quoise, staring into his.

"Auguste!" Her voice and face were full of terror.

It came to him with a shock that he must look frightful to her. The man
she had loved was transformed into a vision of savagery--painted face, a
shoulder-length mane of hair, silver earrings, shell necklace, his
scarred chest bare, holding high a painted stick adorned with feathers
and beads. And what would she make of his right ear, torn in two by Eli
Greenglove's rifle ball? After what she had already gone through, the
sight of him must be yet another impossible shock.

"I'm going to help you," he said in English. "Try not to show that
you're frightened." Useless advice, he thought. Still, it would be
better for them both if the people respected her. There was nothing a
Sauk despised more than a show of fear.

He pointed his medicine stick at Running Deer and said sternly, "Stand
aside." She glowered at him but stepped back.

Last winter Wolf Paw had snatched this stick from his hand. But that was
before White Bear had nearly been killed carrying Black Hawk's message
of peace to the pale eyes. That was before they had begun to see for
themselves that White Bear had spoken truly when he warned that Black
Hawk's hope of a great alliance to defeat the long knives was an
illusion. And that was before many of the people had felt his healing
touch. He knew how to do things, because of his training with pale eyes
doctors, that Owl Carver and Sun Woman did not.

Now White Bear's medicine stick had much more power than a few moons
ago. Even at this moment when anxiety for Nancy gnawed at him, he felt
pride in his power.

He turned to face the crowd, standing protectively in front of Nancy.

The braves and warriors stared at him, puzzled and angry.

"Is this how you show your strength and courage, by torturing a helpless
woman?" he demanded.

Wolf Paw said, "She is a trophy honorably taken in battle."

White Bear pointed to Running Deer. "Wolf Paw meant to take the pale
eyes woman into his wickiup for his pleasure. But his wife will not let
him. So he pretends that it is his pleasure to let the women torture
her."

Feeling stronger than ever, White Bear watched Wolf Paw's face darken.
He might be able to outfight any man in the tribe barehanded or with
weapons, but not with words. This moment, thought White Bear, began to
repay Wolf Paw for shaming him last winter before the council.

_And he will have to let me tend his wound. That, t