"Those are the very words," whispered Edwin to me; "now listen, hear where the Command will come from, and where it will go." "The Word of Command approaches," continued Aleck, with unmoved face; "from the head of the Ne-shu-de [the Missouri] it comes, wrapped in a black cloud, the mantle of thunder, like the mighty whirlwind it comes; the great trees of the pine-clad mountains bend to its fury; its voice echoes through the valleys, and the animals, big and little, tremble with fear. On it comes, sweeping over the wide plains; the angry lightnings dart from the cloud; it approaches the village of the Ponkas, at the mouth of the Niobrara, passes it and continues its course down the Ne-shu'-de; now it has come to the pictured rocks; it reaches the bluffs of the Cut-lake; but on it comes, swifter and swifter it comes; it is now at the old Omaha village, at the graves of the little ones; it comes--it is here!" There was a pause, and we all waited in suspense. Just then the wind rattled the windows and the owl up in the graveyard hooted. "George!" called the leader, in a solemn tone. "Present!" promptly responded George in English, as though answering Gray-beard's roll-call. A ripple of suppressed laughter spread among the boys. Aleck, I doubt not, was giggling inside. "Edwin!" continued the leader, in the same tone. "Ah-ho!" said Edwin, giving the response and imitating the voice of a grown-up and serious warrior. "The Word of Command is before you two," continued Aleck, "the Leader;" "and it is, that soon after Gray-beard has gone to bed you are to go to the village and enter the house of Hae'-sha-ra-gae, where you will see a woman making pemmican. You will say to her, 'Woman!' we are the commanded and the bearers of the word of Command. Of you we demand a bag of pemmican. Give willingly, and you shall go beyond the four hills of life without stumbling; there shall be no weariness in the pathway of life to hinder your feet, and your grandchildren shall be many and their succession endless!' Fail not in your mission. Your way out of the house shall be through one of the windows in our dormitory, and by a rope." "It is bed-time, boys, come right up," called Gray-beard, from the head of the stairs. "See that the large doors are bolted."