"In my country we become friends when we take each other's hands, and I am glad to see that you have wisdom to accept us as your friends."
At a signal from Muro, the warriors advanced from all sides, and together they marched into the village, the different ones telling the Tuolos the wonderful things the White Chief was doing, and how they were bringing all the tribes together, and making them stop war.
The first act of the Tuolo chief was to liberate the two Brabo warriors. When the wagon was driven into the village, the people gathered around the curious contrivance. Some of them remem[p. 105]bered it when it was there nearly a year before, but under quite different circumstances.
The boys, Ralph and Tom, soon attracted the attention of the chief. He went up to them, and simulating the act of John, held out his hand. The boys understood it, and respectfully responded and saluted the chief, in regular military fashion.
Then, climax to the foregoing events, Blakely gave a word of command to the fifty who were armed with the guns, and for the benefit of their new allies, put them through a manual of arms. The precision with which this was done, and the remarkable manner in which the subsequent evolutions were performed, astonished the Tuolos.
While this was going on there was little time to notice the condition of the Krishnos. They had been bound; and were now lying in disgrace at the place where the circle had been formed, trembling at their fate.
Before preparations had been made for breakfast, the chief gave a command, and a number of warriors rushed up to the poor fellows, and began to drag them to the large hut.
Muro motioned to John, and quietly said: "They will probably torture them."
John appeared before the chief and said: "The Great Spirit will be offended if you injure the Krishnos."
"What would you have me do with them?"