"Yes, Shrahegan will take his pale-face brother to the gold," was the brief reply. "But come, rest now. It is late."
That night as Keith lay wrapped up in a large wolf-skin robe, he thought much of the stirring scenes which had happened during the day. He saw most plainly the guidance of the Father's hand, and His great over-ruling power. "Because the Saviour bore His cross," he said to himself, "endured agony and shame, a great light has sprung up throughout the world. So God grant, that from my cross a light may come forth to lighten this tribe, sunk so long in the weary darkness of superstition and sin."
CHAPTER XXVI
GUARDED
While the old chief, and the Indians about him, were quietly listening to the missionary's message, and drinking in every word, there was one person present who was consumed with a bitter hatred. This was the Medicine Man, who, sitting on the ground, never once took his eyes off the face of the speaker.
Crafty, base, and devoid of any spark of humanity, he was the terror of the whole band. Believing himself to be in league with the unseen powers around him, he exercised over the ignorant and superstitious people all the influence of his fearful craft. An octopus in human guise, he reached out, gripped his victim, and held him in his merciless grasp. His pretensions at curing the sick by wild juggling; his sleight-of-hand work; foretelling of future events, and conjuring in order to drive away evil spirits, were all parts of his method of work.
His greed was beyond description, and he acted according to the price paid. In times of sickness, women would take their beads to the "doctor's" tent, silently throw them at his feet, and then return. If the amount satisfied the conjuror, he would go to the sick man's side, when incantations took place. If the sick person recovered he would acknowledge all the praise; but, if otherwise, he declared that some rival opposed him, who had been better paid. His jealousy was a constantly burning fire, and woe sooner or later fell upon the man, woman, or child unfortunate enough to incur his anger. So when he beheld a rival in the stranger, the pale-face who boldly told of changes which had taken place at Klassan, where he knew the Medicine Men had been put to confusion, he determined to bestir himself.
For two or three days he watched the effect the new teaching had upon the Quelchies. He listened to the earnest discussions in the various camps, as every detail was carefully considered. He was a silent observer of all that took place, and insinuated himself into any company where he was likely to further his designs. What he learned was sufficient to cause him much unrest, and he realized that some sudden and startling coup was necessary to remove his rival, and to re-establish his own influence.
He hated the old chief for allowing the missionary the freedom of the camp, and he hated the people for listening so readily to the words of a stranger.