"My brother Loyal Heart is young," he said, "but his wisdom is great; the Chiefs have confidence in him, and would not decide anything till they had heard his opinion." "My brothers know that I am devoted to them. If my brother will explain, I will answer him." "Blue Fox arrived at the village today." "I saw him." "Good; he came on the part of the Chiefs of his nation; Blue-fox has put on the skin of the timid asshatas, his words are gentle and his mouth distils honey; but the buffalo cannot leap like the elk, or the hawk imitate the dove. The Chiefs did not put faith in his words." "Then they answered him in the negative?" "No, they wished first to consult my brother." "Wah! On what subject?" "My brother will listen. The Palefaces on the other side of the Meche-chebe dug up the war hatchet against each other some moons ago, as my brother is aware." "I know it, Chief and so do you. But how does it concern us? A quarrel among the whites cannot affect us in any way. So long as they do not invade our hunting grounds, do not steal our horses or burn our villages, we can only congratulate ourselves at seeing them destroy each other." "My brother speaks like a wise man; the Sachems are of the same opinion." "Good; I cannot understand, then, what reason can have determined the Chiefs to discuss such a subject." "Wah! My brother can speedily understand if he will listen." "Chief, you Redskins have an unhappy knack of wrapping up your thoughts in so many words, that it is impossible to guess the point you are aiming at." Black-deer broke into that silent laugh peculiar to Indians. "My brother knows how to discover a trail better than anyone," he said. "Certainly; but to do so I must be shown a footstep or trace, however feeble it may be." "And my brother has discovered the trail, which I merely indicated to him?" "Yes." "Oh! I should be curious to know my brother's thoughts." "Then, listen to me in your turn, Black-deer--I shall be brief. Blue Fox was sent by the Buffalo Apaches to the Antelope Comanches to propose to them an offensive and defensive alliance against one of the two nations of the Palefaces which have dug up the hatchet against each other." In spite of all the phlegm which nature and Indian training had endowed him with, the Chief could not conceal the amazement he experienced on hearing these words. "It is well," he said; "my brother is not only a great, brave, and daring warrior, but is also a man inspired by the Wacondah. His medicine is irresistible, he knows everything. Blue Fox made this proposition to the Sachems." "And have they accepted it?" "No; I repeat to my brother that they would not give any answer till they heard his opinion."