"When the moon rises," he said, "I shall go. I shall never see the Red Man's Paradise again. Tell me when the moon rises. I am going to sleep now."
The great moon rose at last, its disk hanging like a wheel of dead gold on the verge of the horizon in the smoky air.
"Waubeno," said Jasper, "the moon is rising."
He opened his eyes, and said:
"We kindled the fire for our fathers' sake, and I smote it for him who protected Main-Pogue. What was his name, father? Say it to me."
"Lincoln."
"Yes, Lincoln. He had come for revenge, but he did what was right. He forgave. I forgive everybody. I drank the fire for Lincoln's sake."
The moon burned along the sky; the stars came out; and at midnight all was still. Waubeno lay dead under the trees, and the people with timid steps vanished hither and thither into the cabins and sheds.
They killed the poor blind horse in the morning, and laid Waubeno to rest in a blanket, in a grave under the trees.
