday，butthen，thatwasnothing！

"Ishallreachthesummitfirst，unlesstheUtehorseshavewings！"hesaidtohim—

self。

Lookingoverhisshoulder，hesawfivehorse—

menapproaching，soheexaminedhisbowandarrowsasheran。

"Alliswell，"hemuttered。"Oneoftheirspiritsattheleastmustguideminetothespiritland！"where，itwasbelievedbythem，therewasnofighting。

Nowhewaswithinhearingoftheirwhoops，buthewasalreadyatthefootofthebutte。

Theirhorsescouldnotrunupthesteepascent，andtheywereobligedtodismount。LikeadeertheSiouxleapedfromrocktorock，andalmostwithinarrow—shotcamehispursuers，wildlywhoopingandyelling。

Whenhehadachievedthesummit，hetookhisstandbetweentwogreatrocks，andflashedhistinylooking—glassforadistresssignalintothedistantcampofhispeople。

Foralongtimenoreplycame，andmanyarrowsflewoverhishead，astheUtesap—

proachedgraduallyfromrocktorock。He，too，sentdownaswiftarrownowandthen，toshowthemthathewasnochildorwomaninfight，butbraveasabearwhenitisbroughttobay。

"Ho，ho！"heshoutedtotheenemy，intokenofabraveman’swelcometodangeranddeath。

Theyrepliedwithyellsoftriumph，astheypressedmoreandmorecloselyuponhim。Oneoftheirnumberhadbeendispatchedtonotifythemainwar—partywhentheyfirstsawAnte—

lope，buthedidnotknowthis，andhiscouragewasundiminished。Fromtimetotimehecon—

tinuedtoflashhissignal，andatlastlikelight—

ningthelittlewhiteflashcameinreply。

Thesunwaslowwhenthebesiegedwarriordiscoveredalargebodyofhorsemenapproach—

ingfromthenorthwest。ItwastheUtewar—

party！HelookedearnestlyoncemoretowardtheSiouxcamp，shadinghiseyeswithhisrightpalm。There，too，weremanymovingspecksupontheplain，drawingtowardthefootofthehill！

Atthemiddleoftheafternoontheyhadcaughthisdistresssignal，andtheentirecampwasthrownintoconfusion，forbutfewofthemenhadreturnedfromthedailyhunt。Asfastastheycamein，thewarriorshurriedawayupontheirbesthorses，singingandyelling。

Whentheyreachedthewell—knownbutte，tow—

eringabruptlyinthemidstoftheplain，theycoulddistinguishtheirenemiesmassedbehindthehangingrocksandscatteredcedar—trees，crawlingupcloserandcloser，forthelargewar—

partyreachedthehilljustasthescoutswhoheldAntelopeatbaydiscoveredtheapproachofhiskinsmen。

Antelopehadlongsinceexhaustedhisquiverofarrowsandwasgatheringupmanyofthosethatfellabouthimtosendthembackamonghispursuers。Whentheirattentionwaswithdrawnfromhimforaninstantbythesud—

denonsetoftheSioux，hesprangtohisfeet。

Heraisedbothhishandsheavenwardintokenofgratitudeforhisrescue，andhisfriendsannouncedwithloudshoutsthedaringofAnte—

lope。

Bothsidesfoughtbravely，buttheUtesatlastretreatedandwerefiercelypursued。An—

telopestoodathisfullheightuponthehugerockthathadshelteredhim，andgavehisyellofdefianceandexultation。Belowhimthewar—

riorstookitup，andamongthegatheringshadowstherocksechoedpraisesofhisname。

IntheSiouxcampuponLostWaterthereweredancesandpraisesongs，buttherewaswailingandmourning，too，formanylaydeadamongthecrags。ThenameofAntelopewasindeliblyrecordeduponEagleScoutButte。

"Ifhewishedforawar—bonnetofeaglefeathers，itishistowear，"declaredoneoftheyoungmen。"Butheismodest，andscarcelyevenjoinsinthescalpdances。ltissaidofhimthathehasneveryetspokentoanyyoungwoman！"

"True，itisnotannouncedpubliclythathehasaddressedamaiden。Manyparentswouldliketohavetheirdaughtersthefirstonehewouldspeakto，butIamtoldhedesirestogoupononeortwomorewar—pathsbeforeseekingwoman’scompany，"repliedanother。

"Hun，hun，hay！"exclaimedathirdyouthill—naturedly。Heisalreadyoldenoughtobeafather！"

"Thisistoldofhim，"rejoinedthefirstspeaker。"Hewantstoholdtherecordofbeingtheyoungmanwhomadethegreatestnumberofcoupsbeforehespoketoamaiden。

Iknowthattherearenotonlymotherswhowouldbegladtohavehimforason—in—law，buttheiryoungdaughterswouldnotrefusetolookuponthebraveAntelopeasahusband！"

Itwastruethatinthedancehisnamewasoftenmentioned，andateveryrepetitionitseemedthattheyoungwomendancedwithmorespirit，whileevengrandmothersjoinedinthewhirlwithashowofyouthfulabandon。

Wezee，thefatherofAntelope，wasreceiv—

ingcongratulationsthroughouttheafternoon。

Manyoftheoldmencametohislodgetosmokewithhim，andthehostwasmorethangratified，forhewasofacommonfamilyandhadneverbeforeknownwhatitistobaskinthesunshineofpopularityanddistinction。

Hespokecomplacentlyashecrowdedahand—

fuloftobaccointothebowlofthelongredpipe。

"Friends，ourlifehereisshort，andthelifeofabraveyouthisapttobeshorterthanmost！

Wecraveallthehappinessthatwecanget，anditisrightthatweshoulddoso。Onewhosaysthathedoesnotcareforreputationorsuccess，isnotlikelytobetellingthetruth。SoyouwillforgivemeifIsaytoomuchaboutthehonorablecareerofmyson。"Thiswastheoldman’sphilosophicapology。

"Ho，ho，"hisguestsgraciouslyresponded。

"Itisyourmoon！Everymoonhasitsfull—

ness，whenitlightsupthenight，whilethelittlestarsdancebeforeit。Sotoeverymantherecomeshisfullmoon！"

