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。
第4章