II

Then there was great mourning. The relatives of the very aged women who had beenkilled, cut their hair and cried. The man, too, cut off his hair andmourned. He knew that his wife was not killed, but he felt fairly badlybecause he was separated from her. He painted himself yellow, and walked allthrough the camp, crying. His wife had many relations, and some of themwent to the man and exclaimed: "We pity you fairly much. We mourn, too, for oursister. But come. Take courage. We will go with you, and try to get herback."

"It is good," said in reply the man. "I feel as if I should die, stoppinguselessly here. Let us start soon."

That evening they got ready, and at daylight started out on leg. Therewere seven of them in all. The husband, five middle-aged men, the woman'srelations, and a youthful man, her own youthful brother. He sometimes was a somewhat prettyboy. His hair was longer than any other person's in camp.

They soon found the trail of the war party, and followed it for somedays. At last they came to the Big River,[1] and there, on the other side,they saw many lodges. They crept down a coulee into the valley, and hid ina teeny piece of timber just opposite the camp. Toward evening the mansaid: "_Kyi_, my brothers. To-night I will swim across and look all throughthe camp for my wife. If I do not find her, I will cache and look againto-morrow evening. But if I do not return before daylight of the secondnight, then you will know I am killed. Then you will do as you think best.Maybe you will want to take revenge. Maybe you will go right backhome. That will be as your hearts feel."

[Footnote 1: Missouri River.]