When they reached the lodge at the foot of the cliff, Dove-eye requested the chief to remain there a few minutes, until she could go in and ascertain whether the Big Medicine was strong enough to receive them; in other words, until she could make sure that Silverspur was prepared to play his part in the performance.
All was ready, and she led the procession into the hut that formed the entrance to the cavern. The rear apartment was not lighted, and the Indians could see nothing until their eyes became accustomed to the darkness. Then they perceived a man, seated on a bench in the cavern, with his face toward them. This man had the death-like complexion of the old medicine-man, as well as his long gray hair and flowing white beard, and was wrapped in the deerskin robe, covered with strange devices, which their prophet had always worn. If there was any thing lacking in the resemblance, their excited imaginations easily supplied the lack.
They recognized him immediately, and were about to step forward and greet him, when he motioned them back by a wave of his hand, and Dove-eye interposed herself at the entrance of the cavern.
“I am very weak, my children,” he said, in feeble and broken tones that could not fail to convince his auditors that he spoke truly. “I have long been absent from my people, and during all that time I have not tasted earthly food. In the happy hunting-grounds I was young and strong; but since I have returned, I am older and more feeble than ever. I must eat a great deal of earthly food before I will be strong enough to stand without assistance. I will send Jose to the village, therefore, and you must give him a great load of dried meat and pemmican and meal of the maize, that I may eat and be refreshed.”
“It shall be done,” replied Black Horse. “Is the Big Medicine satisfied with his children?”
“I would be very well satisfied, if your conduct lately had not given me great pain. You almost refused to believe the message that I sent to you by my child, and you believed the words of a lying trader, when he accused her of having deceived you in my name. Had Dove-eye ever lied to you?”
“Dove-eye had never lied to us. We are sorry that we listened to the talk of the trader, and he shall be burned.”
“Let him not be killed. He is a fool, and he has hurt himself more than he has injured Dove-eye. Those who are under the protection of the Great Spirit can not be harmed by any man. The people are owing the Snake for powder and lead and blankets and other articles. Let them release him; but let them give him to understand that they will not pay him any thing, that he has canceled the debt by his lying reports.”
A general grunt of assent followed this sage advice, which so easily reconciled the Arapahoes desire of repudiation with their loose ideas of honor.
“Our father gives good advice,” said the chief, “and it will surely be heeded. But he seems to have nearly forgotten the language of his people. It is hard to understand all that he says.”