Page:B M Bower - Heritage of the Sioux.djvu/126

THE HERITAGE OF THE SIOUX Bear Cañon that day, and that he would not need Jean or Annie either; and that, as it would be hotter than the hinges of Gehenna up in that cañon, they had better stay at home and enjoy themselves.

Annie-Many Ponies did not betray by so much as a flicker of the lashes that she heard him—much less that it was the best of good news to her. She went into her tent and packed all of her clothes into a bundle which she wrapped in her plaid shawl, and was proud because the bundle was so big, and because she had much fine beadwork and so many red ribbons, and a waist of bright blue silk which she would wear when she stood before the priest, if Ramon did not like the dress of beaded buckskin.

A ring with an immense red stone in it which Ramon had given her, she slipped upon her finger with her little, inscrutable smile. She was engaged to be married, now, just like white girls; and tomorrow she would have a wide ring of shiny gold for that finger, and should be the wife of Ramon.

Just then Shunka Chistala, lying outside her tent, flapped his tail on the ground and gave a little, eager whine. Annie-Many-Ponies thrust her head 114