e she honestly
could spare, and when in doubt she quibbled--struck, but struck lightly.

When the beating was over they sat down facing each other and talked.
And Squirrel Eyes said: "What must be, must. The next few days will soon
be over."

And Andramark shuddered (he was alone with his mother) and said, "If I
show that they hurt me they will never let me be a man."

And Squirrel Eyes did her best to comfort him and put courage in his
heart, just as modern mothers do for sons who are about to have a tooth
pulled or a tonsil taken out.

The next day at noon sharp Andramark stood before the entrance of the
medicine-lodge with his arms folded; and all his boy and girl friends
watched him from a distance. And all the boys envied him, and all the
girls wished that they were boys. Andramark stood very still, almost
without swaying, for the better part of an hour. His body was nicely
greased, and he resembled a wet terra-cotta statue. A few mosquitoes
were fattening themselves on him, and a bite in the small of his back
itched so that he wanted very much to squirm and wriggle. But that would
have been almost as bad an offence against ceremonial as complaining of
hunger during the fast or shedding tears under the torture.

Andramark had never seen the inside of the medicine-lodge; but it was
well known to be very dark, and to contain skulls and thigh-bones of
famous enemies, and devil-masks, and horns and rattles and other
disturbing and ghostly properties. Of what would happen to him when he
had passed between the flaps of the lodge and was alone with the
medicine-men he did not know. But he reasoned that if they really
wanted to make a man of him they would not really try to kill him or
maim him. And he was strong in the determination, no matter what should
happen, to show neither surprise, fear, nor pain.

A quiet voice spoke suddenly, just within the flaps of the lodge:

"Who is standing without?"

"The boy Andramark."

"What do you wish of us?"

"To be made a man."

"Then say farewell to your companions of childhood."

Andramark turned toward the boys and girls who were watching him. Their
faces swam a little before his eyes, and he felt a big lump coming
slowly up in his throat. He raised his right arm to its full length,
palm forward, and said:

"Farewell, O children; I shall never play with you any more."

Then the children set up a great howl of lamentation, which was all part
of the ceremonial, and