After a while the onions bore a plentiful crop of seeds, and the Indians began to gather and thresh it.
They believed that threshing the onion seeds would produce the powder. But threshing failed to bring it. Then they discovered that they had been cheated.
Of course the dishonest trader avoided these Indians, and did not make them a second visit.
After some time, however, he sent his partner to them for the purpose of trading goods for furs and skins.
By chance they found out that this man was the partner of the one who had cheated them.
They said nothing to him about the matter; but when he had opened his goods and was ready to trade, they coolly helped themselves to all he had, and walked off.
The trader did not understand this. He became furiously angry, and went to make his complaint to the chief of the nation.
"I am an honest man," said he to the chief. "I came here to trade honestly. But your people are thieves; they have stolen all my goods."
The old chief looked at him some time in silence, and then said: "My children are all honest. They have not stolen your goods. They will pay you as soon as they gather their gunpowder harvest."
The man had heard of the trick played upon the Indians; but did not know before this, that his partner was the one who had cheated them. He could not say a word. He departed at once. Arriving at his home, he said to his partner: