首页 >出版文学> Old Indian Days>第4章

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。