"Who are you," she cried, "that
are troubling yourself about my husband? I know you well; you are the
'Bear-Woman.'"
"And if I am," said the Bear woman, "do not the souls of the bears enjoy
forever the heaven of the Dahcotah?"
Poor Chaske! he could not prevent their quarrelling, so, being very
hungry, he soon disposed of what the Bear woman had brought him. When
he had done eating, she took the bark dishes. "Come with me," she said;
"you cannot live in the water, and I will take you to a beautiful lodge,
and we will be happy."
The Dahcotah turned to his wife, but she gave him no encouragement to
remain. "Well," said he, "I always loved adventures, and I will go and
seek some more."
The new wife was not half so pretty as the old one. Then she was so
wilful, and ordered him about--as if women were anything but dogs in
comparison with a Dahcotah warrior. Yes, he who had scorned the Dahcotah
girls, as they smiled upon him, was now the slave of a bear-woman; but
there was one comfort--there were no warriors to laugh at him.
For a while they got on well enough. His wife had twin children--one was
a fine young Dahcotah, and the other was a smart active little bear, and
it was very amusing to see them play together.
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