g to see how she was feeling and exclaimed in
delight at the statuettes. Hinpoha held up her hand warningly,
for Migwan was asleep. Sahwah promptly fell to making hand signs
of admiration. Hinpoha laughed at her antics, and falling into
her mood, arrayed her figures in a semicircle on the ground, and
sitting cross-legged behind them, made a gesture to intimate that
they were for sale. Sahwah sat down and signalled that she had
come to buy. She indicated several that she would like to have
and Hinpoha held up fingers for the price. Nyoda came along and
watched them with keen amusement; Gladys looked on uncomprehendingly.
Sahwah purchased the Winnebagos in effigy, paying for them with
pebbles, and making hand signs to the effect that she considered
them a bargain at the price. Finally there was only one left.
This was Gladys. Sahwah refused to purchase. Hinpoha lowered her
price step by step, but Sahwah waved her away. The other girls,
crowding around to see the fun, caught on and giggled.
"What's the joke?" asked Gladys. Nobody answered. Finding the
eyes of several girls fixed on her, Gladys flushed. "It's
something about me," she cried passionately. "I know it's
something about me. You know I can't understand your old signs
and motions and you can talk about me all you want. I hate you!"
she cried, bursting into tears. "I'm going home to-morrow!"
Sahwah sprang to her feet, the realization of what she had done
knocking her speechless. One look at Nyoda's pained and
surprised face upset her completely and she rushed off to the
woods by herself. With rare tact Nyoda smoothed over the
difficult situation confronting her. It was no use to pass the
thing over as a misunderstanding on Gladys's part, for Sahwah's
flight condemned her. Putting her arm around Gladys, she led her
down to the dock and into the launch. She set the engine going
at full speed, sending the small craft through the water like a
torpedo, the spray dashing over the bow and drenching them both.
The excitement of this mad flight through the water made Gladys
forget her hurt feelings. She watched Nyoda, fascinated. Nyoda
was of a decided athletic build, tall and broad-shouldered, with
black hair and dark eyes, and high color. She was the picture of
health and joyousness as she stood at the wheel of the launch,
her hair streaming out in the wind, her eyes sparkling with
excitement. Gladys had a real admiration for Nyoda, which was
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