“Nay, nay, Bear’s Meat, think not so unkindly of us of the white race!  In crossing the great salt lake, and in coming to this quarter of the world, our fathers were led by the finger of God.  We do but obey the will of the Great Spirit, in pressing forward into this wilderness, directed by his wisdom how to spread the knowledge of his name among those who, as yet, have never heard it; or, having heard, have not regarded it.  In all this, the wisest men are but babes; not being able to say whither they are to go, or what is to be done.”

“This is strange,” returned the unmoved Indian.  “It is not so with the red men.  Our squaws and pappooses do know the hunting-ground of one tribe from the hunting-ground of another.  When they put their feet on strange hunting-grounds, it is because they intended to go there, and to steal game.  This is sometimes right.  If it is right to take the scalp of an enemy, it is right to get his deer and his buffalo, too.  But we never do this without knowing it.  If we did, we should be unfit to go at large, unfit to sit in council.  This is the first time I have heard that the pale-faces are so weak, and they have such feeble minds, too, that they do not know where they go.”

“My brother does not understand me.  No man can see into the future—­ no man can say what will happen to-morrow.  The Great Spirit only can tell.  It is for him, then, to guide his children in their wanderings.  When our fathers first came out of their canoes upon the land, on this side of the great salt lake, not one among them knew anything of this country between the great lakes of sweet water.  They did not know that red men lived here.  The Great Spirit did know, and intended then, that I should this night stand up in this council, and speak of his power and of his name, and do him reverence.  It was the Great Spirit that put it into my mind to come among the Indians; and it is the Great Spirit who has led me, step by step, as warriors move toward the graves of their fathers, to make the discovery, that the Indians are, in truth, the children of Israel, a part of his own chosen and once much-favored people.  Let me ask my friends one or two questions.  Do not your traditions say that your fathers once came from a far-off land?”

Bear’s Meat now took his seat, not choosing to answer a question of this nature, in the presence of a chief so much respected as Peter.  He preferred to let the last take up the dialogue where he now saw fit to abandon it.  As the other very well understood the reason of this sudden movement, he quietly assumed the office of spokesman; the whole affair proceeding much as if there had been no change.

“Our traditions do tell us that our fathers came from a far-off land,” answered Peter, without rising.

“I thought so!—­I thought so!” exclaimed the simple-minded and confiding missionary.  “How wonderful are the ways of God!  Yes, my brother, Judea is a far-off land, and your traditions say that your fathers came from such a distance!  This, then, is something proved.  Do not your traditions say, that once your tribes were more in favor with the Great Spirit than they are now?”