leave?

Frightened for Yellow Hair, Redbird twisted her arms and shoulders and
broke free from her.

The fat woman and the sandy-haired man drew Yellow Hair away. But her
sobs became louder, turned to screams.

"My baby!"

Redbird knew those pale eyes' words. And it was true, she thought. Had
not Yellow Hair been in the birthing wickiup with Redbird? Had she not
been present for every instant of Floating Lily's early life? Was she
not also White Bear's wife?

_She feels the same pain I do._

Yellow Hair's screams died away as White Bear's aunt and uncle half
carried her away from the trail. Her cries were drowned out by the
shouts of the long knives, ordering the Sauk to get to their feet and
start walking again.

As Redbird, holding Floating Lily, stumbled down the trail she looked at
the crowd in the field. They were not shouting or throwing rocks now.
They just stared. Perhaps they were satisfied.

Her eyes met those of the brown-bearded man who had torn Floating Lily
from her arms. He saw her holding her dead daughter, and his face was
still red and rigid with hatred.

She had understood enough of his tongue to understand what he had
shouted at her: _You kill my wife_.

At the sight of him she felt heavy as a stone. There was nothing she
could do that would bring Floating Lily back. Her baby's little feet
were on the Trail of Souls. Only death would free Redbird from pain.

Wolf Paw, once again carrying Eagle Feather, walked beside her. She
sensed someone walking on her other side and turned to look. She saw a
shrunken, wizened woman with a sad face. It took her a moment to realize
that it was her mother, Wind Bends Grass.

Many footsteps later, when their trail passed through woods, the long
knives let them stop. They unstrapped small shovels from their saddles
and gave them to some of the men. The Sauk men dug five deep graves and
placed the bodies--three women, one man, and a baby--sitting upright in
them.

Wolf Paw dug Floating Lily's grave, letting Eagle Feather do part of the
work.

Before covering Floating Lily with earth, Redbird tore a small strip
from the red blanket the fat woman had given her and set it beside the
grave.

When the five were buried Redbird saw the eyes of all the people turned
toward her, and she knew they expected her, in spite of the grief that
was killing her, to complete the rite.

First, she sang.

"In your brown blanket, O Earthmaker,
Wrap your chil