ere much smaller than those he had
left, so he made up his mind to continue in the direction he had been
going, which was eastwards, to see if the hills would grow smaller as
he went. He rested during the night, and when the sun rose next
morning, he continued walking towards the east. For several days he
travelled, and at last he found himself on the edge of a very large
plain. Miles and miles of green prairie lay before him, and he
wondered what was beyond, on the other side of this vast plain.

He travelled back joyfully to the village and told the others of the
tribe what he had discovered. As they listened they became anxious to
see this great prairie and what lay beyond it. So they went to their
chief and begged him to let them all go and travel until they should
reach the other side of the prairie. The chief told them that this was
a wrong thing to ask, because they were mountain Indians and so would
never be happy away from the mountains. Still they begged and coaxed,
and at length he said:

"I shall grant your request, my children, because my greatest wish is
to see you happy. To-morrow we shall all make ready for our journey to
this great prairie. I shall go with you, although it grieves me very
much to leave my mountains, but your wish shall be granted."

By evening the next day the tribe was ready for the journey. They had
taken down their lodges, and the branches of the pine-trees and the
skins of the animals were packed on the mountain ponies. The chief
rode in front on a small, white pony. His face looked very sad as they
set out.

For many days they travelled, and at length they reached the edge of
the prairie, as the hunter before them had done. They were all much
astonished to see the great plain of green grass, and they told their
chief that this land was much more beautiful than their mountains. He
did not make them any reply. For several days they travelled across
the prairie in the daytime and camped at night. Each morning they said
as they prepared to move forward, "To-day we shall surely reach the
other side of this prairie."

Each night, however, found them with as many miles in front of them as
there were behind them. At last they grew weary, and began to wonder
how long they would have to travel before they could see what was
beyond this prairie. They had made their camp for the night on the
bank of a river. This river was too wide and deep for them to cross,
and they