“Then shall we have no water to drink?” asked Tig.
But Arsan answered: “Now heed and I will tell thee! ’Tis not the first time I have known the water-spirits to go away. Once before I have seen this thing happen: not here, seest thou, but in another village where I dwelt once. Oh, ’twas dire! The water dried up, and there was none for man or beast. And all that we could do availed naught—ay, though we offered sacrifice of cattle, it availed naught.”
“Did the Medicine Men come then?” Tig asked.
“Ay, they came.”
“And what did they say?”
“They said it was not enough. They called to mind a custom of our fathers that was wont to be observed of old time when the gods were angry; and they chose out a youth and slew him as a sacrifice. But it availed not; the waters did not return.”
“And what did the folk do then?” Tig asked.
“What did they do? Why then at last they sought counsel of the old men that had wisdom, and knew how to make a right dwelling place for the water-spirits.”
“Was not our pond a right place for the water-spirits?” Tig asked.