Levine had just finished his speech when Billy and Lydia got within hearing, and he introduced State Senator James Farwell as the chief speaker of the day. Farwell had considerable history to cover in his speech. He began with the Magna Charta and worked by elaborate stages through the French Revolution, the conquest of India, the death of Warren Hastings, the French and Indian War, the American Revolution and the Civil War to Lincoln's Gettysburg speech.
His audience, standing in the burning sun, was restless. The Indians, understanding little that was said, were motionless, but the whites drifted about, talked in undertones and applauded only when as a fitting peak to all the efforts of the ages toward freedom, Farwell placed the present freeing of the Indians from the reservation.
"The great fool!" said Billy to Lydia, as Farwell finally began to bow himself off the platform.
Levine rose and began, "Ladies and gentlemen, this ends our program.
We thank—"
He was interrupted here by applause from the Indians. Looking round he saw Charlie Jackson leading forward old Chief Wolf.
"Chief Wolf wants to say a few words," cried Charlie.
"The program is closed," called Levine loudly.
There was a threat in Charlie's voice. "He is going to speak!" And there was a threat in the Indian voices that answered from the audience, "Let speak! Let speak."
Levine conferred hastily with Farwell and the Indian Agent, then the three with manifest reluctance—stood back and Charlie led the old Indian to the foot of the platform.
Old Wolf was half blind with trachoma. He was emaciated with sickness and slow starvation. Nevertheless, clad in the beaded buckskin and eagle feathers of his youth, with his hawk face held high, he was a heroic figure of a man.