on their separate pallets more often, because Redbird, in the discomfort
of the final moon of carrying this baby, rarely wanted White Bear inside
her.

And so Redbird had searched her heart and knew that she was willing to
share her husband with Yellow Hair.

White Bear and Yellow Hair could go to bed with each other.

And should.

It would be good for Yellow Hair if her yearning for White Bear could be
satisfied, at least for a time. The pleasure of mating was a healing
thing. It restored the ill to health, and it made the well strong and
happy.

Redbird could see in Yellow Hair's eyes--such a bright blue--how much
she longed for White Bear. Being close to him, Redbird thought, helped
Yellow Hair forget she was a captive.

Some days ago, not long after White Bear had taken in Woodrow, Redbird
had told White Bear she would not mind if he took Yellow Hair into his
bed. He had laughed and patted her belly and insisted he could wait
until she wanted him again.

Why should he _have_ to wait, when a woman who desired him was right
there in his wickiup?

It was good that she had spoken to him, even though he claimed he did
not want Yellow Hair. At least he knew that if Yellow Hair did come to
him in the night, they both had Redbird's blessing. But she doubted that
Yellow Hair would ever approach White Bear that way. Not without
encouragement.

She stopped swimming, and let her feet down into the mud so that she
stood beside Yellow Hair. Here the water of the lake almost came up to
Redbird's shoulders, but Yellow Hair's breasts were well above it. They
smiled at each other.

Yellow Hair crouched down in the water till it was up to her neck. She
dipped her hair into the water, then lifted her head and squeezed the
water out of her hair with her hands.

The water was good and cool, she said, but she wished she had some soap.

White Bear had explained what soap was, and Redbird smiled and shook
her head. If water would not wash dirt away, a Sauk scrubbed with sand.
As for hair, Redbird left hers braided. Once at the beginning of summer
and once at the end, she felt, was often enough to let water touch her
unbound hair.

Now that she had decided to talk to Yellow Hair, Redbird felt a
tightness in her throat. What if the idea of sharing White Bear made
Yellow Hair angry? Sharing a mate was not, Redbird knew, according to
pale eyes custom.

There was only one way: to begin in spite of her fear.

She said, "You