It was next the turn of the clan delegates to be called up.  They were those most directly interested, but until now they had, out of deference for their religious leaders, maintained an absolutely passive attitude.  After the Cuirana Naua had spoken, however, many raised their faces, changed their positions; some looked at the tapop with an air of expectancy, others glanced around, still others seemed to denote by their demeanour that they were anxious and eager to speak.  Tyope and Topanashka, alone, did not change their attitudes.  The former remained with his head bent and his face covered with both hands; the latter, who happened almost directly to face Tyope, with head erect and an expression of calm watchfulness on his features.

It was of course impossible to foretell the general feeling among the members of the council in regard to the demands of the Turquoise people.  The Shkuy Chayan and the Koshare Naua had declared themselves favourable to their pretensions, but on the other hand the Hishtanyi Chayan—­and his word had greater weight than their speeches—­had made a very significant suggestion by reminding the governor in his reply that the matter did not properly come before the tribal council, but should be settled between the two clans directly interested.  Hoshkanyi Tihua should have taken the hint; but Hoshkanyi Tihua had not the slightest tact; and besides, as a member of the clan Shyuamo, he felt too much interested in the matter not to be eager to press it at once, however imprudent and out of place such action might be.  He was, moreover, utterly unconscious of the fact that he was nothing but a tool which both Tyope and the Naua wielded to further their perfidious designs.

The tapop therefore called upon the delegate of the Sun clan to speak.  He dwelt not far from the Turquoise people, and he expressed himself strongly in their favour.

“It is true,” said he, “and I know it to be so, that my friends of Shyuamo are hungry.  I know it, and it is true also, that the Water people have too much ground.  It is right, therefore, for Shyuamo to ask for a share of what they have in excess.  How much it shall be, they must settle among themselves.”

Everybody did not appear to be satisfied with this; but when the tapop summoned the representative of the Bear clan to give his opinion, the speech of the latter was not only stronger, it was even offensive to the Water people.  He accused them of having done wrong in not sharing their fields with the clan of the Turquoise some time before, since it was the duty of those who had too much to divide with those who were poorer.  He said that it was wrong on the part of Tzitz to have remained silent when they knew how much Shyuamo did for the tribe, while at the same time they had not enough for their own existence.  He charged the tapop, in the name of the council, with delinquency in not having required the Water people to share their superabundance with those of the Turquoise.  The delegate of Kohaio was not only aggressive in his speech, but his manner of delivering it was brusque and violent, and created quite a stir; and many of the members cast glances at him which were not of a friendly nature.