Old Indian Days

第4章

Hismasterkneltbyhisside,gentlystrokingthefaceofthedog。

"Ah,myfriend;yougowhereallspiritslive!

TheGreatMysteryhasahomeforeverylivingcreature。Mayhepermitourmeetingthere!"

Atdaybreakthescoutcarriedhimuptooneoftheprettyroundhillsoverlookingthelake,andbuiltuparoundhimwallsofloosestone。

Redpaintswerescatteredoverthesnow,inac—

cordancewithIndiancustom,andthefarewellsongwassung。

SincethatdaytheplacehasbeenknowntotheSiouxasShunkahanakapi——theGraveoftheDog。

PARTTWO

THEWOMAN

I

WINONA,THEWOMAN—CHILD

Hush,hushaby,littlewoman!

Bebraveandweepnot!

Thespiritssleepnot;

’TistheywhoordainTowoman,pain。

Hush,hushaby,littlewoman!

Now,allthingsbearing,AnewgiftsharingFromthoseabove——

Towoman,love。

——SiouxLullaby。

"Chinto,weyanna!Yes,indeed;sheisareallittlewoman,"declarestheoldgrandmother,asshereceivesandcrit—

icallyexaminesthetinybitofhumanity。

Thereisnoremarkastothecolorofitshairoreyes,bothsoblackasalmosttobeblue,buttheoldwomanscanssharplythedelicatepro—

fileofthebabyface。

"Ah,shehasthenoseofherancestors!Lipsthinasaleaf,andeyesbrightasstarsinmid—

winter!"sheexclaims,asshepassesonthefurrybundletotheothergrandmotherforherinspec—

tion。

"Tokee!sheisprettyenoughtowinatwinkleromtheeveningstar,"remarksthatsmilingpersonage。

"Andwhatshallhernamebe?

"Winona,theFirst—born,ofcourse。Thatishersbyrightofbirth。"

"Still,itmaynotfither。Onemustproveherselfworthyinordertoretainthathonorablename。"

"Ugh,"retortsthefirstgrandmother,"shecanatleastbearitonprobation!"

"Tosh,tosh,"theotherassents。

ThustheunconsciouslittleWinonahaspassedthefirststageoftheIndian’schristen—

ing。

Presentlysheisfoldedintoasoftwhitedoe—

skin,welllinedwiththeloosedownofcattails,andsnuglylacedintoanuprightoakencradle,thefrontofwhichisarichlyembroideredbuck—

skinbag,withporcupinequillsanddeers’hoofssuspendedfromitsprofusefringes。Thisgaycradleisstrappeduponthesecondgrand—

mother’sback,andthatdignitarywalksoffwiththenewcomer。

"Youmustcomewithme,"shesays。"Weshallgoamongthefatherandmothertrees,andhearthemspeakwiththeirthousandtongues,thatyoumayknowtheirlanguageforever。I

willhangthecradleofthewoman—childuponUtuhu,theoak;andsheshallhearthelove—sighsofthepinemaiden!"

InthisfashionWinonaisintroducedtonatureandbecomesatonce"nature—born,"inaccordwiththebeliefsandpracticesofthewildredman。

"Heresheis!Takeher,"saystheoldwomanonherreturnfromthewoods。Shepre—

sentsthechildtoitsmother,whoissittingintheshadeofanelm—treeasquietlyasifshehadnotjustpassedthroughwoman’sseverestor—

dealingivingadaughtertothebraveCheton—

ska!

"Shehasawinsomeface,asmeekandin—

nocentasthefaceofanermine,"graciouslyaddsthegrandmother。

Themotherdoesnotspeak。Silentlyandal—

mostreverentlyshetakeshernewandfirst—borndaughterintoherarms。Shegazesintoitsvel—

vetylittlefaceofaduskyredtint,anduncon—

sciouslypressesthecloselyswaddledformtoherbreast。Shefeelsthemother—instinctseizeuponherstronglyforthefirsttime。Hereisanewlife,anewhope,apossiblelinkbetweenherselfandanewrace!

Ah,asmileplaysuponherlips,assherealizesthatshehaskissedherchild!Initseyesandmouthshediscernsclearlythefeaturesshehaslovedinthestrongcountenanceofanother,thoughinthelittlewoman’sfacetheyaresoft—

enedandretouchedbythehandofthe"GreatMystery。"

ThebabygirliscalledWinonaforsomemonths,whenthemedicine—manissummonedandrequestedtonamepubliclythefirst—borndaughterofChetonska,theWhiteHawk;butnotuntilhehasreceivedapresentofagoodponywithafinelypaintedbuffalo—robe。Itisusualtoconferanothernamebesidesthatofthe"First—born,"whichmayberesumedlaterifthemaidenprovesworthy。ThenameWi—

nonaimpliesmuchofhonor。Itmeanschar—

itable,kind,helpful;allthataneldestsistershouldbe!

Theheraldgoesaroundtheringoflodgesannouncinginsingsongfashionthechristening,andinvitingeverybodytoafeastinhonoroftheevent。ArealAmericanchristeningisal—

waysagalaoccasion,whenmuchsavagewealthisdistributedamongthepoorandoldpeople。

Winonahasonlyjustwalked,andthisfactisalsoannouncedwithadditionalgifts。Awell—

bornchildiseverbeforethetribaleyeandinthetribalear,aseverylittlestepinitsprogresstowardmanhoodorwomanhood——thefirsttimeofwalkingorswimming,firstshotwithbowandarrow(ifaboy),firstpairofmoccasinsmade(ifagirl)——isannouncedpubliclywithfeastingandthegivingofpresents。

SoWinonareceivesherindividualnameofTatiyopa,orHerDoor。Itissymbolic,likemostIndiannames,andimpliesthatthedoorofthebearerishospitableandherhomeattrac—

tive。

Thetwograndmothers,whohavecarriedthelittlemaidenupontheirbacks,nowtellandsingtoherbyturnsallthelegendsoftheirmostnotedfemaleancestors,fromthetwinsistersoftheoldstory,themaidenswhomarriedamongthestarpeopleofthesky,downtotheirownmothers。Allherlullabiesarefeminine,anddesignedtoimpressuponhertendermindthelifeanddutiesofhersex。

Assoonassheisoldenoughtoplaywithdollssheplaysmotherinallseriousnessandgravity。Sheisdressedlikeaminiaturewoman(andherdollsarecladlikewise),ingarmentsofdoeskintoherankles,adornedwithlongfringes,embroideredwithporcupinequills,anddyedwithrootdyesinvariouscolors。Herlit—

tleblanketorrobe,withwhichsheshylydrapesorscreensherheadandshoulders,istheskinofabuffalocalforadeer,soft,white,embroi—

deredonthesmoothside,andoftenwiththeheadandhoofslefton。

"Youmustneverforget,mylittledaughter,thatyouareawomanlikemyself。Doalwaysthosethingsthatyouseemedo,"hermotheroftenadmonishesher。

