Savage Betrayal by Theresa Scott Page A

and Ahousat men rushed forward. Slapping him heartily on the back, on the arms, they cheered his prowess. Two men lifted him to their shoulders and marched him through the crowd.
    “What a run!”
    “Never seen anyone do it like that!”
    “Congratulations!”
    “What a performance!”
    “No wonder we’re losing the war…if all Ahousats are as brave as you!”
    “Shut up, fool!”
    Fighting Wolf coolly surveyed the people rushing to congratulate Comes-from-Salish and smiled to himself. A good day’s work . These Hesquiats had seen for themselves how powerful the Ahousats were. Now, if his other plans went as successfully…
    * * * *
    Thunder Maker approached the Ahousat guests and politely invited then to his longhouse for the feast his wives had spent long hours preparing.
    Fighting Wolf led his delegation into the longhouse. Once inside, he insisted, before anyone was yet seated, “Thunder Maker, my father-in-law-to-be, I ask, as a gesture of our goodwill towards each other, that you let my men sit interspersed with yours around your great fire. By sitting next to each other, we will learn more of one another and have a better basis for our new friendship.”
    Thunder Maker frowned at the highly irregular request, but, wanting to placate his future son-in-law, he nodded to Crab Woman to carry out Fighting Wolf’s suggestion. At last everyone was seated and Thunder Maker stood, holding up an arm for silence.
    “My people,” he began, “today I welcome my new son-in-law-to-be and his respected nobles and friends. I am giving this feast to announce the forthcoming marriage of my daughter, Sarita, to Fighting Wolf of the noble Ahousat tribe. Tomorrow I will potlatch these Ahousats in my daughter’s honor and they will see what a truly great family they are marrying into.
    “It is with great pride that I tell you that the food for this feast was produced on my own lands, on my own fishing grounds, and gathered by my own slaves. Because this is such a special occasion, I have brought out my family’s great feast dish. You see before you the dish ‘Always Bountiful.’ That is the name of this great carved plate, heaped high with salmon."
    In the center of the eating area, set between two small fire pits, sat 'Always Bountiful,' the illustrious feast dish. Truly a work of art, it was a large cedar dish about five-feet-long, carved in the shape of a killer whale, and painted with family crests and designs along the sides. The elaborate dish was piled high with dried sockeye salmon.
    "Now, please, help yourselves to the food! We have plenty and are very glad to share it with you all!” Thunder Maker sat down, and guests helped themselves liberally to its offerings. Soon the hall filled with the talk and laughter of hungry guests as they went about the business of eating.
    The first course served was dried herring eggs, a great delicacy. The eggs were gathered in the spring when schools of the small fish spawned on submerged fir tree branches the Indians prepared for that purpose. After collecting the eggs, the people dried them and stored them away for feasts.
    Small, carved, wooden dishes were set out. They held the ubiquitous whale oil that no Nootka meal was complete without. Every morsel was dipped in the rich oil. In between courses, young men brought around bowls of water so that each guest could wash and dry his hands.
    The next course was smoked salmon. Platters heaped high with the delicious alder-smoked salmon were presented to the guests and each one helped himself.
    A delicious vegetable course followed. Roasted Camus bulbs seasoned with wild herbs were greeted with delight by the participants.
    The last course, boiled venison, sliced and served cold, was well received, though not consumed quite as readily as the preceding courses. The guests were feeling very full. It did not pass unnoticed, however, that Fighting Wolf’s men ate only small amounts and very slowly. Fighting Wolf himself declined to