will be kind to all men, and all men will
be very strong. The strength of the Nishinam
is not the strength of its strongest fighter. It is
the strength of all the Nishinam added together
that makes the Nishinam strong. We talk, you
and I, War Chief and First Man, because we are
kind one to the other, and thus we add together
our wisdom, and all the Nishinam are stronger
because we have talked.

_(A voice is heard singing. Red Cloud
holds up his hand for silence.)_

MATING SONG

{Dew-Woman}
In the morning by the river,
In the evening at the fire,
In the night when all lay sleeping,
Torn was I with life's desire.
There were stirrings 'neath my heart-beats
Of the dreams that came to me;
In my ears were whispers, voices,
Of the children yet to be.

{Red Cloud}
_(As Red Cloud sings, Dew-Woman
steals from behind a tree and approaches
him.)_

In the morning by the river
Saw I first my maid of dew,
Daughter of the dew and dawnlight,
Of the dawn and honey-dew.
She was laughter, she was sunlight,
Woman, maid, and mate, and wife;
She was sparkle, she was gladness,
She was all the song of life.

{Dew-Woman}
In the night I built my fire,
Fire that maidens foster when
In the ripe of mating season
Each builds for her man of men.

{Red Cloud}
In the night I sought her, proved her,
Found her ease, content, and rest,
After day of toil and struggle
Man's reward on woman's breast.

{Dew-Woman}
Came to me my mate and lover;
Kind the hands he laid on me;
Wooed me gently as a man may,
Father of the race to be.

{Red Cloud}
Soft her arms about me bound me,
First man of the Nishinam,
Arms as soft as dew and dawnlight,
Daughter of the Nishinam.

{Red Cloud}
She was life and she was woman!

{Dew-Woman}
He was life and he was man!

{Red Cloud} and Dew-Woman

_(Arms about each other.)_
In the dusk-time of our love-night,
There beside the marriage fire,
Proved we all the sweets of living,
In the arms of our desire.

{War Chief}
_(Angrily.)_
The councils of men are not the place for
women.

{Red Cloud}
_(Gently.)_