ovingly. "There is medicine in his feet."

CHAPTER VI

THE MEDICINE-MAKING

When Lone Chief arrived that evening, an hour after sundown,
Sitting-Always was worse. In spite of that, her spirit was not
sufficiently broken to be pleased that Lone Chief should attend her.
However, as Little Fish had refused to come, and Lone Chief was too
great a person to offend, she had to disguise her dislike and fear of
the medicine-man as well as she could.

The tepee was so crowded with people that any one not acquainted with
Indian customs might have thought that Sitting-Always had fallen ill in
order to give a party. Dusty Star was there, of course, because his
grandmother's sickness was a very splendid entertainment, not to be
missed; but he had taken care to keep well hidden behind a couple of
parfleches, so that the sight of him might not exasperate the patient.

Lone Chief's arrival made Nikana very nervous. She wished she had not
invited three other medicine-men to attend, without first waiting to see
if Lone Chief would come. It would be so extremely awkward if they
arrived in the very middle of his medicine-making. He might not mind. On
the other hand, he might object, and be very angry. She devoutly hoped
they would not come.

Hardly taking any notice of his patient, Lone Chief began his
preparations immediately. First he placed four round stones in the fire
to get hot. While they were heating, he remained seated, looking at
nobody, with his eyes half closed. When he considered the stones were
hot enough, he uncovered his medicine drum, and held it over the fire.
Dusty Star, craning his neck round the parfleches, gazed at the drum
with wonder. It was painted yellow to represent a cloudless sky. In the
middle, a bright red ball indicated the sun. He wondered if Lone Chief
intended to put it on his grandmother's head, for a hat. When the drum
was sufficiently warmed, Lone Chief looked round on the company and
declared that he could not begin his medicine till every one except
Nikana went out. There was no use in arguing about it, because a great
medicine-man's word is law. One by one, the visitors reluctantly
withdrew. Dusty Star, in the deep shadow behind the parfleches, made
himself as small as possible, humped upon the ground.

As soon as Lone Chief had seen the last visitor, as he believed, depart,
he raised the drum, and began to sing a medicine-song, beating time, as
he sang, upon the drum. It was a very