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At last the spectator within thought that the boy's musings were of a rather long duration, and she called out, "Sa uishe, opona!" He started and looked toward the dwelling, but saw only two black points peeping through the port-hole. Again the voice spoke, Now he became conscious that Hannay was calling him into her home.
Say watched her friend as she went to the entrance; and as Shotaye's form vanished in the dark passage Okoya emerged from it, coming toward his mother, slowly, shyly, but with a smile on his countenance. That was surely a good omen, and she anticipated the timid "guatzena" with which he was about to greet her by a warm and pleasant "raua opona."
She heard nothing; she stared vacantly; her thoughts came and went like nebulous phantoms. At last somebody entered the outer room, but the woman noticed him not. Three times the new-comer called her name; she gave no reply. At the fourth call, "Koitza!" she started at last, and faintly answered, "Opona." Zashue, her husband, entered the kitchen and good-naturedly inquired, "Are you ill?"
His first impulse was to run away, but that was only a passing thought; and it became clear to him that he had reached the place whither he was going, and furthermore that the women were alone. Without a word of reply he climbed the roof and nimbly down into the apartment. He was still on the ladder when Hannay repeated the invitation, "Opona, sa uishe."
Okoya stood up quickly and replied, "Raua opona." "What is the boy crying for?" inquired the old man. "The Corn people tried to hurt him because he threw something at one of their girls," Okoya explained. "Is that all? I heard scolding and crying going on here, and so I thought I would come and see what was the matter. Where is your yaya?"
Okoya went directly to one of the ground-floor openings, lifted the deerskin that hung over it, and called out the usual greeting, "Guatzena!" "Opona, 'come in," responded a woman's voice. Both lads obeyed the summons. At first the room seemed dark on account of the sudden contrast with the glare outside, but as soon as this first impression was overcome, it appeared moderately lighted.
"Opona," replied Shotaye, turning toward the doorway. A lithe figure crept into the cave. When near the fireplace it stood still, enabling the mistress of the dwelling to recognize the features of Say, her friend and now fully recovered patient. But how different was Say's appearance from what it was when Shotaye a few days ago saw her last?
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