The twain saw that the boy's feet were bound together under the belly of the little beast which he bestrode, and they noticed, too, that the animal's head was entirely bridleless.
“He's fixed Gopher to stay with him,” whispered Midnight Jack, when an opportunity offered itself. “The little chap takes it coolly. He's getting interested in the proceedings. He has forgotten we are all here.”
Then the speaker's eyes wandered through the savage crowds that were visible on every side.
But the only white face that greeted him was Gopher Gid's. Old Tanglefoot, the gin-smuggler, was arrayed in full Indian dress, one side of his face painted blue and striped with white, the other yellow and striped with black.
Such discolouring rendered his face perfectly hideous, and his expression was not softened by his ever-restless eyes.
The ceremony of the sun-dance opened at that moment when the god of day reached the meridian.
At a given signal six young bucks sprung into the open space and seized the ropes that dangled from the top of the pole.
Gopher Gid noticed that blood was streaming in profusion from knife cuts on their backs and breasts.
Several were accompanied by friends or assistants, who assisted in passing the thongs into the gashes under the tough sinews, and out again, where they were knotted to the main ropes, so that they would not slip out.
For several hours this disgusting ceremony proceeded.