266 



peared. Whiteleg looked after her 

 in perplexity. Faster went the 

 dancers, louder and louder grew 

 their cries, and minute after minute 

 sped by. Then down from the tent 

 came Mak-ke-nah, leading by the 

 hand the wild- eyed girl. 



Raising his arm in a commanding 

 gesture a sudden silence fell upon 

 the throng. 



In a low voice at first, and 

 gradually gaining crescendo, he 

 told Manita's story, as she had 

 poured it out to the listening 

 Chiefs, of her unhappy childhood, 

 of the mission school, of her moth- 

 er's death, broken-hearted for her 

 five year old baby torn from 

 her, of the vandalism at the dead 

 trees, of It-tas-da-chirsch's bargain, 

 of her payments to him of the 

 ponies and buffalo robe and now of 

 his refusal to divorce her. With 

 graphic words he laid the story 

 before them and finished: 



"And now wise people of the 

 great nation of the Absaroka, what 

 shall be done to this maiden? Shall 

 ye make her squaw to It-tas-da- 

 chirsch, who already has her ponies, 



