The Project Gutenberg eBook, Timid Hare, by Mary Hazelton Wade,
Illustrated by Louis Betts
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Title: Timid Hare
Author: Mary Hazelton Wade
Release Date: January 24, 2005 [eBook #14784]
Language: English
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TIMID HARE
The Little Captive
by
MARY H. WADE
Author of "Little Cousin Series", etc.
Illustrated by Louis Betts
Whitman Publishing Co.
Racine -- Chicago
1916
[Illustration: Cover Art]
[Frontispiece: Buffalo Rib was a Handsome Youth.]
CONTENTS
CAPTURED
BEFORE THE CHIEF
THE NEW HOME
HARD WORK
THE CHANGE
THE VISIT
THE MISCHIEF MAKER
THE HAPPY DAY
THE DOG FEAST
THE FESTIVAL
MOVING DAY
THE JOURNEY
THE MEDICINE MAN
THE WINTER HUNT
List of Color Plates
Buffalo Rib Was a Handsome Youth
The Stone and Her Son Black Bull Were Hurrying Home
"Sweet Grass, Listen to Me" [Missing from book]
"I Soon Had a Fire Started"
Black Bull Was Helpless
Bent Horn's Mind Was Made Up
They Looked With Wonder at the Medicine Man
"Help Me, Great Spirit" [Missing from book]
CAPTURED
Swift Fawn sat motionless on the river-bank.
"Lap, lap," sang the tiny waves as they struck the shore. "Lap, lap,"
they kept repeating, but the little girl did not heed the soft music.
Her mind was too busy with the story White Mink had told her that
morning.
After the men had started off on a buffalo hunt Swift Fawn had left the
other children to their games in the village and stolen away to the
favorite bathing place of the women-folk.
"No one will disturb me there," she had said to herself, "and I want to
be all by myself to think it over."
After she had been there for sometime. Swift Fawn drew out from the
folds of her deerskin jacket a baby's sock, and turned it over and over
in her hands curiously. Never had she seen the like of it before. How
pretty it was! Who could have had the skill to weave the threads of
scarlet silk in and out of the soft wool in such a dainty pattern? Was
it--the child whispered the word--could it have been her mother?
White Mink had always been so good to her, Surely no real mother could
have been more loving than the Indian woman who had watched over her
and tended her, and taught her from the time when Three Bears had
brought her, a year-old baby, to his wife. Where he found the little
one, he had never told.
And so she was a white child. How strange it was! Yet she had grown
up into a big girl, loving the ways of the red people more and more
deeply for eight happy years.
"Surely," thought the child, "I could not have loved my own parents
more than I do White Mink and Three Bears."
"I wish--oh, so hard!" she added with a lump in her throat, "that White
Mink had not told me. I don't want to remember there ever
was--something different."
With these last words Swift Fawn lifted the little sock and was about
to hurl it into the water, when she suddenly stopped as she remembered
White Mink's last words.
"I give this shoe into your keeping," the woman had said solemnly. "I
have spoken because of my dream last night, and because of its warning
I bid you keep the shoe always."
With a little sigh, Swift Fawn drew back from the edge of the stream
and replaced the shoe in the bosom of her jacket. Then she stretched
herself out on the grassy bank and lay looking up into the blue sky
overhead. How beautiful it was! How gracefully the clouds floated by!
One took on the shape of a buffalo with big horns and head bent down as
if to charge. But it was so far away and dreamlike it was not fearful
to the child. And now it changed; the horns disappeared; the body
became smaller, and folded wings appeared at the sides; it was now, in
Swift Fawn's thoughts, a graceful swan sailing, onward, onward, in the
sky-world overhead.
The little girl's eyes winked and blinked and at last closed tightly.
She had left the prairie behind her and entered the Land of Nod.
She must have slept a long time, for when she awoke the sun had set,
and in the gathering darkness, she was aware of a man's face with
fierce dark eyes bent over her own.
"Ugh! Ugh!" the man was muttering. "It is a daughter of the Mandans.
A good prize!"
As he spoke he rose to his feet and Swift Fawn, shaking with fear, knew
that he was beckoning to others to draw near. A moment afterwards she
was surrounded by a party of warriors. They were taller than the men
of her own tribe, and were straight and noble in shape, but their faces
were very stern.
"They must belong to the 'Dahcotas,'" thought the child. "And they are
our enemies."
Many a tale had Swift Fawn heard of the fierce Dahcotas, lovers of war
and greatly to be feared. It was a terrible thought that she was alone
and in their power, with the night coming on.
"Ugh! What shall we do with her?" the brave who had discovered her
said to the others.
"She is fair to look upon," replied one.
"But she is a Mandan," was the quick answer of another. As he spoke he
looked proudly at the scalp lock hanging from his shoulder, for he and
his companions has just been out on the war path.
"Let our Chief decide," said the first speaker. "It is best that Bent
Horn should settle the question."
"Ugh! Ugh!" grunted the others, not quite pleased at the idea.
However, they said nothing more, and turned away, moving softly with
their moccasined feet to the place where their horses were restlessly
waiting to go on with the journey.
Swift Fawn's captor now seized her hand, saying gruffly, "Get up."
Dragging her to his horse's side, he lifted her up, bound her to the
animal's back, leaped up after her and a moment afterwards the whole
party were galloping faster and faster into the night.
Hour after hour they traveled with never a stop. At last, by the light
of the stars. Swift Fawn knew that she was nearing a large camp, made
up of many tent-homes.
BEFORE THE CHIEF
As the party entered the camp the dogs came
out to meet them, barking in delight at
their masters' return. Swift Fawn's captor rode
up with her to the largest of the tents, or tepees
as the Dahcotas called them. Springing from
his horse, he unbound the little girl, and again
seizing her hand, drew the scared child into the
lodge.
A bright fire was blazing in the fireplace, for
the night was cold.
Beside it squatted a noble-looking brave,
wrapped in a bear-skin robe, and with eagles'
feathers waving from the top of his head. Chains
of wampum hung around his neck and his face
was painted in long, bright lines.
Not far from him sat a beautiful and richly-dressed
young girl, his daughter. She looked
kindly at Swift Fawn as if to say: "Do not fear,
little girl."
"Behold, a child of the Mandans. I give her
into your hands, great Chief," said Swift Fawn's
captor to the brave by the fireside.
Bent Horn seemed in no hurry to speak, as
he looked keenly at the child who could not lift
her eyes for fear.
"Is the girl of the weak Mandans to live, or to
be a slave among our people?" asked the warrior.
Bent Horn was about to answer, as his
daughter broke in: "Father, let her live. I wish
it."
The Chief turned toward the young girl with
love in his eyes. He smiled as he said, "Sweet
Grass shall have her wish."
His face became stern, however, as he added:
"That shrinking creature must be trained. Give
her into the keeping of The Stone, and let this
girl henceforth be known as Timid Hare."
As Bent Horn spoke he motioned to Swift
Fawn's captor to take her away, and the man at
once led her out of the lodge and through the
camp to a small tepee on the outskirts, where
the old woman, The Stone, lived with her
deformed son, Black Bull.
THE NEW HOME
Drawing aside the heavy buffalo-skin curtain which covered the doorway,
the man shoved his little captive inside and followed close behind her.
"Ugh, Timid Hare," he said scornfully. "This is your new home. Does
it please you?"
The child shuddered without answering, as she mustered courage to look
about her. The fire on the hearth in the middle of the tepee was
smouldering. With the help of its dim light the little girl could see
piles of dirty buffalo robes on either side; the walls of the tent,
also made of buffalo skins, were blackened by smoke. Long shadows
stretching across the floor, seemed to take on fearful shapes in the
child's fancy as the low fire, now and then, gave a sudden leap upward.
Furthermore, the tepee was empty,--no face looked out from any corner;
no voice spoke to the new-comers.