Somewhatlaterinthedayalltheyoungpeopleofthegreatcampwereseentobemov—

inginonedirection。Allworetheirbestattireandfinestornaments，andeventheparti—col—

oredsteedsweredecoratedtothesatisfactionoftheirbeauty—lovingriders。

"Ugh，Talutaismakingamaidens’feast！

She，theprettiestofalltheUnkpapamaid—

ens！"exclaimedoneoftheyoungbraves。

"She，thehandsomestofallouryoungwomen！"repeatedanother。

Talutawasindeedahandsomemaidintheheightandbloomofwomanhood，withallthatwonderfulfreshnessandmagnetismwhichwasdevelopedandpreservedbythelifeofthewil—

derness。Shehadalreadygivenfivemaidens’

feasts，beginningwithherfifteenthyear，andhershyanddiffidentpuritywasheldsacredbyherpeople。

Themaidens’circlewasnowcomplete。Be—

hindittheoutercircleofoldwomenwasequallypicturesqueandevenmoredignified。Thegrandmother，notthemother，wasregardedasthenaturalprotectoroftheyoungmaiden，andthedowagersderivedmuchhonorfromtheirposition，especiallyuponpublicoccasions，tak—

ingtothemselvesnosmallamountofcreditforthegoodreputationsoftheircharges。

Weshawee，whoseprotegehadmanysuitorsandwasadecidedcoquette，fidgetednervouslyandfrequentlyadjustedherrobeorfingeredhernecklacetoeasehermind，forshedreadedlest，inspiteofwatchfulness，somemishapmighthavebefallenhercharge。Heranxietywasapparentlysharedbyseveralotherchap—

eronswhostoleoccasionalsuspiciousglancesinthedirectionofcertainoftheyoungbraves。

Ithadbeenknowntohappenthatagirlun—

worthytojoininthesacredfeastwaspubliclydisgraced。

Aspecialpoliceforcewasappointedtokeeporderonthisoccasion，eachmemberofwhichwasgorgeouslypaintedandbedeckedwitheaglefeathers，andcarriedinhishandalongswitchwithwhichtothreatentheencroachingthrong。Theirhorsesworehead—skinsoffierceanimalstoaddtotheirawe—inspiringappear—

ance。

Thewildyouthsformedtheoutercircleofthegathering，attiredlikethewoodsinau—

tumn，theirlonglocksglossywithoilandper—

fumedwithscentedgrassandleaves。Manypulledtheirblanketsovertheirheadsasiftoavoidrecognition，andloiteredshylyatadis—

tance。

AmongtheselastwereAntelopeandhiscousin，RedEagle。Theystoodintheangleformedbythebodiesoftheirsteeds，whosenosesweretogether。Theyoungherowascom—

pletelyenvelopedinhishandsomerobewitharainbowofbead—workacrosthemiddle，andhissmallmoccasinedfeetprojectedfrombe—

neaththelowerborder。RedEagleheldupaneagle—wingfan，partiallyconcealinghisface，andbothgazedintentlytowardthecenterofthemaidens’circle。

"Woo！woo！"wasthesonorousexclama—

tionofthepolice，announcingthebeginningoftheceremonies。Inthemidstoftheringofgirlsstoodthetraditionalheart—shapedredstone，withitsbristlinghedgeofarrows。Inthiscasetherewerefivearrows，indicatingthatTalutahadalreadymadeasmanymaidens’

feasts。Eachofthemaidensmustlayherhanduponthestoneintokenofherpurityandchas—

tity，touchingalsoasmanyarrowsassheher—

selfhasattendedmaidens’feasts。

Talutaadvancedfirsttothecenter。Asshestoodforamomentbesidethesacredstone，sheappearedtothegazingbystanderstheembodi—

mentofgraceandmodesty。Hergown，adornedwithlongfringesattheseams，wasbeadedinblueandwhiteacrosstheshouldersandhalfwaytoherwaist。Hershiningblackhairwasarrangedintwothickplaitswhichhungdownuponherbosom。Therewasanativedignityinhergesturesandinherutteranceofthemaidens’oath，andassheturnedtofacethecircle，alltheothervirginsfollowedher。

Whenthefeastwasendedandthegaycon—

coursehaddispersed，Antelopeandhiscousinwereamongthelasttowithdraw。Theyoungman’seyeshadfollowedeverymovementofTalutaaslongassheremainedinsight，anditwasonlywhenshevanishedinthegatheringshadowsthathewaswillingtoretire。

Insavagecourtship，itwasthecustomtointroduceone’sselfboldlytotheyounglady，althoughsometimesitwasconvenienttohaveasisterintroduceherbrother。ButAntelopehadnosistertoperformthisofficeforhim，andifhehadhadone，hewouldnothavemadetherequest。Hedidnotchoosetoadmitanyonetohissecret，forhehadnoconfidenceinhimselforintheoutcomeoftheaffair。Ifithadbeenanythingliketrailingthedoe，orscoutingtheOjibway，hewouldhaveridiculedtheverynotionofmissingtheobjectsought。

Butthiswasanewwarfare——anunknownhunt—

ing！AlthoughhewasveryanxioustomeetTaluta，whenevertheideaoccurredtohimhetrembledlikealeafinthewind，andprofuseperspirationrolleddownhisstoicvisage。Itwasnotcustomarytoholdanysocialinter—

coursewiththemembersoftheoppositesex，andhehadneverspokenfamiliarlytoanywomansincehebecameaman，excepthisoldgrandmother。Itwaswellknownthatthecounseloftheagedbringslucktotheyouthinwarfareandlove。

Antelopearoseearlythenextmorning，andwithoutspeakingtoanyonehemadeacere—

monioustoilet。Heputonhisfinestbuckskinshirtandahandsomerobe，threwabeadedquiveroverhisshoulder，andwalkeddirectlyawayfromtheteepeesandintotheforest——hedidnotknowwhynorwhither。Thesoundsofthecampgrewfainterandfainter，untilatlasthefoundhimselfalone。

"Howisit，"musedtheyoungman，"thatIhavehopedtobecomealeaderamongmypeople？Myfatherisnotachief，andnoneofmyancestorsweredistinguishedinwar。I

knowwellthat，ifIdesiretobegreat，Imustdenymyselfthepleasureofwoman’scompanyuntilIhavemademyreputation。Imustnotboastnorexhibitmyselfonmyfirstsuccess。

Thespiritsdonotvisitthecommonhauntsofmen！AlltheserulesIhavethusfarkept，andImustnotnowyieldtotemptation……

Manhasmuchtoweakenhisambitionafterheismarried。Ayoungmanmayseekoppor—

tunitiestoprovehisworth，buttoamarriedmantheopportunitymustcometotryhim。

Heactsonlywhencompelledtoact……Ah，Imustfleefromthewoman！……Besides，ifsheshouldlikesomeoneelsebetter，Ishouldbehumiliated……Imustgouponalongwar—path。Ishallforgether……"

Atthispointhisreverywasinterruptedbythejoyouslaughteroftwoyoungwomen。Themelodioussing—songlaughteroftheSiouxmaidenstirredtheverysouloftheyoungwar—

rior。

Allhisphilosophydesertedhim，andhestoodhesitating，lookingabouthimasifforachanceofescape。Amanwhohadneverbeforefeltthemagneticinfluenceofwomaninhersimplicityandchildlikepurity，hebe—

cameforthemomentincapableofspeechoraction。

Meanwhilethetwogirlswerewhollyuncon—

sciousofanydisturbingpresenceintheforest。

Theyweretellingeachotherthesignalsthateachhadreceivedinthedance。Taluta’scom—

panionhadstoppedatthefirstraspberrybushes，whilesheherselfpassedontothenextthicket。Whensheemergedfromthepinesintoanopening，shesuddenlybeheldAntelope，inhisfull—dresssuitofcourtship。Instantlyshedroppedhereyes。

LuckilythecustomsofcourtshipamongtheSiouxallowthecoveringofone’sheadwiththeblanket。Inthisattitude，theyoungmanmadeasignaltoTalutawithtremblingfingers。

Thewildredman’swooingwasnaturalandstraightforward;therewasnocircumspection，nomaneuveringfortimeoradvantage。Hotwordsofloveburstforthfromtheyoungwarrior’slips，withheavybreathingbehindthefoldsoftherobewithwhichhesoughttoshieldhisembarrassment。

"Foroncethespiritsareguidingmyfor—

tunes！Itmayseemstrangetoyou，whenwemeetthusbyaccident，thatIshouldspeakim—

mediatelyofmyloveforyou;butweliveinaworldwhereonemustspeakwhentheoppor—

tunityoffers。IhavethoughtmuchofyousinceIsawyouatthemaidens’feast……IsTalutawillingtobecomethewifeofTatoka？

Themoccasinsofhermakingwillcausehisfeettobeswiftinpursuitofthegame，andonthetrailoftheenemy……Ibegofyou，maiden，letourmeetingbeknownonlytothebirdsoftheair，whileyouconsidermypro—

posal！"

Allthiswhilethemaidenstooddemurelyathisside，playingwiththelariatofherponyinherbrown，finehands。Herdoeskingownwithprofusefringeshunggracefullyasthedroopinglongleavesofthewillow，andhertwoheavybraidsofblackhair，mingledwithstringsofdeers’hoofsandwampum，felluponherbosom。Therewasafaintglowunder—

neathherbrownskin，andherblackeyeswerecalmandsoft，yetfullofnativefire。

"Youwillnotpressforananswernow，"

shegentlyreplied，withoutlookingathim。"I

expectedtoseenoonehere，andyourwordshavetakenmebysurprise……Igrantyourlastrequest。Thebirdsalonecanindulgeingossipaboutourmeeting，——unlessmycousin，whoisinthenextravine，shouldseeusto—

gether！"Shespranglightlyuponthebackofherpony，anddisappearedamongthescat—

teredpines。

Betweenthefirstlovers’meetingandthesec—

ondwasaperiodofonemoon。ThiswaswhollythefaultofAntelope，whohadbeenapreytoindecisionandpainfulthoughts。Halfre—

grettinghisimpulsivedeclaration，andhopingtoforgethispangsinthechancesoftravelandwar，hehadfinallyenlistedinthenumberofthosewhoweretogowiththewar—leaderCrowheadintotheUtecountry。AswasthecustomoftheSiouxwarriorsupontheeveofdeparture，theyoungmenconsultedtheirspirit—

ualadvisers，andwerefrequentlyinthepurify—

ingvapor—bath，andfastinginprayer。

Thelasteveninghadcome，andAntelopewasonthewaytothetopofthehillbehindthecampforanightofprayer。Suddenlyinthehalf—lighthecamefulluponTaluta，lead—

ingherponydownthenarrowtrail。Shehadneverlookedmorebeautifultotheyouththanatthatmoment。

"Ho，"hegreetedher。Shesimplysmiledshyly。

"Itislongsincewemet，"heventured。

"Ihaveconcludedthatyoudonotcaretohearmyreply，"retortedthegirl。

"Ihavenothingtosayinmydefense，butIhopethatyouwillbegenerous。Ihavesuf—

feredmuch……YouwillunderstandwhyIstandfarfromyou，"headdedgently。"I

havebeenpreparingmyselftogouponthewar—

path。WestartatdaylightfortheUtecoun—

try。EverydayfortendaysIhavebeeninthevapor—bath，andtennightsfasting。"

AsTalutawellknew，ayoungwarriorunderthesecircumstancesdarednotapproachawo—

man，notevenhisownwife。

"Istillurgeyoutobemywife。Areyoureadytogivemeyouranswer？"continuedAn—

telope。

"Myanswerwassenttoyoubyyourgrand—

motherthisveryday，"sherepliedsoftly。

"Ah，tellme，tellme，……"pressedtheyoutheagerly。

"Alliswell。Fearnothing，"murmuredthemaiden。

"Ihavegivenmyword——Ihavemademyprayersandundergonepurification。Imustnotwithdrawfromthiswar—path，"hesaidafterasilence。"ButIknowthatIshallbefor—

tunate！……Mygrandmotherwillgiveyoumylovetoken……Ah，kechuwa（dearlove）！

watchthebigstareverynight！Iwillwatchit，too——thenweshallbothbewatching！

Althoughfarapart，ourspiritswillbeto—

gether。"

Themoonhadrisenabovethehill，andthecoldlightdiscoveredthetwowhostoodsadlyapart，theirheartshotwithlonging。Reluc—

tantly，yetwithoutabackwardlookorfarewellgesture，thewarriorwentonupthehill，andthemaidenhurriedhomeward。Onlyafewmomentsbeforeshehadbeenhappyintheanticipationofmakingherloverhappy。Thetruthwasshehadbeenbuildingair—castlesinthelikenessofawhiteteepeepitcheduponavirginprairieallalone，surroundedbymountains。Tatoka’swar—horseandhuntingponywerepicketednearby，andthereshesawherselfpreparingthesimplemealforhim！Butnowhehascloudedherdreamsbythisuntimelydeparture。

"Heistoobrave……Hislifewillbeashortone，"shesaidtoherselfwithfore—

boding。

Forafewhoursallwasquiet，andjustbe—

foretheappearanceofdaythewarriors’de—

parturewasmadeknownbytheirfarewellsongs。Antelopewasinthelineearly，buthewasheavyofheart，forheknewthathissweet—

heartwassorelypuzzledanddisappointedbyhisabruptdeparture。Hisonlyconsolationwastheknowledgethathehadinhisbundleapairofmoccasinsmadebyherhands。Hehadnotyetseenthem，becauseitwasthecus—

tomnottoopenanyfarewellgiftsuntilthefirstcampwasmade，andthentheymustbeopenedbeforetheeyesofalltheyoungmen！

Itbringslucktothewar—party，theysaid。Hewouldhavepreferredtokeephisbetrothalse—

cret，buttherewasnoescapingthecustom。

Allthecamp—fireswereburningandsupperhadbeeneaten，whentheheraldapproachedeverygroupandannouncedtheprogrammefortheevening。ItfelltoAntelopetoopenhisbundlefirst。Loudlaughterpealedforthwhenthereluctantyouthbroughtforthasu—

perbpairofmoccasins——therecognizedlove—

gift！Atsuchtimesthewarriors’jokeswereunmerciful，foritwasconsideredalastindul—

genceinjesting，perhapsformanymoons。

Therecipientwaswellknowntobeanoviceinlove，andthistokenfirstdisclosedthefactthathehadatlastsuccumbedtotheallure—

mentsofwoman。Whenhesanghislove—songhewasobligedtonamethegiverofthetoken，andmanyadisappointedsuitorwasastonishedtohearTaluta’sname。

ItwasalongjourneytotheUtecountry，andwhentheyreachedittherewasastubbornlycontestedfight。Bothsidesclaimedthevic—

tory，andbothlostseveralmen。HereagainAntelopewassignallyfavoredbythegodsofwar。Hecountedmanycoupsorblows，andexhibitedhisbraveryagainandagaininthecharges，buthereceivednowound。

OnthereturnjourneyTaluta’sbeautifulfacewasconstantlybeforehim。Hewassoimpatienttoseeherthathehurriedoninad—

vanceofhisparty，whentheywerestillseveraldays’travelfromtheSiouxcamp。

"ThistimeIshalljoininallthedancesandparticipateintherejoicings，forshewillsurelyliketohavemedoso，"hethoughttohimself。

"Shewilljoinalso，andIknowthatnoneisabetterdancerthanTaluta！"

Infancy，Antelopewaspracticingthesongsofvictoryasherodealoneoverthevastwildcountry。

HehadnowpassedWildHorseCreekandtheBlackHillslaytothesoutheast，whiletheBigHornrangeloomeduptothenorthingiganticproportions。Hefelthimselfathome。

"Ishallnowbeamanindeed。Ishallhaveawife！"hesaidaloud。

Atlasthereachedthepointfromwhichheexpectedtoviewthedistantcamp。Alas，therewasnocampthere！Onlyasolitaryteepeegleamedforthuponthegreenplain，whichwasalmostsurroundedbyaquickturnoftheRiverofDeepWoods。Theteepeeappearedverywhite。Apeculiartinglingsensationpassedthroughhisframe，andtheponywhinniedoftenashewasurgedforwardatagallop。

WhenAntelopebeheldthesolitaryteepeeheknewinstantlywhatitwas。Itwasagrave！

Sometimesanewwhitelodgewaspitchedthusforthedead，wholayinstatewithinuponacouchoffinestskins，andsurroundedbyhischoicestpossessions。

Antelope’sexcitementincreasedashenearedtheteepee，whichwasprotectedbyabarricadeofthickbrush。Itstoodaloneandsilentinthemidstofthedesertedcamp。Hekickedthesidesofhistiredhorsetomakehimgofaster。

Atlasthejumpedfromthesaddleandrantowardthedoor。Therehepausedforamo—

ment，andatthethoughtofdesecratingagrave，acoldterrorcameoverhim。

"Imustsee——Imustsee！"hesaidaloud，anddesperatelyhebrokethroughthethornyfenceanddrewasidetheovalswingingdoor。

II

Inthestatelywhiteteepee，seenfromafar，bothgraveandmonument，therelaythefairbodyofTaluta！Thebierwasundisturbed，andthemaidenlookedbeautifulasifsleeping，dressedinherrobesofceremonyandsurroundedbyallherbelongings。

Herloverlookeduponherstillfaceandcriedaloud。"Hey，hey，hey！Alas！alas！IfIhadknownofthiswhileintheUtecountry，youwouldnotbelonelyonthespiritpath。"

Hewithdrew，andlaidthedoorflaprever—

entlybackinitsplace。Howlonghestoodwith—

outthethresholdhecouldnottell。Hestoodwithheadboweddownuponhisbreast，tear—

lessandmotionless，utterlyoblivioustoevery—

thingsavethebierofhisbeloved。Hischargergrazedaboutforalongtimewherehehadlefthim，butatlastheendeavoredbyalowwhinnytoattracthismaster’sattention，andAntelopeawokefromhistranceofsorrow。

Thesunwasnowhoveringoverthewesternridges。Themourner’sthroatwasparched，andperspirationrolleddownhischeeks，yethewasconsciousofnothingbutastrongde—

siretolookuponhercalm，sweetfaceoncemore。

Hekindledasmallfirealittlewayoff，andburnedsomecedarberriesandsweet—smellinggrass。Thenhefumigatedhimselfthoroughlytodispelthehumanatmosphere，sothatthespiritmightnotbeoffendedbyhisapproach，forhegreatlydesiredtoobtainasignfromherspirit。Hehadremovedhisgarmentsandstoodupperfectlynudesaveforthebreech—

clout。Hislonghairwasunbraidedandhunguponhisshoulders，veilingtheupperhalfofhissplendidbody。Thusstanding，theloversangadirgeofhisownmaking。Thewordsweresomethinglikethis：

Ah，spirit，thyflightismysterious！

Whilethecloudsarestirredbyourwailing，Andourtearsfallfasterinsorrow——

Whilethecoldsweatofnightbenumbsus，Thougoestaloneonthyjourney，Inthemidstoftheshiningstarpeople！

Thougoestaloneonthyjourney——

Thymemoryshallbeourportion;

Untildeathwemustwatchforthespirit！

TheeyesofAntelopewereclosedwhilehechantedthedirge。Hesangitoverandover，pausingbetweenthelines，andstrainingasitwereeverysenselesthemightnotcatchtheraptwhisperofherspirit，butonlythedistanthowlsofcoyotesansweredhim。Hisbodybe—

camecoldandnumbfromsheerexhaustion，andatlasthiskneesbentunderhimandhesankdownupontheground，stillfacingtheteepee。Unconsciousnessovertookhim，andinhissleeportrancethevoicecame：

"Donotmournforme，myfriend！Comeintomyteepee，andeatofmyfood。"

ItseemedtoAntelopethathefalteredforamoment;thenheenteredtheteepee。Therewasacheerfulfireburninginthecenter。A

basinofbroiledbuffalomeatwasplacedoppo—

sitethecouchofTaluta，ontheothersideofthefire。Itsodorwasdelicioustohim，yethehesitatedtoeatofit。

"Fearnot，kechuwa（mydarling）！Itwillgiveyoustrength，"saidthevoice。

Themaidwasnaturalasinlife。Beautifullyattired，shesatuponherbed，andherde—

meanorwascheerfulandkind。

Theyoungmanateofthefoodinsilenceandwithoutlookingatthespirit。"Ho，ke—

chuwa！"hesaidtoherwhenreturningthedish，accordingtothecustomofhispeople。

Silentlythetwosatforsomeminutes，whiletheyouthgazedintotheburningembers。

"Beofgoodheart，"saidTaluta，atlast，"foryoushallmeetmytwinspirit！ShewillloveyouasIdo，andyouwillloveherasyouloveme。Thiswasourcovenantbeforewecameintothisworld。"

Theconceptionofa"twinspirit"wasfamil—

iartotheSioux。"Ho，"respondedthewar—

rior，withdignityandallseriousness。Hefeltagreataweforthespirit，anddarednotlifthiseyestoherface。

"Weepnomore，kechuwa，weepnomore，"

shesoftlyadded;andthenextmomentAnte—

lopefoundhimselfoutsidethemysterioustee—

pee。Hislimbswerestiffandcold，buthedidnotfeelfaintnorhungry。Havingfilledhispipe，heheldituptothespiritsandthenpar—

tookofthesmoke;andthusrevived，heslowlyandreluctantlyleftthesacredspot。

Themainwar—partyalsovisitedtheoldcampandsawthesolitaryteepeegrave，butdidnotlingerthere。Theycontinuedonthetrailofthecaravanuntiltheyreachedthenewcamp—

ingground。Theycalledthemselvessuccessful，althoughtheyhadleftseveraloftheirnumberonthefield。Theirtriumphsongsindicatedthis;thereforethepeoplehurriedtoreceivethenewsandtolearnwhoweretheunfor—

tunates。

ThefatherofAntelopewasforemostamongthosewhorantomeetthewar—party。Helearnedthathissonhaddistinguishedhimselfinthefight，andthathisnamewasnotmentionedamongthebravedead。

"Andwhere，then，ishe？"heasked，withunconcealedanxiety。

"Heleftusthreedaysagotocomeinad—

vance，"theyreplied。

"Buthehasnotarrived！"exclaimedoldWezee，inmuchagitation。

Hereturnedtohisteepee，whereheconsoledhimselfasbesthecouldbysmokingthepipeinsolitude。Hecouldneithersingpraisesnorindulgeinthedeathdirge，andnonecameineithertocongratulateormournwithhim。

Thesunhaddisappearedbehindthehills，andtheoldmanstillsatgazingintotheburn—

ingembers，whenheheardahorse’sfootfallatthedoorofhislodge。

"Ho，atay（father）！"camethewelcomecall。

"Mechinkshe！mechinkshe！"（myson，myson），herepliedinunrestrainedjoy。OldWe—

zeenowstoodonthethresholdandsangthepraisesongforhisson，endingwithawar—

whoopsuchashehadnotindulgedinsincehewasquiteayoungman。

Thecampwasoncemorealivewiththedances，andthedullthudoftheIndiandrumwascontinuallyintheair。ThecouncilhadagreedthatAntelopewasentitledtowearawar—bonnetofeagles’feathers。Hewasac—

cordinglysummonedbeforetheaboriginalpar—

liament，andfromthewisemenofthetribehereceivedhisdegreeofwar—bonnet。

Itwasapublicceremony。Thegreatpipewasheldupforhimtotakethesmokeofhighhonor。

ThehappiestpersonpresentwasthefatherofAntelope;buthehimselfremainedcalmandunmovedthroughouttheceremony。

"Heisastrangeperson，"wasthewhisperamongagroupofyouthswhowerewatchingtheproceedingswithenviouseyes。

Theyoungmanwasstrangelylistlessanddepressedinspirit。Hisoldgrandmotherknewwhy，butnoneoftheothersunderstood。Heneverjoinedinthevillagefestivities，whiletherestofhisfamilywereuntiringinthedances，andoldWezeewasattheheightofhishap—

piness。

ItwasacrispOctobermorning，andthefam—

ilywereeatingtheirbreakfastofbroiledbisonmeat，whenthelargedrumatthecouncillodgewasstruckthreetimes。Theoldmansetdownhiswoodenbasin。

"Ah，myson，thewar—chiefswillmakeanannouncement！Itmaybeacallfortheen—

listmentofwarriors！Iamsorry，"hesaid，andpaused。"Iamsorry，becauseIwouldrathernowar—partywentoutatpresent。Iamgettingold。Ihaveenjoyedyoursuccess，myson。Ilovetohearthepeoplespeakyourname。Ifyougoagainuponthewar—path，I

shallnolongerbeabletojoininthecelebra—

tions。Somethingtellsmethatyouwillnotre—

turn！"

Youngbraveswerealreadyontheirwaytothecouncillodge。Tatokalooked，andthetemptationwasgreat。

"Father，itisnotbecomingformetore—

mainathomewhenothersgo，"hesaid，atlast。

"Ho，"wastheassentutteredbythefather，withadeepsigh。

"Fivehundredbraveshaveenlistedtogowiththegreatwarprophetagainstthethreeconfederatedtribes，"heafterwardreportedathome，withanairofelationwhichhehadnotwornforsomemoons。

