"And that accounts for the kind treatment--the food, half-freedom, and the rest. But if your people think us spirits, why do they keep us here?
Why not let us return?"
The Indian paused for a moment before he replied, after which he remarked quietly, and with a peculiar inflection of tone that added deep meaning to his words, while at the same time it betrayed the fact that there was some curious reason to account for this confidence--
"Dacotahs fools. They think white brothers spirits--_evil_ spirits. They have not the eyes of Thunder-maker."
"I see," said Arnold thoughtfully. "But you forget, Thunder-maker, that your trickery with the snakes helped them to that opinion."
Once more the Medicine Man laughed quietly in a manner that irritated his hearers, and Holden broke in roughly--
"Come now, you old cheat, explain yourself! _You_ didn"t believe as the rest of your people did. And if not, why did you behave in such a double way? Out with it. You had some purpose in coming here to-night, and you may as well give us the truth right away."
It is not possible to hasten an Indian in the matter of speech. Hasty response or rapid talk they deem discourteous. Thunder-maker was no exception to his race in this respect, but he was exceptional in another, inasmuch as when bent on a subject he stuck to it without using many unnecessary words or ornaments of speech. He waited in thoughtful silence for several minutes. Possibly in his cunning way he was mentally scrutinising the peculiarities of his companions in the teepee--deciding what course would be best to enable him to be a.s.sured of their trust.
Whether or not he judged their characteristics correctly will be seen later.
"My white brother has asked for the truth," the Indian began.
"Thunder-maker shall speak words as straight as the path of a burning arrow.
"Many years ago--when the buffalo lived upon the prairie to feed the redman and provide his robes--the great tribe of Dacotahs would hunt in the valley that is known even to-day as the Peace Camp. Many deer would feed there, and the buffalo would eat the blue gra.s.s, and Manito had filled the camp with fruit and flowers. In those days the Dacotahs were ruled by a mighty warrior, Flying Cloud--the son of the fiery totem serpent that saved his life by slaying the chief of the Chippeways in the war-path by night."
Here the speaker paused, as though he expected some comment from the listeners regarding the seeming miracle. But no remark being forthcoming, he resumed--
"For many years our tribe lived in prosperity. Pemmican was in plenty, and the redmen kept the hunting-grounds in peace. Then--one night--Chief Fire-water came to the camp, and a brave with foolish mind praised Fire-water more than the sacred totem. He was slain by Flying Cloud ere the insult was cool on his lips. But the serpent was angered. He flashed tongue of fire to the Dacotahs--called down the rains and the tempest upon the Peace Camp by night, until the water spirits rushed through the valley on white horses, destroying trees and fruits--washing the land bare of earth. And, when the sun came up from his teepee of fire, Flying Cloud and the best warriors of the Dacotahs had been carried away by the water spirits and were never seen again.
"Then there was great wailing in the camp, and the totem of the tribe was called upon to cease anger, lest the Dacotahs be a tribe no more.
"And the serpent had pity, and spoke thus to the warriors and braves--
""I will stay my anger; but I have given power to the spirits that ride on white horses, and I may not call it back again."
""Then what shall the Dacotahs do?" asked the warriors. "It may be that the spirits will again ride their white mustangs and take from us our chief and our young men."
"And the serpent replied--
""When such time come, the Dacotahs will see two white spirits rise out of the lake that is silver. When the moon is round, they shall rise out of the lake that is silver. They shall come without canoe to bear them, and without arrow or tomahawk for fighting. By this shall you know them.
Then shall the Dacotahs lay hands upon the white spirits; they shall treat them kindly, but they shall bring them to the Peace Camp and there consume them with fire. Then shall the power of the water spirits be broken. Then shall the Dacotahs be safe. Then shall the fire of my anger be quenched.
""But I--the sacred totem of the Dacotahs--am mighty and full of pity.