"Ugh!" The man shrugged his shoulders as he grunted in displeasure.
He was in haste to get to his own lodge where a supper of bear steak
was no doubt awaiting him.
"Where can The Stone be that she is not here, now that darkness covers
the earth?" he muttered. "And the crooked boy away too!"
The sentence was barely ended when the sound of quick, soft footsteps
could be heard outside. The Stone and her son, Black Bull, were
hurrying home. They had been gone all day, having gone to a clay pit
miles away from the village to get a certain clay for making red dye
with which The Stone wished to color some reeds for basket weaving.
Night had taken then by surprise, and wolves howling in the distance
made them travel as fast as the poor deformed youth could go.
[Illustration: The Stone and her son Black Bull were hurrying home.]
The Stone was the first of the two to enter the lodge. She was bent
and wrinkled, and her cunning, cruel eyes opened wide with surprise as
she saw her visitors.
"Ugh! what does this mean?" she asked sharply, as she looked from the
brave to the cowering child still held in his strong grip. "Are you
bringing a daughter of the pale-faces into my keeping?" She ended with
a wicked laugh.
"Not much better--it is a child of the Mandans who fell into my hands.
Better to kill her at once--a goodly scalp that!" With the words the
man pointed to his captive's long and beautiful hair.
He continued: "But Bent Horn says, No. Let The Stone take her into her
keeping. So it is then--Timid Hare, shall draw water for you and wait
upon you and your son."
Black Bull, who had followed close upon his mother, stood staring at
the captive with wild eyes. The poor fellow was small-witted, as well
as deformed. He was eighteen years old, yet he had no more
understanding than a small child. His face was not cruel like his
mother's, however. His eyes were sad and spoke of a longing for
something--but what that something was even Black Bull himself did not
understand.
As the little girl looked at him a tiny hope leaped up in her heart.
"He will not be unkind to me, at any rate," she decided. "And I am
sorry for him that he has such a mother."
Following close upon this thought came another. It was of White
Mink--dear, kind White Mink who was perhaps at this very moment weeping
over the loss of her little Swift Fawn.
"But there is no Swift Fawn--she is dead, dead, dead. There is now
only Timid Hare, the slave of a wicked woman."--The child shuddered at
the thought. She came to herself to hear The Stone saying,
"Leave her to me and I will train her in the good ways of the
Dahcotas." The man smiled grimly and went his way, and the woman
turning to her charge said: "Come, don't stand there cowering and
useless. Busy yourself. Pile wood upon the fire and put water in that
kettle. My son and I are hungry and would eat, and the meat must yet
be cooked."
With The Stone's words came a blow on Timid Hare's shoulder. It was
the first one the child had ever felt, and though it did not strike
hard upon the body, it fell with heavy weight upon her aching heart.
Stumbling about, she tried to do the old squaw's bidding, and the two
soon had the supper ready. The Stone now served her son on his side of
the fireplace, after which she herself began to eat her fill while
Swift Fawn sat huddled in a dark comer, hungrily watching.
"Take that," the woman said as she finished her meal, and she threw a
half-picked bone to the little girl. Then she got up, put away
whatever food was left from the supper, and began to spread out some
buffalo skins, first for her son's bed on his side of the tepee, then
on her own side for herself to sleep on.
"You can lie where you are," she told Timid Hare, pointing to the pile
of skins on which the child was crouching.
Soon afterwards The Stone and Black Bull were quietly sleeping, while
the little captive, with tears rolling down her cheeks, lay thinking of
the kind friends far away and of the dreadful things that might happen
on the morrow. All at once she remembered the baby's sock hidden in
her dress, and of White Mink's words. Perhaps--perhaps--the sock would
help her. But how? She must guard it, at any rate; not even The Stone
should discover it. Kind sleep was already drawing near. The tired
eyes no longer shed tears. Till morning should come, Timid Hare was
free from trouble.
HARD WORK
The sun, shining into the tepee through the opening over the fireplace,
roused The Stone to her day's work. She lost no time in setting a task
for her little slave. Handing her a needle carved from the bone of a
deer and thread made of a deer's sinew, she hade her sew up a rent in
the skin curtain of the doorway.
Poor Timid Hare! she had learned to embroider and to weave baskets in
the old home, but sewing on heavy skins had never yet fallen to her
share of the daily duties. "There will be time enough," White Mink had
thought, "when the little fingers have grown bigger and the tender back
is stronger."
So now the hands were clumsy, and the stitches were not as even as they
should be. The Stone watched her with a scowl and frequent scoldings;
often an uplifted arm seemed ready to strike. But seeing that the
child was trying to do her best, the expected beating did not come.
After she and Black Bull had eaten their own breakfast of bread made
out of wild rice, together with some buffalo fat, she gave a small
portion to Timid Hare. Then she and Black Bull went out of the lodge,
leaving the little girl alone at her work.
How different--how very different--this home was from the one among the
Mandans! The old one was so big and comfortable, and there was such a
jolly household of parents and grandparents and uncles and aunts, and
children of all ages gathered together under one roof. Then, too, the
floor was so smooth and shiny, and the bedsteads, each one shut off by
a curtain and made pretty with fringe and pictures, seemed almost like
tiny sleeping rooms. Moreover, the banking of earth over the framework
of the lodge kept out the chill winds and biting cold of winter.
But here, in The Stoned tepee, where the skin covering was old and
torn, one must often suffer. At least so thought Timid Hare as she
looked up now and then from her work to get acquainted with her new
home.
"Besides, it is so small," she said to herself, "and only two people in
the whole household before I came. How strange it is!"
It was quite true that the ways of the Dahcotas were unlike those of
the Mandans. Each family lived by itself and thus the home did not
need to be so large. Timid Hare did not know this, nor that the
people, as a rule, lived in great comfort. They preferred tents,
rather than houses like those of the Mandans, of frame-work covered
with earth because they liked to move from place to place and they
could thus carry their homes with them. Yet their tepees were warm and
comfortable because the covering of strong, thick buffalo skins was
generally double. Fires were kept burning on their hearths in winter
and supplies of food and clothing were easy to obtain from the wild
creatures of the woods and prairies. What more could any red people
wish?
Timid Hare had heard her foster father tell much of the powerful
Dahcotas and that they were rich, as Indians count riches.
"Why are they so powerful?" she now asked herself. "Ugh! it was
because of their fierce war spirit. It was this that made them drive
other tribes before them, so that they became free to roam over the
prairies and enjoy the richest hunting grounds."
"I cannot help myself," now thought the child. "If I should run away,
the braves would either find and kill me, or I should be devoured by
the hungry wolves that go forth at nightfall."
But might not Three Bears make up a war party and go forth to seek her?
"Alas! that may not be," Timid Hare told herself. "My dear father
would himself meet death at the hands of these cruel warriors."
The rent in the curtain was nearly sewed up when Black Bull stole into
the lodge. He wanted to talk to the little stranger with eyes sad like
his own, and he did not wish his mother to know it.
Behind Black Bull came his dog, wolfish-looking like most of his breed,
but as Black Bull squatted in his corner, the animal crouched close at
his master's side as though he loved him.
"Poor fellow, he has a pet to follow him about just as I had at home,"
thought Timid Hare. "Perhaps by-and-by the dog may learn to love me
too." There was a big lump in the little girl's throat, and she
coughed as she tried to choke it back.
"Hard work," said Black Bull as he watched her pulling the coarse
thread through the buffalo skin and trying not to tear it. "Hard
work," he repeated. "Too bad."
Timid Hare nodded. "Good dog," she ventured after a while, looking at
the dog with a sad little smile. "I had a dog; I loved him," she added.
"Very good dog. He is my friend," replied the youth. "He goes with me
everywhere--everywhere. He makes me--not lonely. I call him Smoke."
