He had not met Hayoue since the death of his grandfather, for the brother of Zashue had avoided the great house and its inmates on purpose.  He mourned earnestly and sincerely, and wished to be alone with his thoughts.  But Okoya was not disposed to let him alone.  He knew that if his uncle spoke to any one he would speak to him, and that if he felt indisposed to enter into any conversation he would say so at once.  Hayoue was very outspoken.

The boy jumped down from block to block noisily, for he wanted to attract his uncle’s attention beforehand.  The latter looked up.  As soon as he saw who the disturber of his musings was, he waved his hand, beckoning him to come.  Okoya obeyed with alacrity, for he saw that Hayoue felt disposed to talk.  Throwing himself down beside him he waited patiently until the other saw fit to open the conversation.  They both remained for a while in silence, until Hayoue heaved a deep sigh and said,—­

“Does Zashue, my brother, mourn also?”

“Not as we do,” replied Okoya; “yet he is sad.”

“It is well.  He is right to feel sad.  Sad for himself, for you, for all of us.”

“Sa umo was so good,” whispered the boy, and tears came to him again; but he controlled his feelings and swallowed his sobs.  He did not wish the other to see him weep.

“Indeed sa umo maseua was good,” Hayoue emphasized, “better than any of us, truer than any of us!  None of us at the Tyuonyi is as strong and wise as he was.”

“How could the Moshome kill him, if he was such a great warrior,” Okoya naively inquired.

“See, satyumishe, he was struck from behind.  In this way a Moshome may kill a bear, and so yai shruy destroys the strongest mokatsh.  Sa umo had no weapons, neither bow nor arrow nor club.  He did not suppose that there were any Moshome lurking about as tiatui lies in wait for the deer.  Had sa nashtio gone south or toward the west, he would have carried what was right, but over there,”—­he pointed northward,—­“who would have believed the people over there to be so mean as these shuatyam of Tehuas now prove to be?  Destruction come upon them!” He spoke very excitedly, his eyes flashed, and he gnashed his teeth.  Shaking his clenched fist at the north, he hissed, “And destruction will come upon them soon!  We shall go to Kapo and come back with many scalps.  We will not get one only, and crawl back, as shutzuna does after he has stolen a turkey.  We shall go soon, very soon!”

Okoya yielded to the excitement which the latter part of his friend’s speech bespoke.  His eyes sparkled also, and his chest heaved at the mention of blood.

“Satyumishe,” he exclaimed, “let us go, I and you together.  Let us go and get what may please our father’s heart!”

Hayoue looked at him; it was an earnest and significant look.

“You are right, brother.  You are wise and you are good.  You also know how to hit with an arrow, but you are not uakanyi.”