what way will he
continue, and,"--here his voice deepened to a whisper--"_how will he
end_?"

The ideas suggested by his question were so appalling that for some
minutes the orator appeared unable to find words to go on, and his
audience glared at him in dread anticipation, as though they expected
him to explode like a bomb-shell, but were prepared to sit it out and
take the consequences. And he did explode, after a fashion, for he
suddenly raised his voice to a shout that startled even the sentinel on
the distant knoll, and said--

"I counsel war to the knife! The great white chief--the owl-eyed
fool!--will not blot from our agreement the names of the Saulteaux
chiefs--chiefs! there are no Saulteaux chiefs. All their braves are
cowards, on the same dead level of stupidity, and their women are--are
nothing, fit for nothing, can do nothing, and must soon come to nothing!
What then? The duty of Cree warriors lies before us. We will drive
the Saulteaux into Lake Winnipeg and the Palefaces off the face of the
earth altogether! Waugh!"

Having thus given vent to the opinions and feelings that consumed him,
Rednose sat down, his audience breathed freely, the distant sentinel
recovered his composure, and the young novitiate brave with the cold in
his head sneezed with impunity.

It would be tedious to recount all that was said at that council of war.
The next brave that rose to "address the house" very much resembled the
first speaker, both in sentiment and personal appearance, except that he
had chosen sky-blue for his nose instead of red. The only additional
matter that he contributed worth noting was the advice that they should
begin their bloody work by an immediate attack, in the dead of night, on
the camp of the buffalo runners.

This advice was hailed with a good many "Waughs," as well as approving
nods and looks, and it seemed as if the plan were about to be carried
into action without delay, when, as we have seen, Okematan arose to
address the assemblage.

Okematan was a great chief--much greater in the estimation of his tribe
than the whites with whom he had been associating in Red River were
aware of. He had purposely reserved his address till near the
conclusion.

"The Cree warriors," he said, with an air of quiet dignity that was far
more effective than the more energetic tones and gestures of the
previous speakers, "know very well that the Cree nation considers itself
the wisest in creation. F