. Only Simwa shall have nothing but his own wit and the work of
his hands, and by what befalls, you shall know the truth.

BRIGHT WATER

By this I know the truth! You never loved him, or you would not now
betray him.

THE CHISERA

(_Moving toward the trail._) And you, Bright Water, that think to lie
in your husband's arms this night, know that I have lain there before
you. And you shall not dare to laugh as a bride laughs, lest it be to
him my voice in the dusk; and if he turns and sighs in his sleep, you
shall wonder if he dreams of the Chisera. Long and anxiously you
shall look in the trail when he is late from the hunt, and the men
shall mock him that he could not keep the blessing he had got.
(BRIGHT WATER _turns despairingly and sinks on the ground, holding
her mother by the knees and sobbing bitterly. All the Indians draw
away from_ SIMWA, _leaving him standing, discomfited, in the middle
of the camp. All look with awe and dread at the_ CHISERA. _She
produces a small medicine stick from under her blanket and twirls it
with menace. Going._) As for you, Arrow-Maker of Sagharawite, though
I cannot curse, yet am I the friend of the gods, and they have regard
to me. Look well to yourself, Simwa. Look well.

CURTAIN

ACT THIRD

ACT THIRD

TIME.--_One year later._

SCENE.--_The top of Toorape, where the tribe has been driven by their
enemies of Tecuya. The women and children hide in holes in the rocks.
Off to the right on a jutting boulder, against the sky, stands_ YAVI,
_as sentinel; two or three wounded lie about. Crouching over the fire
are_ SEEGOOCHE, WACOBA, _and_ TIAWA, _showing in their dress and
appearance the marks of a year of distress, as do all the others as
they appear upon the scene._

YAVI

(_To them._) St--st!

WACOBA

(_Rising._) Some one on the trail!

SEEGOOCHE

What is it?

WACOBA

(_To her._) Hush!

YAVI

The Sparrow Hawk!

SEEGOOCHE

News from the Fighting Men!

TIAWA

The gods grant it be good news!

(PADAHOON, _weary and with disordered dress, comes clambering up
the face of the cliff._)

YAVI

(_Calling down in a whisper._) What news?

TIAWA

Are the gods still against us?

PADAHOON

As they have been since the day the Chisera took away her blessing
from the war leader.

WOMEN

(_Wailing._) Ai! Ai!

(_Others come out of the rocks to join in the general grief._)

WACOBA

Could you but p