in the land of the friendly Dakotas.
The son of Chief Wazi-kute
guides the White Chief afar on his journey;
Nor long on the Tonka Mede [b]
--on the breast of the blue, bounding billows--
Shall the bark of the Frenchman delay,
but his pathway shall kindle behind him."

[a] Mendota, properly _Mdo-te_--meaning the outlet of lake or river into
another,
commonly applied to the region about Fort Snelling.
[b] Tonka Mede--Great Lake, i.e. Lake Superior. The Dakotas seem to have
had no other name for it. They generally referred to it as
_Mini-ya-ta--There at the water._

She was pale, and her hurried voice swelled
with alarm as she questioned replying
"Tamdoka thy guide?
--I beheld thy death in his face at the races!
He covers his heart with a smile,
but revenge never sleeps in his bosom;
His tongue--it is soft to beguile;
but beware of the pur of the panther!
For death, like a shadow,
will walk by thy side in the midst of the forest,
Or follow thy path like a hawk
on the trail of a wounded Mastinca. [a]
A son of Unktehee is he,
--the Chief of the crafty magicians;
They have plotted thy death; I foresee,