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"I will carry the girl to the camp of mine enemy," continued the chief, "and deliver her to her father." "My son is a fool," said Umqua. "Wise, and a fool! Can that be possible, mother?" returned the chief with a slight smile. "Yes, quite possible," said the woman promptly. "Man can be wise at one time, foolish at another wise in one act, foolish in another. To take Moonlight to your tent is wise.
Catching sight of her friend, however, she gave vent to another shriek with deeper delight in it, and, bounding towards her, sprang into her arms. Regarding this open display of affection with some surprise, and rightly ascribing it to the influence of white blood in Bounding Bull's camp, Umqua asked Eaglenose's mother if the men were getting ready to go on the war-path. "I know not.
"I want not sleep, mother," replied the chief in figurative language; "it is not the bursting gun that has wounded me, but a spear of light a moonbeam." "Moonlight!" exclaimed Umqua, with sudden intelligence. "Even so, mother; Rushing River has at last found a mate in Moonlight." "My son is wise," said Umqua.
"The mother of Eaglenose is not such a fool as the rest of them," said Umqua, in a slightly softer tone; "but why does my son talk foolishness about going to the tents of his enemy, and giving up a girl who it is easy to see is good and wise and true, and a hard worker, and not a fool?" "Listen, mother. It is because Moonlight is all that you say, and much more, that I shall send her home.
Rushing River will be the same man no more. He has been hit in his heart." "I think not, my son," returned Umqua, looking somewhat anxious. "A piece of the bad gun struck the head of Rushing River, but his breast is sound. Perhaps he is yet stunned, and had better sleep again."
Most of the other women in the camp were at the place where the buffalo were being cut up and dried and converted into pemmican. "Mother," said Rushing River, who in reality had been more stunned than injured excepting, of course, the little finger, which was indeed gone past recovery. "My son," said Umqua, looking attentively in the chief's eyes. "The eagle has been brought down at last.
Umqua has no choice but to obey." She could say no more, but, after another prolonged hug, ran rapidly away. Hitherto Eaglenose had stood motionless, looking on, with his arms folded.
Those, however, to the south of the Columbia, about the waters of the rivers Klamet and Umqua, partake largely of the characteristics of the Indians of the plains, their country having prairies, and themselves possessing horses: they are remarkable for nothing but their determined hostility towards the Whites.
The chief was likewise restored, excepting the stump of the little finger, which was still bandaged. Umqua had been prevailed on to accompany her son, and it is only just to the poor woman to add that she believed herself to be riding to a martyr's doom. The chief however, did not think so, else he would not have asked her to accompany him.
"Are you the child of the little pale-face whose name extends from the regions of snow to the lands of the hot sun?" "I am," replied Moonlight, with a look of pride quite equal to and rather more lovely than that of the old woman. "Ha!" exclaimed Umqua, "you are a lucky girl. I see by my son's look and manner that he intends to take you for his wife.
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