EventhelanguageoftheSiouxhasitsfem—

ininedialect,andthetinygirlwouldbegreatlyabashedwereiteverneedfultocorrectherforusingamasculinetermination。

Thismothermakesforherlittledaughteraminiaturecopyofeveryrudetoolthatsheusesinhertailytasks。Thereisalittlescraperofelk—horntoscraperawhidespreparatorytotan—

ningthem,anotherscraperofadifferentshapefortanning,boneknives,andstonemalletsforpoundingchoke—cherriesandjerkedmeat。

Whilehermotherisbendingoveralargebuffalo—hidestretchedandpinnedupontheground,standinguponitandscrapingoffthefleshyportionasnimblyasacarpentershavesaboardwithhisplane,Winona,atfiveyearsofage,standsuponacornerofthegreathideandindustriouslyscrapesawaywithhertinyinstru—

ment!Whenthemotherstopstosharpenhertool,thelittlewomanalwayssharpenshersalso。

Perhapsthereiswatertobefetchedinbagsmadefromthedriedpericardiumofananimal;

thegirlbringssomeinasmallerwater—bag。

Whenhermothergoesforwoodshecarriesoneortwosticksonherback。Shepitchesherplayteepeetoformanexactcopyofhermother’s。

Herlittlebelongingsarenearlyallpractical,andherveryplayisreal!

Thus,beforesheistenyearsold,Winonabe—

ginstoseelifehonestlyandinearnest;tocon—

siderherselfafactorinthelifeofherpeople——alinkinthegenealogyofherrace。Yethereffortisnotforced,herworknotdonefromnecessity;

itisnormalandadevelopmentoftheplay—in—

stinctoftheyoungcreature。Thissortoftrain—

ingleadsveryearlytoagenuinedesiretoserveandtodoforothers。ThelittleWinonalovestogiveandtoplease;tobegenerousandgra—

cious。Thereisnothoughtoftraffickingoreconomizinginlaborandinlove。

"Mother,Iwanttobelikethebeavers,theants,andthespiders,becausemygrandmothersaysthosearethepeoplemostworthyofimita—

tionfortheirindustry。ShealsotellsmethatIshouldwatchthebee,theonethathassomanydaughters,andallowsnoyoungmentocomearoundherdaughterswhiletheyareatworkmakingsweets,"exclaimsthelittlemaiden。

"Trulytheirindustryhelpsusmuch,forweoftentakefromtheirhoard,"remarksthemother。

"Thatisnotright,isitmother,iftheydonotwishtosharewithus?"asksWinona。

"ButIthinkthebeeisstingyifshehassomuchandwillnotsharewithanyoneelse!WhenI

growup,Ishallhelpthepoor!Ishallhaveabigteepeeandinviteoldpeopleoften,forwhenpeoplegetoldtheyseemtobealwayshungry,andIthinkweoughttofeedthem。"

"Mylittledaughterwillpleasemeandherfatherifsheprovestobeindustriousandskillfulwithherneedleandinallwoman’swork。Thenshecanhaveafineteepeeandmakeitallcheer—

fulwithin。Theindolentwomanhasasmallteepee,anditisverysmoky。Allherchildrenwillhavesoreeyes,andherhusbandwillsoonbecomeill—tempered,"declaresthemother,inallseriousness。

"And,daughter,thereissomethingmorethanthisneededtomakeacheerfulhome。

Youmusthaveagoodheart,bepatient,andspeakbutlittle。Everycreaturethattalkstoomuchissuretomaketrouble,"sheconcludes,wisely。

Onedaythiscarefulmotherhascompletedabeautifullittleteepeeoftheskinofabuffalocalf,workedwithredporcupinequillsinarowofringsjustbelowthesmoke—flapsandoneachsideofthefrontopening。Inthecenterofeachringisatasselofredandwhitehorse—hair。Thetipofeachsmoke—flapisdecoratedwiththesamematerial,andthedoorflapalso。

Withinthereareneatlyarrangedraw—hideboxesforhousekeeping,andsquarebagsofsoftbuckskinadornedwithblueandwhitebeads。

Oneithersideofthefireplacearespreadthetannedskinsofabuffalocalfandadeer;butthereisnobear,wolf,orwildcatskin,foronthesethefootofawomanmustnevertread!

Theyareformen,andsymbolicalofmanlyvir—

tues。Therearedollsofallsizes,andaplaytravoisleansagainstthewhitewalloftheminia—

turelodge。Eventhepetpupiscalledintocompletethefancifulhomeofthelittlewoman。

"Now,mydaughter,"saysthemother,"youmustkeepyourlodgeinorder!"

Herethelittlewomanisallowedtoinviteotherlittlewomen,herplaymates。Thisiswherethegrandmothersholdsway,chaperoningtheiryoungcharges,whomustneverbelongoutoftheirsight。Thelittlevisitorsbringtheirwork—bagsofvariousskins,artisticallymadeandtrimmed。Thesecontainmoccasinsandothergarmentsfortheirdolls,onwhichtheylovetooccupythemselves。

Thebrightly—paintedrawhideboxesarere—

servedforfood,andinthesethegirlsbringva—

riouspreparedmeatsandotherdelicacies。Thisisperhapsthemostagreeablepartoftheplaytothechaperon,whoistreatedasanhonoredguestatthefeast!

Winonaseldomplayswithboys,evenherownbrothersandcousins,andaftershereachestwelveorfourteenyearsofageshescarcelyspeakstothem。Modestyisavirtuewhichisdeeplyimpresseduponherfromearlychildhood,andthebashfullydroopinghead,theavertedlook,thevoicelowandseldomheard,thesearegracesmuchesteemedinamaiden。

Sheistaughttopaygreatattentiontothecareofherlong,glossylocks,combing,plaiting,andperfumingthemwithsweet—scentedleavessteepedinoil。Herpersonalappearanceiswellunderstoodtobeamatterofrealmoment,andrichdressandornamentsarehighlyprized。

Fortunatelytheynevergooutoffashion,andonceownedarepermanentpossessions,unlesspartedwithasceremonialgiftsonsomegreatoccasionofmourningorfestivity。

Whenshereachesamarriageableageherfatherallowshertogiveafeasttoalltheothergirlsofherimmediateclan,andthis"FeastofVirgins"mayonlybeattendedbythoseofspot—

lessreputation。Tohavegivenorattendedanumberofthemisregardedasachoicehonor。

Tatiyopa,bythetimesheisfifteen,hasal—

readyanameforskillinneedlework,andgen—

erosityindistributingthearticlesofherownmaking。SheisnowgenerallycalledWinona——

thecharitableandkind!Shebelievesthatitiswoman’sworktomakeandkeepahomethatwillbeworthyofthebravest,andhospitabletoall,andinthissimplefaithsheentersupontherealitiesofherwomanhood。

II

WINONA,THECHILD—WOMAN

Braverthanthebravest,Yousoughthonorsatdeath’sdoor;

CouldyounotrememberOnewhoweepsathome——

Couldyounotrememberme?