Black Bull put his arm lovingly around Smoke's neck and the dog whined
softly. It was the only way in which he could say, "I love you, poor
master, if no one else does."
"My people are great people," Black Bull went on. "They are very
strong." Timid Hare nodded. "The Dahcotas are brave above all men.
Their bands are so many I could not count them." The very thought of
counting a large number made the simple-minded youth look puzzled.
"And they are tall and strong of body beyond the red men of all tribes."
Again Timid Hare nodded. But she also shuddered as she thought that
she was in their power, a helpless captive. Then, as her eyes turned
towards Black Bull, they filled with pity. Here was one of the
Dahcotas, at least, who was not strong and tall and well-shaped. Nor
would he do her harm, she felt sure.
Black Bull had turned to his lute which lay on the floor behind him and
begun to play a low, sweet tune when The Stone entered the lodge. She
looked sharply at Timid Hare, and then at the work which the little
girl had just finished.
"Ugh! Ugh!" grunted the squaw. "You must learn to sew better than
that, you little cringing coward. Ah, ha! I know something that may
help you." The Stone cut the air with a switch that she held in her
hand. "Something else may also help you to gain the spirit of a red
woman. Of that, by-and-by. And now you shall fetch me fresh water
from the spring. Black Bull, put yourself to some use. Show the girl
where the water may be drawn."
Handing an earthen crock to Timid Hare, she turned to her own
work--that of making dye out of the clay she had got the day before.
Timid Hare, holding the big crock as carefully as possible on her
shoulder, followed Black Bull out of the tepee. It seemed good to be
outdoors, even in a village of the Dahcotas. In the doorway of the
next lodge stood a young woman with pleasant eyes and beautiful glossy
hair. She looked curiously at the little girl, for she had just heard
of her capture. She must have pitied the child, for she smiled kindly
at her. Black Bull, catching the smile, said, "The Fountain, this is
Timid Hare. Is she not strange to look upon--so fair? She must be
like the pale-faces I have never seen."
The Fountain had no chance to answer, for Black Bull now turned to his
companion. "Hurry, Timid Hare, hurry, lest my mother be angry and beat
you."
As the two went on their way, the little girl saw other children like
herself, playing together and laughing happily. One of them had her
doll, and was carrying it in a baby-cradle on her back. She was
pretending it was too small to walk, and was singing a lullaby to make
it go to sleep.
All the children stopped to look at the little stranger.
"A Mandan! Oof!" cried one.
"Her hair is not black like ours," said another.
"Nor is her skin as dark. She is more like the pale-faces whom we
hate," remarked a third.
Then they turned to their play as if she were not worth noticing, and
poor little Timid Hare blushed for shame. It was hard indeed that even
the children should despise her.
A little farther on she noticed a group of men dancing together in the
sunlight. They were much taller than the Mandan braves, and noble to
look upon, as Black Bull had said. But to the little girl holding in
mind the capture of the day before, they seemed cruel and fearful even
now while they were dancing.
"The Dahcotas dance much--always," explained Black Bull, pointing to
the men. "We have many, many dances. For everything there is a dance.
When we feast, and before we hunt, when councils are held, when guests
come among us, we dance. It is a noble thing to dance. Sometimes," he
went on, "it is too make us laugh. Sometimes it is to make our faces
grow long--so!"
At this Black Bull's face took on a look of sadness as though he were
grieving.
Timid Hare was used to the dances of the Mandans, and she loved them.
But they were not so many as those of the Dahcotas, she felt sure.
Why, the night before, whenever she wakened, she heard the sound of
dancing in different lodges in the village.
"There is the spring. Now I go," said Black Bull, pointing it out
half-hidden in a hollow shaded by clumps of bushes. The youth, with
Smoke who had followed close at his heels ever since leaving the lodge,
turned back and Timid Hare stooped down to fill the crock.
As she did so her eyes met a pair of large black ones fastened upon her
own, and just above the water's edge. They belonged to the chief's
only son Young Antelope, who had come for a drink of cool water before
going off on a hunting trip. He was a handsome youth. As he lay
stretched out on the grassy bank above the spring he had heard the
sound of Timid Hare's steps as she drew near, and looked up to see who
it was.
"Oof! the stranger," he said, but he did not scowl like the little
girls whom the little captive had passed a few minutes before.
The next minute he had sprung to his pony's back and gone galloping
away. Timid Hare thought sadly of the dear foster-brother far away on
the wide prairie, as she trudged back with her load to the tepee where
The Stone awaited her.
THE CHANGE
"Bad," scolded the squaw as she looked into the crock and saw that some
of the water had been spilled on the way home.
She reached for her willow switch and used it twice on Timid Hare's
back.
"I have a nice little task for you," she said. "Do you see this?" She
pointed to a dish full of a dull red dye. "It is for you," she
continued. "No more pale-faces about us now. You are to take this dye
and paint yourself--every part of your body, mind you. Then, when you
have used this on your hair--" she pointed to a smaller dish containing
a black dye--"we may be able to make a Dahcota out of you after all."
"Waste no time," she commanded, as Timid Hare turned slowly to the
dishes of dye. "I leave you now for a little while and when I come
back--then I may like to look at you."
The Stone left the lodge and Timid Hare was left to change herself so
that even White Mink would not know her. Trained as she had been in
the ways of all Indians, her tears fell often as she covered her body
with the paint. She dare not leave one spot untouched, nor one tress
of the beautiful hair that had been White Mink's pride. When the work
was at last finished, there was no mirror in which to look at herself.
Once--just once, during her eight years of life among the Mandans, she
had seen a looking-glass. It was no larger than the palm of her small
hand, and belonged to the chief into whose hands it had come from a
white hunter years before. It was such a wonderful thing! Timid Hare
thought of it now and wished that she might see the picture that it
would of herself reflect.
"When I am next sent to the spring," she thought, "I will seek the
quiet little pool where some of the water lingers. Then, if the clouds
give a deep shadow, I can see the Timid Hare I now am."
"Good," muttered The Stone when she returned and examined her little
slave. But when Black Bull noticed the change, he said nothing--only
looked sad. Perhaps he felt that the little stranger had somehow lost
herself.
THE VISIT
One day, soon after Timid Hare's coming, she was sent to the chief's
tepee on an errand. The Stone and she had been gathering rushes for
the chief's daughter Sweet Grass who wished them for a mat she was
weaving. It was to be a surprise for her father; she meant it to be so
beautiful that he would wish to sit on it at feasts when entertaining
chiefs of other bands.
The Stone and Timid Hare had spent many hours searching for the most
beautiful rushes, and the old squaw was pleased at having succeeded at
last.
"Sweet Grass's mother will give me much bear meat for getting the
rushes for her daughter," she thought. But to Timid Hare she only
said: "Take these to the home of our chief and place them in the hands
of Sweet Grass. Make haste, for she may already be impatient."
The Stone did not know that Sweet Grass had ever seen Timid Hare, nor
that she had begged her father for the child's life.
The little girl was glad to go. She had thought many times of the
chief's daughter, and of her kind face and gentle voice. Whenever she
had gone near Bent Horn's tepee she had been on the lookout for Sweet
Grass, but she had not been able to get a glimpse of her.
As Timid Hare trudged along with her load she thought of that dreadful
night after her capture. "I think I would have died of fright but for
the sight of the chief's beautiful daughter," she said to herself.
"But after she spoke, my heart did not beat so hard."
Now, however, as she neared the chief's lodge, she began to breathe
more quickly. The chief had such power! The Stone said ugly words to
her and did not give her enough to eat; sometimes she beat her; but she
would not do her terrible harm because the chief had given the order:
Care for the child. Suppose he should change his mind!
Trembling, Timid Hare stopped in front of the lodge.
