“We have to talk together, the maseua and I.”  He fastened on his spouse a look timid and imploring; it was plain that he did not venture to send her out directly,—­that he was afraid of her.  Koay looked at him carelessly, and said in a very cool manner,—­

“I want to hear that talk.”

“But I will not allow it,” interposed Topanashka; and his cold, piercing eye rested on the woman’s face.  She cast hers to the ground, and he proceeded,—­

“As long as you are here, the tapop and I cannot speak.”

She lifted her head angrily, with the manifest intention of rebelling, but as soon as her eyes met the cold, determined glance of the war-chief, she felt a chill, rose, and left the room.  Hoshkanyi Tihua drew a sigh of relief; he was grateful to his visitor for having so summarily despatched his formidable spouse.  Then he said,—­

“Umo, I have sent for you because a speech has been spoken here in this house, which belongs to my mother.  That speech may be good and it may not be good, and I cared not to tell my thoughts until I had spoken to you, nashtio.  The matters of which it treated belong before the council, but I do not know whether to say to you, the nashtio of the Zaashtesh, Call them together, or not.”  He was manifestly troubled, and fastened an uncertain glance upon the face of the other.

Topanashka very composedly answered,—­

“You are as wise as I, umo; you know what your duties are.  Whenever you say to me, Go and call together the council, I shall do it.  If you do not tell me to do so, I shall not.”

Hoshkanyi moved in his seat; the reply did not suit him.  After some hesitation he continued,—­

“I know, father, that you do as the customs of the Zaashtesh require,”—­he held himself erect with an attempt at pride, for he felt that in the present instance his personality and word represented customs which were law,—­“but I do not know that I shall tell you so or not.  Do you understand me, umo?”

“I understand your words, Tapop, but you know that I have only to act, whereas it is your office to speak.”

The cool reply exasperated the little man.  He retorted sharply,—­

“And yet you have often spoken in the council, when your hanutsh wanted something!”

Topanashka lifted his eyes and gazed fully, calmly, at the other; he even suppressed a smile.

“Then it is your hanutsh, Shyuamo, that wants something this time?”

Hoshkanyi felt, as the saying is, very cheap.  His secret was out; and his plan to obtain an expression of opinion from the maseua ere he came to a conclusion himself, a total failure.  The latter added in a deprecating way,—­

“If you do not know what to do, ask the Hotshanyi.  He will give you good advice.”  This was just what the governor wished to avoid, but he knew that when Topanashka had once expressed his opinion it was useless to attempt to dissuade him.