Overland journeys to the Pacific -- Juvenile fiction; Shawnee Indians -- Juvenile fiction; Siksika Indians -- Juvenile fiction
"Deerfoot teaches the religion that he believes is true. It is of a
Great Spirit, who wishes his children to live in friendship with one
another; not to make war; to show mercy to all; to be forgiving and do
what they can to make other people happy. Such is the wish of the Great
Spirit. Deerfoot lives according to that faith, and we believe in it,
and try to do as he does."
The chief looked steadily in the face of the youth while he was
speaking, though he did not understand a syllable until it was properly
rendered by Mul-tal-la. Victor gazed as unflinchingly into the fierce
countenance before him, while uttering the noble sentiments. His
self-respect forbade any shrinking on his part when such a question was
put to him. As the interpreter waited for him to finish, Victor added:
"Tell him exactly what I said."
"And that the answer is from both of us," added George.
Mul-tal-la obeyed, but carefully refrained from saying that he, too,
had accepted the new religion, and that the warriors who acted as
messengers were pondering over it, and had spoken to some of their
comrades on the momentous theme. It is not for us to censure the red
man if he was cautious, for, if need be, he was ready to die for the
truth.
The thin lips of Taggarak curled with scorn when he caught the full
meaning of the reply of the youth. His patience was gone.
"The Shawanoe does not belong to the tribe of Taggarak. My sons, the
palefaces, are of another race; they may believe any lies they choose,
for it is naught to Taggarak. But none of Taggarak's people shall
believe it! And if the Shawanoe seeks to turn them from the faith of
their fathers, the Shawanoe shall die! My sons will tell the Shawanoe
what Taggarak has said, that when he comes among the Blackfeet he shall
live. Taggarak has spoken, and my sons may go. They will not forget the
words of Taggarak."
CHAPTER XIV.
A NEW BLACKFOOT CITIZEN.
The words of Taggarak the war chief weighed heavily upon George and
Victor Shelton, for nothing was more certain to them than that trouble
for Deerfoot was near. He could not be frightened into any attempt to
hide his light under a bushel, or to deny the faith that was woven into
the very fibre of his being. The brothers talked the question over many
times. It was never referred to between them and Mul-tal-la, for the
Blackfoot could give them no help, and the final solution of the
problem must be reached by Deerfoot himself.
Our young friends joined as earnestly in the games, the fishing and
hunting as ever, and no one looking upon them would have dreamed that
they suffered any discomfort of mind. Thus the days passed until two
more weeks had gone by, and they began to wonder at the long absence of
the Shawanoe.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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