Braverthanthebravest,Yousoughthonorsmorethanlove;

Dear,Iweep,yetIamnotacoward;

Myheartweepsforthee——

MyheartweepswhenIrememberthee!

——SiouxLoveSong。

Theskyisblueoverhead,peepingthroughwindow—likeopeningsinaroofofgreenleaves。Rightbetweenagreatpineandabirchtreetheirsoftdoeskinshawlsarespread,andtheresittwoSiouxmaid—

ensamidtheirfineries——variouslycoloredpor—

cupinequillsforembroiderylaiduponsheetsofthinbirch—bark,andmoccasintopsworkedincolorslikeautumnleaves。ItisWinonaandherfriendMiniyata。

Theyhavearrivedattheperiodduringwhichtheyounggirliscarefullysecludedfromherbrothersandcousinsandfuturelovers,andre—

tires,asitwere,intothenunneryofthewoods,behindaveilofthickfoliage。Thussheisexpectedtodevelopfullyherwomanlyqualities。

Inmeditationandsolitude,entirelyaloneorwithachosencompanionofherownsexandage,shegainsasecretstrength,asshestudiestheartofwomanhoodfromnatureherself。

Winonahastherobustbeautyofthewildlilyoftheprairie,pureandstronginherdeepcolorsofyellowandscarletagainstthesavageplainandhorizon,baskingintheopensunlikeachild,yetsoftandwoman—like,withdroop—

ingheadwhenobserved。Bothgirlsarebeau—

tifullyrobedinloosegownsofsoftdoeskin,girdedaboutthewaistwiththeusualverywideleatherbelt。

"Come,letuspracticeoursacreddance,"

saysonetotheother。Eachcrownsherglossyheadwithawreathofwildflowers,andtheydancewithslowstepsaroundthewhitebirch,singingmeanwhilethesacredsongs。

Nowuponthelakethatstretchesbluetotheeastwardthereappearsadistantcanoe,amerespeck,nobiggerthanabirdfaroffagainsttheshiningsky。

"Seetheliftingofthepaddles!"exclaimsWinona。

"Liketheleapingofatroutuponthewater!"suggestsMiniyata。

"Ihopetheywillnotdiscoverus,yetIwouldliketoknowwhotheyare,"remarkstheother,innocently。

Thebirchcanoeapproachesswiftly,withtwoyoungmenplyingthelightcedarpaddles。

Thegirlsnowsettledowntotheirneedle—

work,quiteasiftheyhadneverlaughedordancedorwovengarlands,bendingovertheirembroideryinperfectsilence。Surelytheywouldnotwishtoattractattention,forthetwosturdyyoungwarriorshavealreadylanded。

Theypickupthecanoeandlayitwelluponthebank,outofsight。Thenoneprocuresastrongpole。Theyliftabuckdeerfromthecanoe——notamarkuponit,saveforthebulletwound;thedeerlooksasifitweresleeping!

Theytiethehindlegstogetherandtheforelegsalsoandcarryitbetweenthemonthepole。

Quicklyandcleverlytheydoallthis;andnowtheystartforwardandcomeunexpectedlyuponthemaidens’retreat!Theypauseforaninstantinmuteapology,butthegirlssmiletheirforgiveness,andtheyouthshurryontowardthevillage。

Winonahasnowattendedherfirstmaidens’

feastandisconsideredeligibletomarriage。Shemayreceiveyoungmen,butnotinpublicorinasocialway,forsuchwasnotthecustomoftheSioux。Whenhespeaks,sheneednotanswerhimunlessshechooses。

TheIndianwomaninherquietwaypreservesthedignityofthehome。Fromourstandpointthewhitemanisalaw—breaker!The"GreatMystery,"wesay,doesnotadornthewomanabovetheman。Hislawisspreadinghorns,orflowingmane,orgorgeousplumageforthemale;thefemalehemadeplain,butcomely,modestandgentle。Sheisthefoundationofman’sdignityandhonor。Uponherreststhelifeofthehomeandofthefamily。Ihaveoftenthoughtthatthereismuchinthisphilos—

ophyofanuntutoredpeople。Hadherhusbandremainedlongenoughinoneplace,theIndianwoman,Ibelieve,wouldhavedevelopednomeancivilizationandcultureofherown。

Itwasnodisgracetothechief’sdaughterintheolddaystoworkwithherhands。Indeed,theirstandardofworthwasthewillingnesstowork,butnotforthesakeofaccumulation,onlyinordertogive。Winonahaslearnedtopre—

pareskins,toremovethehairandtantheskinofadeersothatitmaybemadeintomoccasinswithinthreedays。Shehasabonetoolforeachstageoftheconversionofthestiffraw—hideintovelvetyleather。Shehasbeentaughttheartofpaintingtentsandraw—hidecases,andthemanufactureofgarmentsofallkinds。

GenerosityisatraitthatishighlydevelopedintheSiouxwoman。Shemakesmanymocca—

sinsandotherarticlesofclothingforhermalerelatives,orforanywhoarenotwellprovided。

Shelovestoseeherbrotherthebestdressedamongtheyoungmen,andthemoccasinsespe—

ciallyofayoungbravearetheprideofhiswoman—kind。

Herownpersonisneatlyattired,butordi—

narilywithgreatsimplicity。Herdoeskingownhaswide,flowingsleeves;theneckislow,butnotsolowasistheeveningdressofso—

ciety。

Hermoccasinsareplain;herlegginsclose—

fittingandnotashighasherbrother’s。Shepartshersmooth,jet—blackhairinthemiddleandplaitsitintwo。Intheolddayssheusedtodoitinoneplaitwoundaroundwithwam—

pum。Herornaments,sparinglyworn,arebeads,elks’teeth,andatouchofredpaint。Nofeathersarewornbythewoman,unlessinasacreddance。

Sheissupposedtobealwaysoccupiedwithsomefemininepursuitorengagedinsomesocialaffair,whichalsoisstrictlyfeminineasarule。

Evenherlanguageispeculiartohersex,somewordsbeingusedbywomenonly,whileothershaveafemininetermination。

Thereisanetiquetteofsittingandstanding,whichisstrictlyobserved。Thewomanmustneverraiseherkneesorcrossherfeetwhenseated。Sheseatsherselfonthegroundside—

wise,withbothfeetunderher。

Notwithstandinghermodestyandundemon—

strativeways,thereisnolackofmirthandrelaxationforWinonaamonghergirlcompan—

ions。

Insummer,swimmingandplayinginthewaterisafavoriteamusement。Sheevenimi—

tateswiththesolesofherfeetthepeculiar,resonantsoundthatthebeavermakeswithherlarge,flattailuponthesurfaceofthewater。

