from the disuse
of years.

"Ay, it is Neepoosa," the old woman replied, drawing her inside the
tent, and despatching a boy, hot-footed, on some errand. They sat down
together on the floor, and she patted Frona's hand lovingly, peering,
meanwhile, blear-eyed and misty, into her face. "Ay, it is Neepoosa,
grown old quickly after the manner of our women. Neepoosa, who dandled
thee in her arms when thou wast a child. Neepoosa, who gave thee thy
name, Tenas Hee-Hee. Who fought for thee with Death when thou wast
ailing; and gathered growing things from the woods and grasses of the
earth and made of them tea, and gave thee to drink. But I mark little
change, for I knew thee at once. It was thy very shadow on the ground
that made me lift my head. A little change, mayhap. Tall thou art,
and like a slender willow in thy grace, and the sun has kissed thy
cheeks more lightly of the years; but there is the old hair, flying
wild and of the color of the brown seaweed floating on the tide, and
the mouth, quick to laugh and loth to cry. And the eyes are as clear
and true as in the days when Neepoosa chid thee for wrong-doing, and
thou wouldst not put false words upon thy tongue. Ai! Ai! Not as
thou art the other women who come now into the land!"

"And why is a white woman without honor among you?" Frona demanded.
"Your men say evil things to me in the camp, and as I came through the
woods, even the boys. Not in the old days, when I played with them,
was this shame so."

"Ai! Ai!" Neepoosa made answer. "It is so. But do not blame them.
Pour not thine anger upon their heads. For it is true it is the fault
of thy women who come into the land these days. They can point to no
man and say, 'That is my man.' And it is not good that women should he
thus. And they look upon all men, bold-eyed and shameless, and their
tongues are unclean, and their hearts bad. Wherefore are thy women
without honor among us. As for the boys, they are but boys. And the
men; how should they know?"

The tent-flaps were poked aside and an old man came in. He grunted to
Frona and sat down. Only a certain eager alertness showed the delight
he took in her presence.

"So Tenas Hee-Hee has come back in these bad days," he vouchsafed in a
shrill, quavering voice.

"And why bad days, Muskim?" Frona asked. "Do not the women wear
brighter colors? Are not the bellies fuller with flour and bacon and
white man's grub? Do not the young men co