Then he returned his attention
to a young Indian warrior who stood alert, eager and listening.
"Haace (Panther), where did you find the sign that someone had passed?"
he asked.
"Two miles to the north _Gao_ (the wind) brought me a sound," replied
Haace. "It was light. It might have been made by the boughs of _Oondote_
(a tree) rubbing together, but the ears of Haace told him it was not so.
I crept through _Gabada_ (the forest) to the place, whence the sound had
come, and lo! it and whatever had made it were gone, but I found among
the bushes traces to show that moccasins had passed."
Fire leaped up in the black eyes of Daganoweda.
"Did you follow?" he asked.
"For a mile, and I found other traces of moccasins passing. The traces
met and fused into one trail. All the owners of the moccasins knelt and
drank at a _Dushote_ (a spring), and as they were very thirsty they must
have come far."
"How do you know, Haace?"
"Because the imprints of their knees were sunk deep in the earth,
showing that they drank long and with eagerness. _Oneganosa_ (the water)
was sweet to their lips, and they would not have drunk so long had they
not been walking many miles.
Pages:
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200