The following beautiful story deserves a place among the very many real
answers to prayer. Still does the Lord say to his followers: "I will
yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them."
Our Indian converts believe in God. With a simple, childlike faith they
take Him at his word. One of our Indians at his baptism, received the
English name of Edmund Stephenson. He was an earnest, simple Christian.
His religion made him industrious, and so by his diligent hunting and
fishing he provided comfortably for his wife and two little ones.
One evening, about the middle of last October, he left his family at his
little home at Norway House, and started up a rapid river to visit some
of his relatives, who lived several miles away. In those high latitudes
the cold winter sets in so early that already the river, was covered
with ice. To make the trip much quicker he fastened on his skates, and
when last seen, was speeding rapidly away in the evening twilight.
He did not return the next day as he had promised, and his family
becoming alarmed, sent an Indian messenger to inquire the reason. To
his surprise he was informed by the friends that Edmund had not visited
them and they knew not of his whereabouts. When these tidings were
carried home there was great alarm, and a search party was quickly
organised. From the point where he was last seen alive, they carefully
examined the ice, and, after a little time, discovered the most
conclusive evidence that the poor man was drowned.
Over a part of the river where the current is very rapid, they
discovered that the ice had been broken through; and although all was
now again firmly frozen over, yet, in the congealed mass, they
discovered one of Edmund's deer-skin gloves, a button of his coat, and
other evidences that he had here fallen through the ice, and had made a
most desperate effort to escape. As it was nearly dark when the
searchers made these discoveries as to the place and manner, of his
death, they were obliged to be satisfied with this, and to postpone the
search for the body until the next day.
Early the next morning they set to work diligently. As much snow had
fallen since the previous evening, they were very much hampered in their
efforts; and, although a large number of men, with snow shovels, axes
and grappling irons sought carefully in many places for the remains,
several days passed, and they were still unsuccessful in their efforts.
Among the searchers were some Indians who still believed in the skill
and supernatural powers of the conjurers, or medicine men. These,
having become discouraged in their efforts, resolved to consult one of
these old men, so they said:
"Let us go and consult old Kwaskacarpo, and get him to conjure for us,
and tell us where to find the body."
The Christian Indians protested against this, and tried to dissuade
them; but to no purpose they were so discouraged in their efforts. So
they carried gifts of tea and tobacco to the conjurer, and told him of
the object of their coming. In response to their wishes, and in return
for their gifts, he took his sacred drum and medicine-bag into the tent,
drummed away noisily until he worked himself up into a kind of frenzy or
delirium, and then told them where to cut the ice and drag for the body
of their dead comrade.
When the Christian Indians heard that these others had gone to the
conjurer for help, they were very much grieved. One especially, a grand
old man by the name of Thomas Mustagan, was very much depressed in
spirit. While feeling deeply the loss of Edmund, he was very much hurt
when the news reached him, that some of the searchers instead of going
to God in their perplexity and trouble, had, like King Saul, resorted to
such disputable agencies.
No sooner had he received this news, than he resolved to adopt a very
different course. Getting his wife to cook a quantity of food; he
carried it, with some kettles of tea, to a spot on the shore near to
where the men were diligently searching for the body.
Clearing away the snow he made a fire; and, when the tea was prepared,
called the hungry and almost discouraged men around him, and made them
eat his food and drink his tea. Then he talked to them of the one
living and true God, and of His power to hear and answer prayer. He
spoke of the foolishness and wickedness of those, who, having heard
about Him, had gone and consulted the wicked old conjurer. "Let us go
to that God about whom we have been taught by our missionaries. He is
the one to help us in our trouble."
With the people all around him, he kneeled down in snow, and earnestly
and reverently asked God to hear and help them in their sorrow and
perplexity. He prayed that wisdom might be given them, so that they
might find the body of their dear friend lying somewhere in that cold
river; that they might take it up, and bury it in their little village
graveyard. He asked God very earnestly to comfort the poor sorrowing
widow and the little helpless children. Thus with believing faith did
this venerable old Indian of more than fourscore winters, call upon God.
When they arose from their knees he said: "Now trusting in God to answer
us, let us go to work."
On account of the quantity of snow that had fallen on the ice, they had
first to scrape it away, and then use their judgment about where to cut
through the ice, and drag for the body. Although Thomas was so old a
man, he now seemed the most alert and active of the party. By common
consent, he was given charge of the party of Christian Indians, who now
worked diligently under his direction.
In the meantime, the old conjurer Kwaskacarpo in a confident voice told
his followers, that he had conjured, and the answer was, that they were
to cut the ice in a certain designated place.
Paying no attention to him or his party, the Christian Indians worked
away, and as fast as the ice was cleared of snow, Thomas looked through
as well as he could.
All at once he arose quickly from a spot of semi-transparent ice which
he had been carefully examining, and calling to the men with the axes
and ice-chisels, he said:
"Try here."
Soon they had a large hole cut, the grappling irons were brought into
use, and there hundreds of yards from the place where the conjurer had
directed his followers to look for it, the body was found.
Thomas, while intently searching through the ice, had seen on the under
surface at that place a quantity of air bubbles. The thought came to
him, that here the body had rested, and the last air from the lungs had
escaped and formed these bubbles. He had asked for wisdom and divine
direction and he was not disappointed, for in less than an hour after
these pious Indians had been on their knees in earnest prayer the body
of their comrade was being borne away to his home, and from thence to
its final resting place in the "God's Acre" of the little Christian
village.