SinceAntelopehadreceivedthedegreeofwar—bonnet，hisfatherhadsparedneithertimenorhismeagermeansinhisbehalf。Hehadbarteredhismostcherishedpossessionsforsev—

eraleaglesthatwerebroughtinbyvarioushuntersofthecamp，andwithhisownhandshadmadeahandsomewar—bonnetforhisson。

"Youwillnowwearawar—bonnetforthefirsttime，andyouarethefirstofourfamilywhohasearnedtherighttowearoneformanygenerations。Iamproudofyou，myson，"hesaidashepresentedit。

Butwhentheyouthreplied："Ho，ho，father！Ioughttobeabravemaninrecog—

nitionofthishonor，"heagainsighedheavily。

"ItisthatIfeared，myson！Manyayoungmanhaslosthislifeforvanityandloveofdis—

play！"

Theeveningserenadesbeganearly，forthepartywastoleaveatonce。Ingroupsupontheirfavoriteponiesthewarriorsrodearoundtheinnercircleofthegreatcamp，singingtheirwar—songs。Allthepeoplecameoutofthetee—

pees，andsittingbytwosandthreesupontheground，bedeckedwithsavagefinery，theywatchedandlistened。Theprettywildmaid—

enshadthislastopportunitygiventhemtolookuponthefacesoftheirsweethearts，whomtheymightneverseeagain。Hereandthereanoldmanwassingingthegratitudesongorthank—offering，whileannouncingthefirstwar—

pathofanovice，forsuchanannouncementmeantthegivingofmanypresentstothepoorandaged。Sothecampwasfilledwithsongsofjoyandprideinthedepartinghusbands，brothers，andsons。

Assoonasdarknesssetinthesoundoftherudenativeflutewasaddedtothecelebration。

Thisisthelover’sfarewell。Theyoungbraves，wrappedfromheadtofootintheirfinestrobes，eachsoundedtheplaintivestrainsnearthetee—

peeofthebeloved。Theplayfulyodelingofmanyvoicesinchoruswasheardatthecloseofeachsong。

Atmidnightthearmyoffivehundred，thefloweroftheSioux，marchedagainsttheiran—

cientenemy。Antelopewasinthebestofspir—

its。Hehadhiswar—bonnettodisplaybeforetheenemy！Hewasnowregardedasoneoftheforemostwarriorsofhisband，andmightprobablybeaskedtoperformsomespeciallyhazardousduty，sothathewasfullypreparedtoearnfurtherdistinction。

InfivedaystheSiouxwereencampedwithinaday’stravelofthepermanentvillageoftheconfederatedtribes——theRees，Mandans，andGrosVentres。Thewar—chiefselectedtwomen，AntelopeandEaglechild，toscoutatnightinadvanceofthemainforce。Itwasthoughtthatmostofthehuntershadalreadyreturnedtotheirwinterquarters，andinthiscasetheSiouxwouldhavenomeanenemytoface。Ontheotherhand，abattlewaspromisedthatwouldenlargetheirimportanttraditions。

Thetwomadetheirwayasrapidlyaspos—

sibletowardtheancestralhomeoftheirene—

mies。Itwasanightperfectlysuitedtowhattheyhadtodo，forthemoonwasfull，thefleetingcloudshidingitfromtimetotimeandcastingdeceptiveshadows。

Whentheyhadcomewithinashortdistanceofthelodgesunperceived，theylayflatforalongtime，andstudiedthewaysoftheyoungmenineveryparticular，foritwasAntelope’splantoenterthegreatvillageandmingleboldlywithitsinhabitants。Eventheirhootsandlove—callswerecarefullynoted，sothattheymightbeabletoimitatethem。Therewereseveralentertainmentsinprogressindifferentpartsofthevillage，yetitwasapparentthatthegreatestvigilancewasobserved。Thelodgesofpolescoveredwithearthwerepartlyunderground，andatoneendthewar—horseswerestabled，asaprecautionagainstapossiblesurprise。

Atthemomentthatalargecloudfloatedoverthemoon，castingashadowlargeenoughtocovertheentirevillage，thedruminoneoftheprincipallodgeswasstruckinquicktime，accompaniedbyboisterouswar—whoopsandsinging。Thetwoscoutsadjustedtheirrobesabouttheminthefashionofthestrangers，andwalkedopenlyinthatdirection。

Theyglancedquicklyfromsidetosideastheyapproached，butnoonepaidanyattention，sotheycameupwithotheryoungmenandpeepedthroughthechinksintheearthwig—

wam。Itwasagreatgamblingparty。Amongtheguestswereseveraldistinguishedwarriors，andeachatanopportunetimewouldriseandrecounthisgreatdeedsinwarfareagainsttheSioux。Thestrangerscouldreadtheirgestures，andAntelopewasonceortwicealmostonthepointofstringinghisbowtosendanarrowthroughtheaudaciousspeaker。

Astheymovedaboutthevillage，takingnoteofitsnumbersandsituation，andwaitinganopportunitytowithdrawwithoutexcitingsus—

picion，theyobservedsomeoftheyoungerbravesstandingnearanotherlargewigwam，andoneortwoevenpeepedwithin。Movedbysuddencuriosity，Antelopefollowedtheirex—

ample。Heutteredalowexclamationandatoncewithdrew。

"Whatisit？"askedhiscompanion，butreceivednoanswer。

Itwasevidentlythehomeofachief。Thefamilywereseatedwithinattheirusualoccu—

pations，andthebrightlightofthecentralfireshonefulluponthefaceofamostlovelymaiden。

Antelopestoodapparentlymotionless，buthewastremblingunderhisrobelikealeaf。

"Come，friend，thereisanotherlargecloudalmostoverthemoon！Wemustmoveawayunderitsconcealingshadow，"urgedEagle—

child。

theotherstoodstillasifundecided，butatlastheapproachedthelodgeandlookedinasecondtime。Theresathissweetheartinhumanformoncemore！Themaidenwasat—

tiredinadoeskingownsetwithelk’steethlikeivory。Hereyeswerecastdowndemurelyoverherembroidery，butineveryfeatureshewasthelivingcounterpartofTaluta！