"Come in. I am waiting for you," called a sweet voice, for Sweet
Grass, looking up from her work, had caught a glimpse of the little
girl standing outside with her bundle.
Timid Hare's heart leaped for joy. It was so good to have some one
speak kindly to her once more. And the young girl who had spoken was
so lovely to look upon! Her eyes shone like stars. Her long hair was
bound with a coronet made out of pretty shells. Her robe of deer skin
was trimmed with long fringe. Her moccasins, cut differently from
those of the Mandans, were bound into shape with ribbons made of rabbit
skin. Around her neck were many chains that made pleasant music as
they jingled against each other.
While Timid Hare was peeping out of the corners of her eyes at this
beautiful sight. Sweet Grass was in her turn examining the little
captive.
"You are--changed," she said slowly. "What has The Stone been doing?
Ugh! I see. She has tried to make a Dahcota out of you. Well, it may
be well, and yet, I think I liked you better as you were before."
"Lay the rushes here, beside me," she continued. "And now, little
Timid Hare, tell me about The Stone. Is she good to you? And Black
Bull--does he treat you well?"
Sweet Grass was tender as a sister as she asked these questions and
many others. And Timid Hare's tongue slowly became brave. She told of
the hard work which The Stone made her do. She showed scars on her
hands which the work had left. And--yes--there were also scars on the
little back from the cruel touch of The Stone's switch.
But Black Bull--poor Black Bull! The child spoke of him with loving
pity. "I am sorry for him," she said. "He has only his dog to make
him happy."
"Would you like to live with me?" asked Sweet Grass, when the story was
finished.
"Oh-h!" The little girl drew a long sigh of wonder and delight. If
only it were possible!
"We will see. I will talk to my father by-and-by. And now you must
run home. Good-by." The young girl bent over her work and Timid Hare
ran swiftly out of the lodge and back to The Stone who was angrily
waiting.
"You must have stopped on the way, you good-for-nothing. Sweet Grass
could not have kept you all this time," she scolded.
The little girl made no answer.
"Hm! has the child won the heart of the chief's daughter?" she
muttered. "And next it would be the chief himself. That must not be.
Moreover, no bear meat was sent me. Ugh!"
THE MISCHIEF MAKER
That afternoon the sun shone brightly. It was a beautiful day of the
late Indian summer. Sweet Grass, taking the mat she was weaving, left
the lodge and sought a pleasant spot near the spring to go on with her
work.
The Stone had been skulking about near the chief's lodge for several
hours. She wanted to catch Sweet Grass alone and yet as if she had
come upon her by accident.
She stealthily watched the young girl as she made her way to the
spring, but did not appear before her for some time. When she did, she
held some fine rushes in her hands.
"I have just found more. You will like them, Sweet Grass," she said,
trying to make her harsh voice as soft as possible.
The chief's daughter had never liked The Stone; and now, after hearing
Timid Hare's story, it was not easy to act friendly.
"For the child's sake, I must not show my dislike," she thought
quickly. So she smiled, and looking at the rushes, said, "These are
good, very good. I can use them for my mat."
She turned to her work while The Stone stood silent, watching her.
Then, suddenly, the old squaw bent over her and said, "Sweet Grass,
listen to me. I sent the child of the Mandans to you this morning.
She is bad--lazy--very lazy. Your father gave her into my keeping and
I will train her, though it is hard. No one else would be patient with
her wicked, lying ways. No one!"
The Stone stopped as suddenly as she had begun. She hoped that she had
succeeded in making Sweet Grass believe that the little captive was as
bad as she had said.
"Why do you talk? I do not care to listen to you," said the young
girl, looking up into the ugly face bending over her. Then she went on
with her weaving as though she were alone. There was nothing left for
The Stone but to go on her way, muttering.
"After this," she promised herself, "Timid Hare shall go little from my
sight. I need her to do my bidding and save my steps. She must not be
taken from me through any foolish fancy that Sweet Grass may have taken
for her."
THE HAPPY DAY
That evening the chief, Bent Horn, sat by his fireside, smoking with
his friends. Close beside him was his handsome son. On the women's
side of the lodge Sweet Grass and her mother squatted, listening to the
stories of the men. As the hours passed by, the visitors rose one by
one and went home for the night's sleep. When the last one had gone
Sweet Grass got up from her place and held out to her father the mat
she had been making for him. A pretty picture had been woven into the
rushes; it had taken all the young girl's skill to do it.
"For you, my father," said Sweet Grass.
The chief smiled. He was proud of his young son who gave promise of
becoming a fine hunter. But he was also proud of this one daughter.
He loved her so dearly that he could not bear to say, No, to anything
she might ask of him.
"My father," now said Sweet Grass, "I wish to speak to you of the child
Timid Hare whom you gave into the keeping of The Stone."
The chief scowled. "That pale-faced daughter of the cowardly Mandans?
She may thank you that she still lives," he said sternly.
"But I have seen her and talked with her, my father, and she has won my
heart. I want her to live with me and serve me. Will you let it be
so?"
There was no answer.
"And she no longer makes one think of the pale-faced Mandans. Her skin
is now dark with paint so that she looks even as we do." The voice of
Sweet Grass was tender with pleading.
"I saw her at the spring one day," broke in young Antelope. "The
hump-back, Black Bull, had just left her. Her eyes spoke fright, but
also a good temper. Let my sister have her wish."
The chief turned to his wife. In matters of the household the Indian
woman generally has her will.
"Let the child come and serve Sweet Grass," said the squaw who had a
noble face and must once have been as beautiful as her daughter.
"You shall have your wish." Bent Horn spoke as though not wholly
pleased; but when he saw the delight his words gave Sweet Grass, his
face showed more kindness than his voice.
Two days afterwards a messenger from Bent Horn appeared in The Stone's
doorway.
"I bring you word from our chief," he told her. "The captive, Timid
Hare, is to return with me. She will serve the maiden Sweet Grass."
The Stone's ugly eyes filled with anger. Yet she did not dare refuse
the command of the chief.
"Go," she said turning to Timid Hare, who was busy at one side of the
lodge pounding wild rice into flour. "Go, you cowardly
good-for-nothing. Let the chief discover what I have borne."
Timid Hare was almost overcome with delight. To serve the beautiful
maiden, Sweet Grass! It seemed too good to be true.
Yet it must be true, for The Stone, with uplifted arms, was fairly
driving her from the lodge as she would a troublesome mosquito.
As the little girl passed through the doorway she met Black Bull
entering, with Smoke at his heels. Over the youth's eyes swept a cloud
of fear at the unusual brightness in the little girl's face. He felt
instantly that she was going to leave him. Sad as she had been, she
had brought a little sunshine into the dreary home.
"Good-bye, Black Bull," she whispered. "I will not forget you." Then,
without a last glance at The Stone, she hurried on after the messenger
who had come for her.
When she reached the chief's lodge, there was Sweet Grass waiting for
her with a kind smile. The maiden's mother, whom she had never seen
before, was also in the lodge. The squaw was busily cooking the
evening meal like any other red woman, though her husband was the chief
of the whole band.
Sweet Grass had just motioned to the little girl to take her place
beside her, when Young Antelope burst into the tepee. The day before
he had gone hunting, and when night came had not appeared. His mother
and sister had worried at his absence, but the chief had said, "We will
not fear. The lad has no doubt lost his way. But he knows how to care
for himself."
And now Young Antelope stood once more in the home, safe and happy! He
had had an exciting adventure, and was eager to tell of it. Yes, he
had lost his way out on the prairies. He was ashamed of this, for he
had been taught that an Indian should always watch the winds and the
heavens, and carefully mark every change in the appearance of the
country over which he travels; then it is an easy matter to find his
way back without trouble.
But his pony was fleet of foot, and the birds he was seeking flew fast.
After many, many miles had been covered and his game bag had been
filled, he decided to return. But he was hungry; he thought of the
tender birds he had killed and of the feast they would make.
