The old chief slowly advanced toward the Christian Indians.  He laid aside his knife and tomahawk, and then his eagle plumes and war-bonnet.  Bareheaded, he seated himself among the converted redmen.  They began chanting in low, murmuring tones.

Amid the breathless silence that followed this act of such great significance, Wingenund advanced toward the knoll with slow, stately step.  His dark eye swept the glade with lightning scorn; his glance alone revealed the passion that swayed him.

“Wingenund’s ears are keen; they have heard a feather fall in the storm; now they hear a soft-voiced thrush.  Wingenund thunders to his people, to his friends, to the chiefs of other tribes:  ’Do not bury the hatchet!’ The young White Father’s tongue runs smooth like the gliding brook; it sings as the thrush calls its mate.  Listen; but wait, wait!  Let time prove his beautiful tale; let the moons go by over the Village of Peace.

“Wingenund does not flaunt his wisdom.  He has grown old among his warriors; he loves them; he fears for them.  The dream of the palefaces’ beautiful forest glimmers as the rainbow glows over the laughing falls of the river.  The dream of the paleface is too beautiful to come true.  In the days of long ago, when Wingenund’s forefathers heard not the paleface’s ax, they lived in love and happiness such as the young White Father dreams may come again.  They waged no wars.  A white dove sat in every wigwam.  The lands were theirs and they were rich.  The paleface came with his leaden death, his burning firewater, his ringing ax, and the glory of the redmen faded forever.

“Wingenund seeks not to inflame his braves to anger.  He is sick of blood-spilling—­not from fear; for Wingenund cannot feel fear.  But he asks his people to wait.  Remember, the gifts of the paleface ever contained a poisoned arrow.  Wingenund’s heart is sore.  The day of the redman is gone.  His sun is setting.  Wingenund feels already the gray shades of evening.”

He stopped one long moment as if to gather breath for his final charge to his listeners.  Then with a magnificent gesture he thundered: 

“Is the Delaware a fool?  When Wingenund can cross unarmed to the Big Water he shall change his mind.  When Deathwind ceases to blow his bloody trail over the fallen leaves Wingenund will believe.”

Chapter XIII.

As the summer waned, each succeeding day, with its melancholy calm, its changing lights and shades, its cool, damp evening winds, growing more and more suggestive of autumn, the little colony of white people in the Village of Peace led busy, eventful lives.

Upwards of fifty Indians, several of them important chiefs, had become converted since the young missionary began preaching.  Heckewelder declared that this was a wonderful showing, and if it could be kept up would result in gaining a hold on the Indian tribes which might not be shaken.  Heckewelder had succeeded in interesting the savages west of the Village of Peace to the extent of permitting him to establish missionary posts in two other localities—­one near Goshhocking, a Delaware town; and one on the Muskingong, the principal river running through central Ohio.  He had, with his helpers, Young and Edwards, journeyed from time to time to these points, preaching, making gifts, and soliciting help from chiefs.