no harm can come while
the good spirits are with her. It is thus she has brought us happiness
and prosperity since the days of the famine, Neekewa!"

He spoke these words in Cree, and McKay answered him in Cree as they
turned in the direction of the camp. Half way, Sun Cloud came to meet
them, with Peter at her side. She put a brown little hand in Jolly
Roger's. It was quite new and pleasant to be kissed as Jolly Roger had
kissed her, and she held up her mouth to him again. Then she ran ahead,
with Peter yipping foolishly and happily at her moccasined heels.

And Jolly Roger said,

"I wish I was your brother, Slim Buck, and Nada was Yellow Bird's
sister--and that I had many like her," and his eyes followed Sun Cloud
with hungry yearning.

And as he said these words, Yellow Bird sat with bowed head and closed
eyes, with the soft tress of Nada's hair in her hands. It was the
physical union between them, and all that day, and the night that
followed, Yellow Bird held it in her hand or against her breast as she
struggled to send out the soul that was in her on its mission to Oo-Mee
the Pigeon. In darkness she buried the food that was left her, and
stamped on it with her feet. The sacrifice of her body had begun, and
for two days thereafter Jolly Roger and Slim Buck saw no movement of
life about the lone tepee in the sand.

But the third morning they saw the smoke of a little greenwood fire
rising straight up from in front of it.

Slim Buck drew in a deep breath. It was the signal fire.

"She knows," he said, pointing for Jolly Roger to go. "She is calling
you!"

The tenseness was gone from the bronze muscles of his face. He was
lonely without Yellow Bird, and the signal fire meant she would be with
him again soon. Jolly Roger walked swiftly over the white beach. Again
he tried to tell himself what folly it all was, and that he was
answering the signal-fire only to humor Yellow Bird and Slim Buck. But
words, even spoken half aloud, did not quiet the eager beating of his
heart.

Not until he was very near did Yellow Bird come out of the tepee. And
it was then Jolly Roger stopped short, a gasp on his lips. She was
changed. Her radiant hair was still down, polished smooth; but her face
was whiter than he had ever seen it, and drawn and pinched almost as in
the days of the famine. For two days and two nights she had taken no
food, and for two days and two nights she had not slept. But there was
triumph in her big, w