He told me De Chaumont would permit my father to pay no more than my
exact reckoning.

"Do you know who sends the money?" I inquired.

The Oneida did not know. It came through an agent in New York.

"You are ten years older than I am. You must remember very well when I
was born."

"How can that be?" answered Skenedonk. "Nobody in the tribe knows when
you were born."

"Are children not like the young of other creatures? Where did I come
from?"

"You came to the tribe with a man, and Chief Williams adopted you."

"Did you see the man?"

"No. I was on the other side of the ocean, in France."

"Who saw him?"

"None of our people. But it is very well known. If you had noticed
anything you would have heard the story long ago."

What Skenedonk said was true. I asked him, bewildered--"Why did I never
notice anything?"