Sheisagracefulswimmer,keepingthefeettogetherandwavingthembackwardandfor—

wardlikethetailofafish。

Nearlyallhergamesaredifferentfromthoseofthemen。Shehasasportofwand—throwingwhichdevelopsfinemusclesoftheshoulderandback。Thewandsareabouteightfeetlong,andtapergraduallyfromaninchandahalftohalfaninchindiameter。Someofthemareartisticallymade,withheadsofboneandhorn,sothatitisremarkabletowhatadistancetheymaybemadetoslideovertheground。Inthefemininegameofball,whichissomethinglike"shinny,"theballisdrivenwithcurvedsticksbetweentwogoals。Itisplayedwithfromtwoorthreetoahundredonaside,andagamebe—

tweentwobandsorvillagesisapicturesqueevent。

Acommonindoordiversionisthe"deer’sfoot"game,playedwithsixdeerhoofsonastring,endinginaboneorsteelawl。Theob—

jectistothrowitinsuchawayastocatchoneormorehoofsonthepointoftheawl,afeatwhichrequiresnolittledexterity。Anotherisplayedwithmarkedplum—stonesinabowl,whicharethrownlikediceandcountaccordingtothesidethatisturneduppermost。

Winona’swooingisatypicalone。Aswithanyotherpeople,love—makingismoreorlessinvogueatalltimesoftheyear,butmoreespe—

ciallyatmidsummer,duringthecharacteristicreunionsandfestivitiesofthatseason。Theyoungmengoaboutusuallyinpairs,andthemaidensdolikewise。Theymaymeetbychanceatanytimeofday,inthewoodsoratthespring,butoftenestseektodosoafterdark,justoutsidetheteepee。Thegirlhashercom—

panion,andhehashis,forthesakeofproprietyorprotection。Theconversationiscarriedoninawhisper,sothateventhesechaperonsdonothear。

Atthesoundofthedrumonsummereven—

ings,dancesarebegunwithinthecircularrowsofteepees,butwithoutthecircletheyoungmenpromenadeinpairs。Eachprovideshimselfwiththeplaintivefluteandplaysthesimplecadencesofhispeople,whilehispersoniscom—

pletelycoveredwithhisfinerobe,sothathecannotberecognizedbythepasserby。Ateverypauseinthemelodyhegiveshisyodel—likelove—call,towhichthegirlsrespondwiththeirmusical,sing—songlaughter。

MatosapahaslovedWinonasincethetimehesawheratthelakesideinherparloramongthepines。Buthehasnothadmuchopportu—

nitytospeakuntilonsuchanight,afterthedancesareover。Thereisnooutsidefire;butadimlightfromwithintheskinteepeesshedsamellowglowoverthecamp,minglingwiththelightofayoungmoon。Thustheseloversgoaboutlikeghosts。Matosapahasalreadycircledtheteepeeswithhisinseparablebrother—

friend,BraveElk。

"Friend,domeanhonorto—night!"heex—

claims,atlast。"Openthisfirstdoorforme,sincethiswillbethefirsttimeIshallspeaktoawoman!"

"Ah,"suggestsBraveElk,"Ihopeyouhaveselectedagirlwhosegrandmotherhasnocrossdogs!"

"Theprizethatiswonatgreatriskisusuallyvaluedmost,"repliesMatosapa。

"Ho,kola!Ishalltouchthedoor—flapassoftlyastheswallowalightsuponhernest。ButIwarnyou,donotletyourheartbeattooloudly,fortheoldwoman’searsarestillgood!"

So,jokingandlaughing,theyproceedtowardalargebuffalotentwithahorse’stailsuspendedfromthehighestpoletoindicatetherankoftheowner。Theyhaveceasedtoblowtheflutesomepacesback,andwalknoiselesslyasapan—

therinquestofadoe。

BraveElkopensthedoor。Matosapaentersthetent。AswasthewontoftheSioux,thewell—bornmaidhasalittleteepeewithinatee—

pee——aprivateapartmentofherown。Hepassesthesleepingfamilytothisinnershrine。

TherehegentlywakensWinonawithproperapologies。Thisisnotunusualorstrangetoherinnocence,foritwasthecustomofthepeo—

ple。Hesitsatthedoor,whilehisfriendwaitsoutside,andtellshisloveinawhisper。Tothisshedoesnotreplyatonce;evenifsheloveshim,itisproperthatsheshouldbesilent。Theloverdoesnotknowwhetherheisfavorablyreceivedornot,uponthishisfirstvisit。Hemustnowseekheroutsideuponeveryfavorableoccasion。Nogiftsareofferedatthisstageoftheaffair;thetraffickinginponiesand"buy—

ing"awifeisentirelyamoderncustom。

Matosapahasimprovedeveryopportunity,untilWinonahasatlastshylyadmittedherwill—

ingnesstolisten。Forawholeyearhehasbeencompelledatintervalstorepeatthestoryofhislove。Throughtheautumnhuntingofthebuffaloandthelong,coldwinterheoftenpre—

sentsherkinsfolkwithhisgame。

Atthenextmidsummertheparentsonbothsidesaremadeacquaintedwiththebetrothal,andtheyatoncebeginpreparationsforthecom—

ingwedding。Provisionsanddelicaciesofallkindsarelaidasideforafeast。Matosapa’ssistersandhisgirlcousinsaretoldoftheap—

proachingevent,andtheytooprepareforit,sinceitistheirdutytodressoradornthebridewithgarmentsmadebytheirownhands。

WiththeSiouxoftheolddays,thegreatnaturalcrisesofhumanlife,marriageandbirth,wereconsideredsacredandhedgedaboutwithgreatprivacy。Thereforetheunionispubliclycelebratedafterandnotbeforeitsconsum—

mation。Suddenlytheyoungcoupledisappear。

Theygooutintothewildernesstogether,andspendsomedaysorweeksawayfromthecamp。

Thisistheirhoneymoon,awayfromallcuriousorpryingeyes。Induetimetheyquietlyreturn,hetohishomeandshetohers,andnowatlastthemarriageisannouncedandinvitationsaregiventothefeast。

Thebrideisceremoniouslydeliveredtoherhusband’speople,togetherwithpresentsofrichclothingcollectedfromallherclan,whichsheafterwarddistributesamonghernewrelations。

Winonaiscarriedinatravoishandsomelydec—

orated,andisreceivedwithequalceremony。

Forseveraldaysfollowingsheisdressedandpaintedbythefemalerelativesofthegroom,eachinherturn,whileinbothclanstheweddingfeastiscelebrated。

