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explained to his young chief.
    â€œIt is very bad medicine, Heads Off, for this to happen at the Sun Dance. It may destroy all the good medicine for the season. We must quickly remove the dead man, so the evil deed will not taint the Sun Dance place.”
    Heads Off nodded. The body would be ceremonially buried
on an elevated scaffold in the trees, but in an area removed from the Sun Dance lodge.
    After the remains were wrapped in robes and carried downstream nearly half a sun’s journey, the spot where the tragedy had taken place was ceremonially cleansed by White Buffalo. Most of the Elk-dog band accompanied the family to the site of the burial scaffold. Sees Far had been a respected warrior.
    By the time the band had carried out the required rituals and returned to the Sun Dance site, it was growing late. Sun Boy and his torch were slipping below earth’s rim. It was time for the convening of the Big Council.

12
    â€œWhat will be done?” Heads Off asked his father-in-law as they approached the Big Council. Every man, woman and child in the entire tribe was present. None wished to miss the important decisions brought on by this tragic event.
    â€œI do not know, Heads Off. Such a thing has not happened in my lifetime.”
    â€œThere was once such a matter before I was born,” spoke White Buffalo from the other side, “but I do not remember what was done to the killer.”
    In his own homeland, the penalty would be prison or death, reflected Heads Off. But he realized the complete difference of this situation. It had never occurred to him to wonder how the People meted out punishment to breakers of the tribal law.
    â€œHe will probably be banished,” observed White Buffalo.
    They reached the circle and seated themselves, and none too soon. The Real-chief and his cortege were approaching.
    By contrast with the relaxed slow-moving formality of previous sessions of the Big Council, this gathering progressed rapidly. Many Robes hurried through the ritual smoke and ordered the offender brought to the Council.
    Badger was allowed to speak, and made again the point that he had acted only in self-defense when attacked.
    The woman who had been nearest to the brief fight again stated that Sees Far had been unarmed.

    Another man, one of the older warriors, asked and received permission to speak.
    â€œMy chiefs,” he glanced around the circle, “none of this has any meaning. The important thing is only that one of our warriors has killed a man of his own, the People.” He sat down without waiting to see the reaction.
    Several others spoke, all to the same effect. The law was absolute on this point. There was simply no worse crime among the People. Badger began to look more and more desperate. Heads Off could almost feel sorry for the young man.
    â€œIt is enough!” Many Robes finally ended the discussion. “The Council will vote. Shall Badger, who has killed one of our own, be banished?”
    To be banished was virtually a death sentence. A person expelled would be forbidden, on pain of death, to enter the camp of any band of his former tribe. He would be a person adrift, with no home, friends, or relatives. It might be possible, Coyote had told his son-in-law earlier, that if Badger were banished he could live among the Grower tribes along the river. Another possibility would be to approach the Head Splitters and throw himself on their mercy. Heads Off thought it unlikely that a proud young man like Badger would take either action. He would prefer to take his chances alone on the prairie. His young wife, Heads Off had learned, would have the option of following her disgraced husband or returning to her parents’ lodge.
    Many Robes now called for the vote.
    â€œThe Mountain band?” he inquired expectantly.
    Old Black Beaver silently nodded, voting the affirmation for expulsion.
    â€œRed Rocks?”
    Chief White Bear, too, gave the silent nod.
    â€œElk-dog