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Pemmican was made of the flesh of the buffalo, the meat having been dried in the usual way, and for this use, only lean meat was chosen.
Two large fires had been allowed to burn down to red coals. The women threw the dried sheets of meat on the coals of the fire allowing it to heat through, turning it often to keep it from burning.
After a time, the roasting of this dried meat caused a smoke to rise from the fire in use, which would have given the meat a bitter taste, so the women turned to the other fire and used that until the first one had burned clear again.
After enough of the roasted meat had been thrown on a fleshy piece of hide nearby, it was flailed with sticks, and being very brittle, was easily broken up. This was constantly stirred and pounded until it was all fine.
Meanwhile, the tallow of the buffalo had been melted in a large kettle, and the pemmican bags prepared. These were made of bull's hide and were in two pieces, which when sewn together made a bag which would hold one hundred pounds.
The pounded meat and tallow were put in a trough made of bull's hide, a wooden spade being used to stir the mixture. After it was thoroughly mixed, it was shoveled into one of the sacks, held open, and rammed down and packed tight with a big stick, every effort being made to expel all the air.
When the bag was full and packed as tight as possible, it was sewn up. It was then put on the ground, and the women jumped on it to make it still more tight and solid.
Jolena was shown how a much finer grade of pemmican was made from the choicest parts of the buffalo with marrow fat. To this, dried berries and pounded choke-cherries were added, making a delicious food which was extremely nutritious.
The process of preparing the meats took most of the day. Exhausted, Jolena went to Spotted Eagle's tepee and grabbed a blanket and went back out into the shadows of evening, toward the river. When she got there, she made sure no one else was around, then undressed and dove into the water.
She swam and swam, tiring herself even more, knowing that this was necessary for her to get to sleep, for she was restless over thinking of spending the full night without Spotted Eagle there with her. Although she was with her true people, she was feeling apprehensive about being alone with them.
This was a good test, one that would prove whether or not her decision to stay with the Blackfoot was right.
Jolena paused and treaded water. She held her head back and allowed her long hair to drift into the water behind her as she stared up at the stars that were just beginning to fill the black velvet sky, the moon only a tiny, bent sliver of white overhead.
When the breeze brushed across Jolena's face, she shivered and began swimming back toward shore. Just as she was about to climb out of the water, she stopped and her breath caught in her throat when she discovered someone standing in the shadows watching her.
Jolena slipped down into the water again, except for her head. With a pounding heart she gazed stubbornly at the person in the shadows. "Who's there?" she asked, her voice wary. "Show yourself, whoever you are."
Brown Elk stepped into view. He bent over and picked up the blanket that Jolena had left there for drying herself, then walked on to the embankment, holding the blanket out for her.
"It is I, your father," he said. "When I did not find you in Spotted Eagle's dwelling, I feared you might have been foolish enough to come to the river alone for a bath. And I see I was right. Daughter, do you not know the dangers of such foolish notions as this?"
Jolena sighed with relief, understanding now that she shouldn't have come alone to the river, especially at night. Someone besides her father might have been watching for her to leave the water. "I was too restless by the fire, alone," she murmured. When he held the blanket out farther, so that she could reach it, she took it and stepped quickly out of the water and wrapped herself in it.
"Did you not know that I was just as alone?" Brown Elk said, his voice filled with a sad weariness. "You could have come and filled this old man's heart with your company, instead of the river's."
"I'm sorry," Jolena murmured. "I wasn't thinking clearly, Father. I should have come and spent the evening with you. I shall even now, if you will have me."
She was awash with guilt that she had been thinking only of herself and her own loneliness, when she should have realized how abandoned her true father was feeling. Not only had she left his dwelling to live with Spotted Eagle, Moon Flower had also been quick to leave him after he had so generously opened his heart and arms to her, inviting her to stay with him when her parents had banished her from their lives.
"My dwelling is yours whenever you wish to be a part of it," Brown Elk said. "Especially tonight."
After she was dried enough, Jolena accepted the clothes that her father picked up from the ground. She moved behind a tree and dressed while he waited for her. Then, feeling much better, she went with Brown Elk to his lodge and enjoyed sharing a bowl of so
up with him while they laughed and talked.
Then there was a sound outside the tepee. Both turned their eyes as the entrance flap was shoved aside.
Jolena and her father gasped when Moon Flower entered the tepee, her eyes downcast.
Jolena's eyes shifted when Spotted Eagle came in behind Moon Flower. She moved quickly to her feet as Brown Elk shuffled to his. Jolena went to Spotted Eagle and stood at his side, her eyes on Moon Flower as Brown Elk embraced her and welcomed her to his dwelling.
Then Brown Elk stepped away from her and held her hands. "Why do you return?" he asked, his dark eyes seeing much sadness in Moon Flower's as she slowly looked up at him.
"I could not do it," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I loved him too much to deceive him. I… told him about the child. He… turned his eyes away from me and did not look back. He also banished me from his life."
Jolena was not certain how she felt about Kirk having done this to Moon Flower, but she knew for certain how she felt about Moon Flowershe admired her for her bravery and honesty!
From the beginning, after having become acquainted with Moon Flower, Jolena would never have thought her capable of carrying out such a deceit.