Toillustratewomanlynobilityofnature,letmetellthestoryofDowanhotaninwin,Her—

Singing—Heard。Themaidenwasdeprivedofbothfatherandmotherwhenscarcelytenyearsold,byanattackoftheSacsandFoxeswhiletheywereonahuntingexpedition。Leftalonewithhergrandmother,shewascarefullyrearedandtrainedbythissageofthewildlife。

Naturehadgivenhermorethanhershareofattractiveness,andshewaswomanlyandwin—

ningasshewashandsome。Yetsheremainedunmarriedfornearlythirtyyears——amostun—

usualthingamongus;andalthoughshehadworthysuitorsineverybranchoftheSiouxna—

tion,shequietlyrefusedeveryoffer。

Certainwarriorswhohaddistinguishedthem—

selvesagainsttheparticulartribewhohadmadeheranorphan,persistentlysoughtherhandinmarriage,butfailedutterly。

OnesummertheSiouxandtheSacsandFoxeswerebroughttogetherunderaflagoftrucebytheCommissionersoftheGreatWhiteFather,forthepurposeofmakingatreatywiththem。Duringtheshortperiodoffriendlyin—

tercourseandsocialdanceandfeast,anoblewarrioroftheenemy’stribecourtedDowan—

hotaninwin。

Severalofheroldloverswerevyingwithoneanothertowinheratthesametime,thatshemighthaveinter—tribalcelebrationofherwed—

ding。

Behold!themaidenacceptedthefoeofherchildhood——oneofthosewhohadcruellyde—

privedherofherparents!

BynightshefledtotheSacandFoxcampwithherlover。ItseemedatfirstaninsulttotheSioux,andtherewasalmostanoutbreakamongtheyoungmenofthetribe,whowerebarelyrestrainedbytheirrespectfortheCom—

missionersoftheGreatFather。

Butheragedgrandfatherexplainedthemat—

terpubliclyinthisfashion:

"Youngmen,hearye!Yourheartsarestrong;letthemnotbetroubledbytheactofayoungwomanofyourtribe!Thishasbeenhersecretwishsinceshebecameawoman。Shedeprecatesalltribalwarfare。Heryoungheartneverforgotitsearlysorrow;yetshehasneverblamedtheSacsandFoxesorheldthemre—

sponsibleforthedeed。Sheblamesratherthecustomsofwaramongus。Shebelievesintheformationofabloodbrotherhoodstrongenoughtopreventallthiscruelanduselessenmity。Thiswasherhighpurpose,andtothisendshere—

servedherhand。Forgiveher,forgiveher,I

pray!"

Inthemorningtherewasagreatcommotion。

TheheraldoftheSacsandFoxesenteredtheSiouxcamp,attiredinceremonialgarbandbearinginonehandanAmericanflagandintheotherapeace—pipe。Hemadetheroundssingingapeacesong,anddeliveringtoallaninvitationtoattendtheweddingfeastofDowanhotaninwinandtheirchief’sson。Thusallwaswell。Thesimplicity,highpurpose,andbraveryofthegirlwontheheartsofthetwotribes,andaslongasshelivedshewasabletokeepthepeacebe—

tweenthem。

III

SNANA’SFAWN

TheLittleMissouriwasinherspringfullness,andthehillsamongwhichshefoundherwaytotheGreatMuddywereprofuselyadornedwithcolors,muchlikethosewornbythewildredmanuponaholiday!

Lookingtowardthesunrise,onesawmysteri—

ous,deepshadowsandbrightprominences,whileontheoppositesidetherewasreallyanextravagantarrayofvariegatedhues。Betweenthegorgeousbuttesandrainbow—tintedridgestherewerenarrowplains,brokenhereandtherebydrycreeksorgulches,andtheseagainwereclothedscantilywithpoplarsandsad—coloredbull—berrybushes,whilethebarespotswerepur—

plewiththewildDakotacrocuses。

Uponthelowestofaseriesofnaturalter—

racestherestoodonthisMaymorningayoungSiouxgirl,whosegracefulmovementswerenotunlikethoseofadoewhichchancedtobelurk—

inginaneighboringgulch。Ontheupperplains,notfaraway,wereheryoungcompanions,allbusilyemployedwiththewewoptay,asitwascalled——thesharp—pointedstickwithwhichtheSiouxwomendigwildturnips。Theyweregaylygossipingtogether,oreachhummingalove—songassheworked,onlySnanastoodsome—

whatapartfromtherest;infact,concealedbythecrestoftheridge。

Shehadpausedinherdiggingandstoodfac—

ingthesun—kissedbuttes。Abovethemintheclearblueskythefathersunwastravelingup—

wardasinhaste,whiletoherreceptivespiritthereappealedanawful,unknownforce,thesilentspeechoftheGreatMystery,towhichitseemedtoherthewholeworldmustbelisten—

ing!

"OGreatMystery!thefatherofearthlythingsiscomingtoquickenusintolife。Havepityonme,Ipraythee!MayIsomedaybe—

comethemotherofagreatandbraveraceofwarriors!"Sothemaidenprayedsilently。

Itwasnowfull—bornday。Thesunshonehotuponthebareground,andthedropsstooduponSnana’sforeheadasshepliedherlongpole。Therewasacoolspringinthedrycreekbednearby,wellhiddenbyaclumpofchoke—

cherrybushes,andsheturnedthithertocoolherthirstythroat。Inthedepthsoftheravinehereyecaughtafamiliarfootprint——thetrackofadoewiththeyoungfawnbesideit。Thehuntinginstinctarosewithin。

"ItwillbeagreatfeatifIcanfindandtakefromherthebabe。Thelittletawnyskinshallbebeautifullydressedbymymother。Thelegsandthenoseshallbeembossedwithporcupinequills。Itwillbemywork—bag,"shesaidtoherself。

Asshestoleforwardonthefreshtrailshescannedeverynook,everyclumpofbushes。

Therewasasuddenrustlefromwithinagroveofwildplumtrees,thicklyfestoonedwithgrapeandclematis,andthedoemotherboundedawayascarelesslyasifshewerenevertoreturn。

Ah,amother’sruse!Snanaenteredthethornyenclosure,whichwasalmostarudetee—

pee,and,tuckedawayinthefurthermostcorner,laysomethingwithatrout—like,speckled,tawnycoat。Shebentoverit。Thefawnwasappar—

entlysleeping。Presentlyitseyesmovedabit,andashiverpassedthroughitssubtlebody。

"Thoushaltnotdie;thyskinshallnotbe—

comemywork—bag!"unconsciouslythemaidenspoke。Themothersympathyhadtakenholdonhermind。Shepickedthefawnuptenderly,bounditslegs,andputitonherbacktocarrylikeanIndianbabeinthefoldsofherrobe。