Atlastthetwogotawayunobserved，andhastenedtowardtheplacewheretheyhadcon—

cealedtheirhorses。ButhereAntelopesenthiscompaniononinadvance，makingtheex—

cusethathewishedtostudyfurtherthebestpositionfromwhichtomaketheattack。

Whenhewasleftalonehestoodstillforamomenttodecideuponaplan。HecouldthinkofnothingbutthathemustmeettheReemaidenbeforedaylight！Herealizedtheextremehazardoftheattempt，buthealsorecalledwhathehadbeentoldbythespiritofTaluta，andthesupernaturalcommandseemedtojus—

tifyhimeveningoingthusupontheeveofbattletomeettheenemyofhispeople。

Heskirtedtheheavytimberandretracedhisstepstoapointfromwhichhecouldseethevillage。Thedrumofthegamblingpartyhadceasedwiththeshoutsandlaughteroftheplayers。Apparentlythevillagewaslostinslumber。Themoonhadset，andwithoutpausingheadvancedtothehomeofthegirl。

Ashecamenearsomedogsbegantobark，buthesilencedthemafterthemanneroftheRees，andtheyobeyedhim。

WhenAntelopesoftlyraisedtherobethathungovertheentrancetothechief’slodge，hesawthefiresmolderinginthecenter，andthemembersofthehouseholdlyingintheirrespectiveplaces，allseeminglyinadeepsleep。

Thegirllayoppositetheentrance，wherehehadseenherseatedintheearlypartoftheevening。

TheheartoftheSiouxbeatviolently，andheglancednervouslytoleftandright。Therewasneithersoundnormovement。Thenhepulledhisrobecompletelyoverhishead，afterthefashionofaReelover，andsoftlyenteredthewigwam。

TheReemaiden，havingindustriouslyworkedonherembroideryuntilfarintothenight，hadretiredtorest。Inherdreams，thetwinsistercametoherofwhomshehadhadvisionseversinceshecouldremember，andes—

peciallywhensomethingofimportancewasabouttohappen。

Thistimeshecamewithahandsomeyoungmanofanothertribe，andsaid："Sister，I

bringyouaSioux，whowillbeyourhusband！"

Thedreameropenedhereyestobeholdayouthbendingoverherandgentlypullingherrobe，asasuitorispermittedtodotoawakenhisbeloved。

Whenhesawthatshewasawake，theSiouxtouchedhisbreast，sayinginawhisper，"Ta—

toka，"andmadethesignforAntelope。ThispleasedtheReegirl，forherownbrother，whohaddiedtheyearbefore，hadbornethatname。

Sheimmediatelysatupandstirredtheembersintoalightblaze。Thenshetookholdofhisblanketanddrewitfromhisface;andtheresheseemedtoseetheveryfeaturesofthemanofhervision！

Hetookherhandinhis，andshefelttheforceoflovestreamthroughhislong，nervousfingers，andinstinctivelyknewhisthoughts。InherturnshetouchedherbreastandmadethesignforShield，pronouncinginherowntonguetheword，Stasu。Thisseemedtohimalsoanameofgoodomen，andinthesignlanguagewhichwascommontoallthepeopleoftheplains，heaskedhertobehiswife。

Vividlyherdreamcamebacktoher，andshecouldnotrefusethestranger。Hersoulalreadyrespondedtohis;andforafewmin—

utestheysatsilentlysidebyside。Whenhearoseandbeckoned，"Comewithme，"shehadnoquestiontomake，andwithoutawordshefollowedhimfromherfather’slodgeandoutintotheforest。

Inthemidstofhisascendingfame，atamo—

mentwhenopportunityseemedtofavorhisam—

bition，thebraveAntelopehadmysteriouslydisappeared！Hiscompanionscoutreturnedwithafavorablereport。Hesaidthatthemenofthethreeconfederatedtribesweregamblingandfeasting，whollyunconsciousofdanger，andthatAntelopewouldfollowhimwithafurtherreportuponthebestpointofattack。

Theredwarriorsimpatientlyawaitedhisre—

turn，untilitbecameapparentthattheycouldwaitnolongerwithoutsacrificingtheirchanceofsuccess。Whentheattackwasmadeitwasalreadyratherlate。Thesunhadfairlyclearedtheeasternhills，andmostofthemenwereout—

sidetheirlodges。

Itwasagreatbattle！AgainandagaintheSiouxwererepulsed，butasoftentheyralliedandrepeatedthechargeuntilsundown，whentheyeffectedtheirretreatwithconsiderableloss。

HadAntelopereturnedindueseason，thechargewouldhavebeenmadebeforedawn，whilethepeoplewereyetasleep。

Whenthebattlewasover，theRees，Man—

dans，andGrosVentresgatheredtheirdeadandwounded。Thenightwasfilledwithmourning。

SoonthesadnewswasheraldedthroughoutthecampthatthebeautifuldaughteroftheReechiefwasamongthemissing。Itwassup—

posedthatshemusthavebeencapturedwhiledrivingherponiestowaterintheearlymorn—

ing。Thegriefforherlosswasmingledwithhorror，becauseofafearthatshemightsuf—

ferhumiliationatthehandsoftheSiouxwar—

riors，andamongtheyoungmenthereweremut—

teredthreatsthattheSiouxwouldpaydearlyforthis。

Thoughpartiallysuccessful，theSiouxhadlostmanyoftheirbravestwarriors，andnonecouldtellwhathadhappenedtoAntelope——hewhohadbeenbelievedthefavoriteofthegodsofwar。Itwassuggestedbysomeenviousonesthatperhapshehadrecognizedthestronglyentrenchedpositionofthethreetribes，andbe—

lievingthebattlewouldbeadisastrousone，hadsetoutforhomewithoutmakinghisre—

port。Butthissuppositionwasnotdeemedcredible。Ontheotherhand，theideawasen—

tertainedthathehadreenteredthevillage，wasdetectedandslain;andthereforetheenemywasonthelookoutwhentheattackwasmade。

"Hay，hay，hay，mechinkshe（Alas，alas，myson）！"wasthesorrowfulcrywithwhichhisoldfatherreceivedthenews。Hisheadfelluponhisbreast，andalltheothersgroanedinsympathy。

Thesunsetskywasablanketofbeautifulpainting。Therewerecamp—firesamongthecloudsinorangeandscarlet，whilesomewereblackasnight。Sothecampfairlyglowedincelebrationofitsheroes;yettherewasdeepgriefinmanyfamilies。Whentheeveningmealhadbeeneatenandthepeopleweresittingout—

sidetheirlodges，atalloldman，almostnude，appearedinthecircle，ridingafinehorse。

Hehadblackenedhisface，hishairwascutshort，andthehorsealsohadbeendeprivedofhisflowingmaneandtail。Bothwereindeepmourning，afterthefashionoftheSioux。