The Dacotahs are brave, but they are not all wise. It may be that their ignorance might lead them to bring suffering to those who are not evil spirits. But let them not hold back in doubt, for I shall stay their hand, even though the torch be set at the wood. For if the eyes of my children are blind, I shall be near to guide them. And the sign of this shall be: _I shall appear before the eyes of all people as a serpent of fire_. By this shall they know that they have erred. They shall withhold the torch, free the captives, and be to them as brothers.""
Once more the speaker waited for a s.p.a.ce, until he knew that his hearers had time to grasp the full meaning of the legend that he had related.
Then he lowered his voice and spoke with deep meaning that was not difficult for the Englishmen to understand--
"Yesterday the moon was round. Two white spirits came from the lake that is silver without canoe for sailing, without arms or tomahawk for fighting. The fiery totem called, and was answered.... By another sun Mighty Hand will lead the white spirits of the water to the camp that is called Peaceful!"
CHAPTER IX
THE TEMPTATION
It needed no great knowledge of Indian character and Indian ways to make clear to the Englishmen all that was implied in this story that Thunder-maker had recited. Nor had they any reason to doubt that he had spoken the truth, for the evident pleasure that it gave him to watch the effect of his revelation was almost a sufficiently convincing argument in itself.
Of course Thunder-maker had only the evidence of his ears to inform him, for the tent was in darkness, the convenience of lamps not being a usage of the redskins, who either retire to sleep at nightfall, or rely upon camp-fires for illumination. But the Medicine Man could hear his companions give slight gasps of horror when the climax was reached. His ears were quick to interpret the faintest sounds of pleasure, pain, or surprise.
The trio sat in silence for a time, until at last the soundless night became too oppressive, and Holden was forced to speak his thoughts.
"Why have you told us of this, Thunder-maker?" he asked. "Were you sent to us by Mighty Hand?"
The Indian made an impatient movement of his body, and grunted meaningly at the question.
"Mighty Hand send Thunder-maker?" he exclaimed, in an undertone that conveyed a sense of the uttermost contempt for the chief of the Dacotahs. "My white brother speak foolish words--the words of women and papooses. Mighty Hand do the wish of Thunder-maker. The chief of medicine no slave to run when any man speak."
"Then why have you come to us to-night?" urged Holden.
"It was not out of friendship for us," added Arnold.
"Huh! It true what the redmen say, that the pale-face have heart of buffalo skin that keep out the love of brother," responded the Indian, in fawning tones that caused the listeners to feel as though they would have gladly kicked the speaker out from the tent. There was low cunning in his voice--such cringing craft as all brave men naturally despise.
But it was the instinct of both to draw out the visitor"s confidence. It was possibly their only hope of learning the truth of their position, thereby enabling them to make plans for their future actions.
"The redman love the pale-face and would be friend to him,"
Thunder-maker went on. "So he come to tell his brothers what they did not know. Dacotahs fools, Dacotahs believe foolish stories, and--_Thunder-maker can lead their feet by what trail he will_."
"H"m. That was plain enough this afternoon when you played with those rattlesnakes," remarked Arnold, at which the Indian laughed quietly.
"Dacotahs fools. But white men wise. They see not with the eyes of redmen. But Dacotahs might be great people if Mighty Hand were in Happy Hunting-ground."[2]
"But what has all this got to do with us?" asked Holden.
"My white brothers in great danger. In a few more suns cruel fire burn beautiful bodies. But----"
"Well--but?"
"Thunder-maker could save--white brothers--from fire?"
"Oh, that"s it, is it? That"s what you are driving at, you cunning old serpent?" said Arnold, in accents that were as little complimentary as the words. "You want us to buy our lives for money? Well, how much do you wish?"
"My white brothers have papooses, they say to Mighty Hand?"
"Yes; two boys in a camp by Crane Creek."
"It would gladden the eyes of the pale-faces to see their papooses by another sun?"
"We would do much to go back to them, for they must be sad at the absence of their fathers," said the elder man.
"Then it may be as the pale-face wish," resumed the Medicine Man.