eat more than half of his share; now that's
strange."

"It won't appear strange, Jacques, when I tell you that Redfeather has
lived much more among white men than Indians during the last ten years;
and although voyageurs eat an enormous quantity of food, they don't make
it a point of honour, as these fellows seem to do, to eat much more than
enough. Besides, Redfeather is a very different man from those around
him: he has been partially educated by the missionaries on Playgreen
Lake, and I think has a strong leaning towards them."

While they were thus conversing in whispers, Redfeather rose, and
holding forth his hand, delivered himself of the following oration:--

"The time has come for Redfeather to speak. He has kept silence for
many moons now, but his heart has been full of words. It is too full;
he must speak now. Redfeather has fought with his tribe, and has been
accounted a brave, and one who loves his people. This is true. He
_does_ love, even more than they can understand. His friends know that
he has never feared to face danger or death in their defence, and that,
if it were necessary, he would do so still. But Redfeather is going to
leave his people now. His heart is heavy at the thought. Perhaps many
moons will come and go, many snows may fall and melt away, before he
sees his people again; and it is this that makes him full of sorrow, it
is this that makes his head to droop like the branches of the weeping
willow."

Redfeather paused at this point, but not a sound escaped from the
listening circle: the Indians were evidently taken by surprise at this
abrupt announcement. He proceeded:--

"When Redfeather travelled not long since with the white men, he met
with a paleface who came from the other side of the Great Salt Lake
towards the rising sun. This man was called by some of the people a
missionary. He spoke wonderful words in the ears of Redfeather. He
told him of things about the Great Spirit which he did not know before,
and he asked Redfeather to go and help him to speak to the Indians about
these strange things. Redfeather would not go. He loved his people too
much, and he thought that the words of the missionary seemed
foolishness. But he has thought much about it since. He does not
understand the strange things that were told to him, and he has tried to
forget them, but he cannot. He can get no rest. He hears strange
sounds in the breeze that shakes the pine. He thinks th