So Oowikapun, though taken off his guard for once, was soon himself
again, and ere the infuriated brute could get her paws around him, one
quick, vigorous thrust of his knife was sufficient; and his antagonist;
armed only with teeth and claws, lay dead before him. So sudden had
been the attack, and so quickly had come the deliverance, that for the
first time in his life Oowikapun offered up as well as he could words of
thanksgiving to the Great Spirit for his escape. In his own crude way
and with the Indian's naturally religious instinct and traditions, he
had believed in the existence of a Good Spirit, which he called
Kissa-Manito; and also in the existence of a bad spirit, whose name was
Muche-Manito; but in what little worship he had engaged heretofore he
had endeavoured to propitiate and turn away the malice of the evil
spirit, rather than to worship the Good Spirit, in whom all Indians
believe, but about whom he had very vague ideas until his visit to the
Christian hunter's wigwam. Now, however, even before he skinned the
bear, as the result of that visit, he prayed to that Good Spirit, the
giver of all his blessings, and was grateful for his deliverance. Would
that he had continued trying to pray, even if he had received as yet but
little instruction in the right way!
He was glad to get the meat and skin of the bear and also the two little
cubs, which he easily captured alive. Bending down some small trees, he
tied the greater portion of the meat in the tops and then let them swing
up again, as he could not carry much back with him in addition to the
skin and the two frisky little bears. This plan of _caching_ supplies
in the tops of small trees, as the Indians call it, is almost the only
way that things can be safely left in the woods where so many wild
animals are prowling about. If the meat were put up in the branches of
a large tree, the wolverines or wild cats would soon get on the scent of
it, and being able to climb the trees, would quickly make short work of
it. If buried in the ground, these animals, or perhaps the grey wolves,
would soon get it; but bury it in the tops of the small trees which the
animals cannot climb, and which they have not wit enough to cut down
with their teeth, the _cache_ is safe until the owner comes for it.
Thus Oowikapun hunted until the season was almost ended; and then making
a long light sled, he packed on it his furs and camping outfit, and the
two little bears, which had become quite tame, and started out on his
return journey to his far-away northern home. Loaded as he was, he saw
it would take him several days to make the journey, and so he resolved
to go a little out of his way and visit a village of Indians, at the
meeting place of three rivers, and spend a little time with them, as
they were of the same tribe as his own people, and some of them were
distant relatives. Unfortunately for him they were in the midst of one
of their superstitious dances. The dances and sacrifices of dogs were a
kind of propitiatory offering to the Muche-Manito, the devil, to put him
in good humour, so that he would not interfere with them and prevent
their having great success in the coming spring hunt. Of course
Oowikapun was invited to join in the dance, but much to their surprise
he at first refused. This they could not understand, as in previous
visits he had been eager to spring into the magic circle and display his
agility and powers of endurance. When questioned as to his reasons for
declining, he told them of his visit to the camp of Memotas and what he
had heard and witnessed. They gathered around him and, Indianlike,
patiently listened in silence until he had told them his story.
Unfortunately it was not only received with incredulity, but with scorn.
The men were astounded, and indignantly exclaimed: "So he lets his wife
eat with him, does he? and cuts the wood himself, and carries the water
and prays to the Kissa-Manito to bless his enemies, instead of trying to
poison or shoot them! That is the white man's religion, is it? which
that Memotas has accepted. Well, let him keep it. It is not what we
want. As our fathers lived and died so will we. Don't be a fool,
Oowikapun. You will be wanting one of our daughters one of these days
to be your wife; then if you treat her like Memotas treats his, she will
be coming back and telling our women all about it, and there will be a
pretty fuss. O no; this will never do. You have had bad medicine
thrown into your eyes, and you do not see straight."
Thus they answered him; and day after day they bantered him, until at
length the poor fellow--anxious to follow the entreaties of Memotas, but
as yet unconscious of the divine power which he might have had if only
he had asked for it, and so lacking the strength to resist the
entreaties of his heathen friends, especially when he heard from lying
conjurers that even the black-eyed maidens were talking about his
strange unwillingness to join in the religious ceremonies for success in
the hunt--yielded to the tempter's power, and sprang into the circle,
and with wild _abandon_ engaged in the dance. Madly and recklessly he
danced to the monotonous drummings of the wicked old conjurers and
medicine-men, who had been fearful that they were about to lose their
grip upon him. A wild frenzy seemed to have entered into him, and so he
danced on and on until even his hardened, stalwart frame could stand it
no longer, and suddenly he fell upon the ground in a state of
unconsciousness, and had to be carried away to a little wigwam, where on
a bed of spruce branches he was left to recover consciousness when he
might.
Such occurrences among the Indians in their wild state when celebrating
some of their religious ceremonies, such as this devil worship or their
sun or ghost dances, were not at all uncommon. Wrought up to a state of
frenzy, some of these devotees ceased not their wild dancings day or
night, sometimes for three days continuously; and then when utterly
exhausted fell into a deathly swoon, which often continued for many
hours. In this sad plight was poor Oowikapun.
