[Download] "Young Medicine Man" by Francis Lynde Kroll # eBook PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Young Medicine Man
- Author : Francis Lynde Kroll
- Release Date : January 01, 2019
- Genre: Classics,Books,Young Adult,Fiction,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 8263 KB
Description
CHAPTER ONE
While Little Eagle waited patiently in front of the tepee of Clawing Bear, the medicine man, several of his friends went past. Each of the boys was carrying a bow and arrows.
“Get your bow,” Angry Wolf called. “We’re having a shooting match.”
Little Eagle shook his head.
“I’m taking a lesson from Clawing Bear,” he explained.
10
“You can take lessons every day when we are in winter camp,” Angry Wolf pointed out. “Today Roaring Lion is giving some fine arrows as prizes.”
Little Eagle’s eyes gleamed. Roaring Lion was one of the best makers of arrows in the whole Sioux nation. One of them would be a prize worth more than a lesson. Little Eagle knew that there was little chance he could win one of the arrows. He was about the poorest shot among the boys in the camp. Still, this time luck might be with him. Certainly it was too good a chance to miss. He started to get to his feet to go with Angry Wolf, but changed his mind and sat down again.
“I have promised to take a lesson,” he said. “I’ll keep my promise.”
“You might as well,” Wounded Face spoke up. “You couldn’t win a prize anyway.”
Little Eagle jumped angrily to his feet. He’d show Wounded Face that he could win a prize. But before he had taken the second step toward his own tepee, Little Eagle realized that this was no way for a Sioux to act. If he expected to become a great warrior and medicine man, he must keep the promises he made.
11
“I’ll keep my promise,” he repeated.
Little Eagle squatted again in front of the tepee while Angry Wolf and Wounded Face went on. It seemed a long time before Clawing Bear called for him to come into the tepee.
When Little Eagle stepped inside, Clawing Bear had a pot of grease simmering over a tiny fire. The medicine man motioned for Little Eagle to sit at one side of the fire.
Little Eagle tried to keep his mind on what Clawing Bear was doing, but his thoughts wandered to where the other boys were shooting at the slender target set up for them. He could almost see himself splitting the target while Wounded Face missed. He leaned forward, trying to make his mind and his eyes follow Clawing Bear’s movements.
Abruptly the medicine man stepped away from the fire. He turned quickly, and his burning glance made Little Eagle’s eyes meet his.
12
“I try to teach you the wisdom of Sioux medicine men,” Clawing Bear growled, “and your mind wanders off to where other boys are shooting for prizes.”
Little Eagle dropped his eyes guiltily. Truly Clawing Bear had looked into his mind.
“I am sorry,” he apologized, and then added with conviction, “I can mix the poultice.”
“Do it then,” Clawing Bear ordered, upsetting the bowl with his foot so that the contents spilled onto the fire. A dense cloud of biting smoke filled the tepee.
Little Eagle waited until some of the smoke had seeped out at the top of the tepee before he got to his feet. He pulled the bowl from the fire and set it aside. He selected another bowl, put grease in it, and set it on the fire. He began to add powdered herbs which he took from the bags Clawing Bear had hanging on the wall of the tepee.
13
Clawing Bear had seated himself and was watching Little Eagle’s every move. Little Eagle carefully selected the materials to go into the bowl. He hesitated as he reached for the powdered herb in a large bag. At first he took a handful, but he changed his mind and dropped only a pinch into the bowl. He stirred the mixture until it began to boil. When he glanced toward Clawing Bear, he saw a look of approval on the medicine man’s face.
“You nearly missed,” Clawing Bear said gruffly. “I know it’s hard for a boy of twelve summers to study when other boys are playing. There will be no more lessons today.”
Using two sticks as tongs, Little Eagle lifted the bowl off the fire. His eyes moved from the bowl back to the fire as though they had been drawn by a magnet. He gave a little gasp as, in the leaping flames, he seemed to see a party of Crow warriors riding swiftly. He tried to count them, but they went too fast. As the Crows appeared to fade away in the fire, Little Eagle became aware that Clawing Bear was speaking to him. He tried to collect his scattered wits so that he could answer respectfully.
“Tomorrow I’ll be a better pupil,” he promised.
14
“Tomorrow you will think about becoming a warrior and a hunter,” Clawing Bear answered sadly. “Learning the arts of a Sioux medicine man is more important, but you won’t think so.”
Little Eagle moved toward the flap of the tepee. In a moment Clawing Bear would make the sign of dismissal. There might still be time to race to the tepee, get his bow and arrows, and join the contest.