these had seemed a new atmosphere in which she could live and grow. But she had been reaching toward nothing; how she hated her foolish mind and her unclean flesh for yearning for something that never was!
At last she reached the inner circle of tipis. There were nine of them, with all of their doors facing east. They were different from the lodges of the outer circle. They had the same black border at their base and top, but between these borders were designs in brilliant colors.
Maria looked around her, seeking someone to speak to. A woman came out of one of the lodges, and seeing Maria, stopped in her tracks in amazement. She hastily retreated, even lowering the flap of her tipi. Maria wondered if she had done something terribly wrong in coming to these lodges. Now moving cautiously, she walked slowly toward the council lodge. Two women came out of another tipi and silently watched her. Their faces, too, reflected surprise.
The council lodge was empty, so she had to seek the tipi of Natosin, for surely it was here in the inner circle. She passed a tipi with its skins decorated with a yellow cross, another painted with the figure of a black buffalo. A young girl sat by its door, quilling moccasins. She looked up at Maria with large frightened eyes. “ Weekw?” she asked softly.
“I am seeking the lodge of Natosin,” Maria answered, using the Indian tongue she had learned and the sign language too.
The girl immediately pointed to a tipi decorated with an eagle which stood across from them.
“Thank you,” Maria said in Pikuni, and walked toward it. It was the most beautiful of the inner lodges. Its whole top was a brilliant red with yellow bands below it in varying hues, and it looked as if the eagle flew against a sunset sky.
Maria’s hands grew cold and she began to tremble. Dear God, what had she done? She approached the lodge, and then timidly walked away from it and stood by another decorated with a beautiful blue star. She could hear male voices coming from Natosin’s and then the sound of pleasant laughter. The young girl and the two women were staring at her but she had gone too far now to turn back. She went to Natosin’s lodge and boldly drew aside the doorflap.
“Nakaa-lo!” her captor exclaimed in surprise and immediately came to her side. His forehead was creased in anger, and he began to shake her shoulders.
Directly in front of her, opposite the door, sat Natosin. Maria called his name, struggling to get to him. Nakoa held her back. “Keleoene —” he said furiously. Maria suddenly stopped fighting him and looked up into his face. Here was the man who had kissed her tenderly and soon would trade her for a horse.
“ Weekw?” he asked her now, more quietly. What is it?
“What is it indeed,” Maria answered in English. “Why, you have found yourself a wonderful little whore!” With these words she raked his face as deeply as she could with her fingernails. She watched his blood follow her imprint and heard excited exclamations of amazement. “Liar!” she screamed at him.
He did not even touch his face and no longer showed signs of anger. He gestured to two men in the lodge. “Mahto hahxim!’ he said softly, and the two Indians forced her from the tipi.
Outside Maria struggled and screamed again for Natosin and was in such a frenzy that she was dragged like a madwoman through the village. “Help!” she cried hysterically. Dogs became wild; children shouted with her and followed the sad spectacle; men and women left their lodges and watched her silently.
Nearing Atsitsi’s, Maria quieted. She was released at her door and Maria ran into the tipi, throwing herself down upon her couch and sobbing as if she never intended to stop.
Atsitsi was eating and looked at Maria sourly. “All by-God noises ruin good food,” she said. “Why not eat and shut up?”
Maria pounded the buffalo robe with her fists.
“Animal already die once. You mad robe no cry with you?”
Maria turned
At last she reached the inner circle of tipis. There were nine of them, with all of their doors facing east. They were different from the lodges of the outer circle. They had the same black border at their base and top, but between these borders were designs in brilliant colors.
Maria looked around her, seeking someone to speak to. A woman came out of one of the lodges, and seeing Maria, stopped in her tracks in amazement. She hastily retreated, even lowering the flap of her tipi. Maria wondered if she had done something terribly wrong in coming to these lodges. Now moving cautiously, she walked slowly toward the council lodge. Two women came out of another tipi and silently watched her. Their faces, too, reflected surprise.
The council lodge was empty, so she had to seek the tipi of Natosin, for surely it was here in the inner circle. She passed a tipi with its skins decorated with a yellow cross, another painted with the figure of a black buffalo. A young girl sat by its door, quilling moccasins. She looked up at Maria with large frightened eyes. “ Weekw?” she asked softly.
“I am seeking the lodge of Natosin,” Maria answered, using the Indian tongue she had learned and the sign language too.
The girl immediately pointed to a tipi decorated with an eagle which stood across from them.
“Thank you,” Maria said in Pikuni, and walked toward it. It was the most beautiful of the inner lodges. Its whole top was a brilliant red with yellow bands below it in varying hues, and it looked as if the eagle flew against a sunset sky.
Maria’s hands grew cold and she began to tremble. Dear God, what had she done? She approached the lodge, and then timidly walked away from it and stood by another decorated with a beautiful blue star. She could hear male voices coming from Natosin’s and then the sound of pleasant laughter. The young girl and the two women were staring at her but she had gone too far now to turn back. She went to Natosin’s lodge and boldly drew aside the doorflap.
“Nakaa-lo!” her captor exclaimed in surprise and immediately came to her side. His forehead was creased in anger, and he began to shake her shoulders.
Directly in front of her, opposite the door, sat Natosin. Maria called his name, struggling to get to him. Nakoa held her back. “Keleoene —” he said furiously. Maria suddenly stopped fighting him and looked up into his face. Here was the man who had kissed her tenderly and soon would trade her for a horse.
“ Weekw?” he asked her now, more quietly. What is it?
“What is it indeed,” Maria answered in English. “Why, you have found yourself a wonderful little whore!” With these words she raked his face as deeply as she could with her fingernails. She watched his blood follow her imprint and heard excited exclamations of amazement. “Liar!” she screamed at him.
He did not even touch his face and no longer showed signs of anger. He gestured to two men in the lodge. “Mahto hahxim!’ he said softly, and the two Indians forced her from the tipi.
Outside Maria struggled and screamed again for Natosin and was in such a frenzy that she was dragged like a madwoman through the village. “Help!” she cried hysterically. Dogs became wild; children shouted with her and followed the sad spectacle; men and women left their lodges and watched her silently.
Nearing Atsitsi’s, Maria quieted. She was released at her door and Maria ran into the tipi, throwing herself down upon her couch and sobbing as if she never intended to stop.
Atsitsi was eating and looked at Maria sourly. “All by-God noises ruin good food,” she said. “Why not eat and shut up?”
Maria pounded the buffalo robe with her fists.
“Animal already die once. You mad robe no cry with you?”
Maria turned
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