the voyageur overheard the dusky maiden impart a strange message to
the paleface by her side. "From the stars I see in the firmament, the
fixed stars that predominate in the configuration, I deduce the future
destiny of man. 'Tis with thee. O Robert, to live always. This elixer
which I now do administer to thee has been known to our people for
countless generations. The possession of it will enable thee to
conquer all thine enemies. Thou now beholdest, O Robert, the ground
upon which some day a great city will be erected. Thou art destined to
become the mighty chief of this great metropolis. Thy reign will be
long and uninterrupted. Thou wert born when the conjunction of the
planets did augur a life of perfect beatitude. As the years roll
away the inhabitants of the city will multiply with great rapidity.
Questions of great import regarding the welfare of the people will
often come before thee for adjustment. To be successful In thy calling
thou must never be guilty of having decided convictions on any
subject, as thy friends will sometimes be pitted against each other in
the advocacy of their various schemes. Thou must not antagonize either
side by espousing the other's cause, but must always keep the rod and
the gun close by thy side, so that when these emergencies arise and
thou doth scent danger in the air thou canst quietly withdraw from the
scene of action and chase the festive bison over the distant prairies
or revel in piscatorial pleasure on the placid waters of a secluded
lake until the working majority hath discovered some method of
relieving thee of the necessity of committing thyself, and then, O
Robert. thou canst return and complacently inform the disappointed
party that the result would have been far different had not thou been
called suddenly away. Thou canst thus preserve the friendship of all
parties, and their votes are more essential to thee than the mere
adoption of measures affecting the prosperity of thy people. When the
requirements of the people of thy city become too great for thee alone