Little was accomplished in the ensuing conversation. Heads Off informed the Real-chief of the sequence of events, while the other nodded understandingly.
“This has happened before, Heads Off. The young men wish to have their own warrior society. They always grow up and return to the ways of the People.”
“But, my chief, they have had encounters with the Head Splitters, and have been successful.”
“That is the bad part,” agreed old Many Robes. “They do not remember what happened to the four at Sycamore Creek.” He shook his head. “Aiee, some day they will meet a stronger force, and their learning will be a hard lesson.”
In conclusion, the old chief agreed that there was little to be done. The Bloods should be ignored as much as possible, unless they broke rules of the council. The two agreed that in the Big Council, Heads Off would make no mention of the young dissidents. He would report on the movements of his band, but minimize the role of the Bloods and their skirmishes.
Heads Off also described the subterfuge that had been used to keep the band moving. The Real-chief chuckled at the part played by the women. Aiee, he thought, if any can handle this problem, it is the Elk-dog band!
The young chief left the lodge of Many Robes feeling somewhat better. To be sure, the situation was unchanged, but now his responsibility was shared by another, an authority figure. It
helped immeasurably, simply to feel that the Real-chief understood the situation.
Heads Off retrieved his mare, nodded thanks to the young man who handed him the reins, and swung to her back. He skirted the site of the Sun Dance, and arrived at the camp of the Elk-dog band. Pole skeletons for the lodges were tilting against the sky, and women called to each other as they established their lodge sites. The children ran excitedly in and out, accompanied by yapping dogs. Heads Off threaded his way among the lodges in various stages of construction, and located his family.
Coyote and Long Elk had assisted in placing and tying the poles, and were just raising the skin cover into position on the lodge of Heads Off. Tall One stood a bit aside, her near-complete pregnancy preventing the strenuous effort required to lift the heavy cover. The young chief stepped down and took a place alongside Big Footed Woman to assist in the lifting. Their combined strength swung the lifting pole, and the lodge cover, nearly thirty skins in size, settled into place. The women circled the lodge frame, dragging and smoothing the cover as they pulled it into position.
The men, meanwhile, turned to the slightly smaller lodge frame alongside, that of Coyote’s family. By the time the women had laced the front of the lodge of Heads Off and positioned the smoke flaps, they had erected the skin cover on the other structure.
As they strained to lift it into place, a young woman passed and smiled covertly at Long Elk. That young man became embarrassed and confused, and nearly lost his hold on the lifting pole.
“Aiee,” Heads Off chided his brother-in-law, “we will soon be lifting a new lodge for Long Elk!”
The women joined them and completed the positioning of the
lodge cover. In a short while, cooking fires were crackling, and the children of Coyote and Big Footed Woman were bringing firewood and buffalo chips for fuel.
The men settled for a smoke against their willow backrests. The establishment of a new camp was always a satisfying time, reflected Heads Off. The site was clean and without the odor it would have later. Everyone was tired, but satisfied and happy that the journey was over.
In addition, this time held other advantages. It was the first site for many suns where the band had erected the big skin lodges. While on the move; the temporary camps were established with only crude brush shelters or in the open; it was far too complicated to set up the lodges for only a night or two. Now, setting up the more permanent camp seemed like coming home, Heads Off thought.
The other pleasant aspect, of course, was that this camp would include all the excitement and revelry of the Sun Dance.
Sun Boy carried his torch slowly toward the western edge of the world, and Heads Off began to relax. Tall One brought meat, and sat beside him to eat. Young Eagle, tired from all the excitement of the day, played sleepily before the new lodge and accepted bites of food from his parents as they ate. Finally, Tall One rose and packed the youngster off to his sleeping robes. Then she returned to sit beside her husband as he smoked, leaning against his knees.
“You spoke with the Real-chief?”
He nodded. “There was not much to say. Many Robes sees the matter well.”
“What will he do?”
“Nothing. He can do nothing, unless the Bloods break the rules of council or the laws of the People.”
Tall One nodded. The same old story.
“I will say very little of the thing at the Big Council,” her husband continued. “That will hurt the Bloods most of all.”
“That is good, Heads Off. They take themselves much too seriously now.”
The lengthening shadows brought a chill to the prairie, and she crept closer to him for warmth. Finally she rose, to seek the shelter of the lodge and the soft comfort of their sleeping robes. Heads Off followed. Let tomorrow take care of itself. For now, he was at home, secure in the arms of Tall One.
Next day the Mountain band arrived, led by Black Beaver. The wheeling and shouting of the mock charge was repeated, and the newcomers were joined by the Blood Society in full force, their faces again ceremonially painted. Again, Heads Off became anxious. People were accepting this group of upstarts all too readily.
The celebration quieted in due course, only to be repeated three suns later when White Bear led the Red Rocks band in from the southwest. There had been much intermarriage with the Red Rocks after wintering together two seasons ago, and there were many joyous family reunions and friendly greetings.
Meanwhile, Heads Off knew, the gossip and rumor of the camp would have been spreading like prairie fire. Everyone would have heard the story of the Blood Society by the time of the Big Council.
It was several suns before the last of the bands arrived, the Eastern band under Small Ears. The Eastern band had for many years had a reputation as non-conformists. Their chosen territory was somewhat different in topography than that of the other bands. They spent more time in the wooded areas along the larger rivers, leading to a slightly different life style. In addition, their chief, Small Ears, had a tendency to glory in the differences, and regard them as unique advantages of his band.
The rest of the People regarded the Eastern band with good-natured amusement. There were jokes, Heads Off had learned, built around the reputation of that group and its oddities.
One of the Elk-dog warriors had once come walking back from a hunt, without game, Heads Off recalled, and with his bow broken in the fall which also had lost him his horse. The other men had chuckled and chided him for his ineptness.
“Aiee,” exclaimed the man’s wife. “What am I to do with him? His grandmother was of the Eastern band.”
General laughter had followed.
Now, the Eastern band had arrived, and the medicine men began the daily circuits of the camp, singing the announcement of the Sun Dance, to begin four suns hence. The Sun Dance itself would last seven days, a non-stop celebration. As dancers became tired, their places would be taken by others, and after food and rest, they would return.
The major theme was the return of the sun, the grass, and the buffalo after a long winter. There would be songs of thanksgiving, of patriotism, and songs of hope for good health. People with infirmities would dance and offer sacrifices, with entreaties for healing.
Preparations continued after the four suns of announcement were begun. The family of Many Robes had killed a huge buffalo bull. The skin and intact head were carefully arranged at the west end of the dance arbor over a brush form. The resulting effigy would be the focal point of the festivities for the coming days.
But, before the first ceremony of the Sun Dance, before any of the important activities of the festival, there was one other necessary step. The first day of announcement, begun after the arrival of the Eastern band, was also the signal for the official gathering of the tribe on the first evening. As Sun Boy carried his torch toward earth’s rim, the People began to gather for the Big Council.