the excitement of these night visions wore
off, he felt more than ever crushed down with a sense of his own
littleness, while darker seemed his spiritual vision than ever before
these auroral glories had blazed and flashed around him.

Disgusted and disappointed, he packed up his few things and returned to
his village more miserable and depressed in spirit than ever.

He had had many evidences of a Creator, but had met with nothing that
told him of a Saviour. The idea of being able to "look up through
nature unto nature's God," is an utter impossibility unless the one
looking has some knowledge of God in Christ Jesus. With this knowledge
in his possession he can answer as did the devout philosopher when asked
the question, "What are the latest discoveries in nature?" replied, "God
everywhere."

With God revealed in Christ Jesus there is something real in which to
trust. Her mysteries that long perplexed are cleared up, and darkness
that long continued is dissipated, and the trusting one realises that no
longer is he slowly and feebly feeling his way along on the "sinking
sands" of uncertainties, but is securely built on the "Rock of ages."

CHAPTER NINE.

PHYSICAL TORTURE.

Oowikapun shortly after his return to the village found his way to the
tent of Mookoomis, and candidly told him of his complete failure to find
anything of comfort or peace of mind in communion with nature. He said
he had faithfully carried out his directions, but that everything he
hoped would have in it help or satisfaction seemed to have had just the
reverse. Mookoomis listened intently to all he had to say, and then,
perhaps for the first time in his life, freely admitted his own
dissatisfaction and uncertainty of belief in their Indian way; but he
was an obstinate, wicked old man, and determined, if possible, to keep
Oowikapun walking, as he again said, "as our forefathers walked." So he
urged him to make the great trial of fasting and personal torture, and
see if in the delirium of physical agonies the voice of comfort for
which he was longing would, not come to him.

For a long time Oowikapun hesitated to undertake this terrible ordeal,
called by the Western Indians the _hock-e-a-yum_, a ceremony so severe
and dreadful that many an Indian has never recovered from its agonies.
Great indeed must be the wretched disquietude that will cause human
beings, who are made to shrink from pain, endure what thousands
voluntarily submit