"Hoho！"exclaimedmanywarriorsashepassedthem，singinginahoarse，gutturalvoice。

"Ugh，hesingsawar—song！"remarkedone。

"Yes，Iamtoldthathewillfindhisson’sbones，orleavehisowninthecountryoftheenemy！"

Therainhadfallenincessantlyfortwodays。

ThefleeinglovershadreachedthislonelymountainvalleyoftheBigHornregiononthenightthatthecoldfallrainssetin，andAnte—

lopehadhurriedlyconstructedanarborhouseorrudeshelterofpineandcedarboughs。

Itwasenough。Theretheysat，manandwife，intheirfirsthomeoflivinggreen！Thecheerfulfirewasburninginthecenter，andthehappysmokewentstraightupamongthetallpines。Therewasnohumaneyetogazeuponthemtoembarrass——notevenacommonlan—

guageinwhichtoexpresstheirloveforoneanother。

Theirmarriage，theybelieved，wasmadebyaspirit，anditwasholyintheirminds。Eachhadcastawayhispeopleandhisallforthesakeofthisemotionwhichhadsuddenlyover—

takenthembothwithoverwhelmingforce，andthewarrior’sambitionhaddisappearedbeforeitlikeamorningmistbeforethesun。

Tothemanewlifewasjustbeginning，andtheyhadallbutforgottentheexistenceofanyworldsavethis。Theyoungbridewasen—

shrinedinabowerofspicyfragrance，andherfaceshonewheneverhereyesmetthoseofherhusband。

"ThisisasIwouldhaveit，kechuwa（dar—

ling）！"exclaimedtheSiouxinhisownlan—

guage。Shesimplyrespondedwithachildlikesmile。Althoughshedidnotunderstandhiswords，shereadinthetonesofhisvoiceonlyhappyandlovingthoughts。

TheReegirlhadpreparedabroiledbisonsteak，andherhusbandwaskeepingthefirewellfedwithdryfagots。Theodorofthebumingfatwasdelicious，andthegentlepatteroftherainmadeaweirdmusicoutsidetheirwigwam。

Assoonasherhusbandhadleftheralone——forhemustgotowatertheponiesandcon—

cealthematadistance——Stasucameouttocollectmorewood。Instinctivelyshelookedallabouther。Hugemountainstoweredskyward，cladinpines。Thenarrowvalleyinwhichshewaswounditswaybetweenthem，andoneverysidetherewasheavyforest。

Shestoodsilentandawed，scarcelyabletorealizethatshehadbegunhernewlifeabso—

lutelyalone，withnootherwomantoadviseorcongratulateher，andvisitedonlybythebirdsoftheair。YetalltheworldtoherjustnowwasAntelope！Nootherwomancouldsmileonhim。Hecouldnottalktoanyonebuther。Theeveningdrumatthecouncillodgecouldnotsummonhimawayfromher，andshewaswellcontent。

Whentheyoungwifehaddoneeverythingshecouldthinkofinpreparationforherhus—

band’sreturn，includingthemakingofseveralbirch—barkbasinsandpailsforwater，therainhadquiteceased，soshespreadherrobejustoutsidethelodgeandtookupherwork—bag，inwhichshehadseveralpairsofmoccasin—topsalreadybeaded。

Whileshebentoverherwork，gettingupfromtimetotimetoturntheroastwhichshehadimpaleduponasharpstickabovetheglowingcoals，thebridehadastreamofshycallers，ofthelittlepeopleofthewoods。Shesatverystill，soasnottostartlethem，andthereismuchcuriosityamongthesepeoplecon—

cerningastranger。

Presentlyshewasstartledbyafootfallnotunlikethatofaman。Shehadnotbeenmar—

riedlongenoughtoknowthesoundofherhusband’sstep，andshefeltathrillofjoyandfearalternately。Itmightbehe，anditmightbeastranger！Shewasloathtolookup，butatlastgaveafurtiveglance，andmetsquarelytheeyesofalargegrizzlybear，whowasseateduponhishaunchesnotfaraway。

Stasuwassurprised，butsheshowednofear;

andfearlessnessisthebestshieldagainstwildanimals。Inamomentshegotupunconcern—

edly，andthrewalargepieceofmeattothestranger。

"Takeofmyweddingfeast，OgreatBear！"

sheaddressedhim，"andbegoodtometoblessmyfirstteepee！ObekindandrecognizemybraveactintakingformyhusbandoneofthewarriorsoftheSioux，theancientenemyofmypeople！Ihaveacceptedahusbandofalan—

guageotherthanmine，andamcometoliveamongyouasyourneighbor。Iofferyoumyfriendship！"

Thebear’sonlyanswertoherprayerwasalowgrowl，buthavingeatenthemeat，heturnedandclumsilydeparted。

InthemeantimeAntelopehadsethimselftomasterthegeographyofthatregion，tostudytheoutlookforgame，andascertainthebestapproachestotheirsecrethome。Itwasalreadysettledinhismindthathecouldneverreturneithertohiswife’speopleortohisown。

Hisfellow—warriorswouldnotforgivehisde—

sertion，andtheReescouldnotbeexpectedtowelcomeasakinsmanoneoftheforemostoftheirancientfoes。Therewasnothingtobedonebuttoremaininseclusion，andletthemsaywhattheywouldofhim！

HehadlovedtheReemaidenfromthefirstmomenthebeheldherbythelightoftheblaz—

ingembers，andthatlovemustsatisfyhim。Itwaswellthathehadnevercaredmuchforcompany，buthadspentmanyofhisyoungdaysinsolitudeandfasting。Itdidnotseematallstrangetohimthathehadbeenforcedtore—

treatintoanunknownandwildcountrywithawomanwhomhesawintheeveningforthefirsttime，andfledwithashisownwifebeforesunrise！

Bytheafternoonhehadthoroughlyin—

formedhimselfuponthenatureofthesur—

roundingcountry。Everythingonthefaceofthemapwassurveyedandchartedinhismind，inaccordancewithhishabitsandtraining。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫，醒来一梦似千年，重生于下堂妃身躯中的她，将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读