"I will rest for awhile and cook some of the game," he decided.
All this he now told his mother on his return home. So eager was he to
describe his adventure that he did not notice the little stranger
squatting beside Sweet Grass, and looking at him with admiring eyes.
"I soon had a fire started," he continued, "and then began to roast my
game. Ugh! the feast was a fine one. But after it was over, I began
the search for home. Then darkness fell suddenly and fast gathering
clouds covered the setting sun. I was alone and far from you all. I
could hear wolves howling in the distance. They were hungry as I had
been."
[Illustration: "I soon had a fire started."]
The youth shivered. Then he went on: "But I remembered how to keep
wolves from drawing too near. They do not love fire. I piled the
brush high, and flames leaped up in the air. All night long I did
this, and now, my mother and my sister, I am with you once more. No
harm befell me."
"You did well, my son," replied his mother. That was all, but her eyes
shone with pride and gladness. So did those of Sweet Grass who
exclaimed, "Those fearful wolves! How I hate them! But you are safe.
They did not devour you; that is enough."
THE DOG FEAST
Soon after Timid Hare went to live in Bent Horn's lodge to serve his
beautiful daughter, there was a good deal of excitement in the village.
Messengers had come from other bands of the Dahcotas saying that their
chiefs were about to make a visit to Bent Horn. They wished to talk
over important matters in regard to the good of the whole tribe.
Both braves and squaws were busy preparing for the great time. There
would be dances and feasts, games and wrestling matches. The warriors
must make ready their best garments and noblest head-dresses. They
must use much grease and paint to look as grand as possible when
receiving their guests.
Sweet Grass and her mother had much to do getting ready for the
celebration, and Timid Hare tried her best to help. She ran errands,
pounded rice, brought wild sweet potatoes and dried berries from the
pit in which the stores of food were buried, and tended the fire in
which buffalo and bear meat were roasting, for much would be eaten
during the visit which would last several days at least.
Sweet Grass smiled upon her little helper. So did her mother. Both of
them were pleased with the child, and came near forgetting that she was
not one of their own people.
Then came the day when word was sent through the village that the
coming visit was to be celebrated by the Feast of the Dog. Different
families would be asked to sacrifice the dog dearest to their hearts.
Every one believed it would be a fit offering to the Great Spirit and
would fill his heart with tenderness for his red children.
It would also bind the hearts of the chiefs more closely together.
As Timid Hare went through the village one morning--it was the last one
before the visitors should arrive--she met Black Bull. It was the
first time she had seen him since she had gone from his lodge. As she
ran towards him he did not seem glad to see her. He simply looked at
her pitifully.
"What is the matter, Black Bull? Is there trouble? Tell me. Everyone
else is happy over the coming good time." Timid Hare spoke fast.
"My dog," he said brokenly. "My one friend must die. I must give him
as a sacrifice, so my mother has said." The poor fellow began to cry.
"Your dear Smoke! I am so sorry for you, Black Bull." Timid Hare's
own eyes filled with tears. "So sorry," she repeated.
"I will try to save him, though." The deformed youth looked wildly
about him as he spoke, as though he feared some one besides Timid Hare
would hear him. Then, without waiting for her to reply, he went off in
the direction of the spring, beyond which was a sharp bluff. Below
this bluff flowed a stream of water which in the autumn was deep--so
deep that any one could drown in it easily.
"I wonder what Black Bull meant when he said he would try to save
Smoke," thought Timid Hare, as she stood watching. "He cannot save the
dog. How hard it is! No one in the village seems to care for Black
Bull. The Stone, his own mother, treats him cruelly. The dog is his
only friend, as he says. I will tell my young mistress about him. It
may be she can help him."
As soon as Timid Hare had done her errand she ran home, still with the
thought of Black Bull's trouble in her mind. She had been in the tepee
only a few minutes before Sweet Grass noticed that something was the
matter with her little maid.
"What has happened, Timid Hare?" she asked. "Your face is long--so!"
She drew her own mouth down at the corners and made herself look so
funny that Timid Hare, sad as she felt, broke into a laugh.
"It is Black Bull," she answered. "He is in trouble. It is greater
than it would be with any one else in the village."
Then she went on to speak of the youth's lonely life, and that even his
mother treated him badly. Only one loved him: this was the dog Smoke
who followed him wherever he went and who did not mock him as the
children of the village sometimes did. Smoke was ever ready to smile
at him in the one way dogs can--with his tail. It was Smoke's love
alone that made Black Bull glad to live. And now--Timid Hare's voice
broke as she went on to tell of what must soon happen.
"Poor fellow!" said Sweet Grass softly. "Poor fellow," she repeated,
half to herself.
As it happened, Young Antelope was in the lodge when Timid Hare was
telling the story. He was busy making a shield; he intended to wear it
when first allowed to go forth on a war party with the older braves.
But though he was busy at his work, he listened with interest to the
words of Timid Hare.
Soon afterwards he left the tepee and ran along the path leading to the
spring. "If I see Black Bull," he thought, "I will speak kindly to him
even if he is such a useless creature."
When Young Antelope reached the spring he heard some one talking
angrily. This was followed by a cry of fear. The sounds came from the
direction of the bluff beyond, but the youth could see no one because
of clumps of brush which shut off the view from any one at the spring
below.
Young Antelope hurried along, till suddenly he caught a glimpse of two
figures on the very edge of the rocky summit of the bluff. One was
that of Thunder Cloud, a worthless fellow; the other which he held
struggling in his arms was that of The Stoned's deformed son. Black
Bull was helpless; he was at the mercy of Thunder Cloud who was about
to cast him into the stream below.
[Illustration: Black Bull was helpless.]
"What is this?" shouted Young Antelope. Thunder Cloud, startled,
turned suddenly about.
"I would punish this worthless fellow as he deserves," he answered.
"Do you know what he dared to do? He brought his dog to yonder brush
and fastened him in the midst. He thought to keep the animal from the
sacrifice. Ugh! A wretched creature indeed. His mother bade me
follow him."
"Make him free," said Young Antelope with the air of a mighty chief.
"My father will take care of him. As for you, go from my sight."
Thunder Cloud, who had already set Black Bull on his feet, though he
still clutched him tightly, let go his hold, and skulked away.
"Let your dog loose," Young Antelope now ordered Black Bull who stood
before him, still shivering from fright. "There! Now we will go to my
father and let him settle the matter. Follow me."
Black Bull, with Smoke capering about him in the joy of being set free,
followed Young Antelope silently till the two neared the council house
where Bent Horn was busy planning for the coming celebration. There,
in the autumn sunlight, they waited till the chief should appear and
the son whom he loved dearly should have a chance to ask for a certain
boon.
That night Black Bull went to sleep as happy as a king, even though his
mother had just given him a beating. Smoke was safe! Another, Young
Antelope, who had more treasures than he, was willing to make the
sacrifice in his place.
THE FESTIVAL
The celebration was over and Timid Hare was tired out from excitement.
Never before had she seen so many wonders. Why, the chief of chiefs,
the chief of all the Dahcotas, had been one of the visitors and had
slept in Bent Horn's tepee. Timid Hare herself had helped to serve
him. And when he had gone forth to the council and to the feasts he
was the grandest looking person she had ever beheld in her life. He
wore a head-dress of war-eagle feathers. Thick and heavy was this
head-dress, and beautiful were the feathers beyond compare. The great
chief's face shone with grease, and was made fearful to look upon with
much paint. On his robe were pictured the many battles in which he had
taken part; it was trimmed with a heavy fringe of scalp-locks. His
leggings and moccasins were richly embroidered with porcupine quills.
He walked forth like a king. The children of the village trembled as
they gazed upon him.
