told them what he would have to do,
he was afraid there would be trouble. As I saw the man was really in
earnest, and it was evident that the good Spirit was working upon his
heart, I encouraged him to make the effort, and I told him everything
would work out all right.

He went to his large tent, and, getting his large family around him,--
for three of these wives had stalwart sons,--he told them of his desire
to become a Christian, and what he would have to do before the
Missionary would consent to baptize him. At once there was a "row."
The women began to wail, and the sons, who generally treated their
mothers with neglect and indifference, now declared, with a good deal of
emphasis, that their mothers should not be sent away, and thus degraded
in the eyes of the people. From what I afterwards learned, there must
have been a rough time.

At length one of the sons spoke up and said, "Who is causing us all this
trouble?"

The answer was, "Why, it is the Missionary, whom we have all heard, and
who refuses to baptize our father unless he puts away all of his wives
but one."

"Let us go for that Missionary," said several of them, and seizing their
arms, they came for me.

Fortunately for me I was outside of the trading post on the green, and
saw them coming, and, not liking their suspicious movements, and
imagining the cause, I speedily decided on my course of action. Calling
one of my reliable Christian Indians, I went quickly towards them, and,
ignoring their angry looks, I began talking to them as though we were
the best of friends. Something like the following were my words to
them:--

"Men, you have heard me talk to you out of the great Book. You have
listened attentively. You are thinking about what I have said to you.
I wish we could do something, or find out some way, by which you and
your mothers and father could all resolve together to give up the old
bad life, and accept the new one, and become Christians together. I
have been thinking it over since I had a little talk with your father,
and I have a plan that I think will work well."

While I went on in this way, they listened attentively; and when I came
to mention a plan by which the difficulty could be overcome, the wicked
looks began to fade from their eyes, for they were not anxious to kill
me if any other solution of the difficulty could be found.

They were eager to know what I had to suggest, and listened very
attentively when I told