"Icannotleaveyoualone,Tachinchala。

Yourmotherisnothere。Ourhunterswillsoonreturnbythisroad,andyourmotherhasleftbehindhertwoplaintracksleadingtothisthicket,"shemurmured。

Thewildcreaturestruggledvigorouslyforaminute,andthenbecamequiet。ItsgracefulheadprotrudedfromtheelkskinrobejustoverSnana’sshoulder。Shewasslowlyclimbingtheslopewithherburden,whensuddenlylikeanapparitionthedoe—motherstoodbeforeher。

Thefawncalledloudlywhenitwasfirstseized,andthemotherwasnottoofarawaytohear。

Nowshecalledfranticallyforherchild,atthesametimestampingwithherdelicatefore—feet。

"Yes,sister,youareright;sheisyours;butyoucannotsaveherto—day!Thehunterswillsoonbehere。Letmekeepherforyou;Iwillreturnhertoyousafely。Andhearme,Osis—

terofthewoods,thatsomedayImaybecomethemotherofanobleraceofwarriorsandoffinewomen,ashandsomeasyouare!"

AtthismomentthequickeyesoftheIndiangirldetectedsomethingstrangeinthedoe’sactions。Sheglancedineverydirectionandbe—

hold!agrizzlybearwascautiouslyapproach—

ingthegroupfromaconsiderabledistance。

"Run,run,sister!IshallsaveyourchildifIcan,"shecried,andflewforthenearestscruboakontheedgeofthebank。Upthetreeshescrambled,withthefawnstillsecurelyboundtoherback。Thegrizzlycameonwithteethex—

posed,andthedoe—motherinherflightcamebetweenhimandthetree,givingaseriesofindignantsnortsassheran,andsodistractedMatofromhisobjectofattack;butonlyforafewseconds——thenonhecame!

"Desist,ObraveMato!Itdoesnotbecomeagreatmedicine—mantoattackahelplesswomanwithaburdenuponherback!"

Snanaspokeasifthehugebrutecouldun—

derstandher,andindeedtheIndiansholdthatwildanimalsunderstandintuitivelywhenap—

pealedtobyhumanbeingsindistress。Yetherepliedonlywithahoarsegrowl,asrisinguponhishindlegsheshookthelittletreevigorously。

"Ye,ye,heyupiye!"Snanacalledloudlytohercompanionturnip—diggers。Hercrysoonbroughtallthewomenintosightuponanear—byridge,andtheyimmediatelygaveageneralalarm。Matosawthem,butappearednotatallconcernedandwasstillintentupondislodg—

ingthegirl,whoclungfranticallytoherperch。

Presentlythereappeareduponthelittleknollseveralwarriors,mountedandutteringtheusualwar—whoop,asiftheywereabouttoswoopdownuponahumanenemy。ThistouchedthedignityofMato,andheimmediatelypreparedtoacceptthechallenge。EveryIndianwasalivetothepossibilitiesoftheoccasion,foritiswellknownthatMato,orgrizzlybear,aloneamonganimalsisgiventherankofawarrior,sothatwhoeverconquershimmaywearaneaglefeather。

"Woo!woo!"thewarriorsshouted,astheymaneuveredtodrawhimintotheopenplain。

Heansweredwithhoarsegrowls,threateningariderwhohadventuredtoonear。Butarrowsweremanyandwell—aimed,andinafewminutesthegreatandwarlikeMatolaydeadatthefootofthetree。

Themenranforwardandcountedtheircoupsonhim,justaswhenanenemyisfallen。Thentheylookedatoneanotherandplacedtheirhandsovertheirmouthsastheyounggirlde—

scendedthetreewithafawnbounduponherback。

"Sothatwasthebait!"theycried。"Andwillyounotmakeafeastwiththatfawnforuswhocametoyourrescue?"

"Thefawnisyoungandtender,andwehavenoteatenmeatfortwodays。Itwillbeagen—

erousthingtodo,"addedherfather,whowasamongthem。

"Ye—e—e!"shecriedoutindistress。"Donotaskit!Ihaveseenthisfawn’smother。I

havepromisedtokeepherchildsafe。See!

Ihavesaveditslife,evenwhenmyownwasindanger。"

"Ho,ho,wakanyelo!(Yes,yes,’tisholyormysterious),"theyexclaimedapprovingly。

ItwasnosmalltroubleforSnanatokeephertrust。Asmaywellbesupposed,allthedogsoftheteepeevillagemustbewatchedandkeptatadistance。Neitherwasiteasytofeedthelittlecaptive;butingainingitsconfidencethegirlwasanadept。Thefawnsoonfollowedhereverywhere,andcalledtoherwhenhungryexactlyasshehadcalledtoherownmother。

Afterseveraldays,whenherfrightattheencounterwiththebearhadsomewhatwornoff,Snanatookherpetintothewoodsandbacktotheveryspotinwhichshehadfoundit。Inthefurthestcornerofthewildplumgroveshelaiditdown,gentlystrokeditssoftforehead,andsmoothedtheleaflikeears。Thelittlethingcloseditseyes。OncemoretheSiouxgirlbentoverandlaidhercheekagainstthefawn’shead;thenreluctantlyshemovedaway,hopingandyetdreadingthatthemotherwouldreturn。Shecrouchedunderaclumpofbushesnearby,andgavethedoecall。Itwasarecklessthingforhertodo,forsuchacallmightbringuponheramountainlionorever—watchfulsilver—

tip;butSnanadidnotthinkofthat。

Inafewminutessheheardthelightpatterofhoofs,andcaughtaglimpseofadoerunningstraighttowardthefawn’shiding—place。Whenshestolenearenoughtosee,thedoeandthefawnwereexaminingoneanothercarefully,asiffearingsometreachery。Atlastbothwereapparentlysatisfied。Thedoecaressedhernat—

uralchild,andthelittleoneacceptedthemilksheoffered。

IntheSiouxmaiden’smindtherewastur—

moil。Acloseattachmenttothelittlewildcreaturehadalreadytakenrootthere,contend—

ingwiththesenseofjusticethatwasstrongwithinher。Nowwomanlysympathyforthemotherwasincontrol,andnowadesiretopossessandprotectherhelplesspet。

"Icantakecareofheragainstallhunters,bothanimalandhuman。Theyareeverreadytoseizethehelplessfawnforfood。Herlifewillbeoftenexposed。Youcannotsaveherfromdisaster。O,Takcha,mysister,letmestillkeepherforyou!"shefinallyappealedtothepoordoe,whowasnervouslywatchingtheintruder,andapparentlythinkinghowshemightbestescapewiththefawn。

Justatthismomenttherecamealowcallfromthewood。Itwasadoecall;butthewildmotherandhernewfriendbothknewthatitwasnotthecallofarealdoe。

"ItisaSiouxhunter!"whisperedthegirl。

"Youmustgo,mysister!Beoff;Iwilltakeyourchildtosafety!"

