Part 11 (1/2)
”Thunder-maker can save his white brothers, and he will----”
”If you will, there is nothing that ill not do, within our power, to repay you,” said Holden, wrongly anticipating the ive you ive you blankets and weapons for hunting”
”That is good,” returned the redskin quietly ”But--Thunder-maker no wish blankets--dollars, He have many--many” Then he lowered his voice to speak in deeper tones of confidence ”Let the pale-face be patient, and listen to the words of the redman Then he will understand how it may be that he look not upon the face of the fire
”The Dacotahs foolish They see white hty Hand foolish too He believe that fiery totem speak--that fiery totem call water spirits to torture Foolish redmen!
Foolish chief! But Thunder-reat people He would see his tribe wise as the fox and brave as the great bear He would see _another_ chief to rule them--he would see _another_ wear the robes of a chief! So he would blind the eyes of his people He would say to them: 'Children, you are foolish The spirits that come from the Silver Waters are not the spirits that the totereat spirits sent to you by Manito to tell you how to be a reat medicine will be done, and Thunder-maker will ask the pale-faces to speak what Manito has told them
”Then the pale-faces will tell the Dacotahs: 'Slay Mighty Hand! Let him not see another sun, and place the chief's robes on Thunder-maker; tie the chief's feathers in the hair of Thunder-maker; write on Thunder-maker's breast the picture of the sacred totem' Then will the Dacotahs believe Then shall Thunder-maker be chief of the Dacotahs, and--the pale-faces shall return in peace to their tents I have spoken”
The Indian paused, but, no co warmed to excitement by treacherous hopes--
”Then it shall be ith my white brothers No fire shall have their white bodies----”
”And if we--refuse--to do--this?” questioned Arnold slowly and seriously, and his companion added: ”Yes, if we refuse--what then?”
”The pale-faces will not refuse,” returned the Indian fire mind could not conceive such a possibility as refusal to purchase freedoht be ”The pale-faces will not refuse,” he repeated ”The flaue of fire lick their bodies The pale-faces not refuse----”
”But we do!” exclairily, as he raised his voice to a louder pitch, now that the first need for caution was past ”You know little of the pale-faces, as you call thes to save themselves from pain Manito, to us, is God--He e serve and honour; He e love Do you think that we could dare to live another hour if we knew that we had pretended to be sent by Him--and so delude foolish people? No! A thousand ti before our eyes, and knew that one such false ould save them and us, I tell you, liar and cheat that you are, that ould never be spoken! We would be as dumb as the trees of the forest!”
So nation that he felt at Thunder-maker's treacherous proposal that he rose as he spoke and poured out the torrent of his anger with reckless veheht atte that he had displayed his hand to the sight of enehty Hand
[Illustration: DACOTAHS! DACOTAHS! COME QUICK TO THE HELP OF THUNDER-MAKER! HE IS BURNING WITHIN WITH FIRE QUICK! QUICK!]
But Thunder- to risk violent onists He merely waited until Arnold had finished his tirade Then he suddenly leaped out froround, and uttered wild screams that immediately roused the entire camp
”Dacotahs! Dacotahs! Come quick to the help of Thunder-maker! The evil spirits of the water have witched hi within with fire
Quick! quick!”
Instantly the ca fro arms and torches that they had snatched frolishe of affairs, a score of hands had seized thes bound them helpless, hand and foot
[2] Heaven
CHAPTER X
A DEATH-TRAP
”Wake up! Do you want to sleep all your senses away?”
It seemed but an hour after the tired boys had laid down their heads that the above words were bellowed through the opening in the tent
Bob sat up and rubbed his eyes