As the boy looked up, there were tears in his eyes, and he signed, "Yes. She saved my life. I would give her protection. But, it does not look like a bear."
"It matters little how it looks; what is more important is you are trying to do it, not how it looks. Here, if you will give me the knife and wood, I will see what I can do."
Rising Bear seemed happy to relinquish both wood and knife into Strikes Fast's possession.
"You have the right idea," said Strikes Fast with a few quick signs as he used the knife to whittle the wood here and there as his grandfather had taught him to do. Within a short time—perhaps an hour or so—the image of a bear was to be clearly seen.
Strikes Fast asked the boy, "Do you wish to paint the bear white, like the one who helped you?"
When Rising Bear nodded, Strikes Fast reached for his parfleche bag and pulled out his paints. Then, finding the shell holding the white paint, he handed it to the boy. He signed, "Using your fingers, you might be able to paint the bear yourself, or do you wish me to do it?"
Rising Bear signed, "This one can do it."
Strikes Fast nodded. "Itche. It is good."
As the boy painted the statue, Strikes Fast pulled out the pipe he used for his everyday smoking and, filling it with tobacco, sat back upon his couch and watched the boy. Rising Bear was a good boy, but he was in need of a family if he were to grow up well. Perhaps he might mention this to his beautiful wife. He had an idea in mind.
****
Within another few days, the storm had abated, yet no warm winds from a chinook had blown into this part of the mountains to melt the snow. And so the snow was deep, measuring up to and over a man's thighs, and in places reaching up as far as a man's waist.
Snow this high required snowshoes, which Strikes Fast made for himself, the boy and his wife. The shoes, however, were roughly produced because Strikes Fast knew the footwear would soon be unneeded; they would be leaving here within another few days. Indeed, the mountains were no safe place for a man, his woman and a boy.
Although there were tribes who made the mountainous country their home, the Pikuni, as well as the Crow, rarely ventured into the mountain forests alone. Usually two, three or four men would group together in order to venture into the forests, and only then for special needs; additionally, women were always accompanied by several men.
It was a matter of survival. The enemy could too easily hide behind a tree, and sometimes spirits filled the woods with groans or whistles, frightening all living things, including humans. Also, stories abounded in all the tribes of men disappearing when they dared to go alone into the mountain forests. Many were never seen again.
Éeh,this glade of tall pine and cottonwood trees had served its purpose and had comforted them; it had provided a temporary shelter against the elements as well as the Cree war party, if the Cree war party were still within the vicinity. But, it was now time to go home.
Carrying the meat of a small deer upon his back, Strikes Fast strode into their tiny camp and deposited the load onto the snow-covered ground outside their small lodge. Bending, he was in the act of removing his snowshoes when he heard laughter.
Glancing quickly into the lodge, he saw there was no one within. Feminine giggles and even more laughter sounded from a close proximity. Listening carefully, Strikes Fast heard the sounds again, realizing they were originating from the coulee that cut into this land, close to, but in the rear of their lodge.
Removing his snowshoes—since the snow here under the canopy of pine and cottonwood trees wasn't deep—he stepped toward the coulee and what he saw there made him smile. Though still a youngster, Rising Bear knew how to make a sled from one of their buffalo robes, and both the boy and his wife were taking turns sliding down the gradual incline into the coulee.
Stepping back to their lodge, Strikes Fast took hold of another buffalo robe and silently strode up behind them. Because his footsteps were so silently made, he was right upon them when he announced himself, saying in English, "Race? Shall we?"
Together his wife and the boy turned around toward him, and, though surprised to see him, they laughed. Rising Bear, who had been listening to the English lessons Strikes Fast's wife was teaching—and who was more apt at learning the language than was Strikes Fast—understood him and cried out, "Yes!"
At once both boy and man set their robes at the top of the hill, and when his wife called out, "Go!" they were off, careening down the slope.
The snow was wet, however, and Strikes Fast, being the heavier, lost the race, and so of course the entire competition had to be done again. And, so it went, over and over, Strikes Fast working out how to carefully adjust his weight until, at last, he won the race…once.
It was good fun, with Daasé Iseé cheering for both of them—until it became too dark to sled. Laughing, the party of three collected up their wet buffalo robes, both man and child soaking wet, cold and happy.
Later, after the lodge fire was stoked and they were all sitting around it, Rising Bear and Strikes Fast traded comments about the performance of the other. Strikes Fast, as well as Daasé Iseé, were generous with their praise of the boy, and he beamed under their compliments.
The evening wore on and Rising Bear eventually fell asleep, still sitting up.
"My husband," said Daasé Iseé, "I think you have worn him out."
"I believe you are right," signed Strikes Fast. Although he could understand the English language now, he didn't speak it well, and so when he had more than a few words to say, he tended to communicate in gestures. He continued, "And, now we have the evening to ourselves. Hmmm. What shall we do? Wait! I think I have an answer to this question."
His wife gazed up at him with a smile forming upon her lips. She asked, "I am waiting, my husband. What is the answer? I cannot wait to hear it."
"Here, scoot toward me, and I will show you."
Her giggle was like the soft cooing of a dove. And, when she came to sit by his side, he maneuvered her until she was sitting on his lap, her legs bent at the knees and straddling him. Reaching up, he brought her head down toward him, where he showered her with one kiss after another.
