"Then the people will eat well because of my husband," Running Deer said. "But the pale eyes woman will not need to eat." Running Deer turned to the crowd. "Many women lost their husbands in Wolf Paw's raid. It is right that the women avenge themselves on this pale eyes." White Bear's back crawled with gooseflesh. Running Deer meant for the women of the band to torture Nancy to death. For as long as they could make her pain last, it would take their minds off their hunger and sickness and sorrow. And their own fear of death. It must not happen. But how could he prevent it? Feeling like a drowning man being swept away on rapids, White Bear watched Running Deer and Burning Pine lift Nancy from the ground and carry her off, with her feet dragging. Wolf Paw and most of the braves who had returned with him followed. Wolf Paw's wives pulled Nancy through the band's collection of hastily built wickiups and lean-tos. They brought her to a tall elm tree growing up in the center of the camp. The tree was dying. Its bark had been stripped to cover a wickiup. By the time White Bear caught up with the crowd around Nancy, her eyes were wide open, but unfocused. Running Deer pushed her against the trunk of the elm tree and drew a knife. With swift, angry slashes, Wolf Paw's senior wife stripped away Nancy's dress and the chemise under it. Nancy stood naked before the tribe. Her eyes were still open and unseeing. She made no attempt to cover herself. She did not seem to know what was happening to her. White Bear's skin crawled with shame at the sight of her degradation. Women laughed. "Her skin is like a frog's belly!" Men stared greedily. Running Deer took a coil of rawhide rope and lashed Nancy to the tree, and White Bear felt the muscles of his neck and shoulders knotting till they ached. He could scarcely bear to look at Nancy, who hung in her bonds, her eyes closed again. He did not care if they killed him. He would not let them do this. He would not allow it to go on a moment longer. He put his hand over the five claw scars on his chest and spoke to his spirit self. _O Bear spirit, give me the power to move the people to mercy._ He felt strength surge into his chest and arms, and raising his medicine stick, he strode forward. When he was only a foot away from Nancy, her eyes opened suddenly, huge and turquoise, staring into his. "Auguste!" Her voice and face were full of terror. It came to him with a shock that he must look frightful to her. The man she had loved was transformed into a vision of savagery--painted face, a shoulder-length mane of hair, silver earrings, shell necklace, his scarred chest bare, holding high a painted stick adorned with feathers and beads. And what would she make of his right ear, torn in two by Eli Greenglove's rifle ball? After what she had already gone through, the sight of him must be yet another impossible shock.