“A spirit of my forefathers came and stood before my eyes, and it spoke to me. ‘Morning Star, Chief of the Chippewyans, war, death, hunger, fire, and cold are coming on you,’ the spirit said. ‘You will be overwhelmed, crushed, beaten, and thrown to the wolves unless there comes to aid you a big man. So that you and your brothers may know this man, I say to you that he has gray eyes, that he is tall, but short in many things, that he comes to you but to leave you, that he wants what he does not want, and that he fears no one but himself. When this man comes, tell him what I say, and tell him that the justice of the Manitou and the cause of the Indian demand that he stay for the hour that approaches!’”
Morning Star’s eyes were closed as he finished speaking, and his swaying ceased.
Jules’s face had paled under the deep brown as the chief told his dream, and now all eyes were on him. He leaned forward, his eyes glittering with awe and excitement, for he had never seen Morning Star and knew of him only by name.
“Étoile du Matin! call h’on le Manitou an h’ask de Marie an’ Le Grand,” he said, with powerful emotion in his voice.
The Indian’s eyes remained closed. “Who speaks?” he asked.
“Ah, Jules Verbaux!”
The lights of the fires were dim and cast fitful shadows; voices about them were hushed and a throbbing silence was over everything. Then the Indian rose to his feet, an inch at a time, yet without seeming motion; he stood upright, his left arm pointing to the heavens, where blinked the stars. He remained thus for several minutes, then he spoke again, his voice low and vibrating:
“Jules Verbaux, the great Manitou bids me say that the woman you seek is safe, that she waits for you, that she can wait in safety and in plenty, that the white man cares for her, that the man she came with is sick of a wound, but that it may be so that all will be well with him if the big man obeys the orders of Our Father, the great Manitou!”
The chief turned abruptly and left the fireside. Jules shivered to himself and groaned.
Antoine Clement spoke quietly. “Dat Étoile du Matin he have des rêves, mais dey comme h’alway’ trrue!”