Jim grew tall during the winter, had plenty of food and was snug and warm in the wigwam. He would have been happy with the Potawatomis if only his parents had been with him. But often at night he could not sleep, because he kept seeing his parents riding sadly away with the Shawnees. After a long, cold winter, spring came again to the valley. One fine day Wahbunou told Jim he had heard the men say they would be moving out of winter camp the next morning. “But tonight, Jim,” Wahbunou went on, “we shall watch the dance of the women. This dance celebrates the beginning of our summer wanderings. Then we’ll break up into small bands again and we won’t see the rest of our clan until next winter.” Jim looked doubtful. “The dance of the women, Wahbunou? What is that?” “Wait and see, Jim. Wait and see.” When the women came out of their wigwams in their ceremonial dresses, Jim scarcely recognized any of them. They had greased their hair until it shone in the glow of the campfires, painted their faces with vermilion and put on long white chemises, over which they had strung all the wampum necklaces they possessed. At their appearance four or five young men began singing and beating the dance rhythm on their Indian drums; often they shook the _si si quoi_, a sort of gourd containing dry seeds. The women danced in graceful rhythm, not missing a single step. Jim thought the dancing beautiful, but he didn’t enjoy it as much as the Indians, because he grew very sleepy long before the dance was over. He didn’t know it would last well into the night. The next morning, however, the camp was awake early with everyone getting ready to move. The women packed wigwam poles, cattail mats, kettles, winter buffalo robes and the rest of the camping equipment. Wahbunou’s mother packed Jim’s drum carefully among her belongings, so that he wouldn’t have to carry it on the horse. All the Indians put on their summer clothes, one-piece garments of red or blue cloth. Wahbunou gave Jim one of his blue cloth shirts, just like the one he had been wearing when the Hudsons found him. Then everyone mounted their horses. Once again Jim rode with Wahbunou. Chief Minnemung started northward with his group. Jim was to learn they would be constantly on the move during the spring and summer, as the Potawatomis had no lands of their own to cultivate. Frenchmen and some neighboring Indian tribes called them squatters because of their habit of moving in on land claimed by both the French and Indians. As they moved back and forth across the Illinois country searching for game, wild berries and edible roots and herbs, spring gave way to summer. Now the prairie grass was as high as Jim’s head and the woods dense with foliage.