father hides his face with shame? The Manitou has counseled the Great
Oak in his sleep; the women are in tears, and the young men are silent.
We have spoken, and we wait for the voice of our Sachem."

"Why do my children wait for the voice of a Chief, whose words fall like
leaves in the cold blast to be trod on by boys?"

"The words of the Great Oak, like the leaves, can bury the people. Let
our father speak to the hearts of his children that they may know what
to do. Has the wind whispered in the ear of our father and he tells not
his children their story? We listen for the voice of our Chief." The old
Sachem slowly opened his eyes and once more rose to his feet, standing
erect in front of the tree whose name he bore, where still, with the
wolf stretched at her feet, the Gentle Fawn remained seated. Without
deigning a glance upon the multitude, but looking in the distance, as if
invoking unseen aid from the air or sky, dropping their figurative
language, he spoke in a low, prophetic tone.

"Yes, there has been whispering in the ears of your Chief. He shut his
eyes on all around him, and opened them on a sunny spot, far off, where
the rivers know no ice and the moccasin never tracks in the snow. There
were more wigwams than he could count, filled with happy people. He saw
a band of braves as straight as the pines of their forest go on a long
path to get furs and meat for their people. After moons of success they
joyfully returned; but not to hear the voice of their fathers or ever to
see their faces again. The hand of the foe had spared none; their homes
were in ashes; their friends sent without food or presents on their long
journey to the Manitou's hunting-ground. I saw these tired, sad hunters
gather the scattered bones and relics of their tribe in a large circle,
placing plenty of furs and food, with pipes, beads and arrows in the