e night--Chief
Fire-water came to the camp, and a brave with foolish mind praised
Fire-water more than the sacred totem. He was slain by Flying Cloud ere
the insult was cool on his lips. But the serpent was angered. He flashed
tongue of fire to the Dacotahs--called down the rains and the tempest
upon the Peace Camp by night, until the water spirits rushed through the
valley on white horses, destroying trees and fruits--washing the land
bare of earth. And, when the sun came up from his teepee of fire, Flying
Cloud and the best warriors of the Dacotahs had been carried away by the
water spirits and were never seen again.

"Then there was great wailing in the camp, and the totem of the tribe
was called upon to cease anger, lest the Dacotahs be a tribe no more.

"And the serpent had pity, and spoke thus to the warriors and braves--

"'I will stay my anger; but I have given power to the spirits that ride
on white horses, and I may not call it back again.'

"'Then what shall the Dacotahs do?' asked the warriors. 'It may be that
the spirits will again ride their white mustangs and take from us our
chief and our young men.'

"And the serpent replied--

"'When such time come, the Dacotahs will see two white spirits rise out
of the lake that is silver. When the moon is round, they shall rise out
of the lake that is silver. They shall come without canoe to bear them,
and without arrow or tomahawk for fighting. By this shall you know them.
Then shall the Dacotahs lay hands upon the white spirits; they shall
treat them kindly, but they shall bring them to the Peace Camp and there
consume them with fire. Then shall the power of the water spirits be
broken. Then shall the Dacotahs be safe. Then shall the fire of my anger
be quenched.

"'But I--the sacred totem of the Dacotahs--am mighty and full of pity.
The Dacotahs are brave, but they are not all wise. It may be that their
ignorance might lead them to bring suffering to those who are not evil
spirits. But let them not hold back in doubt, for I shall stay their
hand, even though the torch be set at the wood. For if the eyes of my
children are blind, I shall be near to guide them. And the sign of this
shall be: _I shall appear before the eyes of all people as a serpent of
fire_. By this shall they know that they have erred. They shall withhold
the torch, free the captives, and be to them as brothers.'"

Once more the speaker waited for a space, until he knew that his hearers