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The shamans had given their opinions, the Shkuy was manifestly favourable to Shyuamo, but his colleague, the Hishtanyi Chayan, had spoken in a manner that restricted the point at issue to a discussion among the clans directly interested. The Histanyi Chayan was a personage of great authority, and many of those who were on the side of the Turquoise people thought his word to be law in the end.
The Hishtanyi Chayan stopped Kauaitshe, and asked him, "Have any of my brethren the yaya suffered?" Tyope's heart throbbed, and he turned his face away, so fearful was he of the reply. "The Shkuy Chayan," replied Kauaitshe, in his simple manner, "is dead. An arrow entered his eye." Tyope shivered; misfortune crowded upon misfortune. He could no longer resist inquiring. Panting, he asked,
Nearly one hundred of our people have gone over to Shipapu, and twice as many are now in the woods, hungry and forlorn, or the Moshome have taken them with them. Luckily, they are mostly women. Hardly more than twenty of the men can have died, for it may be that Okoya is still alive. Of these, sixteen were Koshare; and the Shkuy Chayan is no more." He cast a glance of sincere pity at Tyope.
"And she has succeeded!" ejaculated Tyope, in a low voice, so low that it was not heard by all. The Shkuy Chayan continued the interrogatory. Nobody else uttered a word; not even the Hishtanyi spoke for the present.
The Shkuy Chayan and the Koshare Naua had succeeded in so inveigling the principal shaman that he ordered that all the men from the Water clan, and those from Shyuamo with few exceptions, should stay at home for the protection of the women and children. That included Hayoue, of whose abilities and popularity Tyope was afraid, and saved the Turquoise people from the casualties of war.
"And when your wife was from Tzitz everybody knew that it was not you who supported her, but that she maintained you!" Loud murmurs arose, and the Shkuy Chayan called Tyame to order, so that Tyope did not have time for a reply to this insulting insinuation. Of all the clans represented three had yet to express their views. These were the clans of Yakka, of the Panther, and Shyuamo.
The Shkuy, on the other hand, was eager to develop matters; he had been secretly informed some time ago of what was known concerning the witchcraft proceedings of Shotaye, and he hated the woman more bitterly than any of his colleagues did; and as the charge was the preventing of rain-fall, it very directly affected his own functions, not more than those of the Hishtanyi, who is ex-officio rain-maker, but quite as much.
Tyope held his head erect, watching the face of the old maseua. Topanashka's features had not moved; he was looking at the Koshare Naua with an air of utter unconcern. The Hishtanyi Chayan, on the contrary, raised his head; and the expression of his features became sharp, like those of an anxious inquisitor. In the eye of the Shkuy Chayan a sinister glow appeared.
For drought not only affects the crops; it exerts quite as baneful an influence upon game; and game, as food for man, is under the special care of the Shkuy Chayan. He is the great medicine-man of the hunt. Drought artificially produced, as the Indian is convinced it can be through witchcraft, is one of the greatest calamities that can be brought upon a tribe.
He bent his head again in token that he had said as much as he cared to say for the present. Hoshkanyi Tihua then interrogated the Shkuy Chayan, who very pointedly answered, "It is good." His colleague, the Shikama Chayan, remained non-committal, saying, "It may be good, it may not be good; I do not know.
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