dy, and drew her hand across his forehead
and asked for water. Benjamin knew her.

Soon his voice came again. He looked wistfully toward Gretchen and said:

"I shall never go to find the Black Eagle's nest again. It is the plague.
My poor father!--my poor father!"

"Send for the medicine-man," said the chief. "Quick!"

Hopping-Bear, the old medicine-man, came, a dreadful figure in eagle's
plumes and bear-skins. To affect the imagination of the people when he was
going to visit the sick, he had been accustomed to walk upon his two hands
and one foot, with the other foot moving up and down in the air. He
believed that sickness was caused by obsession, or the influence of some
evil spirit, and he endeavored, by howlings, jumpings, and rattling of
snake-skins, to drive this imaginary spirit away. But he did not begin his
incantations here; he looked upon Benjamin with staring eyes, and cried
out:

"It is the plague!"

The old chief of the Cascades lifted his helpless face to the sky.

"The stars are gone out!" he said. "I care for nothing more."

The boy at times was convulsed, then lay for a time unconscious after the
convulsions, then consciousness would return. In one of these moments of
consciousness he asked of Gretchen:

"Where is Boston tilicum?"

"He is not here--he does not know that you are sick."

"Run for him; tell him I can't go to the Missouri with him. I can't find
the Black Eagle's nest. Run!"

His mind was dreaming and wandering.

Gretchen sent a runner to bring the schoolmaster to the dreadful scene.

A convulsion passed over the boy, but he revived again.

"Have faith in Heaven," said Gretchen. "There is One above that will save
you."

"One above that will save me! Are you sure?"

"Yes," said Gretchen.

She added:

"Mother is sorry for what she said to you."

"I am sorry," said the boy, pathetically.

He was lost again in spasms of pain. When he revived, Marlowe Mann had
come. The boy lifted his eyes to his beloved teacher vacantly; then the
light of intelligence came back to them, and he knew him.

"I can't go," he said. "We shall never go to the lakes of the honks
together. Boston tilicum, I am going to die; I am going away like my
brothers--where?"

It was near the gray light of the morning, and a flock of wild geese were
heard trumpeting in the air. The boy heard the sound, and started.

"Boston tilicum!"

"What can I do for you?"

"Boston tilicum, listen. Do you hear