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But all he wanted at that tune was to keep Opata from being elected in his father's place, and Opata, who understood this perfectly, was very angry. "'It is the custom, he said, 'when a chief sleeps in the High Places, he meant the hilltops where they left their dead on poles or tied to the tree branches, 'that we elect another to his place in the Council.
The Five Chiefs walked each in front of his own village, except that Taku-Wakin's own walked after Opata, and there were two of the Turtle clan, each with his own head man, and two under Apunkewis. Before all walked Taku-Wakin holding a peeled stick upright and seeing the end of the trail, but not what lay close in front of him.
It was the shadow of Taku-Wakin's bare legs. Then I knew why Opata smelled of mischief when he had caught snakes in the lagoon. But I was afraid to speak, for I saw that if Taku moved the snake would strike, and there is no cure for the bite of the snake called Silver Moccasin.
In 1822 San Gabriel was fearfully alarmed at the rumor that one hundred and fifty Indians were bearing down upon that Mission from the Colorado River region. It transpired that it was an Opata with despatches, and that the company had no hostile intent. But Captain Portilla met them and sent them back, not a little disconcerted by their inhospitable reception.
Like it, they would be thrown and come back to the hand of Taku-Wakin for his own purposes. "He was a clever man, was Opata. He was a fine tall man, beaked like an eagle, and as he moved about in the clear space by the fire, making a pantomime of all he said, as their way is in speech-making, he began to take hold on the minds of the people.
You shall find me the trail of the Talking Stick, and I, Taku, son of Long-Hand, shall lead the people. "'In six moons, I told him, 'the Grass-Eaters go to the Islands to calve "'In which time, said Taku, 'the chiefs will have quarreled six times, and Opata will have eaten me. Drive them, Arrumpa, drive them! "Umph, uh-ump!" chuckled the old beast reminiscently. "We drove; we drove.
If I had but a Sign to keep them from making Opata chief... So he drummed on my head with his heels while I leaned against the Arch Rock oh, yes, I can sleep very comfortably, standing and the moon slid down the hill until it shone clear under the rock and touched the feathered butts of the arrows. Then Taku woke me. "'Up, put me up, Arrumpa!
"'Beast of a bad heart, he said, 'did I not tell you that to-morrow the moon is full and the Five Chiefs hold Council? So he had, but my thick wits had made nothing of it. 'If you leave me this night, said Taku, 'then they will say that my Medicine has left me and my father's place will be given to Opata.
It was sign enough for them that the son of Long-Hand played unhurt with arrows that had been given to the gods. Taku stretched his hand to Opata, 'Is it agreed, O Chief? "'So long as the tribe comes to no harm, said Opata, making the best of a bad business. 'It shall be kept until Long-Hand or his Talking Rod comes back to us.
Thus I watched, while Taku-Wakin played for his life with the people's minds, and Opata watched neither the people nor him, but the unstopped mouth of the water-bottle. "I looked where Opata looked, for I said to myself, from that point comes the mischief, and looking I saw a streak of silver pour out of the mouth of the bottle and coil and lift and make as a snake will for the nearest shadow.
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