White Bear turned and looked again at the man seated beside him, who raised his arms tentatively, as if he wanted to reach out to him. White Bear kept his hands in his lap, and the man lowered his arms again. White Bear felt a strangeness, such as he had never known before. This man looked at him with love. He was certain, now, that because this man had come today, everything was going to be changed. "Your father is called Star Arrow," said Owl Carver. He turned to Star Arrow and said, "Your son is called White Bear." "I greet you, White Bear," Star Arrow said. White Bear was glad to hear this man speaking the Sauk language. "I greet you, Star Arrow, my father," White Bear said. The word _father_ felt strange on his tongue. _Star Arrow._ He liked that name and wondered what it meant. _Father._ A shiver of joy went through him. He spoke in the English Pere Isaac had taught him. "Good day to you, Father." "My son," said Star Arrow in the same tongue. White Bear saw now that tears were running down his father's face, just as they had in the vision. He heard a commotion at the back of the crowd. People were stepping aside. A thrill went through White Bear as he saw that Black Hawk was coming toward them. The leader's careworn face glowed as if he were seeing a long-lost brother. He shifted his feather-adorned war club to his left hand and raised his empty right hand in greeting to Star Arrow. White Bear was amazed. He could not remember seeing Black Hawk smile so happily. Star Arrow raised his hand in reply. White Bear felt himself surrounded by giants--Black Hawk, Star Arrow, Owl Carver. He remembered the circle of trees he had been standing in when Sun Woman called to him. "Star Arrow has come back to us," Black Hawk declared. "It is well." Wolf Paw, Black Hawk's oldest son, now strode down the line of people. His presence, as always, made White Bear uneasy. Sun Woman made room for Black Hawk to sit beside Owl Carver. The chief handed his feathered war club to Wolf Paw, who sat down behind him and rested the club across his knees. Three more men pushed their way through the crowd. When they came to the front, White Bear saw that they were three chiefs, members of the council that ruled the day-to-day affairs of the Sauk and Fox in peacetime. One, Jumping Fish, was older than Black Hawk. Another, Broth, was a deep-chested man and a well-known orator. The third, Little Stabbing Chief, was a prominent member of the Fox tribe. With a courteous gesture Black Hawk invited the three chiefs to join the sitting circle. The nine sat quietly for a time before their people while a breeze whistled over the bark rooftops of Saukenuk.