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Updated: June 28, 2025
Again there were many "Waughie" responses, mingled with numerous "Ho's!" of astonishment, and a few other sounds that seemed to indicate disbelief in Okematan's veracity.
Okematan's voice increased in fervour, and he put the finishing question with an intensity that called forth a chorus of "Waughs!" and "Ho's!" with a glittering of eyes, and a significant grasping of scalping-knives and tomahawks that rendered further reply needless. "Would you not scorn us," he continued, "scalp us, tear out our eyes, roast us alive? but no the Cree Nation loves not cruelty.
The weather seemed to be in a lively mood that night, for as the thunder had promptly answered to Okematan's observation, so now the wind replied to Archie's remark, by rushing up the natural avenue which extended from the hut to the lake and almost bursting in the door. "See to the ropes, boys," said old Dobelle, glancing uneasily at the roof.
He found that chief sitting in La Certe's wigwam, involved in the mists of meditation and tobacco-smoke, gazing at Slowfoot. That worthy woman who, with her lord and little child, was wont to forsake her hut in spring, and go into the summer-quarters of a wigwam was seated on the opposite side of a small fire, enduring Okematan's meditative gaze, either unconsciously or with supreme indifference.
"Okematan's counsel is," answered the chief, "to take a brave who is young and strong and active; whose eye is quick and his hand steady; whose heart never comes into his throat when danger faces him; whose face does not grow pale at the sight of approaching death; whose heart is as the heart of the grisly bear for courage, and yet tender as the heart of a Paleface squaw; whose hand can accomplish whatever his head plans, and whose tongue is able to make a sick man smile."
As they passed, the steersman in the strange canoe uttered something in a low tone. Evidently he mistook them for his friends. "Sh!" was Okematan's prompt reply or the Indian equivalent for that caution. They glided silently and slowly past, but the suspicion of the strange Indian had obviously been aroused, for the paddles of his canoe were heard to gurgle powerfully.
"It didn't much matter in the clumsy wooden things at Red River," said Archie, "but this egg-shell of Okematan's is very different. Ho! there's one at last," he continued with animation as they rounded a point of land, and opened up a small bay, on the margin of which there were plenty of pebbles, and some large water-worn stones.
Okematan's heart is with him to turn back and fight, but wisdom says, go to the Settlement, get men, and return as fast as you can." "Then the sooner we set about it the better, for when wan's mind is made up, talk iss only lost time." With that he shoved the canoe off into the stream, and paddling was resumed with redoubled vigour.
We can only give the sense as he would probably have given it in his own tongue. "Okematan's friends can always find him," answered the Indian with a grave but pleased look. "So it seems. But I say, Oke, I want to ask a favour of you. Dan Davidson tells me you want me to go a-hunting with you. Well, I'm your man if you'll let me take Little Bill with me. Will you?"
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