'I cannot undo the knot,' she said, tears in her eyes. 'You have tied it too tightly!'
I handed the reins of the tarn to Cuwignaka. I crouched down beside the girl.
'I have tried,' she said. 'I have tried! Please, don't whip me!'
I unfastened the knot.
'Thank you, Master!' she said.
'Quickly now, to your work,' I said.
'Yes, Master!' she said. 'Oh!' she cried, in surprise and pain. I had sped her on her way with a proprietary slap.
I turned, grinning, to face Cuwignaka and Hci. Cuwignaka, not unwillingly, returned the reins of the tarn to me.
'Can you ride such a beast as this, truly, Tatankasa?' asked Hci.
'Yes,' I said.
'It amazes me that such a thing can be done,' he said.
'It can be done,' I assured him.
'Perhaps the Kinyanpi have some special medicine, some special powers,' he said.
'No,' I said. 'They are men, such as you and me.'
'The back of the bird, the feathers, are drenched with blood,' he said.
'It is dried now,' I said.
'It is not yet that dry,' he said, pinching some between his fingers. There was a reddish smudge there, not a brownish-red poweder.
'You are right,' I granted him.
'This was done, then, not so long ago,' he said.
'That is true,' I said. I had not seen any reason, earlier, to point this out.
'The rider,' he said, 'surely only something from the medicine world could have done that to him. It is like finding only a foot in a moccasin.'
'Are you afraid?' I asked.
'Yes,' said Hci.
'I find that hard to believe,' I said.
'You know what it is that I fear, do you not, Cuwignaka, Mitokola?' asked Hci.
'Yes,' said Cuwignaka.
'What?' I asked Cuwignaka.
'It is nothing,' said Cuwignaka. 'It is only a matter of myth.'
'What?' I asked.
'He fears that it could only have been the work of Wakanglisapa,' said Cuwignaka.
'Wakanglisapa?' I asked.
'Yes, Wakanglisapa, 'Black Lightning, the Medicine Tar,' said Cuwignaka.
'That is foolish, Hci, my friend,' I said.
'I do not think so,' he said. 'While I crouched in the grass, awaiting the landing of the tarn, I found something. I would like to show it to you.'
Neither Cuwignaka nor myself spoke. We watched Hci return to the place in the grass where he had waited, bow ready, for the landing of the tarn. In a moment or two he had returned to where we stood.
In his hands he carried a large feather.
'It is black,' said Cuwignaka.
'There are many black tarns,' I said.
'Consider its size, Tatnkasa, Mitakola,' said Cuwignaka, in awe.
'It is large,' I granted him. It was some five feet in length. It could only have come from a very large tarn.
'It is the feather of Wakanglisapa, the Medicine Tarn,' said Hci.
'There is no such beast,' I said.
'This is his feather,' said Hci.
I said nothing.
Hci examined the skies. 'Even now,' he said, 'Wakanglishapa may be watching us.'
I, too, scanned the skies. 'The skies seem clear,' I said.
'The beasts of the medicine world,' said Hci, 'may appear, or not, as they please.'
'Do not be foolish my friend,' I said.
Hci thrust the feather down, like a lance, in the dirt. I looked at it. Its barbs moved in the wind.
'Let us draw the travois ourselves,' said Hci. 'It will save time.'
'Cuwignaka and I will draw it, after we have tied the reins of this tarn to one of the poles,' I said. 'You go ahead, to fetch the kaiila, and then meet us.'
'I think it will be better if we all remain together,' said Hci.
'You feel there is danger?' I asked.
'Great danger,' said Hci.
'We shall wait then, too, for the slave,' I said.
'It is well, unless we wish to risk losing her,' said Hci.
'Let us not risk losing her,' I said. 'She may be worth as much as a kaiila.'
'Yes,' said Hci. It seemed not improbable that the former Lady Mira of Venna might bright that much in a bartering.
In a few moments the slave had joined us. She had worked swiftly. She had not needed to be hastened with blows.
'It is not necessary to tie me by the neck to a travois pole, Master,' she said.
I slapped her, snapping her head to the side.
'Forgive me, Master,' she said.
'It seems you still have much to learn about being a slave,' I said.
'I am eager to learn,' she said, her head down.
'I will help,' said Hci.
'No,' I said. 'Your wound might open.'
'I will keep watch on the skies then,' said Hci.
'Good,' I said.
'What are you doing?' asked Hci.
I had uprooted the feather and placed it on the travois, with the bound tarn.
'I am taking the feather,' I said. 'It may prove useful.'
'I do not know if that is wise, Tatankasa,' said Hci. He shuddered.
'It is all right,' I said. 'I have an idea.' If Hci were convinced that such a feather was that of the fabled medicine tarn, Wakanglisapa, perhaps others, too, might so regard it.
I checked that the reins of the unbound tarn were bound securely to the right travois pole, looking forward. I then checked the slave's rope, that it was securely bound on the left travois pole, looking forward, and that a smiliar, uncompromising security was manifested in the neck-knot, at the other end of the rope, under the girl's chin.
'The knots are tight. I am well tethered, Master,' she said. When my hands were at the knot she suddenly, desperately, licked and kissed at my wrists. Her eyes looked at me, eseechingly. She lifted her lips to mine. I took her nude, tethered body in my arms. It is glorious to kiss a slave, a woman one owns.
'Let us be on our way, Tatankasa,' said Cuwignaka.
'Yes,' I said. I disengaged myself from the slave, and slipped into the harness beside Cuwignaka. We would draw the travois tegether. We did not enter the girl inot the harness. We did not wish to be slowed by her shorter steps and lesser strength. I did not doubt, however, that the girl, not having to pull, would be ale to keep up with us. If nothing else the neck tether and blows from Hci would see to it.
'Do you see anything Hci?' asked Cuwignaka.
'No,' said Hci.
'You do not believe in Wakanglisapa, do you?' I asked Cuwignaka.
