the evil spirit of the Palefaces to the council.
My brother shall see his medicine, face to face!"

A death-like and solemn stillness succeeded this extraordinary
interruption. It not only involved a deep offence against the sacred
courtesy of debate, but the mandate was likely to brave the unknown
power of one of those incomprehensible beings, whom few Indians were
enlightened enough, at that day, to regard without reverence, or few
hardy enough to oppose. The subordinates, however, obeyed, and Obed was
led forth from the lodge, mounted on Asinus, with a ceremony and state
which was certainly intended for derision, but which nevertheless was
greatly enhanced by fear. As they entered the ring, Mahtoree, who had
foreseen and had endeavoured to anticipate the influence of the Doctor,
by bringing him into contempt, cast an eye around the assembly, in
order to gather his success in the various dark visages by which he was
encircled.

Truly, nature and art had combined to produce such an effect from the
air and appointments of the naturalist, as might have made him the
subject of wonder in any place. His head had been industriously shaved,
after the most approved fashion of Sioux taste. A gallant scalp-lock,
which would probably not have been spared had the Doctor himself been
consulted in the matter, was all that remained of an exuberant, and at
that particular season of the year, far from uncomfortable head of
hair. Thick coats of paint had been laid on the naked poll, and certain
fanciful designs, in the same material, had even been extended into the
neighbourhood of the eyes and mouth, lending to the keen expression
of the former a look of twinkling cunning, and to the dogmatism of
the latter, not a little of the grimness of necromancy. He had been
despoiled of his upper garments, and, in their stead, his body was
sufficiently protected from the cold, by a fantastically painted robe of
dressed deer-skin. As if in mockery of his pursuit, sundry toads, frogs,
lizards, butterflies, &c., all duly prepared to take their places
at some future day, in his own private cabinet, were attached to the
solitary lock on his head, to his ears, and to various other conspicuous
parts of his person. If, in addition to the effect produced by these
quaint auxiliaries to his costume, we add the portentous and troubled
gleamings of doubt, which rendered his visage doubly austere, and
proclaimed the misgivings of the worthy Obed's mind, as he