A very devout man of God visited the agency, with, I doubt not, good intentions. He preached to these people just as he would have done to white men. He talked of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world;
besought them to flee from the wrath to come; that Jesus Christ was the Saviour of the red men as well as white men; that he had died for the sins of the world; that he rose again the third day and ascended into heaven.
The discourse was interpreted to the Indians by an employé on the Reservation. A few days after, a Si-wash, the usual word for Indian, who answered to the name of Push-wash, entered into conversation with the above-named employé, by saying, “What you think about that Sunday-man’s talk,—you think him fool?”—“No; he is a good man; he has plenty of sense.”—“What for he swear all time?”—“He did not swear; he talked straight.”
“What for he say Jesus Christ so many times? All the time he talk the same.”
“That was all right; he told the truth; he did not talk wrong.”
“You think me fool? What for a good man die for me? I am not a bad man. I did not tell him to die.”
“The Jews killed him, they did not like him.”
“You say Jews kill good man?”
“Yes, they kill him, and he come to life again on the third day.”
“You think he came to life? I don’t believe they kill him. He not live any more.”