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Updated: May 25, 2025
He pretended that he thought the Medicine Man had come to trade. But he knew differently, and waited for the visitor to "show his hand." Whatever bargain was to be proposed, he knew that his share would not be increased by any show of eagerness to possess the robe that even chiefs had coveted in vain. Thunder-maker darted a keen glance at the other man as he said mockingly
But it was the instinct of both to draw out the visitor's confidence. It was possibly their only hope of learning the truth of their position, thereby enabling them to make plans for their future actions. "The redman love the pale-face and would be friend to him," Thunder-maker went on. "So he come to tell his brothers what they did not know.
Of course Thunder-maker had only the evidence of his ears to inform him, for the tent was in darkness, the convenience of lamps not being a usage of the redskins, who either retire to sleep at nightfall, or rely upon camp-fires for illumination. But the Medicine Man could hear his companions give slight gasps of horror when the climax was reached.
"What is this, brothers?" he exclaimed. "Is this how the Dacotahs treat the stranger in their tents?" "They are witches, not men!" came from many throats, and Thunder-maker added "They call me from teepee call me without words, and fill Thunder-maker with hot fire!" "Bah!" ejaculated Swift Arrow with utter contempt, as he turned to the last speaker. "Is not Thunder-maker great medicine himself?
"Thunder-maker shall speak words as straight as the path of a burning arrow. "Many years ago when the buffalo lived upon the prairie to feed the redman and provide his robes the great tribe of Dacotahs would hunt in the valley that is known even to-day as the Peace Camp. Many deer would feed there, and the buffalo would eat the blue grass, and Manito had filled the camp with fruit and flowers.
So much for the art of the snake-charmer and the craft of an evil man. No. Thunder-maker did not move while the strangers were watching him. To all outward appearance he was asleep. Holden stepped forward and shook the Medicine Man roughly by the shoulder. "Come along! Open your eyes, you old scoundrel. You are no more sleeping than we are," he said.
The other side was whole, but the entire expression was so horrible that even familiarity did little to prevent repulsion in the senses of the beholder. "Thunder-maker is welcome to the tent of Red Fox," the Indian remarked, returning again to the completion of his wardrobe.
The Indian paused for a moment before he replied, after which he remarked quietly, and with a peculiar inflection of tone that added deep meaning to his words, while at the same time it betrayed the fact that there was some curious reason to account for this confidence "Dacotahs fools. They think white brothers spirits evil spirits. They have not the eyes of Thunder-maker."
The fiery totem called, and was answered.... By another sun Mighty Hand will lead the white spirits of the water to the camp that is called Peaceful!" It needed no great knowledge of Indian character and Indian ways to make clear to the Englishmen all that was implied in this story that Thunder-maker had recited.
"Ha!" interrupted Thunder-maker, hissing the exclamation through his teeth, for even now he felt his victims slipping through his hands. "Do not listen, brothers! They are evil spirits they speak magic words against which nothing prevails. They have forked tongues that dart as fire. Ugh! I spit upon them dogs!"
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