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see, in the
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Barrens, all white women are regarded as being female slaves. Our friends of
the plains divide white women into those who have already, properly, been
imbonded, and those who, improperly, have not yet been imbonded."
I considered the nature of women, and their desirability. "That distinction
makes sense to me,"
I said. "But are there no women of the red savages themselves who are slaves?"
"Of course, there are," said Grunt. "They are fond of carrying off women of
the enemy to make their own slaves. Surely you can imagine how pleasant it is
for these fellows to be served, and as a slave, by one of the enemy's women."
"Of course," I said.
"Such a woman may be designated as follows," he said, "by use of the sign
woman, followed by the sign for the red savages, followed by a bondage sign."
"I see," I said. He had illustrated his words with the sign.
"If the context is clear," he said, "the signs simply for a female slave may
be used."
"I understand," I said.
"Here is another way of designating a white woman or a female slave," he said.
He then made the sign for woman, followed by a downward striking motion, as
though holding a switch. "Sometimes, too," he said, "when the context is
clear, this sign alone may be used." He then spread the first and second
fingers of his right hand arid laid them over the index finger of his left
hand. "You see?" he asked.
"It is ankles bound on a leg stretcher."
"I see," I said.
"The meanings in these signs are clear," he said, "the weaker who is held by
the stronger, she who is subject to the whip, and she whose ankles may be
spread at her master's pleasure."
"Yes," I said.
"What is this?" asked Grunt. He held his left hand with the palm in, before
his chest, and placed the index and second finger of his right hand astride
the edge of his left hand.
"A rider?" I asked.
"Kaiila," he said. Then, holding his hands as he had, he rotated his hands in
tiny circles, as
though the kaiila were in motion. "That is to ride," he said.
"I see," I said.
"What is this?" he asked. He placed his left fist in front of his mouth and
sliced between it and his face with the edge of his opened right hand.
"I do not know," I said.
"Knife," be said. "See? One holds the meat in one's hand and clenches it
between the teeth, too.
Then one cuts a bite from the meat, to eat it, thus the sign for knife."
"Good," I said. "And what does this mean?" I drew an imaginary line across my
throat with my right index finger. I had seen Corn Stalks make this sign in
his talk with Grunt.
Grunt's eyes clouded. "It is the sign for the
Kaiila," he said, "the Cutthroat Tribe."
"Oh," I said.
"You may have seen this sign," said Grunt. "It is an interesting one." He then
held his fists in front of his chest, his thumbs almost touching, and then
spread his fingers out, horizontally.
"I have no idea what it means," I said.
"Does it remind you of nothing?" be asked. He repeated the sign.
Suddenly the hair on the back of my neck rose. "It is like men breaking out of
columns," I said, "fanning out, to take up positions for battle."
"Yes," said Grunt. "It is the sign for soldiers."
He then added to it the sign for riding, that of the kaiila in motion.
"Kaiila soldiers," I said. "Cavalry."
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"Yes," said Grunt, soberly. He then held both fists close to his chest, with
the backs of his hands down and the index fingers curved. He then made a
forward, circular motion.
"Wheels?" I said. "Wagons."
"Yes," said Grunt.
These last signs had been used by Corn Stalks.
Grunt knew that I had seen them.
"I do not mean to pry," I said.
"It is all right," said Grunt.
"We need not continue," I said.
"It is all right," said Grunt.
I held my hands near the ground, with my fingers curved upward and slightly
apart. I then swung my bands out in a small, upward curve.
"Grass," said Grunt.
I held my right hand, palm down, even with my shoulder, and lowered it, until
it was about eighteen inches from the ground.
"Height," said Grunt. "High. High grass. Summer."
The Summer solstice had taken place a few days ago. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]