at his brother. Batiste had opened one eye just a crack, and its gleam told Babiche that he thought Two Strike was magnificent.
âWe have treated the boy like our own son,â cried Babiche. âBecause we heard of the beauty of this vision before us. This woman, Two Strike.â
Two Strike bent over and snarled at him. This snarl completely melted the heart of Babiche. He begged her to marry himâand his brother, tooâright on the spot.
âAnd the horses will be our wedding gift!â he said.
Two Strikeâs hand grabbed his throat. âYou are lucky to escape with your life,â she said. âIf I ever see you or your brother again Iâll slice you to ribbons, Iâll tear you to shreds, Iâll grind you to a pulp. Iâll destroy you!â
âOh, what heaven!â cried Babiche. âMy heart is already mashed like a boiled potato!â
Batiste lifted his head, dizzy with emotion. He quickly added, âAnd mine is crushed like a rotten turnip!â
âWe are a bouyah of love, boiling for you!â they shouted together.
But the two were calling after a quickly disappearing Two Strike. She and Animikiins had already started running, following along Babicheâs trail. Left with the two brothers and the mail sack, Fishtail spoke with furious disgust.
âYou can carry your stinking brother,â he said. âI will take the mail.â
Fishtail soon left Babiche staggering beneath the load of Batiste, and strode into town. He dropped the mail off at the steps of a small wooden church where he saw a priest working. He spoke to the priest for a moment, then continued on until he came to his family. They were just starting out from Quillâs cabin.
When Omakayas didnât see either Chickadee or Animikiins, her face fell. She bravely held on to Nokomis, and together the little family listened to Fishtailâs story. When he had finished, they sat right down where they were. It was a pretty spot, on a small hill that sloped down to the roiling river. Mikwam and Fishtail took out their pipes, smoked them, prayed, and together the family looked into their hearts. They needed direction. They knew they had to wait here, as patiently as they could. The question was how long.
âWe donât know how long,â Fishtail said at last. âThat is the problem. But I do know that our son is clever, and we have taught him how to live like an Anishinabe.â
âPerhaps we think over what Quillâs wife told us,â said Omakayas slowly. She was reluctant to live in a town but, more than anything, she wanted the return of her son.
âWe will not stay with Quill or, rather, not with Margaret,â said Yellow Kettle.
Omakayas and Nokomis silently agreed, flashing a look of assurance at each other.
âIf there is nowhere to live, weâll make our own cabin,â said Mikwam.
âAnd plant our own garden,â said Nokomis. All along the way from the island they came from, far back in the lake, she had gathered seeds from other gardeners. Now she had a pouch of seeds she guarded day and night. She was eager to plant them.
âI have been wanting to live in a cabin like the one we had so long ago,â said Mikwam. âWhen they bring back our Chickadee, weâll have a place ready for us all to live!â
Nokomis smiled at the memory and patted Yellow Kettleâs hand. Perhaps some of them were not eager to leave the islands of Lake of the Woods, where the fish were plentiful and the berries grew thick. On the other hand, the only way to find Chickadee was to stay where they were, and to wait.
That very day, the family took their packs of furs to the traders. As they were beautifully prepared and well kept, and as Mikwam and Yellow Kettle were good bargainers, they got the best price possible. Next, the family went to the priest Fishtail had met, Father Belcourt. The first priest, Father Genin, had told Father
Tim Lahaye, Jerry B. Jenkins