ce, not loud, but with an inflection of intense
enjoyment.

"You Onondagas are a bit proud, Tayoga," he said.

"Not without cause, Great Bear."

"Oh, I admit it! I admit it! I suppose we're all proud of our race--it's
one of nature's happy ways of keeping us satisfied--and I'm free to
say, Tayoga, that I've no quarrel at having been born white, because I'm
so used to being white that I'd hardly know how to be anything else. But
if I wasn't white--a thing that I had nothing to do with--and your
Manitou who is my God was to say to me, 'Choose what else you'll be,'
I'd say, and I'd say it with all the respect and reverence I could bring
into the words, 'O Lord, All Wise and All Powerful, make me a strong
young warrior of the clan of the Bear, of the nation Onondaga, of the
League of the Hodenosaunee, hunting for my clan and fighting to protect
its women and children, and keeping my word with everybody and trying to
be just to the red races and tribes that are not as good as mine, and
even to be the same to the poor white men around the towns that get
drunk, and steal, and rob one another,' and maybe your Manitou who is my
God would give to me my wish."

"The Great Bear has a silver tongue, and the words drop from his lips
like honey," said Tayoga. But Robert knew that the young Onondaga was
intensely gratified and he knew, too, that Willet meant every word he
said.

"You'd better make yourself comfortable on the blanket, as we're doing,
Tayoga," the youth said.

But the Onondaga did not intend to rest just yet. The wildness of the
place and the spirit of the storm stirred him. He stood upon the shelf
and the others dimly saw his tall and erect young figure. Slowly he
began to chant in his own tongue, and his song ran thus in English:

"The lightning cleaves the sky,
The Brave Soul fears not;
The thunder rolls and threatens,
Manitou alone speeds the bolt;
The waters are deep and swift,
They carry the just man unhurt."

"O Spirit of Good, hear me,
Watch now over our path,
Lead us in the way of the right,
And, our great labors finished,
Bring us back, safe and well,
To the happy vale of Onondaga."

"A good hymn, Tayoga, for such I take it to be," said Willet. "I haven't
heard my people sing any better. And now, since you've done more'n your
share of the work you'd better take Robert's advice and lie down on your
blanket."

Tayoga obeyed, and the three in silence listened to the rushing of the
stor