"The Shawanos want revenge. They want to sacrifice the beautiful
daughter of the sun, whom the Head Buffalo has brought from the camp
of the Walkullas."
"They shall have their wish," said the Evil Spirit. "Go and fetch
her."
Then Old Eagle and the warriors fetched her. Head Buffalo would have
fought for her, but Chenos commanded him to be still.
"My master," he said, "will see she does not suffer." Then they
fastened her to the stake. The head warrior had stood still, for he
hoped that the priest of the Great Spirit should snatch her away from
the Evil One. Now he shouted his war-cry and rushed upon Sketupah. It
was in vain. Sketupah's master did but breathe upon the face of the
warrior when he fell as though he had struck him a blow, and never
breathed more. Then the Evil One commanded them to seize Chenos.
"Come, my master," cried Chenos, "for the hands of the Evil One are
upon me."
As soon as he had said this, very far over the tall hills, which
Indians call the Backbone of the Great Spirit, the people saw two
great lights, brighter and larger than stars, moving very fast towards
the land of the Shawanos. One was just as high as another, and they
were both as high as the goat-sucker flies before a thunderstorm. At
first they were close together, but as they came nearer they grew
wider apart. Soon our people saw that they were two eyes, and in a
little while the body of a great man, whose head nearly reached the
sky, came after them. Brothers, the eyes of the Great Spirit always go
before him, and nothing is hid from his sight. Brothers, I cannot
describe the Master of Life as he stood before the warriors of our
nation. Can you look steadily on the star of the morning?
When the Evil Spirit saw the Spirit of Good coming, he began to grow
in stature, and continued swelling until he was as tall and big as he.
When the Spirit of Good came near and saw how the Evil Spirit had
grown, he stopped, and, looking angry, said, with a voice that shook
the hills--
"You lied; you promised to stay among the white people and the nations
towards the rising sun, and not trouble my people more."
"This woman," replied the Evil Spirit, "comes from my country; she is
mine."
"She is mine," said the Great Spirit. "I had given her for a wife to
the warrior whom you have killed. Tell me no more lies, bad manito,
lest I punish you. Away, and see you trouble my people no more."
The cowardly spirit made no answer, but shrank down to the size he was
when he first came. Then he began as before to roll himself up in his
hair, which he soon did, and then disappeared as he came. When he was
gone, the Great Spirit shrank till he was no larger than a Shawano,
and began talking to our people in a soft sweet voice--
"Men of the Shawanos nation, I love you and have always loved you. I
bade you conquer your enemies; I gave your foes into your hands. I
sent herds of deer and many bears and moose to your hunting-ground,
and made my suns shine upon your corn. Who lived so well, who fought
so bravely as the Shawanos? Whose women bore so many sons as yours?
"Why did you disturb the sacrifice which the Walkullas were offering
to me at the feast of green corn? I was angry, and gave your warriors
into the hands of their enemies.
"Shawanos, hear my words, and forget them not; do as I bid you, and
you shall see my power and my goodness. Offer no further violence to
the white maiden, but treat her kindly. Go now and rake up the ashes
of the sacrifice fire into a heap, gathering up the brands. When the
great star of evening rises, open the ashes, put in the body of the
Head Buffalo, lay on much wood, and kindle a fire on it. Let all the
nation be called together, for all must assist in laying wood on the
fire, but they must put on no pine, nor the tree which bears white
flowers, nor the grape-vine which yields no fruit, nor the shrub whose
dew blisters the flesh. The fire must be kept burning two whole moons.
It must not go out; it must burn night and day. On the first day of
the third moon put no wood on the fire, but let it die. On the morning
of the second day the Shawanos must all come to the heap of
ashes--every man, woman, and child must come, and the aged who cannot
walk must be helped to it. Then Chenos and the head chief must bring
out the beautiful woman, and place her near the ashes. This is the
will of the Great Spirit."
When he had finished these words he began to swell until he had
reached his former bulk and stature. Then at each of his shoulders
came out a wing of the colour of the gold-headed pigeon. Gently
shaking these, he took flight from the land of the Shawanos, and was
never seen in those beautiful regions again.
The Shawanos did as he bade them. They raked the ashes together, laid
the body of Head Buffalo in them, lighted the fire, and kept it
burning the appointed time. On the first day of the third moon they
let the fire out, assembled the nation around, and placed the
beautiful woman near the ashes. They waited, and looked to see what
would happen. At last the priests and warriors who were nearest began
to shout, crying out--
"Piqua!" which in the Shawanos tongue means a man coming out of the
ashes, or a man made of ashes.
They told no lie. There he stood, a man tall and straight as a young
pine, looking like a Shawanos, but handsomer than any man of our
nation. The first thing he did was to cry the war-whoop, and demand
paint, a club, a bow and arrows, and a hatchet,--all of which were
given him. Looking around he saw the white woman, and he walked up to
her, and gazed in her eyes. Then he came to the head chief and said--
"I must have that woman for my wife."
"What are you?" asked the chief.
"A man of ashes," he replied.
"Who made you?"
"The Great Spirit; and now let me go, that I may take my bow and
arrows, kill my deer, and come back and take the beautiful maiden for
my wife."