Bent Horn looked grand also in his own robes of state. Many a day had
his wife spent embroidering this robe with porcupine quills and
trimming it with fringes of his enemies scalp-locks. Heavy chains hung
around his neck. His long hair, which he had greased well, had been
divided into two parts and crossed on the top of his head, where it was
then gathered into a knot.
"Bent Horn's head-dress is almost as handsome as that of the Great
Chief," Timid Hare said to herself, as she watched the two men walking
together towards the council house.
The sun shone brightly throughout the whole celebration and the feasts
were spread outdoors. The chiefs and braves sat in a half-circle at
these feasts and the food was passed to them from steaming kettles.
There was bear meat in plenty, fat and rich; baked turtles; juicy
buffalo steaks and stews; but at the principal feast of all, only dog
flesh was served.
Then it was that the people of the village gathered in crowds around
the feasters to watch and listen. Closest of all were the braves and
their sons. Back of them were the squaws and their little daughters.
Timid Hare, beside her young mistress Sweet Grass, listened with wonder
to the noble speeches of the chiefs. Bent Horn spoke first of all.
"My brother," he said to the Great Chief, "our hearts are almost
bursting with gladness that you are with us today.
"And you also"--Bent Horn continued, turning to one after another of
the lesser chiefs, "we welcome you with gladness and feel that the
Great Spirit has sent you to us. In token of our love we have killed
faithful dogs that you may feast. May the Great Spirit bind us closely
together. I say no more."
As Bent Horn ended his speech he lifted before the eyes of the feasters
a carved necklace made of the claws of grizzly bears, and his own robe
of elk skins which he had just taken from his shoulders. Then he
slowly rose and, going to the side of the guest of honor, he laid the
gifts before him. Next, he took other gifts--embroidered moccasins and
leggings--and presented them to the lesser chiefs.
For a moment all were silent. Then the guests themselves made
speeches, each one telling of his love for Bent Horn and his band, and
giving rich gifts in return.
And now the pipe of peace was lighted and brought to Bent Horn.
Solemnly he pointed the stem to the north, the south, the east, and the
west. Last of all, he lifted it towards the sun. Then he spoke.
"How--how--how," he said slowly. Then in silence he smoked it, but
only to take one long whiff, after which he held it in turn to the
mouths of the other chiefs, that they might smoke it also.
Not a word was spoken by any one during this solemn time. But as soon
as the last guest had smoked, the dog-meat, floating in rich gravy, was
brought from the steaming kettles and handed around in wooden bowls
among the guests. All ate their fill. Then silently, they got up and
went away. They had smoked and eaten the sacrifice together. Surely,
they thought, there could be no better token of their friendship for
each other.
Timid Hare looked on from afar. She felt pride in her dear mistress's
brother who had given up his own pet dog, in place of Black Bull. She
was also filled with wonder at the greatness of the Dahcotas.
"They are a mighty tribe," thought the little girl. She drew a long
breath of sadness, feeling that she could never hope to go from among
them. But when she afterwards looked on at the wrestling matches,
races on horseback, and dances such as she had never seen before, she
forgot everything else for the moment. Her eyes shone with excitement;
her breath came quick. Never before, it seemed to her, had she seen
such skill.
When the entertainment of each day ended, however, and Timid Hare went
to her bed of buffalo skins, she would lie thinking of the old home, of
the loving White Mink, the kind Three Bears, and the good
foster-brother Big Moose. Then tears would roll down over the little
girl's cheeks and she would choke back a sob.
"Can it be," she would think, "that the story White Mink told me before
I was taken from her, is true? Am I truly a white child, and is she
not my real mother?" Then the little captive would touch the baby's
sock fastened by a cord of deer-sinews about her waist and next to her
flesh.
"It is safe," she would whisper to herself, "and no one here has
discovered it--not even The Stone. It did not save me from being
captured, but it may yet bring good fortune, even as White Mink hoped."
MOVING DAY
The visitors had all gone away and the village was once more
quiet--that is, as quiet as it might be among the Dahcotas, the lovers
of the dance and of music.
Now and then some of the braves went forth on a war-party, or on a hunt
after bears or buffaloes. But the buffaloes were scarce, they told
their chief; the herds must have wandered far, and the hunters often
returned empty-handed. This was bad, because the winter was drawing
near and supplies of meat were needed for that long season of bitter
cold.
One morning Bent Horn rose earlier than usual and made his way to the
council house. There he staid for some time talking with the medicine
men and other leading braves of the village.
Should there be a bear dance and a buffalo dance to call the attention
of the Great Spirit to the needs of His people, that He might send
plenty of prey nearer the village? Or should the band first move to a
different part of the country, where no red man dwelt and where the
buffaloes, at least, might be plentiful?
When the talk was ended the men who had gathered at the council went
their way. Bent Horn's mind was made up. "My people must move to a
new camping ground," he said to himself. "We will journey to the
eastward. In that direction, the hunters say, we are likely to draw
near the feeding grounds of large herds of buffaloes. Tomorrow morning
at sunrise we must be on our way."
[Illustration: Bent Horn's mind was made up.]
The news was quickly carried from one tepee to another and the squaws
set to work with a will to prepare for moving.
When Timid Hare heard the news she thought sadly: "Shall I go farther
than ever from my dear White Mink?" The little girl had been so
frightened at the time of her capture that she was not sure in which
direction she travelled.
There was not a moment now, however, to consider herself, as Sweet
Grass and her mother kept the child helping them prepare for the
moving. The stores of grain and other dry food, the dishes and kettles
and clothing must be packed in readiness for the early start on the
morrow.
THE JOURNEY
"Awake, Timid Hare, for there is a faint light in the eastern sky. The
sun is already rising from his bed."
At these words from Sweet Grass, Timid Hare's eyes burst wide open and
she sprang from her bed. There was much to do at once, for the signal
must be given to the whole village from the home of Bent Horn.
So quickly did his squaw and young daughter work that a half-hour
afterwards the walls of the chief's tepee were flapping in the morning
breeze. Immediately afterwards the same thing happened to every other
home in the village. Next, down came the tent poles of the chief's
tepee, and then those of all the others.
Timid Hare went quickly here and there, obeying the orders of her
mistress. Ropes of skin must be brought to tie the poles into two
bundles. The little girl must help hold these bundles in place, while
Bent Horn's best pack horses were brought up and the bundles fastened
against the sides of their bodies, and at the same time allowed to drag
on the ground behind.
"Quick, Timid Hare," Sweet Grass would say, pointing now to this bundle
of bedding, and now to another of dishes or clothing. The horses were
restless and the bundles must be well-fastened to the poles before they
should be ready to start. Some of Bent Horn's dogs were also loaded in
the same way.
While Sweet Grass and her mother, with Timid Hare's help, were packing
their own stores every other woman in the village was doing the same.
In a wonderfully short time the procession was on its way, the squaws
leading the pack horses. When they started out, however, the braves
and youths, riding their favorite horses and ponies, were already far
ahead.
Timid Hare trudged bravely along beside her young mistress who led one
of the pack horses. She carried a big bundle on her back. So did
Sweet Grass and her mother. So did all the other squaws except those
who were too old and feeble.
"Let us move fast while we are fresh," Sweet Grass would say now and
then when Timid Hare began to lag. "When the day grows old, then is
the time to move like the turtle."
As they travelled along. Timid Hare passed The Stone who looked at her
with ugly eyes. The old squaw was thinking, "Had it not been for my
sending the girl that day to Sweet Grass she would now be making my
load light. Fool that I was!"
Afterwards Timid Hare and her mistress talked with The Fountain, the
pretty bride who lived near The Stone. The Fountain smiled pleasantly
at the little girl. She said, "Sometime, Timid Hare, you shall come to
see me in the new home. I may have a surprise for you."
