e arts precede the preaching of the gospel, after
which, Christianity inculcate if practicable."[417]

The men who were to be Taliaferro's first helpers were living in the
little village of Washington, Connecticut--two brothers, one
twenty-three years old and the other twenty-one. Here a great revival
occurred and among those whose lives were changed were Samuel Pond and
Gideon Pond. The next year the older of the two went to the West and
drifted into the frontier town of Galena. Hearing from a traveller from
Red River of the Sioux about Fort Snelling he decided to dedicate his
life to uplifting them. Upon broaching the subject to his brother the
latter agreed, and on May 1, 1834, they left Galena on the "Warrior". No
missionary society was supporting them; they had only a little money;
they did not know a word of the "Dakota" tongue; they were uneducated
for missionary work. Living the roving life of the Indians as members of
the tribe, they hoped to be able to gradually influence their lives and
religion.[418]

On May 6, 1834, the "Warrior" reached Fort Snelling. At the agency
house, Mr. Grooms, who was the acting agent in the absence of Major
Taliaferro, rented them a room. Major Bliss, then in command at the
fort, immediately summoned them to appear before him and explain their
presence in the Indian country without permission.[419] When he heard of
their plans, they fitted immediately into a problem that had been
puzzling him. Big Thunder, chief of the Kaposia village, wanted to raise
more corn. But by using the customary Indian method of hoeing up the
ground before planting, it was impossible to get much land under
cultivation. At Fort Snelling were oxen and a plow, but there was no one
to do the plowing or teach the art to the Indians. Accordingly Samuel
Pond volunteered to take charge of the proposition.

The plow was taken down the river in a canoe, while the oxen were driven
by land. But the warriors were reluctant about touching the plow until
Big Thunder, chief of the band, had seized the handles himself. For a
week Samuel Pond continued the work. But the dogs had stolen the
provisions he had taken from the fort, and so he was obliged not only to
sleep in the Indian tepee, but also to live upon the ordinary Indian
fare.[420]

This task of plowing had just been performed when Major Taliaferro
returned from the East. The success of the work done by Big Thunder led
him to ask the Ponds to take charge of th