ms, while her babies slept again from sheer
exhaustion. Toward sunset, she entered the Sioux camp amid great
excitement, for some one had spied her afar off, and the boys and the
dogs announced her coming.

"Whoo, whoo! Weeko's Nakpa has come back with the twins! Whoo, whoo!"
exclaimed the men. "Tokee! tokee!" cried the women.

A sister to Weeko who was in the village came forward and released the
children, as Nakpa gave a low whinny and stopped. Tenderly Zeezeewin
nursed them at her own motherly bosom, assisted by another young mother
of the band.

"Ugh, there is a Crow arrow sticking in the saddle! A fight! a fight!"
exclaimed the warriors.

"Sing a Brave-Heart song for the Long-Eared one! She has escaped alone
with her charge. She is entitled to wear an eagle's feather! Look at the
arrow in her saddle! and more, she has a knife wound in her jaw and an
arrow cut on her hind leg.--No, those are the marks of a wolf's teeth!
She has passed through many dangers and saved two chief's sons, who will
some day make the Crows sorry for this day's work!"

The speaker was an old man who thus addressed the fast gathering throng.

Zeezeewin now came forward again with an eagle feather and some white
paint in her hands. The young men rubbed Nakpa down, and the feather,
marked with red to indicate her wounds, was fastened to her mane.
Shoulders and hips were touched with red paint to show her endurance in
running. Then the crier, praising her brave deed in heroic verse, led
her around the camp, inside of the circle of teepees. All the people
stood outside their lodges and listened respectfully, for the Dakota
loves well to honor the faithful and the brave.

During the next day, riders came in from the ill-fated party, bringing
the sad news of the fight and heavy loss. Late in the afternoon came
Weeko, her face swollen with crying, her beautiful hair cut short in
mourning, her garments torn and covered with dust and blood. Her husband
had fallen in the fight, and her twin boys she supposed to have been
taken captive by the Crows. Singing in a hoarse voice the praises of her
departed warrior, she entered the camp. As she approached her sister's
teepee, there stood Nakpa, still wearing her honorable decorations. At
the same moment, Zeezeewin came out to meet her with both babies in her
arms.

"Mechinkshee! meechinkshee! (my sons, my sons!)" was all that the poor
mother could say, as she all but fell from her saddle to the grou