But there was one who did not greet the mysterious youth. Ebahamba
shut himself in his tepee, for had he not failed to awaken the thunder
spirits when a youth had succeeded? Ebahamba sat sullenly in his
tepee, thinking great and fierce thoughts; and after many days of
fasting, his magic came back to him. Then he summoned to his lodge one
by one, the men of his band, and he said to each: “Behold! Seha speaks
with evil spirits. May he not destroy his people? Then let us perform
the rite of _Wazhinadee_ against him that he may be forsaken by man and
beast and so die!”
The men of his band believed Ebahamba, for his magic was very great
now, and he forced them to believe. So each man went to his tepee, shut
himself in, feasted and thought sternly against Seha. For this is the
manner of the rite of _Wazhinadee_.
Then after his enemies had thought strongly for many days against
him, Seha was seized with a strange weakness. His eyes lost their
brightness, and he could not see far as before. All through the days
and the nights he went about the village, crying for his lost power;
and the people said: “The coyotes are barking in the hills.” They could
not see him for the mist that the terrible rite had cast about him.
Then Seha wandered out on the prairie, wailing as ever for his lost
power. And after many days, he laid himself down by a stream to die.
But he did not die. He slept; and the vision came again. When he awoke,
he was strong again and his eyes could see far as before.
Then he said: “I will cleanse myself in the stream and go back to my
people, for I am strong again.”
But lo! as he leaned over the clear stream, he beheld the reflected
image of an eagle far above him. Now a medicine man can change himself
at will into anything that walks or crawls or flies or is still; and as
Seha watched the eagle, he knew that it was Ebahamba!
So gliding into the stream, he quickly changed himself into a great
fish floundering temptingly upon the surface. The eagle, which was
Ebahamba, being hungry, swooped down upon the fish with wide beak and
open talons.
In a moment, Seha changed himself into a huge boulder, against which
the swooping bird dashed furiously, crushing its beak and talons. Then
it arose, and with bloody wings, fluttered across the prairie.
Seha stepped out of his rock and laughed a loud, long laugh, and the
eagle, which was Ebahamba, heard and knew.
So Seha returned to his village and was a great man among his people.
But Ebahamba hid himself in his tepee; and a rumour ran that his arms
were broken and his face crushed.
And there was much wonder in the village!
X
THE END OF THE DREAM
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account