CHAPTER IX
THE TEMPTATION
It needed no great knowledge of Indian character and Indian ways to makeclear to the Englishmen all that was implied in this story thatThunder-maker had recited. Nor had they any reason to doubt that he hadspoken the truth, for the evident pleasure that it gave him to watch theeffect of his revelation was almost a sufficiently convincing argumentin itself.
Of course Thunder-maker had only the evidence of his ears to inform him,for the tent was in darkness, the convenience of lamps not being a usageof the redskins, who either retire to sleep at nightfall, or rely uponcamp-fires for illumination. But the Medicine Man could hear hiscompanions give slight gasps of horror when the climax was reached. Hisears were quick to interpret the faintest sounds of pleasure, pain, orsurprise.
The trio sat in silence for a time, until at last the soundless nightbecame too oppressive, and Holden was forced to speak his thoughts.
"Why have you told us of this, Thunder-maker?" he asked. "Were you sentto us by Mighty Hand?"
The Indian made an impatient movement of his body, and grunted meaninglyat the question.
"Mighty Hand send Thunder-maker?" he exclaimed, in an undertone thatconveyed a sense of the uttermost contempt for the chief of theDacotahs. "My white brother speak foolish words--the words of women andpapooses. Mighty Hand do the wish of Thunder-maker. The chief ofmedicine no slave to run when any man speak."
"Then why have you come to us to-night?" urged Holden.
"It was not out of friendship for us," added Arnold.
"Huh! It true what the redmen say, that the pale-face have heart ofbuffalo skin that keep out the love of brother," responded the Indian,in fawning tones that caused the listeners to feel as though they wouldhave gladly kicked the speaker out from the tent. There was low cunningin his voice--such cringing craft as all brave men naturally despise.But it was the instinct of both to draw out the visitor's confidence. Itwas possibly their only hope of learning the truth of their position,thereby enabling them to make plans for their future actions.
"The redman love the pale-face and would be friend to him,"Thunder-maker went on. "So he come to tell his brothers what they didnot know. Dacotahs fools, Dacotahs believe foolish stories,and--_Thunder-maker can lead their feet by what trail he will_."
"H'm. That was plain enough this afternoon when you played with thoserattlesnakes," remarked Arnold, at which the Indian laughed quietly.
"Dacotahs fools. But white men wise. They see not with the eyes ofredmen. But Dacotahs might be great people if Mighty Hand were in HappyHunting-ground."[2]
"But what has all this got to do with us?" asked Holden.
"My white brothers in great danger. In a few more suns cruel fire burnbeautiful bodies. But----"
"Well--but?"
"Thunder-maker could save--white brothers--from fire?"
"Oh, that's it, is it? That's what you are driving at, you cunning oldserpent?" said Arnold, in accents that were as little complimentary asthe words. "You want us to buy our lives for money? Well, how much doyou wish?"
"My white brothers have papooses, they say to Mighty Hand?"
"Yes; two boys in a camp by Crane Creek."
"It would gladden the eyes of the pale-faces to see their papooses byanother sun?"
"We would do much to go back to them, for they must be sad at theabsence of their fathers," said the elder man.
"Then it may be as the pale-face wish," resumed the Medicine Man."Thunder-maker can save his white brothers, and he will----"
"If you will, there is nothing that we will not do, within our power, torepay you," said Holden, wrongly anticipating the motive of the Indian."We can give you many dollars, and will give you blankets and weaponsfor hunting."
"That is good," returned the redskin quietly. "But--Thunder-maker nowish blankets--dollars, He have many--many." Then he lowered his voiceto speak in deeper tones of confidence. "Let the pale-face be patient,and listen to the words of the redman. Then he will understand how itmay be that he look not upon the face of the fire.
"The Dacotahs foolish. They see white men as spirits that came out ofSilver Waters. And Mighty Hand foolish too. He believe that fiery totemspeak--that fiery totem call water spirits to torture. Foolish redmen!Foolish chief! But Thunder-maker would see his people a great people. Hewould see his tribe wise as the fox and brave as the great bear. Hewould see _another_ chief to rule them--he would see _another_ wear therobes of a chief! So he would blind the eyes of his people. He would sayto them: 'Children, you are foolish. The spirits that come from theSilver Waters are not the spirits that the totem called. They greatspirits sent to you by Manito to tell you how to be a mighty tribeagain.' Then great medicine will be done, and Thunder-maker will ask thepale-faces to speak what Manito has told them.
"Then the pale-faces will tell the Dacotahs: 'Slay Mighty Hand! Let himnot see another sun, and place the chief's robes on Thunder-maker; tiethe chief's feathers in the hair of Thunder-maker; write onThunder-maker's breast the picture of the sacred totem.' Then will theDacotahs believe. Then shall Thunder-maker be chief of the Dacotahs,and--the pale-faces shall return in peace to their tents. I havespoken."
The Indian paused, but, no comment being immediately forthcoming, heresumed quickly, being warmed to excitement by treacherous hopes--
"Then it shall be well with my white brothers. No fire shall have theirwhite bodies----"
"And if we--refuse--to do--this?" questioned Arnold slowly andseriously, and his companion added: "Yes, if we refuse--what then?"
"The pale-faces will not refuse," returned the Indian firmly. The savagemind could not conceive such a possibility as refusal to purchasefreedom at any cost, no matter how despicable that cost might be. "Thepale-faces will not refuse," he repeated. "The flames hurt much, andwhite men die slow, slow as tongue of fire lick their bodies. Thepale-faces not refuse----"
"But we do!" exclaimed Arnold angrily, as he raised his voice to alouder pitch, now that the first need for caution was past. "You knowlittle of the pale-faces, as you call them, if you think that they woulddo the deeds of dogs to save themselves from pain. Manito, to us, isGod--He whom we serve and honour; He whom we love. Do you think that wecould dare to live another hour if we knew that we had pretended to besent by Him--and so delude foolish people? No! A thousand times no! Evenif we were to see our sons dying before our eyes, and knew that one suchfalse word would save them and us, I tell you, liar and cheat that youare, that word would never be spoken! We would be as dumb as the treesof the forest!"
So moved was Arnold by the indignation that he felt at Thunder-maker'streacherous proposal that he rose as he spoke and poured out the torrentof his anger with reckless vehemence. Holden also got up, anticipatingthat the Indian might attempt some deed of revenge, seeing that he haddisplayed his hand to the sight of enemies who might make much of thisknowledge in an appeal to Mighty Hand.
DACOTAHS! DACOTAHS! COME QUICK TO THE HELP OFTHUNDER-MAKER! HE IS BURNING WITHIN WITH FIRE. QUICK! QUICK!]
But Thunder-maker was too cunning to risk violent measures with twosuch powerful antagonists. He merely waited until Arnold had finishedhis tirade. Then he suddenly leaped out from the tent, threw himselfupon the ground, and uttered wild screams that immediately roused theentire camp.
"Dacotahs! Dacotahs! Come quick to the help of Thunder-maker! The evilspirits of the water have witched him! He is burning within with fire.Quick! quick!"
Instantly the camp was in an uproar, and men came rushing from alldirections, bearing arms and torches that they had snatched from thestill burning camp-fires. And before the Englishmen were well aware ofthe sudden change of affairs, a score of hands had seized them, and manystrands of thongs bound them helpless, hand and foot.
[2] Heaven.
The Fiery Totem Page 9