so good was his judgment, and wise and thoughtful beyond his years were
his words considered, that even the old men, who seldom did anything but
sneer at the words of the young men, gave respectful attention to what
fell from the lips of Oowikapun. Well was it remembered how, only last
year, at the great council fire of the whole tribe, when the runners
brought the news of the aggressions of the whites on some of the
southern tribes with whom they had been, in the years past, on friendly
alliance, and the old men spake with bitterness and talked of the old
glories of the red men, ere the paleface came with his firearms, and
what was worse with his firewater, and hunted down and poisoned many of
their forefathers, and drove back the rest of them toward the setting
sun or northward to the regions of the bitter cold and frost, and how
much better it would have been, they said, if their forefathers had
listened to the fiery eloquence and burning words of Tecumseh and his
brother the prophet, and joined in a great Indian confederacy, when they
were numerous and strong to drive the white man back into the sea. Then
it was, when eyes flashed and the Indians were wild enough with
excitement to cause great trouble, that Oowikapun arose and spoke kindly
words, and wise beyond his years.

In his address he urged that the time for successful war was passed,
that Tecumseh himself fell before the power of the paleface, that his
wampum and magic pipe had disappeared, and his tomahawk had been buried
in a peace ceremony between his survivors and the paleface; and bitter
as might be some of the memories of the past, yet to all it must be
clear that as many of the white men were really their friends, it was
for their interest and happiness to act patiently and honourably toward
them, and strive to live as the Great Spirit would have them, as loving
brothers.

Thus talked Oowikapun last year. Why is it, they said, that he who gave
such promise of being a great orator, as well as a successful hunter,
should act so strangely now? Some said he was losing his reason and
becoming crazy. The young folks said he was in love with some
bright-eyed maiden, whom they knew not, but many of the dark-eyed
maidens hoped she was the fortunate one. And so they wondered why he
did not let it be known. As he still delayed, they said, it is because
he has had so many to support that he is poor, and is fearful that what
he has to offer in payment for