Sioux Slave by Georgina Gentry Page A

murmur of the crowd, the people seemed to agree with the warrior that the virile white male should be gelded.
    The important warriors who had just arrived seemed to have more important things on their minds. “We are here to council and smoke. Anyway the woman is right; he might not survive the loss of blood. It is fitting that he be given to Mato’s widow as a slave until he is ransomed ... or a meeting of the Wicasas, the Shirt Wearers, decide to kill him.”
    An even greater murmur of agreement ran through the crowd. Sitting Bull, Red Cloud and Crazy Horse of the Oglalas, were gaining the peoples’ respect. “Yes, give the soldier to Kimi to be used as a slave! The wasicu will not attack our camp if they fear to kill one of their own. As a hostage, he will insure the safety of the people.”
    Kimi stood there holding the knife, staring up at the big, naked soldier tied hand and foot before her while the warriors discussed it. What would she do if they changed their minds? She could not go against her people, yet the unspoken plea in his blue eyes touched her woman’s heart. Finally it was decided that the question as to what to do with Hinzi should be postponed. Until a final decision was made, the soldier should be given to Kimi to be used as a slave.
    One Eye argued, “It is not seemly that a man occupy the tipi of two women.” However, even as he said it, he cut the ropes and the soldier collapsed in a heap.
    â€œHinzi is not a man, only a slave,” Kimi sneered. She walked over, nudged him with her moccasin contemptuously. “He is no danger to anyone right now. He can’t escape, he can’t even stand alone.”
    It was true, and everyone seemed to recognize that fact. Two warriors lifted him up out of the dirt and half dragged, half carried him back to Kimi’s marriage tipi with the curious trailing along to watch.
    Kimi stopped and put her hands on her hips as she considered. “He might not survive another night outside in the cool air. Bind him again and tie him to a stake inside the lodge.”
    She stuck the knife in her clothing and followed the warriors as they dragged the soldier into the tipi she would have shared with Mato. She went inside and stood watching as they tied his hands together, drove a stake in the ground above his head, and tied his wrists to it.
    â€œTie his ankles, too,” Kimi said, remembering the soldier’s attempt to escape before morning. She had told no one about that, but she wasn’t sure why. Yes, she was. Because it would mean his death.
    Wagnuka frowned and shook her head. “Daughter, you will regret this. It is not seemly to have this naked man in your lodge.”
    â€œMan? Hinzi is only a beast of burden,” Kimi laughed coldly. “What are you so afraid of, Mother?”
    The old woman hesitated. “I–I–nothing. I only know that the whites always bring our people grief. To have this one here will surely bring us even more trouble—or more soldiers. We should have killed him so we wouldn’t have to worry about him escaping and bring troops back to our camp. I will get us food.” She went outside.
    Kimi knelt by the half-conscious man. His thigh still bled a little. It looked bad to her. If it weren’t cleaned and bandaged, he could lose that leg, and a slave with a bad leg was useless as a horse with a broken leg. The beast always had to be destroyed. She looked at him lying there, his eyes closed. She had mixed feelings toward him now because of the bravery he had just shown though seriously injured. He was no white devil; he was only a man after all, with all the weakness and wants of any man.
    His eyes flickered open and he looked up at her, seemed to struggle to find the words. “Thanks. Pilamaya. You saved me back there.”
    Kimi shrugged, understanding more of his drawling words that she had thought she knew. She answered coldly in a mixture of Lakota and