Words, heated and proud, were exchanged between the two men. Grunt's resolve toconciliate and pacify the savages seemed, in the heat of the moment, to havebeen abandoned. Then he was thrown backward. Two of the Kaiila drew theirknives. I tensed. Grunt, however, had the good sense not to charge them.

Suddenly, even in his anger, he realized he might be killed.

The young warrior then spoke to the girl at the paws of his kaiila. "Quick," said Pimples, "stand up. Stand straight. Put your hands at your sides. Pressyour hands to your thighs. Put your head up. Whatever happens, do not resist."

Quickly the red-haired girl obeyed.

The young savage threw a beaded collar to one of the warriors near the girl.

He approached the girl.

Grunt, at this point, in an excited medley of Dust Leg, Kaiila and Gorean,distraught and angry, entered again into remonstrance with the young warrior.

"Kaiila," I said, to Grunt. "Kaiila!"

Grunt then shook his head, gathering his thoughts, and addressed himself,clearly and calmly, in Kaiila, to the youth.

But the young man, clearly, the lance grasped in his hand, high on the loftykaiila, in his breechclout and paint, was not moved.

The more mature warrior, then, he who was of the Yellow-Kaiila Riders, moved hisbeast forward. He, too, spoke to the young man. The young man shook his head,angrily. The Yellow-Kaiila Rider then said something to Grunt, and then pulledback his beast, retiring again to the background. I saw that he was not pleased,but he gave little sign of it. It was not seemly, I gathered, for one such as heto enter into dispute with a younger warrior, one of another society and who hadfewer coups than himself. Too, it was the young man, and not he, who wasBlotanhunka, war-party leader, of this group of All Comrades.

The young man then said something to his fellow near the red-haired girl. Thenhe gestured to the helpless female, standing naked and straight before him, herhead up, her hands pressed tightly to her thighs.

Grunt and I watched as the young man's collar was tied on her throat. She wascollared.

Grunt's fists were clenched, futilely.

The red-haired girl looked at her new master in awe. He was tall, and strong,and savagely handsome. Her entire body seemed transfused with "fear, and emotionand excitement. It was such a brute who owned her. Too, she realized thattension had been involved in her claimancy. In spite of countervailingconsiderations, perhaps serious ones, he had decided that it would be he, and noother, who would own her. She knew then that she, a mere slave, was the objectof strong desire.

"I do not like it," said Grunt. "It will mean trouble."

"Perhaps," I said.

The young man regarded his new slave, pleasurably, approvingly. She blushedhotly under his inspection, but did no flinch nor turn her eyes from his. Thenhis eyes grew stem and she shrank back. She saw then that she could be only hislave, and that she would be uncompromisingly mastered. But even this, I saw,pleased her.

"You have one slim chance for life," said Pimples. "That is to serve him, in allthings, and to be pleasing to him, fully, and in all ways."

"I will," she whispered. "I will."

Then the eyes of the young master and the new slave again met. This time, againunable to meet his gaze, she lowered her head. She was very beautiful, her headbowed before her master.

She trembled.

I saw that she was as excited by, and enamored of, her master, as he of her.

"Do not simply stand there, you little fool," said Pimples. "Kneel down beforehim, and put your head to the grass."

Quickly the red-haired girl obeyed.

I looked at her, kneeling before her master. Doubtless she would be worked hardand used much. She would not be in any doubt as to her slavery, either in hiscamp or in his lodge.

The young man said something.

"Get up," said Pimples. "Go to him. You may kiss his foot and ankle."

The red-haired girl got up and went to the young warrior. He looked verysplendid in his paint and feathers, with the lance, astride the kaiila. Shepressed her lips to his moccasin and then to his ankle, kissing him softly. Thenshe looked up at him, and backed away, his, stripped save for the beaded collarknotted at her throat.

"You have been highly honored," said Pimples to the red-haired girl. "Althoughyou are only a white slave, already you have been permitted to put your lips tohis body."

The young man then lowered his lance, until the long point of the narrow,tapering, bluish flint was but inches from her bared breasts. He gestured at herwith the lance. "Winyela," he said.

"You have been named," said Pimples. "Put down your head. Put your fingers toyour breasts. Say, "Ho, Itancanka, Winyela'.

The red-haired girl did this. She then lifted her head again, to her master.

"Winyela," he said.

"Winyela," she repeated.

He then turned his attention elsewhere, to the trade goods, mostly Grunt's,through which two of his warriors had been rummaging. Hatchets, mirrors, knivesand cloths, and such, were now much scattered about, on the grass. He urged hiskaiila to the place. Such concern might seem out of place in a loftyBlotanhunka. Too, the girl must understand that she is nothing.

"I have been named," said the red-haired girl.

"Yes, Winyela," said Pimples. I smiled to myself. At last the red-haired girlhad a name.

"It is a beautiful name," said the red-haired girl.

"It means "Female Animal'," said Pimples.

"Oh," said the red-haired girl, taken aback.

"It is quite a good name, considering that you are a slave," said Pimples.

"Female slaves are often given names such as Wasna, Grease, or Cespu, Scab orWart, until they prove themselves sufficiently pleasing to have earned a better.

I myself was called Wasnapohdi, which means "Pimples."

"You are still called "Pimples'," said the red-haired girl.

"Apparently I have not yet earned a better," smiled Pimples.

"Winyela," said the red-haired girl. "It is a beautiful sound."

"Do not forget its meaning," said Pimples. "She-animal. Female animal."

"No," said the red-haired girl.

"And see that you prove to be a perfect she-animal to him, obedient, shamelessand devoted, in all things."

"A slave," said the girl.

"Yes," said Pimples.

"Do you think he would let me be less," she asked, smiling, timidly, "such aman?"

"No," said Pimples. "I, too, was once slave among the Kaiila. I know such men.

They will accept nothing less than abject, perfect service from a woman."

"Even if he would permit me less," said the red-haired girl, "I would not want,even of my own free will, to give him less."

I envied the young warrior his lovely, red-haired slave, Winyela. What man,truly, honestly, red or white, would not? But perhaps one must have had a slave,or least once in ones life, to understand this.

"Look at the happy, shameless slave," I said. "She may have been born for thatcollar."

"Perhaps," said Grunt.

"It may be just as well that your remonstrances proved ineffective."

"She was meant for Mahpiyasapa, Black Clouds," said Grant. "That lad andMahpiyasapa are both of the Isbu Band. There is sure to be trouble. Too, I amnot getting paid for her."

"That is true," I granted him. "What did the Yellow-Kailla Rider say to you," Iasked, "after he had spoken to the youth, before he had returned to his place?"

That the youth was within his rights," said Grunt, "that he could claim her,under the circumstances, by right of slave capture."

"Which he did?" I asked.

"Of course," said Grunt. "Would you not have done the same?"

"Perhaps," I smiled.

"At any rate, it is done now," said Grunt. "She is in his collar."

That was true. The collar had now been tied on her neck. She was now,completely, the young man's property.