his people a great 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 totem called. They great
spirits sent to you by Manito to tell you how to be a mighty tribe
again.' Then great 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 comment being immediately forthcoming, he
resumed quickly, being warmed to excitement by treacherous hopes--

"Then it shall be well with 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 firmly. The savage
mind could not conceive such a possibility as refusal to purchase
freedom at any cost, no matter how despicable that cost might be. "The
pale-faces will not refuse," he repeated. "The flames hurt much, and
white men die slow, slow as tongue of fire lick their bodies. The
pale-faces not refuse----"

"But we do!" exclaimed Arnold angrily, 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 them, if you think that they would
do the deeds of dogs to save themselves from pain. Manito, to us, is
God--He whom we serve and honour; He whom we 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 times no! Even
if we were to see our sons dying before our eyes, and knew that one such
false word would save them and us, I tell you, liar and cheat that you
are, that word would never be spoken! We would be as dumb as the trees
of the forest!"

So moved