Chapter 78
“Cut Hand, it pains me your fireside has been wronged by our own. Things are not good with us. Too many strangers claiming kinship are among us. It was two of these Santee who committed this crime. They have been banished from this tiospayeand no longer enjoy our protection. Again, I am sorry for your troubles.”
With that, the men stood and walked away. The tiospaye’scouncil had rendered the harshest possible penalty, freeing us to pursue individual justice.
“Come on!” Cut said, performing that miraculous maneuver that took him from seat to standing in a single, graceful movement. We recovered our ponies, waved our thanks to the important men of the band, and headed out to locate the trail of the two fugitives. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Stone Knife wave to the east.
“This way!” I cried, bringing Long Wind sharply right. Cut followed without question. Before long we crossed the trail of two ponies stretched out in headlong flight.