illing to steal
prisoners away from his chief. I think you do this because you have
lived so long with pale eyes."

White Bear felt desire for her swelling in him. They had coupled twice
only since Floating Lily was born. He pulled her skirt up so he could
stroke her belly and the smooth insides of her thighs.

"From what I saw among the pale eyes," he said, knowing a bitterness
even as he sought the joy of Redbird, "they are more obedient to their
chiefs than we are. And though it makes our hearts weep, if our people
are not to disappear, we must learn to obey our leaders as the pale eyes
do. But this night I must disobey our war chief."

"We must change," said Redbird. "But if we become like the pale eyes it
will be the same as disappearing." Then she whispered, "Oh!" as his
touch in a warm, moist place pleased her.

She loosened his loincloth, and his breathing quickened as her
fingertips played awhile with him; then she grasped his hard flesh
firmly. He sighed as he felt her fingers squeezing him. He should save
his strength, he thought, because he would be awake and traveling all
night, and probably all day tomorrow, with Nancy and Woodrow. But he and
Redbird might never be together like this again. He rolled over on top
of her and let her small, gentle hand guide him into her as he groaned
aloud with the pleasure of it.

* * * * *

A tiny sliver of a new moon had risen just above the hills on this side
of the river. White Bear, Nancy and Woodrow made their way south of the
band's camp to a meadow in a hollow between hills.

Here the band had turned out their few remaining horses to graze and
sleep. From the north end of the camp, beside the Bad Axe River, came
the sound of men's voices and the light of fires. Men were stripping the
bark from elm trees to make simple canoes and tying driftwood logs
together to make rafts.

White Bear, Nancy and Woodrow worked their way around the edge of the
meadow. The horses were dark shapes standing quietly. White Bear could
hear Nancy stifle a sob every now and then. She had been crying all
evening.

He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her close and tell her she
did not have to leave him. He was the cause of her pain and could do
nothing about it. He could, possibly, save her life, but he could not
make her happy.

A tall shadow suddenly stood in his path.

"I have three horses ready for you," said Iron Knife. "I even found
s