A singular smile played with the Crow’s lips as he gazed into the fierce faces that surrounded him, and, all at once, he shook his head and put his finger over his lips, which he drew close.
The Pawnees exchanged looks of wonder and awe. They seemed to comprehend that their visitor was a mute.
Then one of the chiefs undertook to discover the Crow’s errand, and, with a few motions of his hands, the visitor bade the Pawnees form a great circle, which was done.
Instantly new life seemed to inspire the Indian; he performed a buffalo-chase so admirably that the Pawnees clapped their hands, and made the air ring with “wewas,” their word for “good!”
The Crow’s actions told his auditors that he and a number of his countrymen had embarked upon a great buffalo-hunt, which had proved quite successful, but disastrous so far as the Indians’ welfare was concerned. They had lost a number of their party, and he had pursued the buffaloes to the borders of the Pawnee country. His comrades, grieved by the loss of two sub-chiefs, who had been killed by wounded bulls, had returned, while he had embraced the opportunity of visiting his Pawnee brethren for the first time.
His looks, his carriage, pleased the savages, and they gathered about him with delight, mingled with profound respect. The American Indian always respects an unfortunate person; they pity any one whom the Great Spirit has touched, as they express affliction in any form, and they received the mute Crow with dignified courtesy, mingled with sympathy for his loss of hearing and speech.
After performing his journey from the Crow village beyond the Black Hills to the Pawnee lodges, the Indian produced several pieces of white bark, and charcoal pencils.
Upon the former he drew the picture of a sleeping bear, and then pointed to himself.
Then he sketched Tom Kyle; held the picture up to the Pawnees, and looked inquiringly around.
This was not a strange question, for the renegade’s person and position was well known to the Crows, and it was quite natural for the Indian to inquire about the king of such a great nation as the Pawnees.