They call them over often, and say,
Where are my sons? If they miss one, they will send into the prairies
to look for him. If they cannot find him, they will tell their runners
to ask for him, among the Siouxes. My brethren, the Big-knives are not
fools. There is a mighty medicine of their nation now among us; who
can tell how loud is his voice, or how long is his arm?--"
The speech of the orator, who was beginning to enter into his subject
with warmth, was cut short by the impatient Mahtoree, who suddenly
arose and exclaimed, in a voice in which authority was mingled with
contempt, and at the close with a keen tone of irony, also--
"Let my young men lead the evil spirit of the Palefaces to the
council. My brother shall see his medicine, face to face!"
A death-like and solemn stillness succeeded this extraordinary
interruption. It not only involved a deep offence against the sacred
courtesy of debate, but the mandate was likely to brave the unknown
power of one of those incomprehensible beings, whom few Indians were
enlightened enough, at that day, to regard without reverence, or few
hardy enough to oppose.
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