Another few yards and I must snap the reins of the tarn, kicking back at it, screaming, startling it forward.

I kicked back but then, suddenly, drew back on the reins. The tarn, arrested in its lunge, screamed, rearing back, starled, wild, in the air. I was flung back. I held my seat.

The lead rider, when only a few yards away, had jerked back wildly on the reins of his tarn. I saw him swerving up, and to my right, and then back. He was not even looking at me. He was looking at something, apparently, behind me. His face seemed contorted with terror. He swung his tarn about and began to flee. Almost at the same time the flanking riders had, in seeming terror, in disarray, their formation lost, burst like a star about me and then, frantically, on all sides of me, their tarns about and, like their leader, sped away.

I turned about on the back of the tarn. I saw nothing. Only the clouds, the sky.

I shuddered, seemingly suddenly chilled, and then turned the tarn about.

I set a course away from Two Feathers, in case I was followed. Then later, I would make suitable adjustments.

The sky seemed clear. The early morning air was fresh and cool.

"And thus it happened," I told Cuwignaka and Hci. "They turned away, suddenly, at the last moment, and fled."

"They saw something behind you," said Hci.

"What was it?" asked Cuwignaka.

"I do not know," I said.

"It could have been only one thing," said Hci.

"What?" I asked.

"Wakanglisapa," said Hci.

"I saw nothing," I said.

"The beasts of the medicine world appear or not to men, as they please," said Hci.

"Wakanglisapa does not exist," I said.

"It is interesting," said Hci.

"What?" I asked.

"You held the feather. Yet you were not attacked. I do not understand that."

"Do not try to explain things in unlikely categories," I said.

"Perhaps you were protected my the medicine of the feather," said Hci.

"I am sure there is a rational explanation," I said.

"There may be," said Hci. "Wakanglisapa may not be your enemy."

"Wakanglisapa does not exist," I said.

"He may be your ally," said Hci.

"Wakanglisapa is a myth," I said. "He does not exist."

"What shall we do now?" asked Cuwignaka.

"We will proceed with our plans," I said. "We will send riders to the Dust Legs, the Fleer and the Sleen."

"The Fleer will not cooperate," said Hci. "They are blood enemies of the Kaiila."

"The Sleen are not likely to be of help either," said Cuwignaka.

"The riders will be sent out," I said.

"Very well," said Cuwignaka.

"We must now, in the next weeks, train tarnsmen," I said.

"They will need a Blotanhunka," said Cuwignaka.

"Canka," said Hci.

"Counting your tarn, Hci," I said, "and not counting my tarnor the tarn of Cuwignaka, we have sixteen tarns. We will form two groups, each with a leader and seven men. The Blotanhunka of one group will be Canka. The Blotanhunka of the other group will be Hci."

"Hci?" asked Hci.

"Yes," I said.

"Perhaps it should be Cuwignaka," said Hci.

"You are a far greater warrior than I, Hci," said Cuwignaka.

"You trust me to be Blotanhunka?" asked Hci.

"Yes," I said, "and so, too, now, will the men."

"In you is the blood of Mahpiyasapa," said Cuwignaka. "You are a great warrior. You are a natural leader of men."

"I will do my best," said Hci.

"How much time do we have?" asked Cuwignaka.

"The Kaiila have little meat," I said. "Winter is coming."

"The riders must make their journeys," said Cuwignaka. "The men must be trained."

"I wish to be ready no later than the end of Canwapegiwi," I said, "the moon when the leaves become brown," It is in Canwapegiwi that the autumnal equinox occurs.

"That is soon," said Cuwignaka.

"The hunting must be done," I said. "The winter must be prepared for."

"This is soon," said Cuwignaka.

"I only hope," I said, "that it is not too late."

"You must make swifter progress in learning Yellow Knife," said Iwoso to Bloketu, in Kaiila.

"It is hard for me," said Bloketu. The two girls knelt, Bloketu behind Iwoso. Bloketu was combing Iwoso's hair. They were in a lodge. We could observe them through the tiny aperture we had opened in the rear of the lodge, behind them, with the point of a knife. A small fire burned in the lodge. The two girls knelt behind the fire, between it and the rear of the lodge, opposite the entrance.

"I learned Kaiila swiftly," said Iwoso.

"You were captured as a child," said Bloketu. "It took you two yeard before you spoke Kaiila passably."

"Are you insolent, Maiden?" inquired Iwoso.

"No, Mistress," said Blokety, quickly.

"Perhaps I should switch you again, tomorrow," said Iwoso.

"Please do not do so, Mistress," said Bloketu. I gathered that Iwoso's switchings, in their way, tended to be quite efficient. They were probably administered to the bare skin, with the girl tied in such a way as to maximize their effect.

"Beg properly," said Iwoso.

"Bloketu, the maiden, begs her mistress not to switch her," sobbed Bloketu.

"Perhaps," said Iwoso. "We shall see what my mood is tomorrow."

"Yes, Mistress," said Bloketu.

There was a yellow, beaded collar about Bloketu's reddish-brown neck. Such collars tie in front. It was snug. It was doubtless Iwoso's.

"As you will recall," said Iwoso, "I learned Kaiila very quickly."

"Yes, Mistress," said Bloketu.

"You, on the other hand," said Iwoso, "are quite slow."

"Yes, Mistress. Forgive me, Mistress," said Bloketu.

"But you are not really that unusual," said Iwoso. "Kaiila woman are generally stupid. They are almost as stupid as white female slaves."

"Yes, Mistress," said Bloketu.

Bloketu wore an unfringed, unornamented shirtdress. It was extremely simple and plain. It contrasted markedly with the exquisite, almost white, soft-tanned tabukhide dress, with its beats and finery, worn by her mistress. She, too, had not been given knee-length leggings, of the sort common with the women of the red savages, or moccasins. Her feet were wrapped in hide.

"It is pleasant owning you," said Iwoso.

"Yes, Mistress," said Bloketu.

"Even though you are worthless," added Iwoso.

"I was the daughter of a chief!" cried Bloketu.

"Even the daughters of Kaiila chieftains are worthy only to be the slaves and maidens of Yellow Knives," said Iwoso.

"Yes, Mistress," said Bloketu, sobbing.

"Do you like your clothes?" asked Iwoso.

"Yes, Mistress," said Bloketu.

"They are far better then you deserve, aren't they?" asked Iwoso.

"Yes, Mistress," said Bloketu.

"That is because I am kind," said Iwoso.

"Yes, Mistress," said Bloketu.

"Do you think that I am too kind," asked Iwoso.

"I do not know," said Bloketu.

"Answer 'Yes' or 'No'," said Iwoso.

"Please, Mistress," moaned Bloketu.

"Yes or no?" asked Iwoso.

"No, you are not too kind," said Bloketu.

"You dare to criticize me?" asked Iwoso, imperiously.

"No, Mistress," said bloketu.

"You seemed to suggest by your remark that I am perhaps insufficiently kind," said Iwoso.

"No, Mistress!" said Bloketu.

"Your answer then is 'Yes'?" inquired Iwoso.

"Yes, yes!" said Bloketu.

"Yes, what?" asked Iwoso.

"Yes, Mistress," said Bloketu.

"Yes, Mistress, what?" asked Iwoso.

"Yes, Mistress, you are too kind!" said Bloketu.

"You dare criticize me again!" said Iwoso.

"No, Mistress," wept Bloketu.

"But you are perhaps right," said Iwoso. "After all, a slave must tell the truth."

Bloketu sobbed.