People of the Fire(26)

Whhhaaaaahh! the sound carried on the still air.

"Pretty good, huh?" Three Toes grinned happily.

"So you can sound like a dying jackrabbit. That's important? It'd be better if you could smell like a buffalo cow in heat!"

Three Toes went back to his work, lifting a shoulder in a shrug. "You'd be surprised. Coyotes, skunks, badgers, weasels, wolves, lots of things come to a dying-rabbit call."

"Great! The answer to hunger in the camps. We can eat skunks and badgers. Wolf is sacred and must never be eaten, and coyote tastes like . . . like . . . Well, I've never been that hungry."

Three Toes frowned at his point, lifting it to the light, squinting along the flake-rippled surface, peering closely for any flaws he might have missed, for any cracks he'd made in the manufacture.

"I don't know. Them jackrabbits, they can get pretty mean sometimes, turn around in a trap and charge you."

Black Crow settled on his haunches, fingers clasped before him. "And you're worried? Remember the buffalo trap up on Red Water Creek? Remember when that big bull ran over Black Bird and charged down snorting and blowing snot all over? I 've never seen a man go over the corral as fast as you did! People Ye still laughing about the way you landed face-first in the—"

"Hey! Look! I'm alive and in one piece. Black Bird still can't breathe right after that bull stepped on his chest and broke all them ribs."

“Yeah, but you'd have saved yourself a lot of grief if you hadn't landed facefirst in the—-"

“Okay! So buffalo get scared. They make those runny piles when they get scared!"

Black Crow grinned, dark eyes twinkling. “Let's see if my mind serves me. Seems to me, that wasn't the only runny pile-"

“I get scared, too!"

They both stood as Hungry Bull came trotting in, deep chest rising and falling as he slowed to a stop, grinning uncertainly.

“Well?" Black Crow and Three Toes cried at once.

Walking forward, Hungry Bull puffed and shook his head. “No game. But ... I guess we're in trouble."

“Why don't I like the way he says that?" Three Toes grunted, half to himself.

“What kind of trouble? Anit'ah?"

Hungry Bull shook himself, as if to clear his thoughts, and walked to the gut water sack. He lifted it to his lips, draining a hand's section. Dragging a forearm over his mouth, he turned. “Not Anit'ah. You've heard of White Calf? It all happened this morning. ..." And the story unfolded.

“Monster Bone Springs?" Black Crow wondered, from where he squatted on his haunches. “White Calf, the witch. wants us to meet her at Monster Bone Springs at dark?"

Three Toes scratched at the back of his head, staring skeptically at Hungry Bull. He's always been sane before this. Not only that, he hates the idea of fooling around with Spirit Power. He even denies he has bad dreams at night!

“I guess I've got to go. You don't have to. I guess I should have just done that in the beginning. Just gone with her. I mean . . . well, you might get ghost-sick or something. I don't know. I don't like spirit stuff."

Black Crow had been frowning into the thin patterns of smoke rising from the fire pit. "And if we just run? Maybe Heavy Beaver could ..."

"I don't think so." Hungry Bull's features had fallen. "She didn't seem the least bit worried about him."

"If she's been that close to you, she's got a hold of our soul," Three Toes decided. "Maybe inhaled part of your breath or something."

"What? Inhaled my-"

"How do I know? I don't know how witches steal souls!"

"Hey! Quiet! You two are making each other crazy," Black Crow called from the fire. He cocked his head, staring up at Hungry Bull. "You know that Green Willow and your grandfather, Big Fox, were married, don't you?"

Hungry Bull started, color draining. "Married?" He swallowed hard. "You mean ..."

"That's just what I mean. Red Moon—the woman you called Grandmother—she came later. Green Willow bore your father, Seven Foxes. There was trouble and she left the People. Left your grandfather, Big Fox, with the child."

"How do you know all this?"

Black Crow's features pinched; he shrugged selfconsciously. "Not all families like to remember things . . . especially things they think are embarrassing. Big Fox never told your father. He never told you. People are polite. They don't mention what your family doesn't want told."

"She's my . . . No."

Black Crow tilted his head, sharp eyes on Hungry Bull. "Yes. She's your grandmother. And I think we'd better go to Monster Bone Springs and see what she wants of us."

Hungry Bull lifted his hands, shaking his head. "Not now, not after what you've just—"