Here there was a pause in the conversation for some minutes; at last the young Indian said, “A little bird sang in my ear, and it said, ‘The white man’s child is not dead; it wandered about in the woods and was lost, and the Indian found him, and took him to his wigwam in the Far West.’”
“Did not the little bird lie to the Young Otter?” replied Malachi.
“No; the little bird sung what was true,” replied the Indian. “The white boy is alive and in the lodge of the Indian.”
“There are many white men in the country who have children,” replied Malachi; “and children are often lost. The little bird may have sung of the child of some other white man.”
“The white boy had a rifle in his hand, and snow-shoes on his feet.”
“So have all they who go out to hunt in the winter’s snow,” replied Malachi.
“But the white boy was found near to the white man’s lodge.”
“Then why was not the boy taken back to the white man by the Indians who found him?”
“They were going to their own wigwams and could not turn aside; besides, they feared to come near to the white man’s lodge after the sun was down; as my father says he has many young men and many rifles.”
“But the white man does not raise his rifle against the Injun, whether he comes by day or by night,” replied Malachi. “At night he kills the prowling wolf when he comes near to the lodge.”