The Acorn-Planter Part 6

{Sun Man} Our brothers will come after, On our trail to farthest lands; Our brothers will come after With the thunder in their hands.

{Sun Men} Loud will be the weeping, Red will be the reaping, High will be the heaping Of the slain their law commands.

{Sun Man} Givers of law, our brothers, This is the law they say: Who takes the life of a brother Ten of the slayers shall pay.

{Sun Men} Our brothers will come after, On our trail to farthest lands; Our brothers will come after With the thunder in their hands.

Loud will be the weeping, Red will be the reaping, High will be the heaping Of the slain their law commands.

{Sun Man} Our brothers will come after By the courses that we lay; Many and strong our brothers, Masters of life are they.

{Sun Men} Our brothers will come after On our trail to farthest lands; Our brothers will come after With the thunder in their hands.

Loud will be the weeping, Red will be the reaping, High will be the heaping Of the slain their law commands.

{Sun Man} Plowers of land, our brothers, Of the hills and pleasant leas; Under the sun our brothers With their keels will plow the seas.

{Sun Men} Our brothers will come after, On our trail to farthest lands; Our brothers will come after With the thunder in their hands.

Loud will be the weeping, Red will be the reaping, High will be the heaping Of the slain their law commands.

{Sun Man} Mighty men are our brothers, Quick to forgive and to wrath, Sailing the seas, our brothers Will follow us on our path.

{Sun Men} Our brothers will come after, On our trail to farthest lands; Our brothers will come after With the thunder in their hands.

Loud will be the weeping, Red will be the reaping, High will be the heaping Of the slain their law commands.

_(At signal from War Chief the arrows are discharged, and repeatedly discharged. The Sun Men fall. The War Chief himself kills the Sun Man.)_

_(In what follows, Red Cloud and Dew- Woman stand aside, taking no part.

Red Cloud is depressed, and at the same time is overcome with the wonder of the knife which he still holds.)_

{War Chief} _(Brandis.h.i.+ng musket and drifting stiff- legged, as he sings, into the beginning of a war dance of victory.)_ Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!

I have slain the Sun Man!

Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!

I hold his thunder in my hand!

Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!

Greatest of War Chiefs am I!

Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!

I have slain the Sun Man!

_(The dance grows wilder.)_

_(After a time the hillside begins to darken)_

{Dew-Woman} _(Pointing to the moon entering eclipse)_ Lo! The Wolf of Darkness eats the Moon!

_(In consternation the dance is broken off for the moment)_

{Shaman} _(Rea.s.suringly)_ It is a sign.

The Sun Man is dead.

{War Chief} _(Recovering courage and resuming dance.)_ Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!

The Sun Man is dead!

{People} _(Resuming dance.)_ Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!

The Sun Man is dead!

_(As darkness increases the dance grows into a saturnalia, until complete darkness settles down and hides the hillside.)_

ACT II

_(A hundred years have pa.s.sed, when the hillside and the Nis.h.i.+nam in their temporary camp are revealed. The spring is flowing, and Women are filling gourds with water. Red Cloud and Dew- Woman stand apart from their people.)_

{Shaman} _(Pointing.)_ There is a sign.

The spring lives.

The water flows from the spring And all is well with the Nis.h.i.+nam.

{People} There is a sign.

The spring lives.

The water flows from the spring.

{War Chief} _(Boastingly.)_ Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!

All is well with the Nis.h.i.+nam.

Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!

It is I who have made all well with the Nis.h.i.+nam.

Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!

I led our young men against the Napa.

Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!

We left no man living of the camp.

Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!

{Shaman} Great is our War Chief!

Good is war!

No more will the Napa hunt our meat.

No more will the Napa pick our berries.

No more will the Napa catch our fish.

{People} No more will the Napa hunt our meat.

No more will the Napa pick our berries.

No more will the Napa catch our fish.

{War Chief} Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!

The War Chiefs before me made all well with the Nis.h.i.+nam.

Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!

The War Chief of long ago slew the Sun Man.

Hoh! Hoh! Hoh!

The Sun Man said his brothers would come after.