'I am preparing the mount for Cuwignaka,' I said.
'Do not be foolish,' said Grunt. 'This is your opportunity to escape. Ridewestward, like the wind. Flee.'
'I do not understand,' I said.
'Do you not see, my friend?' asked Cuwignaka. 'They have given you this chanceto escape.'
'They could doubtless follow me, tracking me, with strings of kaiila, until myown beast played out,' I said.
'Doubtless,' said Cuwignaka, 'but I do not think they will do so.'
'They are letting you go,' said Grunt.
Go now,' said Cuwignaka, 'for, later, in the main camp, others may not be solenient.'
'Go,' said Grunt. 'You would then have a fine lead on others, in the main camp,days from here, who might wish to follow you. Make good your escape now. It isdoubtless their intention.'
'But why should they permit me this?' I asked.
'I do not know,' said Grunt.
'I was told to follow,' I said, 'and I said that I would do so.»
'It was necessary that such a command be given,' said Grunt. 'None expects youto follow.'
'I said that I would,' I said.
'They will not expect a white man to keep his word,' said Grunt.
'Your word is respected in the Barren, is it not?' I asked.
'I think so,' said Grunt.
'Then so, too, will be mine,' I said.
'Run,' said Grunt. 'Do not be a fool'
'What are you going to do?' I asked.
'I am going to the main camp of the Kaiila,' he said. 'I come to this country totrade.'
'You have business in this place?' I asked.
'Yes,' said Grunt 'I too, have business in this place,' I said.
'You are mad,' said Grunt.
'Perhaps,' I said. But I had not come to the Barrens to back now.
'Get up,' said Grunt, kicking Pimples lightly in the side the side of his foot.
'We have work to do.'
'Yes, Master,' she said, rising, and smoothing down the skirt of the tiny slavetunic with the palms of her hands. She was the only one of the girls whoseclothing had not been by the red savages. The red-haired girl, Lois, Corinne,Inez, Priscilla, the others, had all been stripped. Canka had permitted her tokeep the garment, such as it was, to draw a distinction between her, who couldspeak Kaiila, and the other who could not.
To be sure, there is a controversy as to whether or not it is humiliating for awoman to be put before masters in garment or merely stark naked, save, perhaps,for a collar. Surely slave tunics leave little to the imagination. Among thegirls, of course, there is little disagreement in practice, though some intheory. The girls, only, treasure even the tiniest rag which can afford themsome shielding, however pathetic, from the imperious gaze of masters. Too, fromthe point of view of the masters, the little that might be left to theimagination, small as it is, by such a garment, is often found to be intriguingand stimulating. It encourages them to her stripping. Too, giving a girl a bitof clothing, tends to give one more control over her. For example, will she betold to remove the garment, or will it be taken from her, and if so, publicly orprivately? It must be understood, of course, that a slave, having no rights,does not have the right even to clothing. That a girl is wearing even a rag isusually a sign that she has pleased her master, and quite significantly, too.
Often the garment of a slave girl does not come easily to her. In private, ofcourse, even rags are often dispensed with. The slave is the property of themaster, and, in the privacy of his quarters, she is done with, totally, as hepleases.
'Take care of the things which were mine,' I said, 'If you would.'
'I shall,' said Grunt. Slaves, of course, own nothing. It is they who are owned.
'I think it is time to follow Canka,' I said to Cuwignaka.
'Ride from here. Escape,' said Grunt 'Mount up,' I said to Cuwignaka. He stood, unsteadily, clinging to the lance, asthough to a staff.
'I will walk,' said Cuwignaka.
'You are weak,' I said.
'I am Kaiila,' said Cuwignaka. 'I will walk.'
He took two or three faltering steps, supporting himself with the lance. Butthen, suddenly, his legs buckled. For a moment he held himself up with thelance, but then, heavily, fell to the side. Painfully, with the lance, hand overhand; he pulled himself again to his feet. He took another two or threefaltering steps, supporting himself with the lance, after Canka and the others,but then, again, fell heavily in the grass. I moved to go to him, but Grunt'shand on my arm stopped me. 'No,' he said. 'Do not demean him. He is Kaiila.'
Pimples, too, I noted, had not moved to aid him. I nodded.
Cuwignaka struggled to a seated position in the grass. He sat there,cross-legged, angrily, the lance beside him.
'I have decided to rest,' he said. 'I will sit here for a time. Then I will getup, and go.'
'Very well,' I said.
'He may not be able to walk for days,' said Grunt.
'In a day or two,' I said.
'Perhaps,' said Grunt.
'He is Kaiila,' I said.
'That is true,' said Grunt, smiling. Then he turned to Pimples. 'Busy yourself,Girl,' he said. 'Pack our stores. A trail awaits.'
'Yes, Master,' she said.
I lent my assistance to Grunt and Pimples, and, in a few Ehn, we had secured thegoods about either on the travois attached to Grunt's pack kaiila or on my ownpack beast. Pimples put the discarded coffle chains, and the manacles, which hadbound the Hobarts, on the hides of the travois, fastening them about one of thetie ropes.
'I wish you well,' I said to Grunt.
'I wish you well,' said he to me.
I watched Grunt and Pimples, with the three kaiila, his mount, the kaiiladrawing the travois and my own pack beast, wending their way away, through thetall grass. They turned and waved, and I waved back. Then, after a time, theywere in the distance, following the trail of Canka and his party. I could seethe smoke of evening fires in the distance. That was presumably the Kaiila camp.
Canka had not tethered Winyela. He had let her run free at the flank of hiskaiila. That seemed an unusual courtesy to be extended to a new girl. I smiledto myself. I suspected the young warrior might already care for the red-hairedslave. I did not think he would be eager to surrender her to Mahpiyasapa, hischieftain.
'What are you thinking of?' asked Cuwignaka.
'Various things,' I said.
'If you are not going to flee,' said Cuwignaka; 'perhaps you should followCanka, now.'
'I will wait for you,' I told him.
'I may sit here for a little while,' he said.
I smiled. 'I will wait,' I said.
'The lot of a slave among the Kaiila, as among our peoples generally,' saidCuwignaka, 'is not an easy one.'
'I do not suppose so,' I said.
'At least you are not a female,' said Cuwignaka. 'The Kaiila, as others of ourpeoples, do not treat their white beauties with gentleness.'
I nodded. I supposed not.
Total pleasingness, at all times and in all ways, and instant, and completeobedience, to the least whim of the master, is standardly required of Goreanfemale slaves, incidentally, not merely of those who wear the collars of redsavages. I had little doubt but what there were many in the cities who couldinstruct even the red savages in matters pertaining to the utilization,management and control of female slaves. If anything, I suspected that the
