“While you were weeping for me, my spirit was on its way to the great city where our fathers, who have taught us all the wonders of our sacred medicine, of Haokah the giant, and of the Thunder bird, are now living.  Twice has the sun ceased to shine since I left you, and in that short time I have seen many strange things.  First, I passed through a beautiful country; the forest-trees were larger than any you have ever seen.  Birds of all colors filled them, and their music was as loud as when our medicine men play for us to celebrate the scalp dance.  The broad river was full of fish, and the loon screamed as she swam across the lakes.  I had no difficulty in finding my way, for there was a road through this country.  It seemed as if there must have been many travellers there, though I saw no one.

“This great road was made by the spirits of those who were killed in battle.  No warrior, however brave he may have been, has ever assisted in making this road, except those who sang their death songs under the tomahawk of their enemies.  Neither did any woman ever assist.  She is not considered worthy to touch the war implements of a Dahcotah warrior, and she was not permitted to do anything towards completing the path in which the braves of the Dahcotahs would walk, when they joined their forefathers in the land of spirits.

“As I pursued my journey, I saw near the banks of the river a teepee; I entered it, and saw paint and all that a warrior needed to dress himself in order to be fit to enter the city of spirits.  I sat down and plaited my hair, I put vermilion on my cheeks, and arranged the war-eagle feathers in my head.  Here, I said to myself, did my father rest when he was on the same journey.  I was tired, but I could not wait—­I longed to see my friends who had travelled this path before me—­I longed to tell them that the Dahcotahs were true to the customs of their forefathers—­I longed to tell them that we had drunk deep of the blood of the Chippeways, that we had eaten the hearts of our enemies, that we had torn their infants from their mothers’ breasts, and dashed them to the earth.

“I continued my journey, looking eagerly around me to see some one, but all was desolate; and beautiful as everything was, I would have been glad to have seen the face of a friend.

“It was evening when a large city burst upon my sight.  The houses were built regularly on the shores of the river.  As far as I could see, the homes of the spirits of my forefathers were in view.

“But still I saw no one.  I descended the hill towards the river, which I must cross to reach the city of spirits.  I saw no canoe, but I feared nothing, I was so near my journey’s end.  The river was wide and deep, and the waves were swiftly following one another, when I plunged among them; soon I reached the opposite shore, and as I again stood on the land, I heard some one cry, ‘Here he comes! here he comes!’ I approached the nearest house and entered; everything looked awful and mysterious.