their approval. The music stopped. The tethers were removed from Winyela's neck. She then, tentatively, lifted her head. It seemed now she was forgotten. Her garments and jewelry, rolled in a bundle, were tied in what would be the lower fork of the pole. Two other objects, on long thongs, which were wrapped about the higher fork, were placed in the higher fork. Later, when the pole was set in the enclosure of the dance, the tongs would be unwrapped and the two objects would hang beside the pole. Both were of leather. One was an image of a kailiauk. The other was an image of a man. The image of the man had an exaggerated phallus, thrust forth and nearly as long as an arm, of a sort common in primitive art. I was reminded by these things of the midicine of the pole, and of the great forthcoming dance, projected to take place about it. The medicine of the pole and dance had intimately to do, obviously, with such things as hunting, fertility and manhood. To the red savages the medicine world is very real.
"You may get up," said Cuwignaka to Winyela. She was looking about herself, bewildered, apparently forgotten. She rose up and went to the side of Canka, astride his kaiila, her master. Men were lowering the medicing pole to the ground and breaking apart the tripods. Ropes had been put on the pole. Then, preceded by Cancega, with his medicine wand,
page 43
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uttering formulas, followed by his two seconds, with thier rattles, the pole, pulled on its ropes, being drawn by several kaiila, was dragged toward the camp.
"You were very beautiful, Winyela," said Canka.
"Thank you, Master," she said.
He put down his hand and drew her up, before him, both her legs to the left side, to the back of the Kaiila. He then held he rin place, before him. He wore only his breechclout, moccasins and knife.
"I am so dirty," she said. "Surely you will not want me to touch your body."
But he held her to him, possesively. One arm was about her shoulders, the other beneath her thighs. She looked small in his arms, on the kaiila.
"I am so ashamed," she said, "how I must have looked, how I acted."
I remembered that she was from Earth, with its foolish, irrational negativistic conditionings, largely a heritage from the teachings of celibate lunatics. How pernicious can be the infected, poisonous heirlooms of madmen.
"In your dance," said Canka, "you were not ashamed."
"No," she said. "It was almost as thought I were another. I was sensuous, brazen, bold and free."
"Free?" asked Canka, smiling.
"Surely Master knows that of all women it is only a total slave who can be truly free."
Canka smiled. In one sense, of course, the slave has no freedom whatsoever. She has no rights, and is totally and absolutely owned. In another sense, of course, she is the most free of women.
"I am not truly ashamed," said the girl.
"I know," said Canka.
"Rather, I am shamelessly proud and happy," she said.
"Good," said Canka. "That is how it should be."
"I am only a slave," she said.
"That is true," said Canka.
"It is your collar which is on my neck, Master," she said.
"Yes," said Canka.
"I am your slave," she said.
"Yes," said Canka.
"I love you, Master," she said. "Do you care for me, perhaps, just a little?"
"Perhaps," said Canka.
She nestled back, in his arms.
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~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What are you going to do with me now, Master?" she asked.
"I am going to take you to my lodge," said Canka. "There I will use you, many times."
"Ho, Itancanak," she said. "Yes, Master."
Canka then moved his heels back into the flanks of the kaiila and, guiding it with his knees, turned it back towards the village.
Chapter 4
THE KAIILA WILL GO FORTH FOR THE HUNT
"It is nearly time. Awaken!" said Cuwignaka, shaking my shoulder. "Soon we will be going out."
I rolled over in the robes and opened my eyes. I could see the poles sloping together over my head,
"You may get up," said Cuwignaka to Winyela. She was looking about herself, bewildered, apparently forgotten. She rose up and went to the side of Canka, astride his kaiila, her master. Men were lowering the medicing pole to the ground and breaking apart the tripods. Ropes had been put on the pole. Then, preceded by Cancega, with his medicine wand,
page 43
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
uttering formulas, followed by his two seconds, with thier rattles, the pole, pulled on its ropes, being drawn by several kaiila, was dragged toward the camp.
"You were very beautiful, Winyela," said Canka.
"Thank you, Master," she said.
He put down his hand and drew her up, before him, both her legs to the left side, to the back of the Kaiila. He then held he rin place, before him. He wore only his breechclout, moccasins and knife.
"I am so dirty," she said. "Surely you will not want me to touch your body."
But he held her to him, possesively. One arm was about her shoulders, the other beneath her thighs. She looked small in his arms, on the kaiila.
"I am so ashamed," she said, "how I must have looked, how I acted."
I remembered that she was from Earth, with its foolish, irrational negativistic conditionings, largely a heritage from the teachings of celibate lunatics. How pernicious can be the infected, poisonous heirlooms of madmen.
"In your dance," said Canka, "you were not ashamed."
"No," she said. "It was almost as thought I were another. I was sensuous, brazen, bold and free."
"Free?" asked Canka, smiling.
"Surely Master knows that of all women it is only a total slave who can be truly free."
Canka smiled. In one sense, of course, the slave has no freedom whatsoever. She has no rights, and is totally and absolutely owned. In another sense, of course, she is the most free of women.
"I am not truly ashamed," said the girl.
"I know," said Canka.
"Rather, I am shamelessly proud and happy," she said.
"Good," said Canka. "That is how it should be."
"I am only a slave," she said.
"That is true," said Canka.
"It is your collar which is on my neck, Master," she said.
"Yes," said Canka.
"I am your slave," she said.
"Yes," said Canka.
"I love you, Master," she said. "Do you care for me, perhaps, just a little?"
"Perhaps," said Canka.
She nestled back, in his arms.
page 44
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What are you going to do with me now, Master?" she asked.
"I am going to take you to my lodge," said Canka. "There I will use you, many times."
"Ho, Itancanak," she said. "Yes, Master."
Canka then moved his heels back into the flanks of the kaiila and, guiding it with his knees, turned it back towards the village.
Chapter 4
THE KAIILA WILL GO FORTH FOR THE HUNT
"It is nearly time. Awaken!" said Cuwignaka, shaking my shoulder. "Soon we will be going out."
I rolled over in the robes and opened my eyes. I could see the poles sloping together over my head,
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