ltitude, who numbered several hundred, to the
farther end of the space, where he turned to face the expectant
listeners. He had left his rifle at the tepee, but his knife was in his
girdle. To those who had slight knowledge of him he looked his simple,
natural self; but George and Victor, when they scanned their friend
observed a deeper flush in his face and a brighter gleam in the eyes,
which revealed to them the profound emotion that stirred his soul.

Deerfoot stood for a minute, looking over the swarthy faces turned
expectantly toward him. He had prayed many times for strength to meet
this ordeal, and he knew he would do so.

Then he began speaking in his low, musical voice, which was clearly
heard by those farthest removed. He used the Blackfoot tongue, so that
only a part of his words were understood by George and Victor, and
never halted or hesitated until the interruption came.

"My friends," said he, "the heart of Deerfoot is glad to tell you about
the Great Spirit who is the Father of the red men as well as of the
palefaces. Many, many moons ago that Father made this world; the sun
that shines by day and the moon and stars that rule at night; the
mountains, the woods, the rivers, the prairies, the rocks, the clouds
and all that you see about you. He gave His children game to hunt, and
He caused the fish to grow in the streams and the corn and fruit to
spring from the ground. There was nothing that His children needed that
He did not give to them.

"Was not that Father kind? Could any father be as good to his children
as God was to those He put on the earth to live together? Should not
those children love Him and try to live as He wished them to live? But
they were wicked and did not care for Him. They fought and killed one
another and did all they could to offend their Heavenly Father. They
were so bad that bye and bye He turned away His face in anger. He would
have slain them as they deserved, but He had a Son, good and pure like
Himself. This Son took the load of all the sins of the world on his
heart. He came to the earth and told the people how sad God was because
they did evil. Some heeded His words, but bad men took the Son, whom we
call our Saviour, because He saved us all--you and me and
everybody--and they drove nails through his hands and feet, and let Him
hang on two crosspieces of wood till He died the most painful of
deaths. He could have killed those who treated Him so cruelly, but He
chose t