The sun had nearly set when word came down the line: "The chief has
chosen a place for the new camp. It is beside a stream of clear water
and the tracks of buffaloes are not far distant."
Timid Hare was glad to hear the news, because her feet and back ached.
She was not strong as an Indian girl of her own age should be and she
knew it. "But I look like one," she said to herself. She was glad now
that her body was stained. She had colored it afresh of her own accord
just before the journey, for she felt she would not be jeered at by the
children of the Dahcotas so long as her hair and body were of the same
color as their own.
When the new camping ground was reached, she was very tired. "But I
must not show it," she thought. "I must be bright and cheerful." So
she moved quickly, helping to set up the tepee and get supper for the
family. But her eyelids closed the moment she lay down to rest, and
she knew nothing more till the barking of the dogs roused her the next
morning. At the same time she heard Sweet Grass and her mother talking
together.
"The Fountain was last seen when we stopped at a spring to get water in
the late afternoon," one of them was saying.
"I hope she is safe," replied the other, "and that the gray wolf was
not abroad."
Timid Hare shuddered. "Where can The Fountain be?" she wondered. "She
is so good and so pretty, I hope she is unharmed."
The very next moment a neighbor appeared in the door. "The Fountain
has just reached us," she said. "She spent the night by the spring,
and she now brings with her a baby son. He is a lusty child. May he
grow up to be a noble warrior!"
"I will go to her and give her my best wishes," declared the chief's
wife. "It is a good sign for the new home that one more is added to
our people."
Soon afterwards Timid Hare and her young mistress were also on their
way to visit the young mother. She was very happy. So was her
husband. So was her baby; at least it seemed happy to Timid Hare as
she looked at it nestling quietly in its mother's arms. The little
girl longed for it to open its eyes.
"By and by," The Fountain told her with a smile, "my son will awake.
But now he must sleep, for he finds this world a strange one, and he is
tired."
"The Great Spirit has been kind to The Fountain," said Sweet Grass as
she walked homeward with her little maid.
"How powerful He must be," declared Timid Hare thoughtfully. "Whenever
He speaks to us in the thunder and lightning I tremble with fear. But
when I looked at the little baby just now I felt His love."
THE MEDICINE MAN
The next morning Timid Hare was allowed to go once more to visit The
Fountain and her little son. The baby lay fastened into a pretty frame
the young mother had made for him. The straps were embroidered with
porcupine quills, and finished very neatly.
As Timid Hare entered the tepee, The Fountain was about to lift the
baby in his frame to her back.
"I am going to see Black Bull," she said. "He is ill. He has not been
well since before the Dog Feast."
Timid Hare at once thought of a reason for Black Bull's illness,--he
had worried much over the thought of losing his dog. But Young
Antelope had not told her that he came near losing his life and of his
terrible fright at the time.
"Has the medicine man visited Black Bull?" asked Timid Hare.
"Not yet." The Fountain shook her head sadly. "I doubt if The Stone
cares whether her son lives or dies. But I am going to see the poor
creature. Afterwards, if the medicine man has not been sought, I will
ask my husband to get his help."
The Fountain started on her errand, and Timid Hare went back to the
chief's lodge to tell her young mistress what she had learned. On the
way she passed a clump of trees beneath which she saw several people
sitting and listening to the voice of a tall man who stood before them.
He was one of the most powerful medicine men of the band.
"He must be speaking of some great mystery," thought Timid Hare. "How
noble he is! How much he must know! It may be that he is telling of
the secrets he reads in the fire."
Turning her eyes towards the listeners, she saw they were thinking
deeply of his words. They looked with wonder at the medicine man.
"Yes, he must be speaking of the secrets no one but he can discover."
[Illustration: They looked with wonder at the medicine man.]
When Timid Hare reached home she spoke of this medicine man to her
mistress. "If only he could go to Black Bull, the sickness would leave
the poor fellow," she said.
Soon afterwards Sweet Grass herself sought the medicine man. She
brought him presents of buffalo marrow, deer meat, and a juicy,
well-cooked land turtle. Then she asked his help for the deformed
youth, and he promised to go to him.
The next day word came to the chief's lodge that Black Bull had gone to
join the people of the grave. Though the medicine man had gone to him
and worked his mysteries with songs and drum beating, the Great Spirit
had not willed that he should live.
"Better so," declared Bent Horn, when the news was brought to the
lodge. "Black Bull was of no help to his people. He suffered, and was
not happy. Better so!"
"I will take his dog," Sweet Grass promised her sad little maid.
"Smoke shall be cared for, though his master has left him."
THE WINTER HUNT
The new home proved to be a good one. Each time the hunters went forth
they returned with a load of game. The squaws were kept busy drying
buffalo and bear meat, packing away the marrow and cleaning the bones
and skins. Every part of the animals was put to some use.
The days of the long, cold winter were at hand, and all must work
busily. Timid Hare had much to do, but sometimes she was allowed to
play outside of the tepee with other children; they were kinder to her
now that she lived in the chief's home. She had plenty to eat, and
Sweet Grass and her mother treated her well, but she longed for
something that was lacking here but was freely given in the old home:
it was love.
The snow fell thick and fast. It covered the prairie for miles in
every direction. In some places it was deeper than Timid Hare was
tall. A thick crust formed over the top.
Young Antelope set to work to make himself new snowshoes. As he bent
the hoops for the frames and crossed them with networks of leather
strings. Timid Hare looked on with longing. She had had snowshoes of
her own before, and she had enjoyed skimming over the snow fields on
them, but they were far away--very far away.
"I will help you make some shoes," Young Antelope told her, when he
caught the look. "You can do the easy part, and I will do the hard."
Timid Hare was pleased because Young Antelope did not notice her very
often. The snowshoes were soon made and the little girl longed to try
them.
The very next day Young Antelope went out with the men on a winter
hunt. There were large stores of meat in the village, but the cold was
bitter and more warm buffalo robes were needed for beds and coverlets.
Moreover, at this time of the year the fur of the animals was heaviest.
"It will be easy to get our prey," Bent Horn said to his son the night
before the hunt. "There is little snow on the south slopes of the
hills, where the buffaloes will be feeding. We can take them by
surprise and drive them down into the ice-crusted fields. They are so
heavy that their feet will fall through. Then the hunter can draw near
on his swift snowshoes, and will pierce the heart of his prey with his
spear without trouble."
"I will be such a hunter on the morrow," the youth had replied. "My
spear is already sharpened. It shall bring death to more than one of
the creatures that provide us with comfort through the moon of
difficulty," as he had been taught to call the month of January.
As Young Antelope skimmed along over the snow fields next morning, he
thought more than once of the little captive at home.
"She behaves well," he said to himself, "and she will be a good
homekeeper when she is older. It may be--it may be--that I will yet
choose her for my wife."
Young Antelope was only sixteen years old, but he was already thinking
of getting married! It was the way of his people. The girls married
even younger than the boys--sometimes when only twelve or thirteen
years had passed over their heads. It was therefore not strange that
the chief's son should be considering what wife he would choose.
With many of the braves away on the hunt, the village was quiet, and
the squaws took a little vacation from their work, as on the morrow
they must be very busy caring for the supplies brought home by the
hunters.
In the afternoon Sweet Grass said kindly: "Timid Hare, you have been a
good girl and worked hard of late. You may have the rest of the day
for play. Try your new snowshoes, if you like."
The rest of the day--two whole hours before sunset! It seemed too good
to be true. Never had such a thing happened to the child since she
left the home of the Mandans.
Without wasting a moment, Timid Hare got the snowshoes and left the
tepee. For a moment she looked about her to see if any other little
girl would like to join her in a skim over the fields. But all seemed
busy at their games, and even now she was not enough at home with any
one of them to ask them to leave their own play and go off with her, a
captive.
So, binding on the shoes, she started off alone. What fun it was to
move so fast and so smoothly! How clear was the air! How delightful
it was to feel the blood rushing freely through every part of her body!
