第9章

At the middle of the ground were stationed four immense men,magnificently formed.A fifth ap-proached this group,paused a moment,and then threw his head back,gazed up into the sky in the manner of a cock and gave a smooth,clear oper-atic tone.Instantly the little black ball went up between the two middle rushers,in the midst of yells,cheers and war-whoops.Both men en-deavored to catch it in the air;but alas!each in-terfered with the other;then the guards on each side rushed upon them.For a time,a hundred lacrosse sticks vied with each other,and the wrig-gling human flesh and paint were all one could see through the cloud of dust.Suddenly there shot swiftly through the air toward the south,toward the Kaposias'goal,the ball.There was a general cheer from their adherents,which echoed back from the white cliff on the opposite side of the Minnesota.

As the ball flew through the air,two adversaries were ready to receive it.The Kaposia quickly met the ball,but failed to catch it in his netted bag,for the other had swung his up like a flash.Thus it struck the ground,but had no op-portunity to bound up when a Wahpeton pounced upon it like a cat and slipped out of the grasp of his opponents.A mighty cheer thundered through the air.

The warrior who had undertaken to pilot the little sphere was risking much,for he must dodge a host of Kaposias before he could gain any ground.

He was alert and agile;now springing like a panther,now leaping like a deer over a stooping opponent who tried to seize him around the waist.

Every opposing player was upon his heels,while those of his own side did all in their power to clear the way for him.But it was all in vain.

He only gained fifty paces.

Thus the game went.First one side,then the other would gain an advantage,and then it was lost,until the herald proclaimed that it was time to change the ball.No victory was in sight for either side.

After a few minutes'rest,the game was resumed.

The red ball was now tossed in the air in the usual way.No sooner had it descended than one of the rushers caught it and away it went northward;again it was fortunate,for it was advanced by one of the same side.The scene was now one of the wildest excitement and confusion.At last,the northward flight of the ball was checked for a moment and a desperate struggle ensued.Cheers and war-whoops became general,such as were never equaled in any concourse of savages,and possibly nowhere except at a college game of foot-ball.

The ball had not been allowed to come to the surface since it reached this point,for there were more than a hundred men who scrambled for it.

Suddenly a warrior shot out of the throng like the ball itself!Then some of the players shouted:

"Look out for Antelope!Look out for Antelope!"But it was too late.The little sphere had already nestled into Antelope's palm and that fleetest of Wahpetons had thrown down his lacrosse stick and set a determined eye upon the northern goal.

Such a speed!He had cleared almost all the opponents'guards--there were but two more.

These were exceptional runners of the Kaposias.

As he approached them in his almost irresistible speed,every savage heart thumped louder in the Indian's dusky bosom.In another moment there would be a defeat for the Kaposias or a prolonga-tion of the game.The two men,with a determined look approached their foe like two panthers pre-pared to spring;yet he neither slackened his speed nor deviated from his course.A crash--a mighty shout!--the two Kaposias collided,and the swift Antelope had won the laurels!

The turmoil and commotion at the victors'camp were indescribable.A few beats of a drum were heard,after which the criers hurried along the lines,announcing the last act to be performed at the camp of the "Leaf Dwellers."The day had been a perfect one.Every event had been a success;and,as a matter of course,the old people were happy,for they largely profited by these occasions.Within the circle formed by the general assembly sat in a group the members of the common council.Blue Earth arose,and in a few appropriate and courteous remarks as-sured his guests that it was not selfishness that led his braves to carry off the honors of the last event,but that this was a friendly contest in which each band must assert its prowess.In memory of this victory,the boy would now receive his name.Aloud "Ho-o-o"of approbation reverberated from the edge of the forest upon the Minnesota's bank.

Half frightened,the little fellow was now brought into the circle,looking very much as if he were about to be executed.Cheer after cheer went up for the awe-stricken boy.Chankpee-yuhah,the medicine man,proceeded to confer the name.

"Ohiyesa (or Winner)shall be thy name hence-forth.Be brave,be patient and thou shalt always win!Thy name is Ohivesa."