For hours he remained more like a corpse than a living being, in a state
of absolute unconsciousness, and without an apparent movement of either
muscle or limb. After a time the mind began to act, and strange and
distorted dreams and visions flitted through his disordered mind and
troubled him. At first all was confusion and discord. Then there came
to him something more like a vision than a dream, and so vividly was it
impressed upon him that it was never forgotten.
Here it is as told me years after. Oowikapun dreamed that he was one of
a large company of his people who were on a long journey, which all had
to take. It led them over high mountains and trackless plains, along
swift rivers and across stormy lakes, through great forests, where
fierce wild beasts were ever ready to spring upon them, and where
quaking bogs were in the way to swallow up those who were for a moment
off their guard. The company was constantly diminishing as they
journeyed on, for the dangers were so many that death in various forms
was constantly cutting them off. The survivors, full of sadness, and
hurried on by some irresistible impulse, could not stop long in the way.
All they could do was to give those who had fallen a hasty burial and
then join in the onward march.
Darker and darker became the sky, and worse and worse seemed the way;
still they were impelled on and on. They had to cross the wide, stormy
lakes, and in every one of them some of the party were lost. In every
rough portage some fell fainting by the way, and sank down to rise no
more. The crouching panther and the fierce wolves in the dense forests
were ever on the alert, and many a man and woman, and even some of the
little children, fell victims to these savage beasts. A feeling of
sadness and despair seemed to take possession of all. Vainly they
called upon the conjurers and medicine-men to get help from their
Manitos to make the ways easier and their sorrows less, and to find out
for them why they were travelling on this trail, and the place to which
it led.
Very unsatisfactory were the answers which they received. They had no
information to give about the trail; yet some said that they had heard
from their forefathers that there was a place called the happy hunting
grounds beyond the high mountains; but the way was long and dark, and
they had no guide to lead them in the gloom, none to tell them how they
could find the passes in the mountains. While thus almost
broken-hearted in the way, the thought came to Oowikapun in his dream or
vision that surely there must be a better trail than this rough one,
wherein so many of the people were perishing so sadly. With this
thought in his mind he resolved, if possible, to break away from the
company, and try to find a safer path. If he failed in his efforts and
perished miserably in his search, why, what did it matter? They were
dying off very rapidly where they were, and things could not be worse.
Then if he succeeded in finding a better road, where the skies were
bright, and the storms came not, and the portages were short and easily
passed, and the breezes on the lakes only wafted them on their way, and
no savage beasts lurked along the trail, and he could find some one who
had been over the way, or could tell him that it ended well, and if he
could succeed in getting his people in this better path, how rejoiced he
and they would be!
Then it seemed in his dream that he made the effort to break away; but
he told no one of what was in his heart or of his resolves, for he was
afraid of being ridiculed by his comrades if he should try and then fail
in his efforts. He found it very hard at first to get out from the old
trail; but he persevered and succeeded, although but slowly at first.
He found the way become smoother, and in some way which he could not
understand help was being given him several times just when he needed
it. Cheering words and sweet songs at times fell upon his ears, and
made him forget that he was alone and footsore in this trying work; and
once when his way led him over a great lake, and he was in a little boat
in which it seemed impossible for him to reach the farther shore, and he
was about to give up in despair, a strong, firm hand took the little
helm, and soon he was safe at his landing place.
From this place the travelling was very much easier, and he journeyed
on, ever looking for the safer trail for his people. Seeing before him
a pleasant hill, he hurried to its summit, and there before him in the
valley, stretching away in the distance on and on until lost in a golden
cloud of brightness, like the sunlight on the waters, he saw a broad
trail, smooth and beautiful, with a great company of happy people
walking in it. As he observed more carefully, he saw that some were
Indians, some white people, and some of other colours; but all seemed so
happy, bright, and joyous, that Oowikapun wept as he thought of the
unhappy condition of his own people in the other trail.
Wearied by his long journey, and charmed by the sight before him, he
tarried there for hours, and then he thought he fell asleep; and while
in this condition a man with a covered face came to him and gently
aroused him, and seeing that he had been weeping, asked in gentle,
sympathetic tones why he should weep while before him there was so much
joy and gladness.
Touched by the kindly manner of the stranger, Oowikapun forgot his usual
reserve, and told him all that was in his heart. While he talked the
visitor listened in silence until he had told his sad story, and then
heaving a sigh, that seemed full of sorrow, he said to Oowikapun: "Has
not the Great Spirit pitied you and tried to help you? Did he not send
you to the wigwam of one of his followers to give you some directions
about getting in the better way? Is he not waiting and watching to see
how you are using what knowledge you have secured? Why have you so soon
forgotten your first lesson?" Then he quickly moved to go, and as he
turned away the covering for an instant dropped from his face, and
Oowikapun had a glimpse of it, and it vividly reminded him of Memotas.