Shotaye was far from indifferent to the piece of news which Hayoue had brought to her.  But neither was she surprised.  She expected as much.  It was therefore easy for her to appear perfectly calm and unconcerned.  She was fully convinced that her case had been the subject of last night’s discussion in the council, but the fact that the delegates were doing penance proved that the matter was still pending, and that no conclusion had been reached.  There was consequently time before her still, and the reprieve amounted to about four days.  She had time to reflect and to prepare her course of action.  The sooner she was alone and left to her own musings the better, and that was why she turned away so abruptly from the young man.  Hayoue drew from her manner the inference that the woman busied herself with thoughts entirely foreign to his own, and did not wish to be disturbed.  But as soon as he turned to go she watched him through one corner of her eye.  When he was far enough away, she rose, and slowly crept back into her dwelling.

We need not follow the train of thought that occupied Shotaye.

It was in the main the same that had filled her mind during the last week.  One thing was certain, she was not silly enough to fast.  She would not commit such a blunder.  Neither would she call on Say Koitza.  She regarded her companion in danger as sufficiently advised, and felt sure that the wife of Zashue was prepared for any event.  Why then disturb her?  It might only lead her into committing some disastrous blunder.  Without Shotaye’s direct knowledge Say was sure to do nothing at all, and that was the best for both.  For the present, all that could be done was to remain absolutely quiet and to wait.

Hayoue, on the other hand, was not so philosophical.  As he strolled down the valley, his mind was deeply agitated.  It seemed clear to him that a grave question had been propounded at the council, and it could only have originated through some deviltry on the part of the evil spirits of the Turquoise clan, Tyope and the old Naua.  This made him very angry, and he vowed within himself that when the time came he would take a very active part in the proceedings.

He would rather have commenced the fray at once by slaughtering Tyope and his accomplice; but then, it was not altogether the thing to do.  Neither would it do to go about and inquire at random.  Nothing was left to him but to have patience and wait.

Waiting, however, did not interfere with his disposition to talk.  With a nature as outspoken as that of Hayoue, it was impossible to wait without saying something to somebody about it.  But to whom?  At home he could not speak, for there was Zashue, and he was never impartial when any one of the Koshare was concerned.  Okoya would be far preferable, and he determined upon looking him up.  His nephew was not in the big house, and Hayoue went out to the corn-patches.  The Indian goes to his field frequently, not in order