"Chenos has spoken well; wisdom is in his words. Make for the strange
woman a soft bed of skins, and treat her kindly, for it may be she is
a daughter of the Great Spirit."
Then they all returned to their cabins and slept, save the Head
Buffalo, who, fearing for the woman's life, laid himself down at the
door of the lodge, and watched.
When the morning came the warrior went to the forest and killed a deer
which he brought to Chenos, who prepared it for a sacrifice, and sang
a song while the flesh lay on the fire.
"Let us listen," said Chenos, stopping the warriors in their dance.
"Let us see if the Great Spirit hears us."
They listened, but could hear nothing. Chenos asked him why he did not
speak, but he did not answer. Then they sang again.
"Hush!" said Chenos listening. "I hear the crowing of the Great
Turkey-cock. I hear him speaking."
They stopped, and Chenos went close to the fire and talked with his
master, but nobody saw with whom he talked.
"What does the Great Spirit tell his prophet?" asked the head chief.
"He says," answered Chenos, "the young woman must not be offered to
him. He wills her to live and become the mother of many children."
Many were pleased that she was to live, but those who had lost
brothers or sons were not appeased, and they said--
"We will have blood. We will go to the priest of the Evil Spirit, and
ask him if his master will not give us revenge."
Not far from where our nation had their council fire was a great hill,
covered with stunted trees and moss, and rugged rocks. There was a
great cave in it, in which dwelt Sketupah, the priest of the Evil One,
who there did worship to his master. Sketupah would have been tall had
he been straight, but he was more crooked than a bent bow. His hair
was like a bunch of grapes, and his eyes like two coals of fire. Many
were the gifts our nation made to him to gain his favour, and the
favour of his master. Who but he feasted on the fattest buffalo hump?
Who but he fed on the earliest ear of milky corn, on the best things
that grew on the land or in the water?
The Old Eagle went to the mouth of the cave and cried with a loud
voice--
"Sketupah!"
"Sketupah!" answered the hoarse voice of the Evil One from the hollow
cave. He soon came and asked the Old Eagle what he wanted.
"Revenge for our sons who have been killed by the Walkullas and their
friends. Will your master hear us?"
"My master must have a sacrifice; he must smell blood," answered
Sketupah. "Then we shall know if he will give revenge. Bring hither a
sacrifice in the morning."
So in the morning they brought a sacrifice, and the priest laid it on
the fire while he danced around. He ceased singing and listened, but
the Evil Spirit answered not. Just as he was going to commence another
song the warriors saw a large ball rolling very fast up the hill to
the spot where they stood. It was the height of a man. When it came up
to them it began to unwind itself slowly, until at last a little
strange-looking man crept out of the ball, which was made of his own
hair. He was no higher than one's shoulders. One of his feet made a
strange track, such as no warrior had ever seen before. His face was
as black as the shell of the butter-nut or the feathers of the raven,
and his eyes as green as grass. His hair was of the colour of moss,
and so long that, as the wind blew it out, it seemed the tail of a
fiery star.
"What do you want of me?" he asked.