"Yet, there is a means to do this. It might be difficult for you, it is true, but it could be done without either of us having to leave this tiny shelter."
She frowned. "I don't understand."
"Cos-soó," he said aloud. Then he signed, "Cos-soóis a game of chance and is a game of war played only by Indian men of all the tribes. But, I will play it with you and give you a chance to save my life."
"I'm sorry. I still don't understand."
"This is a game of war and is often played by enemies. Deaths have sometimes occurred because of this game."
"But, why?"
"It is because the rules of the game are thus: it is played until one or the other of the players is ruined utterly. This is the main rule of the game. One of the players must completely devastate the other. It is a game where one of the men might lose all he owns; it is a game where a man could become so ruined, it is as though he has died, and, in some instances, he does."
She continued to frown at him. "It sounds like a terrible thing to do to another. I don't wish to ruin you. And, I certainly don't wish you to ruin me."
"But, this is what you must do, don't you see? You could ruin me and then save me by returning all of my possessions to me.Cos-soóis a game of war, but instead of killing a man, one wrecks him completely by taking from him everything he owns. If a man plays this game with another man, one of them stands to lose everything, even to the man's clothes, his lodge, his ponies and even his wife. Think of what could happen. If you win against me, you would become free of me." He paused as he glanced at her. "And, then you would again be the one to decide what you wish to do and what you don't wish to do with your life."
She sat silently before him and stared at him as though he had lost all sense. At last she signed, "Perhaps this is possible, if, by losing everything, it is considered a person has lost his life."
"Áa, it is so. Such men who lose this game have to start their lives over again."
"Truly?"
"Áa." He nodded.
She frowned before she glanced at him again, then said with gestures, "Please permit me to ensure I understand this: if I were to win and have in my possession everything you own and then give it all back to you, it would be as though I have saved your life?"
"It is so. It is considered to be the same."
"But, I don't know how to play this game. Surely, not knowing it, I would lose."
"I will teach you so you will win," he signed. "After all, I would not have 'saved' you only to see you become sad because you feel you must change the direction of your life. I will tell you what we will do. We must play together many times. At first, there will be no betting so you can learn how the game is best played. Then, when you feel you have mastered its rules, we will play with all we have. I will not hold back so you might win. And, I will play the game with all the cunning I have."
She hesitated, then signed, "By stating this, that you would play using all of your 'cunning,' are you telling me you let me win the hand game we played earlier?"
He grinned at her. He couldn't help himself. But, he didn't say a word.
CHAPTER SIX
––––––––
"THIS IS THE GAME OFCos-soó," spoke Eagle Heart, utilizing both signs and the Blackfoot language. "Some call it the ‘game of the bowl’, but we will call it by its Indian name,Cos-soó."
Laylah watched as Eagle Heart reached into one of his bags and dragged out an odd-looking circular wooden bowl with a flat bottom. The bowl looked to be about a foot in diameter, and its sides were glued in place by some means and were about two inches in height.
"You travel with a bowl like this?"
"I had thought," he signed, "I might gamble with your 'to be husband.'Áa, because of this, I brought this deadly game with me into the storm. Blizzards are for storytelling and gambling."
"Oh," she said simply. "You were plotting to gamble with my fiancé? Was part of your plan to win me?"
He didn't answer the question. Instead, he gazed away from her and became suddenly serious. At length, he signed, "These are the objects we play with."
She watched as he held up a single large claw which was red on one side and black on the other.
He signed, "There is only one large claw. If it stands up on the throw, it counts as 25 and only for 5 if on its side. And these four smaller crow claws"—he held them up for her inspection—"are painted red on one side, as you can see, and black on the other. If the black side is up on the throw, it counts for nothing. If the red side is up, it counts as four each."
She nodded. "I understand so far," she signed. "I must warn you, I am good at counting and have an excellent memory."