Her cheeks tingled pleasantly; her heart beat with joy.
Mile after mile the child darted on in the opposite direction from that
taken by the hunters in the morning. So happy, so free felt the child
that she forgot how far she was travelling. Sometimes there were
little rolls in the land. She would get up her speed as she approached
them, so as to have force enough to reach the summit of a roll with
ease. And then what fun it was to travel like the wind down the other
side!
On, on, on! and then suddenly, Timid Hare came to herself. Where was
the village? In what direction? Could she not see smoke rising
somewhere behind her, telling of the fires burning in the homes of the
people?
There was nothing, nothing, to guide her back--only some fields
apparently untrodden in every direction. So light was the little
girl's body that her shoes had rarely pressed through the crust. The
short winter day was near its end. A bank of clouds was gathering
about the setting sun, they told of an approaching storm; so also spoke
the chill wind that blew in the child's face.
Fright clutched at Timid Hare's heart. She thought of the power of the
storm-king. Here, in the snowy wilderness, it seemed that she must
perish. Was there no one to turn to in this time of danger? Yes.
"Help me, Great Spirit," cried the child, lifting her hands towards the
sky where she believed He dwelt.
With that cry came a feeling that somehow her prayer would be answered.
And at the same time Timid Hare remembered the little sock which she
always carried in her bosom. She pressed a hand against the place
where it should rest. Yes, it was safe.
"White Mink had faith in it. So will I," Timid Hare said to herself.
Many a time during the hard days with The Stone, she had repeated the
same words. It had always helped her to do so.
And now she turned in the direction she hoped was the village of the
Dahcotas, but her feet felt numb. It was hard to travel. Hark! what
was that? It seemed as though men's voices could be heard shouting to
each other in the distance. They came nearer. Could it be that Sweet
Grass had sent some of the village boys out after her?
Nearer! Nearer! Timid Hare stood still, listening. If they would
only hurry! She suddenly felt drowsy--the snow-chill was benumbing her
whole body, and somehow she no longer cared whether she was found or
not. She tottered, fell.
The next thing she knew, she was lying in the arms of a man with kind
blue eyes. He was smiling at her, and he was white! Another man,
white like himself, was rubbing her arms and legs.
"All right now," the first man was saying to the other. "Poor little
thing! How did she ever get out here? That Dahcota village is a good
dozen miles from here, and the child's moccasins tell that she is of
that tribe."
"We must waste no time in getting farther away from them ourselves,"
replied the other. "Little time would be wasted in taking our scalps
if they caught us alone."
"But we can't leave this helpless creature," said the first speaker.
"Do you know, Ben, she must be about the age of my own little daughter
if--" The man's voice broke suddenly.
"Poor fellow--yes, I understand. You never will get over that blow.
But, really, Tom, we must not stay here. The savages may be upon us
any moment. Here, use this. It may bring her to."
The speaker held out a bottle of cordial which the man who held Timid
Hare held to her lips. She tried to swallow, but it choked her.
"There," she said with a gasp, "it is enough," and she lifted herself
up.
"Good," said both men, who knew a little of the Indian tongue.
"Oh, but my shoe!" cried the little girl in fright. It had slipped a
little from its usual resting place, and she now missed it. In spite
of being alone on the snow-covered prairie, with two strangers, her
first thought was of the little talisman White Mink had given into her
keeping. Oh! she could feel it pressing against her waist, and she
gave a happy sigh.
In the meantime, the men had decided that it would be best to take the
child to their camp. The rest could be settled afterwards.
"Can you trust yourself to your snowshoes again?" the man whom his
friend called Tom asked her gently.
She nodded, and with the help of one of her companions, they were bound
on her feet. A biscuit was now given her--she had never tasted its
like before--and she ate greedily. This was followed by another
swallow of the cordial, and the little girl was ready for the start.
Many miles were before her, but the men often took hold of her hands to
give her fresh courage. Besides, she was greatly excited. What was
coming? Were these strangers bringing her back to the village of the
Dahcotas, or guiding her to something far different? From time to time
one of the men struck a match--such a wonderful thing it seemed to
Timid Hare--and looked at a tiny instrument he carried in his pocket.
It seemed to tell him if they were travelling in the right direction.
"How wise," thought Timid Hare, "the white people must be! Perhaps
they are as wise as the medicine men!"
And she--why, she was of their own race, though her stained skin did
not show it! At the thought, she lifted her hand to her side. Yes,
her treasure was safe!
When it seemed to the child as if she could not move her feet longer, a
faint light shone out in the distance. The camp of the white men would
soon be reached.
When the travellers at last arrived at the journey's end there was
great excitement among the men who were anxiously watching for the
return of their two companions. They had feared that their friends had
lost their way and been overcome by cold; or more probable, that they
had been killed or captured by the Indians. They were in the Dahcota
country,--this they knew; also that these Dahcotas were fierce warriors
and hated the white men.
How surprised they were to see what they thought was an Indian child
with their companions! How did it happen? What was to be done with
her?
But now, as Timid Hare almost fell to the floor of the warm, brightly
lighted tent, all saw that she was quite exhausted. She must be fed,
and afterwards sleep. There would be time enough to question her next
morning.
Hot soup was brought, and never, it seemed, had anything ever tasted so
delicious to Timid Hare. And the heat of the burning logs--how
pleasant it was! Timid Hare was too tired to be afraid, or even to
think, and even as she ate, she fell sound asleep.
She awoke next morning with her hand clutching the place where the sock
lay hidden, and saw a kind face bending over her. It belonged to the
same man who had held her when she roused from the snow-chill.
"What is it?" he asked gently. He pointed to her hand.
"It is--my charm. It is to bring me good."
"May I see it?" The man's voice was so kind that it filled Timid Hare
with perfect trust.
"You will--help me?" The child's eyes were full of pleading.
"Yes, little one."
Slowly Timid Hare drew forth the sock. It was faded and soiled, yet
the pattern in which the silk had been woven into the worsted was quite
plain.
"How did--Why, tell me at once how you got this." The man's voice was
half stern, half pleading.
"It was--so." With this beginning Timid Hare repeated the story as
White Mink had told it to her. Many a time she had since told it to
herself during her hard life with The Stone. It was such a strange
story--so full of wonder to her still. The wonder of it was in her
voice even now.
The man listened with half-closed eyes, but saying never a word till
she finished. Then, as in a dream, he said in a low tone: "It is my
baby's sock--the pattern is one planned by my dear wife Alice who died
out on this lonely prairie. And then--the sudden attack of the
Dahcotas--and I made prisoner, while my baby Alice was left behind to
perish. Afterwards I was rescued, though I cared little to live."
"But child, child," he burst out, "though your eyes have the same
color, the same expression as those of my dear wife, your skin is that
of the red people."
"I stained it--The Stone made me--and when I saw Sweet Grass liked me
best so, I put on the color again and yet again."
"God be praised! I have found my darling who, I thought, was lost
forever." The man lifted Timid Hare and clasped her tenderly in his
arms. And she--well, the little girl rested there content and happy.
The next minute the rest of the party who had been out exploring,
entered the tent with word that the start must be made at once. The
clouds of the night before had lifted; the snow might not begin falling
for several hours, and the most must be made of the morning towards
reaching a larger camp where sledges would carry them a long ways
towards a fur station.
Great was the joy of the others when they learned the good fortune that
had come to their friend, and merry was the whole party as it made its
way onward. Yes, Timid Hare, or rather Alice, now more like the Swift
Fawn she had been, was merry too. But as she went on her way to the
new and beautiful life that would soon be hers, she begged her father
to take her back by-and-by for a visit to her foster-parents and Big
Moose in the Mandan village on the river. And he promised gladly.
***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TIMID HARE
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