"When will the Shawanoe be with the Blackfeet, who wait to welcome him?"
"We hope not many suns will set before he comes; but he has had a long way to journey, and may have to slay other warriors that are not willing to let Deerfoot have his steed."
"The Shawanoe may fall and never see his paleface brothers again."
"We have no fear of that," airily replied George. The next question of Taggarak was as startling as unexpected:
"Does the Shawanoe teach the religion of the red men or that of the palefaces?"
The brothers looked significantly at each other as Mul-tal-la translated these words, but Victor scarcely hesitated in his reply.
"Deerfoot teaches the religion that he believes is true. It is of a Great Spirit, who wishes his children to live in friendship with one another; not to make war; to show mercy to all; to be forgiving and do what they can to make other people happy. Such is the wish of the Great Spirit. Deerfoot lives according to that faith, and we believe in it, and try to do as he does."
The chief looked steadily in the face of the youth while he was speaking, though he did not understand a syllable until it was properly rendered by Mul-tal-la. Victor gazed as unflinchingly into the fierce countenance before him, while uttering the noble sentiments. His self-respect forbade any shrinking on his part when such a question was put to him. As the interpreter waited for him to finish, Victor added:
"Tell him exactly what I said."
"And that the answer is from both of us," added George.