"I see," I said.
"Already Watonka is the richest of all the Kaiila," said Cuwignaka. "Should he be successful in bringing about this peace, as we shall hope he shall be, he will doubtless be the recipient of many kaiila, perhaps even a thousand, gifts from both the Yellow Knives and the Kaiila themselves."
"I see," I said.
"Over his herds the sky will be dark with fleer," said Cuwignaka.
I smiled. The location of large herds of kaiila is sometimes marked by the presence of circling, swarming fleer. They come to feed on the insects stirred up in the grass, activated by the movements of the beasts' paws.
"Thus," said Cuwignaka, "Bloketu would be important, being the daughter of such a man, and even Iwoso, only a slave, would become celebrated among several tribes, serving as a maiden in so rich a household."
I laughed. "It is easy to see why Bloketu and Iwoso might have been hesitant to speak of this aspect of the matter," I said, "seeing what profits might accure to them."
"Particularly," smiled Cuwignaka, "since matters, at this time, are, I gather, so uncertain and tentative."
"Do you think that there will be peace between the Yellow Knives and the Kaiila?" I asked.
"I do not know," said Cuwignaka. "I hope so."
"There is a pretty slave," I said.
"Yes," said Cuwignaka.
The blond-haired girl, stripped, collared, regarded me with contempt, tossed her head, and passed on. She ws the property of a red master.
"I remember her," I said.
"She came in with the Isanna," said Cuwignaka. "We saw her then."
"Yes," I said. She had been part of the loot display of the Isanna, a trinket in the procession of their splendor. She had been at someone's stirrup, naked, her hands bound behind her back, a quirt hung about her neck.
"Sheis arrogant," said Cuwignaka.
"Yes," I said. I remembered that she had, then, to, looked upon me with contempt. She was owned by a red master. I was only a white slave.
"She is probably kept in one of the Isanna's girl herds," said Cuwingaka.
I nodded. These herds, usually consisting of from forty to fifty white females, stripped, are usually kept a pasang or so from camp, with the kaiila herds. The Isanna women, on the whole, object to such women being kept in the private lodges.
Before the winter such herds are usually sold off. Those girls who are not sold off must be clothed and brought indoors. They are usually kept in the lodges of warrior societies or in private lodges. Some are kept in girl lodges, in the charge of a warrior who, for the trnure of his governance over them, acts as their master. Some, to their horror, are put in the keeping of a red female. Usually, after a day or two of this, they beg to kneel again, head down, at the feet of men. In the summer most such girls, and others, too, being added to them, are put out again, with the kaiila. The Isanna is only the third largest band of the Kaiila. It is, however, indisputably, the richest. Its wealth, for example, in both kaiila and white females is well known on the plains. Boys, with ropes and whips, watch over the women. They may, of course, cut any women they wish out of the herd and use her.
"I myself," said Cuwignaka," would prefer to keep slaves in my own lodge."
"There would be too many of them for the Isanna to do that," I said.
"They are pertentious, and vain," said Cuwignaka. "They do not need that many women."
"They sell off the herds in the winter," I said.
"But only to increase them again, in the spring," he said.
"That white females are herded by the Isanna, more so than with other bands, or tribes," I said, "has, I gather, something to do with the Isanna women."
"Yes," said Cuwignaka. "They do not want them in lodges."
"That is understandable," I said.
"But, in such things, the men should be the masters, fully," said Cuwignaka.
"That is true," I said.
"It is well known that Isanna women are insufficiently disciplined," said Cuwignaka.
"Bloketu is insufficiently disciplined, for example?" I asked.
"Yes," said Cuwignaka, "Bloketu is insufficietnly disciplined. Bloketu needs discipline, severe discipline."
"It might be pleasant to administer it to her," I said.
"yes," said Cuwignaka, grimly.
I smiled. Fortunately for the lovely Bloketu she stood high among the Kaiila. If she were a foreign woman who had fallen into Cuwignaka's hands, I did not doubt but what she would learn discipline, well and swiftly.
I watched the rear of the blond girl moving away, between the lodges. It moved well.
"You are hot," smiled Cuwignaka.
I did not respond. I was in misery.
"Winyela sleeps within the lodge," said Cuwignaka. "Why do you not whip her awake, and use her? She is only a slave. Too, she was sent to you to be disciplined."
"No," I said.
"One should not be too soft with female slaves," said Cuwignaka.
"I know," I said.
"It is Canka's will that you use her, and well," he said.
"Do you think so?" I asked.
"Of course," said Cuwignaka. "He is a red savage. Do not be culturally confused."
I shrugged.
"He will wish for her to be returned to his lodge a better slave than she left it," said Cuwignaka.
"Perhaps," I said.
"Lash her awake," said Cuwignaka. "Set her, without mercy, about her duties. Let her be in no doubt that it is men who are her masters."
"I think I shall let her sleep," I smiled.
"As you wish," said Cuwignaka.
"She has suffered enough for one day, I think," I said.
"As you wish," said Cuwignaka.
"But," I said, "I think I shall go to see Grunt."
"And look for Wasnaphodi," laughed Cuwignaka.
"Maybe," I said.
"Poor Wasnapohdi!" lauhed Cuwignaka.
Chapter 8
I TAKE MY LEAVE FROM GRUNT'S LODGE
"I am sorry," said Grunt. "Wasnapohdi is not here. She is out picking berries. I do not know when she will be back. After that she is to help some of the other women."
"Oh," I said.
"If I had known you might want her," said Grunt, "I could have kept her here for you, naked, tied hand and foot, at the side of the lodge."
"That is all right," I said. "It is nothing."
"You made a mistake with Winyela," he said.
"Oh?" I said.
"She was sent to you to be punished," he said. "You should have done so."
"Do you think so?" I asked.
"I know red savages," he said. "Yes."
"I did not do so," I said. Indeed, I had even let her rest, and then sleep.
"That was a mistake," said Grunt.
"Perhaps," I said.
We spoke within Grunt's lodge, one put at his disposal by his friend, Mahpiyasapa, civil chief of the Isbu Kaiila.
"I spoke to Cuwingaka earlier today," I said. "He told me that you seemed troubled."
"Oh?" he asked.
"Yes," I said. Grunt wore the broad-brimmed hait, that one with which I was so familiar. It was interesting to me that he wore it even within the lodge. I had never seen him without it.
"Is anything wrong?" I asked.
"I don't think so," he said.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Have you heard the rumors?" he asked. "About the Yellow Knives? That they are going to send a delegation even into the camp?"
"I have heard rumors, even today," I said, "about the possiblility of a peace being arranged with the Yellow Knives. I had not reallized, however, that things had proceeded so far, that a delegation was to be welcomed into the camp."
"Yes," said Grunt.
"Negotiations are much more advanced than I realized then," I said. "It seems, now, that there may be a real possiblitly for peace."
"I do not like it," said Grunt.
"Why?" I asked. "Surely you welcome the prospect of peace."