So hurriedly going to his tent he looked around, but failing
to see the boy or his mother, he asked his elk wife, where the boy
and his mother were. The elk wife answered: "She took her boy on
her back and started off in that direction," (pointing towards the
west). "How long has she been gone?" "Since early morning." The
husband hurriedly caught a fresh horse and, without eating
anything, rode off in the direction taken by his buffalo wife and
boy. Near dark he ascended a high hill and noticed a small tent
down in the valley. It was a long distance down to the tent, so it
was very late when he arrived there. He tethered his horse and
went into the tent and found the boy and his mother fast asleep.
Upon lying down beside them the boy awoke, and upon seeing his
father, motioned to him to go outside with him.
On going outside the boy told his father that it would be useless
for him to try and coax his mother to return, as she was too highly
insulted by the elk wife to ever return. Then the boy told about
what the elk wife had said and that she had called him flat mouth.
"My mother is determined to return to her people, but if you want
to follow us you may, and perhaps, after she has visited with her
relatives a little while, you may induce her to return with you.
In the morning we are going to start very early, and as the country
we will travel through is very hard soil, I will stamp my feet hard
so as to leave my tracks imprinted in the softest places, then you
will be able to follow the direction we will take.
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