Part 47 (2/2)
”You hear no news at the settlement?”
Musq'oosis laughed and took pity on her. He told her his story, suppressing only certain facts that he considered it unwise for her to know.
”I glad the men mak' mock of Sam,” she said bitterly. ”Maybe he get some sense now.”
”Well, he all right now,” observed Musq'oosis.
”All right!” she cried. ”I guess he more foolish than before, now he got a team. I guess he think he bigges' man in the country.”
Musq'oosis stared at her. ”W'at's the matter wit' you? You send me all the way to get him team. Now you let on you mad 'cause he got it.”
”I didn't send you,” contradicted Bela. ”You say yourself you go.”
”I go because you say you got go if I don't go. I don't want you to mak' anot'er fool lak before. I go for 'cause you promise me you stay here.”
It was impossible for poor Bela to justify her contradictions, so she kept silent.
”You lak a woman, all right,” declared Musq'oosis scornfully.
Bela had an idea that she could obtain a freer account of what was happening at the settlement from Jeresis or Hooliam, but pride would not allow her to apply directly to them.
Whenever she saw either of the boys making the centre of a group she managed to invent some business in the neighbourhood. But the talk always became constrained at her approach, and she learned nothing.
The youngsters of the tribe were afraid of Bela. This had the effect of confirming her suspicion that there was something she needed to learn.
Word was pa.s.sed around camp that there would be a ”singing” on the lake sh.o.r.e that night. Bela, who had her own ideas about singing, despised the crude chanting of her relatives and the monotonous accompaniment of the ”stick-kettle”; nevertheless, she decided to attend on this occasion.
Waiting until the party was well under way, she joined it unostentatiously and sat down in the outer circle of women. None but those immediately around her saw her come.
These parties last all night or near it. It needs darkness to give the wild part-song its full effect, and to inspire the drummers to produce a voice of awe from the muttering tom-toms. They work up slowly.
During a pause in the singing, while the drummer held his stick-kettle over the fire to contract the skin, some one asked Jeresis if he had seen Bela's white man. This was what she was waiting for. She listened breathlessly.
”Yes,” answered Jeresis.
”Is he big, fine man?”
”No, middle-size man. Not much. Other men call him white slave, 'cause Bela take him away.”
”Bela is crazy,” said another.
The speakers were unaware that she was present. The women around her eyed her curiously. Bela smiled disdainfully for their benefit.
”Other woman got him now,” Jeresis went on indifferently.
The smile froze on Bela's face. A red-hot needle seemed thrust into her breast.
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