white settlers were going to take her land and kill off the buffalo. But he wanted her to trust
him
.
“We’re friends,” Maisie said.
Yellow Feather looked hard at Maisie, and then at Felix.
Felix nodded eagerly. “Friends,” he repeated.
“Come to tepee,” she ordered.
They had no choice but to follow her.
“Let’s give her the feather and get out of here,” Maisie whispered.
For once, Felix agreed right away.
CHAPTER 6
Attacked!
“D o not want that,” Yellow Feather said, pushing the feather away.
“But you have to take it,” Felix said, thrusting it toward her again.
Yellow Feather shook her head. “No,” she said.
Felix looked at Maisie helplessly.
“I guess she’s not the right one,” Maisie said.
“But she’s the only person we’ve seen,” Felix said. “Except for all of them.” He pointed his chin toward the hunters.
“Mother,” Yellow Feather said as a woman approached the tepee.
The two spoke in Cheyenne, glancing at Maisie and Felix from time to time. Finally, Yellow Feathersaid, “You eat. You stay in tepee.”
“Okay,” Maisie said, certain that they were in the wrong place. They needed to leave and find the right person to give the feather to.
Yellow Feather’s mother motioned for them to come with her, and together they walked to the center of the village, where food was being prepared.
A big fire roared and hissed as meat cooked on it. A rawhide blanket laid on the ground had bowls of berries, cherries, and small, wrinkled plums. Families were gathered there. Children ran around, chasing each other. Many of the women had babies asleep in papooses on their backs. The men were unloading the dead buffalo, leaving the women to prepare the meal and take care of the children.
Yellow Feather pointed to the meat.
“Buffalo,” she told Maisie and Felix.
Felix was going to just eat the fruit and berries. But Maisie thought it smelled delicious.
When the men joined everyone, Yellow Feather’s mother spoke to them. They all listened as she talked, but their eyes stayed on Maisie and Felix. One man stepped forward and studied them carefully. The chief, perhaps. All of the men wore feathers in theirhair, but this one had a full headdress of them. He lifted Felix’s chin and looked directly into his eyes, then did the same to Maisie. Felix felt himself trembling beneath the chief’s gaze. Surely he was deciding whether they would live or die, Felix thought.
The chief said something to Maisie and Felix, but they couldn’t understand.
“He will let you eat with us,” Yellow Feather translated.
“Thank you,” they both said.
With that, the silence ended and a celebration began. Plates of buffalo meat were passed around, and everyone took berries and fruit.
“This is good,” Maisie said to Felix, her mouth full.
“No, thank you,” he said, biting into a little plum.
The sun began to set, turning the sky deep orange and red. Yellow Feather invited Maisie and Felix to sit beside her to watch the men give a dance in thanks for the successful hunt.
“They are thanking Wakan Tanka,” Yellow Feather explained. “The Great Mystery. It bring buffalo.”
The men danced around the fire, chanting inunison, their bodies covered in paint and buffalo skins draped over their backs.
A chill settled over the village, but Maisie and Felix became so entranced by the ceremony that they hardly noticed. The men danced well into the night. When they finished, the fire had burned down to just orange embers glowing in the darkness, and above them the sky twinkled with more stars than either Felix or Maisie could remember ever seeing. An animal howled in the distance, but otherwise silence fell over everything.
“Maisie,” Felix whispered. “I’m sorry.”
“I know,” she said, because she did know he was sorry. But she could not find the words to explain to him how bad she felt, how utterly alone and alienated she was.
Yellow Feather’s voice interrupted.
“Come
him
.
“We’re friends,” Maisie said.
Yellow Feather looked hard at Maisie, and then at Felix.
Felix nodded eagerly. “Friends,” he repeated.
“Come to tepee,” she ordered.
They had no choice but to follow her.
“Let’s give her the feather and get out of here,” Maisie whispered.
For once, Felix agreed right away.
CHAPTER 6
Attacked!
“D o not want that,” Yellow Feather said, pushing the feather away.
“But you have to take it,” Felix said, thrusting it toward her again.
Yellow Feather shook her head. “No,” she said.
Felix looked at Maisie helplessly.
“I guess she’s not the right one,” Maisie said.
“But she’s the only person we’ve seen,” Felix said. “Except for all of them.” He pointed his chin toward the hunters.
“Mother,” Yellow Feather said as a woman approached the tepee.
The two spoke in Cheyenne, glancing at Maisie and Felix from time to time. Finally, Yellow Feathersaid, “You eat. You stay in tepee.”
“Okay,” Maisie said, certain that they were in the wrong place. They needed to leave and find the right person to give the feather to.
Yellow Feather’s mother motioned for them to come with her, and together they walked to the center of the village, where food was being prepared.
A big fire roared and hissed as meat cooked on it. A rawhide blanket laid on the ground had bowls of berries, cherries, and small, wrinkled plums. Families were gathered there. Children ran around, chasing each other. Many of the women had babies asleep in papooses on their backs. The men were unloading the dead buffalo, leaving the women to prepare the meal and take care of the children.
Yellow Feather pointed to the meat.
“Buffalo,” she told Maisie and Felix.
Felix was going to just eat the fruit and berries. But Maisie thought it smelled delicious.
When the men joined everyone, Yellow Feather’s mother spoke to them. They all listened as she talked, but their eyes stayed on Maisie and Felix. One man stepped forward and studied them carefully. The chief, perhaps. All of the men wore feathers in theirhair, but this one had a full headdress of them. He lifted Felix’s chin and looked directly into his eyes, then did the same to Maisie. Felix felt himself trembling beneath the chief’s gaze. Surely he was deciding whether they would live or die, Felix thought.
The chief said something to Maisie and Felix, but they couldn’t understand.
“He will let you eat with us,” Yellow Feather translated.
“Thank you,” they both said.
With that, the silence ended and a celebration began. Plates of buffalo meat were passed around, and everyone took berries and fruit.
“This is good,” Maisie said to Felix, her mouth full.
“No, thank you,” he said, biting into a little plum.
The sun began to set, turning the sky deep orange and red. Yellow Feather invited Maisie and Felix to sit beside her to watch the men give a dance in thanks for the successful hunt.
“They are thanking Wakan Tanka,” Yellow Feather explained. “The Great Mystery. It bring buffalo.”
The men danced around the fire, chanting inunison, their bodies covered in paint and buffalo skins draped over their backs.
A chill settled over the village, but Maisie and Felix became so entranced by the ceremony that they hardly noticed. The men danced well into the night. When they finished, the fire had burned down to just orange embers glowing in the darkness, and above them the sky twinkled with more stars than either Felix or Maisie could remember ever seeing. An animal howled in the distance, but otherwise silence fell over everything.
“Maisie,” Felix whispered. “I’m sorry.”
“I know,” she said, because she did know he was sorry. But she could not find the words to explain to him how bad she felt, how utterly alone and alienated she was.
Yellow Feather’s voice interrupted.
“Come
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