Part 21 (2/2)

The medal is yours. Here it is. You have reason to be proud of it.

Waubeno, arise.”

Waubeno arose. The agent held out the medal to him.

”Will you let me look at the medal?” said the boy.

The medal was handed to him. He examined it. He did not smile, or show any emotion. His look was indifferent and stoical. What was pa.s.sing in his mind?

”The Indian chief is burying his hatchet, in the picture on this side of the medal,” he said, slowly.

”Yes,” said the Indian agent, ”he is a good chief.”

”The picture on this side represents Was.h.i.+ngton, you say?”

”Yes--Was.h.i.+ngton, the Father of his Country.”

”He has a sword by his side, general, has he not? See.”

”Yes, Waubeno, he has a sword by his side.”

”He is a good chief, too?”

”Yes, Waubeno.”

”Then why does he not bury his sword? I do not want the medal. What is good for the red chief should be as good for the white chief. I would be unlike my father to take a mean thing like that.”

He stood like a statue, with curled lip and a fiery eye. The agent looked queerly at Jasper. He had nothing more to say. He took back the medal and went away. When he had gone, Waubeno said to Jasper:

”Pardon, brother; _he_ is not _the_ man--my promise to my father holds.

They teach well, but they do not do well: it is the doing that speaks to the heart. The chief that buried his hatchet is a plumb fool, else the white chief would do so too. I have spoken!”

He sat down in silence and looked out upon the lake, on which the waves were breaking into foam in the purple distances. His face had an injured look, and his eyes glowed.

He arose at last and raised his hand, and said:

”I will pay them all some day!--”

Then he turned to Jasper and marked his disappointed face, and added:

”I will be true to you. Waubeno will be true to you.”

CHAPTER XII.

THE WHITE INDIAN OF CHICAGO.

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