big
house, gazing steadily at the dwellings of the Eagle clan. There were
too many people about yet for him to attempt the call, and furthermore
it was so early that the council could hardly have assembled. By the
light of the moon he saw clearly the movements of the people, although
it was impossible to recognize individuals at any distance. The boy sat
down and waited. From where he rested he could not fail to notice when
the delegates of the clans that inhabited the big house left for the
council, and that would be the signal for his own starting. His heart
beat; he felt happy and yet anxious; hope and doubt both agitated his
mind.

One of his comrades stealthily approached Okoya, sat down on the ground
beside him, threw one arm around his shoulders, and began to sing
loudly. Okoya chimed in, and the two shouted at the top of their
untrained voices into the clear still night. Such is the custom in
Indian villages. A third one joined them, finally a fourth. The latter
lay down on his stomach, rested his elbows on the ground, his chin in
both hands, and sang in company with the others. Soon after, two men
issued from the gangway and walked down the valley; at last another went
in the same direction. These were the members of the council, and now it
was time for Okoya. As soon as the song reached a pause, he stood up,
said "sha," and turned to go. One of his companions seized him by the
ankles, saying, "It is too early for you to go to see the girls;" and
all together added, laughing, "Don't go yet, later on we will all go
together."

But Okoya stepped firmly on the arm of him who attempted to hold him
back, so that the boy loosened his grip; then he jumped into the
passage, where they could not see him. He disliked to have any one
notice that he went to see Mitsha. Waiting in the dark passage for a
short time, he glided out at last on the side farthest from where the
boys were still sitting and singing, crossed the ditch into the high
corn, and went through the latter upward until opposite the western end
of the building. Crossing the ditch again, he reached the slope that led
to the buildings occupied by the people of the Eagle. In order to
mislead his comrades, in case they should be on the lookout, he went
higher up along the cliffs till he reached the caves of Tzina hanutsh.
Here he looked back. The three boys were singing lustily the same
monotonous rhyme at the same place where he had left them.

From the roc