“Because he killed our cow. He wanted to bring us a deer, and Sempronia got in his way. A new cow will cost about two hundred, and I’m going to let you pay for it. You may have my island if you won’t ask Ojeeg for his.”
“How did you know I was after Keego?”
“Ojeeg told me.”
“I’m sorry not to be able to oblige you. I am going up to the house this minute to close the deal.”
“Then I’m going with you and try to ruin it.”
They walked up to the house and were admitted by the sad little wife, who had been named Little Red Leaf by the Red Leaf herself, because she had started life as a very rosy baby. The roses were all gone now.
They were conducted into the front room, where Penaycee had coughed her life away. There sat the Bright River, Wassa-je-wunequay, and beside her the Little Pine. The old woman’s face was weathered like the granite she dwelt among, but a pencil of sunlight swept across it as she saw the Humming-Bird approach with the Bear.
Marvin and Jean seated themselves upon an ugly red plush sofa, and sat there in silence as if waiting for a funeral to begin. Presently in walked the man that was.
The Bright River beckoned to the Humming-Bird, and Jean went over and let her whisper something. It was to the effect that the English letters l and r were too hard to pronounce, and that the Humming-Bird must translate.
Then the Bright River began to speak in Ojibway, very slowly, as the ice begins to move in the spring. Jean translated paragraph by paragraph, keeping the dignity of the original as well as she could.