After that he went aside and said to Tsanunewa, “If you like this woman, I will let you go with her; if you do not wish to go, I will keep you.”
“I will not go with her; she would kill me on the road. She wants to kill me; that’s why she is hunting me, that’s why she came here.”
“Bring out that boy!” cried Hehku; “I want to see him. I want to go home; I want to take him home with me.”
“This is a bad woman. I have heard much of her. Give her the boy, put him down; let us see what she will do with him,” said each of those present.
But Jupka kept Tsanunewa hidden, would not give him up.
“I know that woman,” repeated each of the Mapchemaina: “she is bad. When she is angry, fire flashes from her body. She kills every one. You would better let the boy go and save us.”
“Spread robes out,” said Jupka. “Let her come in here; let her sit down. We will hear what she says.”
Jupka rubbed the boy’s face and body, made him smooth, and from being small he was large, full-grown, and very beautiful. Jupka seated him on the robe. Every one could see him.
Hehku came in and sat on the robe. When she took her place, fire flashed from her through the whole sweat-house. She took off her cap made of skulls and put it at her side.
The people looked down. All were afraid except Jupka. They thought she would kill them right there in a moment. When Jupka saw the fire, he took tobacco from a small pouch which he kept in his ear, and while lying stretched out he began to smoke without putting fire on his pipe. The tobacco burned when he drew his breath through it. The smoke rose and then settled down. It grew dark in the sweat-house, and the fire from Hehku’s body died away. She stopped her mouth and nose so as not to breathe Jupka’s smoke.