lent, watchful presence there
behind him where he could not see his face, disturbed Alan, and he
twisted himself about to look at him.

"Would you mind, Judah," he inquired, "if I asked you to stand over
there instead of where you are?"

The Indian, without answering, moved around to the other side of the
table, where he stood facing Alan.

"You're a Chippewa, aren't you, Judah?" Alan asked.

"Yes."

"Your people live at the other end of the lake, don't they?"

"Yes, Alan."

"Have you ever heard of the Indian Drum they talk about up there, that
they say sounds when a ship goes down on the lake?"

The Indian's eyes sparkled excitedly. "Yes," he said.

"Do you believe in it?"

"Not just believe; I know. That is old Indian country up there,
Alan--L'arbre Croche--Cross Village--Middle Village. A big town of
Ottawas was there in old days; Pottawatomies too, and Chippewas.
Indians now are all Christians, Catholics, and Methodists who hold camp
meetings and speak beautifully. But some things of the old days are
left. The Drum is like that. Everybody knows that it sounds for those
who die on the lake."

"How do they know, Judah? How do you yourself know?"

"I have heard it. It sounded for my father."

"How was that?"

"Like this. My father sold some bullocks to a man on Beaver Island.
The man kept store on Beaver Island, Alan. No Indian liked him. He
would not hand anything to an Indian or wrap anything in paper for an
Indian. Say it was like this: An Indian comes in to buy salt pork.
First the man would get the money. Then, Alan, he would take his hook
and pull the pork up out of the barrel and throw it on the dirty floor
for the Indian to pick up. He said Indians must take their food off of
the floor--like dogs.

"My father had to take the bullocks to the man, across to Beaver
Island. He had a Mackinaw boat, very little, with a sail made brown by
boiling it with tan bark, so that it would not wear out. At first the
Indians did not know who the bullocks were for, so they helped him. He
tied the legs of the bullocks, the front legs and the back legs, then
all four legs together, and the Indians helped him put them in the
boat. When they found out the bullocks were for the man on Beaver
Island, the Indians would not help him any longer. He had to take them
across alone. Besides, it was bad weather, the beginning of a storm.

"He went away, and my mother went to pick berries--I was small t