"If they propose," he said, "I'll offer good old Dr. Inmutanka in my
place. He's nearer their age, and with his medical skill he'll be able
to take care of them."

"Inmutanka never had a wife. He always what you call in your language
bachelor. Too late to change now."

"But since you've raised this question I'll insist," said Will
formidably. "You've been a bachelor too long, and you a great medical
man too. Men are scarce in this village, and you must have at least a
dozen wives."

"You stop, I stop," said Inmutanka in a tone of entreaty.

"Very good, honored foster-father. It's a closed subject forever. I
don't think I'd care to have a dozen stepmothers just now."

The cold remained intense. Everything was frozen up, but game,
nevertheless, still wandered into the valley and the warriors
continually hunted it. All their bullets, never in great supply, had
been fired away in the battle with the wolves, and they relied now upon
bow and arrow. Two of the old warriors, attacking a fierce grizzly with
these weapons, were slain by it, and though a party led by Xingudan,
with Will as one of his lieutenants, killed the monster, there was
mourning in the village for several days. Then it ceased abruptly. The
dead were the dead. They had gone to the happy hunting grounds, where in
time all must go, and it was foolish and unmanly to mourn so long. Will
did not believe that the primitive retain grief as the civilized do. It
was a provision to protect those among whom life was so uncertain.

A few days later a warrior of the Sioux nation arrived in the valley,
suffering from a wound and on the point of death from cold and
starvation. He was put in one of the warmest lodges, his wounds were
dressed carefully and when he had revived sufficiently he asked for the
old chief, Xingudan.

"I was hurt in battle with the white men many, many days' journey away,"
he said, "and the great chief Heraka, knowing I would not be fit for
march and fight for a long time, sent me here to recover and he also
sent with me a message for you."

"What was the message, Roka (Badger)?"

"It was in regard to the white youth, Wayaka, our prisoner."

"Wayaka has become Waditaka, owing to his great bravery. With only a
spear he fought and slew a monstrous grizzly bear that would have killed
me the next instant. When we drove off the huge pack of giant mountain
wolves his service was the greatest."

"Even so, Xingudan. Those are brave deeds, but t