knowledge, of what was beyond.

They had been making their preparations for a long time, she said. A
friendly family would keep the aunt in her absence and look after her
little wigwam. They had been making beadwork and some other things to
sell at Norway House, so that they would not be dependent upon the
friends there while they pleaded for a missionary.

Thus talked this noble girl, and, as she went on and described the
blessing that would come to her people if she should succeed, she became
so fired with this noble resolve which had taken such complete
possession of her that poor Oowikapun, while more and more in love with
her, felt himself, while under the witchery of her impassioned words,
verily guilty in having dared to make a proposal of marriage which would
in any way thwart a purpose so noble, and which might be followed by
such blessed results.

And yet, when alone and in cool blood, Oowikapun pondered over the
nature of the task she had decided to undertake, and thought of the
perils and difficulties in the way to which she and her companions would
be exposed, he resolved to try to persuade her to abandon the perilous
undertaking.

Patiently she listened to all he had to say, but she would not be
persuaded to abandon this, on which her heart was so set. Seeing this,
he tried to arrange some compromise or some other plan. First he asked
her to marry him, and let him go along in place of the young Indian
maiden, companion of Astumastao. This plan, which seemed so agreeable
to Oowikapun, she quickly dismissed, saying that she did not intend to
be married until she could be married in the beautiful Christian way she
remembered having seen when a child, and by a Christian missionary.

Failing in this scheme, Oowikapun suggested that he should select some
strong young fellow, and that together they should set off as soon as
the ice disappeared from the rivers, and present her request.

To this Astumastao replied, and there was a little tinge of banter, if
not of sarcasm, as well as a good deal of seriousness in her voice: "And
suppose, in one of the Indian villages through which you might pass, a
sun or ghost dance, or even the ceremony of the devil worship or dog
feast might be going on, who knows but you might be persuaded to jump
into the magic circle and dance yourself senseless? Or if you did not
succeed, might you not in your discouragement go off again to the
tortures and miseries of _hock-e-a-