midday
To be awake and still motionless , to do absolutely nothing , not even sleep -- seemingly the simplest feat in life , it is one of the most difficult . A wild thing can do it , all wild things when need is sufficient ; but man , modern man -- Here and there one retains the faculty , as here and there one worships another God than wealth ; but here and there only . Yet it was such an one that lay alone out there on the Dakota prairie that October day ; one who , as Craig had said , hinted unfortunately of comic opera , but who never , even in remotest conception , fancied that comic opera existed , a dreamer and yet , notwithstanding , a doer , an Indian , and still not an Indian ; Ma-wa-cha-sa by name . With the approach of midday a light wind had arisen , and now , wandering northward , it tugged at the pony 's long , shaggy mane and tail , set each individual hair of the little beast vibrating in unjustified ferocity ; and , drifting aimlessly on , stirred the brittle grass stalks at the man 's feet with the muffled crackling of a far-distant prairie fire . The herd , a great machine cutting clean every foot of the sun-cured grass in its path , moved on and on , reached a low spot in the gently rolling country , and passed slowly from view ; then , still moving forward , took shape on the summit of the next rise , more distinct than before . Time passed as the man lay there , time that to another would have been interminable , that to him was apparently unnoted . Gradually , as the full heat of the day approached , the breeze became stronger , set the heat waves dancing to swifter measure , sang audibly in the listener 's ears its siren song of prairie and of peace .