Ihala leads the children to the safety of the mountains. Once there, he teaches them the ghost dance. The old man and the children watch from the mountain, as the men and women laugh and pose for the Shadow Catcher. The villagers stare in amazement at the magical images that appear on his glass plates. The Shadow Catcher quietly packs his ground glass and tools and slowly walks the path out of the village.
Darkness descends like a blanket upon the valley.
The buffalo disappear from the great grassy plain. The fishermen return to the village with empty baskets as the river runs red. When the frightened villagers ask the remaining animals where the buffalo and fish have gone, they too run into the forest and hide - no longer able to reply. Ihala is saddened by the sight of his people who no longer move as one with nature. The children sicken.