The young men of my nation shall hunt
with his sons; the chiefs shall smoke with the grey-head. The Pawnee
girls will sing in the ears of his daughters."
"And if we meet the Tetons?" demanded the trapper, who wished to
understand, thoroughly, the more important conditions of this new
alliance.
"The enemy of the Big-knives shall feel the blow of the Pawnee."
"It is well. Now let my brother and I meet in council, that we may not
go on a crooked path, but that our road to his village may be like the
flight of the pigeons."
The young Pawnee made a significant gesture of assent and followed the
other a little apart, in order to be removed from all danger of
interruption from the reckless Paul, or the abstracted naturalist.
Their conference was short, but, as it was conducted in the
sententious manner of the natives, it served to make each of the
parties acquainted with all the necessary information of the other.
When they rejoined their associates, the old man saw fit to explain a
portion of what had passed between them, as follows--
"Ay, I was not mistaken," he said; "this good-looking young warrior--
for good-looking and noble-looking he is, though a little horrified
perhaps with paint--this good-looking youth, then, tells me he is out
on the scout for these very Tetons.
Pages:
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559