Never had I beheld such wild and supple grace in any living thing save only in a young panther clothed in the soft, dun-gold of her wedding fur. "Thiohero," I said, "little sister to whom has been given an instinct more delicate than ours, and senses more subtle, and a wisdom both human and superhuman,--you who listen when the forest trees talk one to another under the full moon's lustre,--you who understand the speech of our lesser comrades that fly through the air paths on bright wings, or run through the dusky woodlands on four furry feet--you who speak secretly with the mighty dead; who whisper and laugh with fairies and little people and stone-throwers; who with your magic drum can make worn-out and cast-off moccasins dance; whose ancestress ate live coals to frighten away the Flying Heads; whose forefathers destroyed the Stonish Giants; _we Oneidas of the clan of the Little Red Foot_ are now of one mind concerning the war-trail we ought to take and follow to the end! "_Little sister_; we desire to know your opinion. _Hiero!_" Then the Little Maid of Askalege folded her arms, looking me intently in the eyes. "_Brother_, and my Captain," she said very quietly, "a year ago I told you that you should come from Howell's house _in scarlet_. And it was so. "And while you lay at Summer House a Caughnawaga woman, with yellow hair, washed the scarlet from your body. "And there came a day when, we met under apple-trees in green fruit--this Yellow Haired woman and I. And, stopping, we confronted each the other; and looked deeply into one another's minds. "_Brother_: when I discovered that Yellow Hair was in love with you I became angry. But when I discovered that this young woman also _was a sorceress_, then I became afraid. "_Brother_: there was a vision in her mind, and I also beheld the scene she gazed at. "_Brother_: we saw a battle in the North, and men in strange uniforms, and cannon smoke. And we _both_ were looking upon _you_; and upon a shape near you, which stood wrapped to the head in white garments. "_Brother_: I do not know what that shape may have been which stood robed in white like a Chief of the Eight Plumed Ones. "But at that moment we both understood--the Yellow Haired one and I--that you must surely travel to this place we gazed at. "So it makes no difference where you decide to go; all trails lead to that appointed place; and you shall surely come there at the hour appointed, though you travel the world over and across before you shall at last arrive. "_Brother_: we Oneida, of the Allied Clan of the Little Red Foot, are now of one mind with our elder brother. He is our chief and Captain. He has spoken as an Oneida to Oneidas. We understand. We thank him for his love offered. We thank him for his kinship offered. We accept; and, in our turn, we offer to our elder brother and Captain our love and our kinship. We take him among us as an Oneida.