Whileshewasyetspeaking,thedoeseemedtorealizethedanger。Shestoppedonlyaninstanttolickfondlythetawnycoatofthelittleone,whohadjustfinishedherdinner;

thensheboundedaway。

AsSnanaemergedfromthebusheswithhercharge,ayounghuntermetherfacetoface,andstaredathercuriously。Hewasnotofherfather’scamp,butastranger。

"Ugh,youhavemygame。"

"Tosh!"sherepliedcoquettishly。

ItwassooftensaidamongtheIndiansthatthedoewaswonttoputonhumanformtomis—

leadthehunter,thatitlookedstrangetoseeawomanwithafawn,andtheyoungmancouldnotforbeartogazeuponSnana。

"Youarenottherealmotherinmaiden’sguise?Tellmetrulyifyouareofhumanblood,"hedemandedrudely。

"IamaSiouxmaiden!Doyounotknowmyfather?"shereplied。

"Ah,butwhoisyourfather?Whatishisname?"heinsisted,nervouslyfingeringhisarrows。

"Donotbeacoward!Surelyyoushouldknowamaidofyourownrace,"sherepliedre—

proachfully。

"Ah,youknowthetricksofthedoe!Whatisthyname?"

"Hastthouforgottentheetiquetteofthypeople,andwouldstcompelmetopronouncemyownname?Irefuse;thouartjesting!"

sheretortedwithasmile。

"Thoudostgivethetrickyanswersofadoe。

Icannotwait;ImustactbeforeIlosemynat—

uralmind。ButalreadyIamyours。Whateverpurposeyoumayhaveinthuscharmingapoorhunter,bemerciful,"and,throwingasidehisquiver,hesatdown。

Themaidenstoleaglanceathisface,andthenanother。Hewashandsome。Softlyshereenteredthethicketandlaiddownthelittlefawn。

"Promisemenevertohunthereagain!"

shesaidearnestly,asshecameforthwithoutherprettyburden,andheexactedanotherprom—

iseinreturn。ThusSnanalostherfawn,andfoundalover。

IV

SHE—WHO—HAS—A—SOUL

Itwasalongtimeago,nearlytwohundredyearsago,thatsomeofourpeoplewerelivingupontheshoresoftheGreatLake,LakeSuperior。ThechiefofthisbandwascalledTatankaota,ManyBuffaloes。

OnedaytheyoungsonofTatankaotaledawar—partyagainsttheOjibways,whooccupiedthecountryeastofus,towardtherisingsun。

Whentheyhadgoneaday’sjourneyinthedirectionofSaultSte。Marie,inourlanguageSkesketatanka,thewarriorstookuptheirposi—

tiononthelakeshore,atapointwhichtheOjibwayswereaccustomedtopassintheircanoes。

Longtheygazed,andscannedthesurfaceofthewater,watchingforthecomingofthefoe。

Thesunhadrisenabovethedarkpines,overthegreatridgeofwoodlandacrossthebay。Itwastheawakeningofalllivingthings。Thebirdsweresinging,andshiningfishesleapedoutofthewaterasifatplay。Atlast,faroff,therecamethewarningcryoftheloontostirtheirexpectantears。

"Warriors,lookclosetothehorizon!Thisbrotherofoursdoesnotlie。Theenemycomes!"exclaimedtheirleader。

Presentlyuponthesparklingfaceofthewaterthereappearedamovingcanoe。Therewasbutone,anditwascomingdirectlytowardthem。

"Hahatonwan!Hahatonwan!(TheOjib—

ways!theOjibways!)"theyexclaimedwithonevoice,and,graspingtheirweapons,theyhastilyconcealedthemselvesinthebushes。

"Sparenone——takenocaptives!"orderedthechief’sson。

Nearerandnearerapproachedthestrangecanoe。Theglisteningbladesofitspaddlesflashedasitwerethesignalofgoodnews,orawelcomechallenge。Allimpatientlywaiteduntilitshouldcomewithinarrow—shot。

"SurelyitisanOjibwaycanoe,"onemur—

mured。"Yetlook!thestrokeisungainly!"

Now,amongallthetribesonlytheOjibway’sartisperfectinpaddlingabirchcanoe。Thiswasapowerfulstroke,butharshandun—

steady。

"See!therearenofeathersonthisman’shead!"exclaimedthesonofthechief。"Hold,warriors,hewearsawoman’sdress,andIseenoweapon。Nocourageisneededtotakehislife,thereforeletitbespared!Icommandthatonlycoups(orblows)becountedonhim,andheshalltelluswhencehecomes,andonwhaterrand。"

Thesignalwasgiven;thewarriorssprangtotheirfeet,andlikewolvestheyspedfromtheforest,outuponthewhite,sandybeachandstraightintothesparklingwatersofthelake,givingtheshrillwar—cry,thewarningofdeath!

Thesolitaryoarsmanmadenooutcry——heofferednodefense!Kneelingcalmlyintheprowofthelittlevessel,hemerelyceasedpad—

dlingandseemedtoawaitwithpatiencethedeadlyblowofthetomahawk。

ThesonofTatankaotawasforemostinthecharge,butsuddenlyanimpulseseizedhimtostophiswarriors,lestoneintheheatofexcite—

mentshoulddoamischieftothestranger。Thecanoewithitsoccupantwasnowverynear,anditcouldbeseenthattheexpressionofhisfacewasverygentleandevenbenignant。Nonecoulddoubthisutterharmlessness;andthechief’ssonafterwarddeclaredthatatthismo—

menthefeltapremonitionofsomeevent,butwhethergoodorevilhecouldnottell。

Noblowswerestruck——nocoupscounted。

Theyoungmanbadehiswarriorstakeupthecanoeandcarryittotheshore;andalthoughtheymurmuredsomewhatamongthemselves,theydidashecommandedthem。Theyseizedthelightbarkandboreitdrippingtoahillcoveredwithtallpines,andoverlookingthewatersoftheGreatLake。

Thenthewarriorsliftedtheirwar—clubsovertheirheadsandsang,standingaroundthecanoeinwhichtheblack—robedstrangerwasstillkneeling。Lookingathimclosely,theyper—

ceivedthathewasofapeculiarcomplexion,paleandinclinedtored。Heworeanecklaceofbeads,fromwhichhungacrossbearingtheformofaman。Hisgarmentswerestrange,andmostliketherobesofwoman。Allofthesethingsperplexedthemgreatly。

PresentlytheBlackRobetoldthembysigns,inresponsetotheirinquiries,thathecamefromtherisingsun,evenbeyondtheGreatSaltWater,andheseemedtosaythatheformerlycamefromthesky。Uponthisthewarriorsbelievedthathemustbeaprophetormysteriousman。

Theirleaderdirectedthemtotakeupagainthecanoewiththemaninit,andappointedthewarriorstocarryitbyturnsuntiltheyshouldreachhisfather’svillage。Thiswasdoneac—

cordingtotheancientcustom,asamarkofre—

spectandhonor。Theytookitupforthwith,andtraveledwithallconvenientspeedalongthelakeshore,throughforestsandacrossstreamstoaplacecalledtheMaiden’sRetreat,ashortdistancefromthevillage。

Thencethechief’ssonsentamessengertoannouncetohisfatherthathewasbringinghomeastranger,andtoaskwhetherornotheshouldbeallowedtoenterthevillage。"Hisappearance,"declaredthescout,"isunlikethatofanymanwehaveeverseen,andhiswaysaremysterious!"

