work, for Ouiot speaks through you.' And, a few days later, after the
burial of the dead, she told the chief men of the tribe what I had seen.
And then ended my happiness: from that day I lived a life of sorrow, for
the burden I had to bear was a heavy one: not only when I foretold
disaster and suffering to our people, but when I had joyful news for
them, even then the dread of knowing the future was terrible. Sometimes
a half-year would pass without communication from above, and I would
begin to hope that the awful gift was taken from me; but always it would
manifest itself again. My husband (for I had been married not long after
my first dream) left me just before your mother was born, but I did not
want, for I was provided with everything by the entire tribe. Your
mother, also, when she grew to be a woman, left me to be married to your
father; but when he died, he asked me to take care of his only child,
and that is why you and I have lived together all these years."

The old woman paused, and several minutes passed silently in the
gathering dusk, while the little girl waited wonderingly, afraid to
speak. Presently the Indian stirred, as if waking from a slumber, and,
after a slight shiver, resumed her tale:

"And thus I lived for many years, prophesying as the Great Spirit
revealed the future to me, and my prophecies always came true. I
foretold poor harvests, and the issues of our wars. Only once before the
last prophecy I made was my word doubted, and then unbelief was born in
the minds of many of the men. I spoke the words of truth then, but when
I said we should, in time, vanish from this country, I was treated with
scorn. But I was right. Are we greater in numbers than our traditions
tell us were our fathers many generations ago? Is it not more difficult
to live now than it was in former days? Where are the quail, the
rabbits, that our ancestors used to kill so plentifully? Are not they