(She stoops to the gifts, but hesitates.) Who is this that comes?
(The young girls steal up noiselessly through the bushes, led by the Chief's daughter. Bright Water is lovely and young; her hair, flowing loosely over her shoulders and breast, is mingled with strings of beads and bright berries. Her dress of fringed buckskin is heavily beaded, her arms are weighted with armlets of silver and carved beads of turquoise; about her neck hangs a disk of glittering shell. She walks proudly, a little in advance of the others, who bunch up timidly like quail on the trail, behind her. The women, catching sight of the girls, spring up, frightened, and stand half protectingly between them and the Chisera.)
It is the Chief's daughter.
What do you here? You have neither sons nor husbands that you should ask spells and charms.
How, then, shall we have husbands or sons, if the battle goes against us?
Well answered, Chief's daughter.
(Surprised.) You know me?
I have heard that the loveliest maiden of Sagharawite is called Bright Water, daughter of Rain Wind, Chief of the Paiutes.
(Going over to Bright Water.) You should have stayed in the wickiup, my daughter; you are too young to go seeking magic medicine.
The more need because we are young, mother. If the loss of battle come to you, at least you have had the love of a man and the lips of children at the breast. But we, if the battle goes against us, what have we?
Ay, truly, Seegooche, there are no joys so hard to do without as those we have not had.
Therefore, we ask a charm, Chisera, for our sweethearts; and, in the mean time, may this remind you —
(She drops a bracelet in the Chisera's basket.)
(Going forward.) The scarlet beads from me, Chisera. I am to be married in the time of tasseling corn.
The shells from me, Chisera. Good medicine!
Strong Bow is my lover, Chisera. Bring him safe home again.
(The girls retire after dropping their gifts in the Chisera's basket.)
(A little stiffly.) You have no need of gifts. Am I not young, even as you? Should you pray for your lover any more or less for the sake of a few beads?
(Anxiously.) Be not angry, Chisera. They would repay you for the dancing and the singing.
(The Chisera gathers up the gifts that the older women have brought and goes into the hut. The girls take up their gifts, puzzled.)
I am afraid you have vexed her with your foolish quest.
Has the Chisera a lover also, that she speak so?
It is not possible and we not know of it, for since her father's death if any sought her hand in marriage, he must come to my husband in the matter of dowry.
No fear that any will come while she is still the Chisera.
She is the wisest of us all.
Wisdom is good as a guest, but it wears out its welcome when it sits by the hearth-stone.
She has great power with the gods.
So much so that if she had a husband, he dare not beat her lest she run and tattle to them.
She is our Chisera, and there is not another like her between Tehachappi and Tecuya. If she were wearied with stooping and sweating, if she were anxious with bearing and rearing, how could she go before the gods for us?
Aye, that is the talk in the wickiups, that we must hold her apart from us to give her room for her great offices, but I have always said – but I am old and nobody minds me – I have always said that if she had loved as we love and had borne as we have borne, she would be the more fitted to entreat the gods that we may not lose.
(As the Chisera comes out of the hut.) If you are angry, Chisera, turn it against our enemies of Castac.
You know that I cannot curse.
Is it true, Chisera, that you make no bad medicine?
Many kinds of sickness I can cure, and give easy childbirth. I can bring rain, and give fortune in the hunt, but of the making of evil spells I know nothing.
But your father, the medicine man – he was the dread and wonder of the tribes.
Aye, my father could kill by a spell, and make a wasting sickness with a frown, but he thought such powers not proper to women: therefore he taught me none.
But you will bring a blessing on the battle? Oh, Chisera, they do not tell us women, but we hear it whispered about the camp that the men of Castac are five and twenty, and even with the youths who go to their first battle we cannot make a score of ours. It is the Friend of the Soul of Man must make good our numbers.
Even now I go to prepare strong medicine.
Come away, then, and leave the Chisera to her work. (Going.)
May the gods befriend you. If we have your blessing, we care little for another's curse. (Going.)
Stay. After all, we are but women together, and if a woman may give counsel, women may hear it.
Would we might hear yours to-day!
When the smoke of the medicine fire arises, so as to be seen from the spring, do you come up along the creek as far as the black rock.
Yes, yes!
When you hear the medicine rattles, stand off by the toyon.
By the toyon – yes!
But when the rattles are stopped, and the singing falls off, come up very softly, not to disturb the Council, and hear what the gods have said. If the men speak against it, I will stand for you.
Our thanks to you, Chisera, for this kindness.
And though you are a Chisera, and have strange intercourse with the gods, I know you a woman, by this token.
