om the camp of
Black Cloud an' starts on her journey to be a new wife to a new husband.

"Sunbright is a mile from camp when she's interrupted. It's Black
Cloud who heads her off. Black Cloud may not be the boss medicine man,
but he's no fool, an' his eyes is like a wolf's eyes an' can see in the
dark. He guesses the new love which has stampeded Sunbright.

"Injuns is a mighty cur'ous outfit. Now if Sunbright had succeeded in
gettin' to the lodge of her new husband, the divorce between her an'
Black Cloud would have been complete. Moreover, if on the day
followin' or at any time Black Cloud had found her thar, he wouldn't so
much as have wagged a y'ear or batted a eye in recognition. He
wouldn't have let on he ever hears of a squaw called 'Sunbright.' This
ca'mness would be born of two causes. It would be ag'in Injun
etiquette to go trackin' about makin' a onseemly uproar an' disturbin'
the gen'ral peace for purely private causes. Then ag'in it would be
beneath the dignity of a high grade savage an' a big medicine sharp to
conduct himse'f like he'd miss so trivial a thing as a squaw.

"But ontil Sunbright fulfils her elopement projects an' establishes
herse'f onder the protectin' wing of her new love, she's runnin' resks.
She's still the Black Cloud's squaw; an' after she pulls her marital
picket pin an' while she's gettin' away, if the bereaved Black Cloud
crosses up with her he's free, onder the license permitted to Injun
husbands, to kill her an' skelp her an' dispose of her as consists best
with his moods.

"Sunbright knows this; an' when she runs ag'in the Black Cloud in her
flight, she seats herse'f in the long prairie grass an' covers her head
with her blanket an' speaks never a word.

"'Does Sunbright so love me,' says Black Cloud, turnin' aheap ugly,
'that she comes to meet me? Is it for me she has combed her h'ar an'
put on a new feather an' beads? Does she wear her new blanket an'
paint her face bright for Black Cloud? Or does she dress herse'f like
the sun for that Creek coyote, the Lance?'" Sunbright makes no reply,
Black Cloud looks at her a moment an' then goes on: "It's for the
Lance! Good! I will fix the Sunbright so she will be a good squaw to
my friend, the Lance, an' never run from his lodge as she does now from
Black Cloud's.' With that he stoops down, an' a slash of his knife
cuts the heel-tendons of Sunbright's right foot. She groans, and
writhes about the prairie, while Blac