Her shining black
hair was arranged in two thick plaits which
hung down upon her bosom. There was a native
dignity in her gestures and in her utterance of
the maidens' oath, and as she turned to face the
circle, all the other virgins followed her.
When the feast was ended and the gay con-
course had dispersed, Antelope and his cousin
were among the last to withdraw. The young
man's eyes had followed every movement of
Taluta as long as she remained in sight, and
it was only when she vanished in the gathering
shadows that he was willing to retire.
In savage courtship, it was the custom to
introduce one's self boldly to the young lady,
although sometimes it was convenient to have
a sister introduce her brother. But Antelope
had no sister to perform this office for him,
and if he had had one, he would not have made
the request. He did not choose to admit any
one to his secret, for he had no confidence in
himself or in the outcome of the affair. If
it had been anything like trailing the doe, or
scouting the Ojibway, he would have ridiculed
the very notion of missing the object sought.
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