Everyone stopped fighting.
The forest around us seemed to hold its breath as we all waited to see what happened next—even the breeze had stopped.
Only the sound of our heaving lungs rattled the silence.
One of the Natives, the tallest man, stalked toward Marcellious and got in his face.
“Tukténita?ha? he?” he demanded.
I quickly translated to, “Where do you come from?”
“How does this white man know our language?” a shorter man said, speaking in Sioux.
The tall man loomed over Marcellious as he said, louder this time, “Who are you?”
Marcellious held his ground. “I am one of you.”
“No,” the tall man said, “you are not one of us.”
“I am indeed one of you.” He pushed his sleeve back, revealing his tattooed arm.
The tall man glanced down at his own arm and back to Marcellious’ forearm. “How did you get that mark? It is known only to our tribe.”
Roman and I glanced at one another.
I extended my arm and pointed at it, silently asking him if he had a similar mark.
Roman shook his head.
The Natives began talking to one another, shifting uneasily back and forth.
“How can he have our mark?”
“Who is he?”
“Is this some sort of trick?”
Finally, Marcellious said clearly, “Take me to your village. I would like to meet your chief.”
The tall man glared at Marcellious but said nothing.
“I am the son of Dancing Fire. I want to be taken to your chief,now,” Marcellious bellowed.
Roman’s and my mouths both dropped open.
Marcellious is the son of Dancing Fire? That was Lee’s Native American name.
The warriors shrank back as if shoved backward by Marcellious’ words.
One of them fell to his knees and lowered his head, and then, one by one, they all followed suit.
I swayed where I stood, stunned, struggling to catch my breath.
Finally, the tall man lifted his head and climbed to his feet. He grabbed Marcellious’ wrist the held up his arm like a prizefighter. “The great warrior has returned! We must bring him to our chief!”
A collective cheer rang out among the Native people.
They all started through the woods with much exuberance, dragging Marcellious.
