Chapter 10, Nose Pegs Summary

Shabanu rises before the sun and sets out for the toba to bathe. She notices how low the water is getting - there is only enough for maybe a few more weeks. As Shabanu bathes, she realizes her breasts are beginning to mature. Phulan arrives for her bath and Shabanu washes her sister's hair while she tells Phulan everything that happened in Sibi. As she talks, she realizes that she has no interest in returning another year. She tells Phulan about the Bugti woman who was being hunted down.

Since Dadi has sold off the breeding males of the camel herd, they have to train new males for working, which means they have to pierce the noses and put nose pegs in to allow for reins to be attached. Shabanu describes how it takes the whole family to subdue...