Eagerly he said, "We may be able to escape the long knives by going north. Most of the long knives who are pursuing us were called out by the Great Father of the Illinois country. Once we are out of Illinois, maybe they will not follow."
Wolf Paw grunted, clearly insulted at the thought of their not being pursued.
The Prophet bestirred himself. "Many of my Winnebago brothers dwell in that country to the north. They will join us in fighting the long knives."
Like your people from Prophet's Town, who've been deserting us? White Bear thought.
A warrior set a long knives' saddlebag before Black Hawk, who opened it. The war chief pulled out an expensive-looking black wool suit and some white silk shirts with ruffles. Finally he took out two books bound in red and white leather. White Bear leaned over for a closer look.
"Bundles of the pale eyes' talking paper," said Black Hawk.
Wolf Paw said, "They are worthless, Father. Keep the clothing and put the talking paper on the fire."
But Black Hawk handed one of the books to White Bear. "What do the talking papers say to you, White Bear?"
White Bear picked up a book and read on the spine, Chitty's Pleadings, Vol. I. He opened and saw close-packed type, his eyes skimming over many legal terms in Latin. White Bear wondered whether the lawyer who owned these books was still alive. At the sight of books his heart gave an unexpected lurch. He felt a longing to be not in a plundered enemy camp on the prairie, but in a library, with books, pen and paper. The feeling took him by surprise. It had been many months since he had missed the pale eyes' world. A few pages of Paradise Lost now and then had satisfied any hankering for what they called "civilization."
"These papers tell about the pale eyes' laws," he said. "It is sometimes said that they have no magic. But there is powerful magic in their books and in their laws. It is the magic that binds them together."