Whenthechiefheardthesewords,heimme—

diatelycalledhiscouncil—mentogethertodecidewhatwastobedone,forhefearedbyadmittingthemysteriousstrangertobringsomedisasteruponhispeople。Finallyhewentoutwithhiswisestmentomeethisson’swar—party。TheylookedwithastonishmentupontheBlackRobe。

"Dispatchhim!Dispatchhim!Showhimnomercy!"criedsomeofthecouncil—men。

"Lethimgoonhiswayunharmed。Troublehimnot,"advisedothers。

"Itiswellknownthattheevilspiritssome—

timestaketheformofamanoranimal。FromhisstrangeappearanceIjudgethistobesuchaone。Heshouldbeputtodeath,lestsomeharmbefallourpeople,"anoldmanurged。

Bythistimeseveralofthewomenofthevillagehadreachedthespot。AmongthemwasShe—who—has—a—Soul,thechief’syoungestdaugh—

ter,whotraditionsayswasamaidenofmuchbeauty,andofagenerousheart。Thestrangerwasevidentlyfootsorefrommuchtravelandweakenedbyfasting。Whenshesawthatthepoormanclaspedhishandsandlookedskywardasheutteredwordsinanunknowntongue,shepleadedwithherfatherthatastrangerwhohasenteredtheirmidstunchallengedmayclaimthehospitalityofthepeople,accordingtothean—

cientcustom。

"Father,heiswearyandinwantoffood。

Holdhimnolonger!Delayyourcounciluntilheisrefreshed!"ThesewerethewordsofShe—who—has—a—Soul,andherfathercouldnotrefuseherprayer。TheBlackRobewasre—

leased,andtheSiouxmaidenledhimtoherfather’steepee。

Nowthewarriorshadbeensurprisedandin—

deeddispleasedtofindhimdressedafterthefashionofawoman,andtheylookeduponhimwithsuspicion。Butfromthemomentthatshefirstbeheldhim,theheartofthemaidenhadturnedtowardthisstrangeandseeminglyun—

fortunateman。Itappearedtoherthatgreatreverenceandmeeknesswereinhisface,andwithitallshewasstruckbyhisutterfearless—

ness,hisapparentunconsciousnessofdanger。

Thechief’sdaughter,havinggainedherfather’spermission,invitedtheBlackRobetohisgreatbuffalo—skintent,andspreadingafinerobe,shegentlyaskedhimtobeseated。Withtheaidofhermother,shepreparedwildricesweetenedwithmaplesugarandsomebroiledvenisonforhisrepast。Theyouthfulwarriorswereastonishedtoobservetheseattentions,butthemaidenheededthemnot。Sheanointedtheblisteredfeetoftheholymanwithperfumedotteroil,andputuponhimapairofmoccasinsbeautifullyworkedbyherownhands。

Itwasonlyanactofcharityonherpart,buttheyoungmenweredispleased,andagainurgedthatthestrangershouldatoncebeturnedaway。

Someevensuggestedharshermeasures;buttheywereoverruledbythechief,softenedbythepersuasionsofawell—beloveddaughter。

DuringthefewdaysthattheBlackRoberemainedintheSiouxvillagehepreachedear—

nestlytothemaiden,forshehadbeenpermittedtoconversewithhimbysigns,thatshemighttrytoascertainwhatmannerofmanhewas。

Hetoldherofthecomingofa"GreatProphet"fromthesky,andofhiswordsthathehadleftwiththepeople。Thecrosswiththefigureofamanheexplainedashistotemwhichhehadtoldthemtocarry。Healsosaidthatthosewholovehimarecommandedtogoamongstrangepeoplestotellthenews,andthatallwhobelievemustbemarkedwithholywaterandacceptthetotem。

HeaskedbysignsifShe—who—has—a—Soulbe—

lievedthestory。Tothisshereplied:

"Itisasweetstory——alikelylegend!Idobelieve!"

Thenthegoodfathertookoutasmallcross,andhavingpressedittohisheartandcrossedhisforeheadandbreast,hegaveittoher。

Finallyhedippedhisfingerinwaterandtouchedtheforeheadofthemaiden,repeatingmean—

whilesomewordsinanunknowntongue。

Themotherwastroubled,forshefearedthatthestrangerwastryingtobewitchherdaugh—

ter,butthechiefdecidedthus:

"Thisisapraying—man,andheisnotofourpeople;hiscustomsaredifferent,buttheyarenotevil。Warriors,takehimbacktothespotwhereyousawhimfirst!Itismydesire,andthegoodcustomofourtriberequiresthatyoufreehimwithoutinjury!"

Accordinglytheyformedalargeparty,andcarriedtheBlackRobeinhiscanoebacktotheshoreoftheGreatLake,totheplacewheretheyhadmethim,andhewasallowedtodepartthencewhithersoeverhewould。Hetookhisleavewithsignsofgratitudefortheirhospi—

tality,andespeciallyforthekindnessofthebeautifulSiouxmaiden。Sheseemedtohaveunderstoodhismissionbetterthananyoneelse,andaslongasshelivedshekepthisqueertrinket——asitseemedtotheothers——andper—

formedthestrangeactsthathehadtaughther。

Furthermore,itwasthroughthepleadingsofShe—who—has—a—SoulthatthechiefTatankaotaadvisedhispeopleinafterdaystobefriendthewhitestrangers,andthoughmanyoftheotherchiefsopposedhiminthis,hiscounselspre—

vailed。HenceitwasthatboththeFrenchandEnglishreceivedmuchkindnessfromourpeo—

ple,mainlythroughtheinfluenceofthisonewoman!

Suchwasthefirstcomingofthewhitemanamongus,asitistoldinourtraditions。Otherpraying—mencamelater,andmanyoftheSiouxallowedthemselvestobebaptized。True,therehavebeenIndianwars,butnotwithoutreason;

anditispleasanttorememberthattheSiouxwerehospitabletothefirstwhite"praying—

man,"andthatitwasatender—heartedmaidenofmypeoplewhofirsttookinherhandsthecrossofthenewreligion。

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