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is reason to believe, on the other hand, that none of them
contradict it. Nevertheless, here was a medicine-priest of the pale-
faces boldly proclaiming the fact, and great was the wonder of all
who heard, thereat! Having spoken, the missionary again paused, that
his words might produce their effect. Bear's Meat now became his
interrogator, rising respectfully, and standing during the colloquy
that succeeded.
"My brother has spoken a great tradition," said the Menominee. "Did
he first hear it from his fathers?"
"In part, only. The history of the lost tribes has come down to us
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from our fathers; it is written in the good book of the pale-faces;
the book that contains the word of the Great Spirit."
"Does the good book of the pale-faces say that the red men are the
children of the people he has mentioned?"
"I cannot say that it does. While the good book tells us so much, it
also leaves very much untold. It is best that we should look for
ourselves, that we may find out some of its meanings. It is in thus
looking, that many Christians see the great truth which makes the
Indians of America and the Jews beyond the great salt lake, one and
the same people."
"If this be so, let my brother tell us how far it is from our
hunting-grounds to that distant land across the great salt lake."
"I cannot give you this distance in miles exactly; but I suppose it
may be eleven or twelve times the length of Michigan."
"Will my brother tell us how much of this long path is water, and
how much of it is dry land?"
"Perhaps one-fourth is land, as the traveller may choose; the rest
must be water, if the journey be made from the rising toward the
setting sun, which is the shortest path; but, let the journey be
made from the setting toward the rising sun, and there is little
water to cross; rivers and lakes of no great width, as is seen here,
but only a small breadth of salt lake."
"Are there, then, two roads to that far-off land, where the red men
are thought to have once lived?
"Even so. The traveller may come to this spot from that land by way
of the rising sun, or by way of the setting sun."
The general movement among the members of the council denoted the
surprise with which this account was received. As the Indians, until
they have had much intercourse with the whites, very generally
believe the earth to be flat, it was not easy for them to comprehend
how a given point could be reached by directly opposite routes. Such
an apparent contradiction would be very likely to extort further
questions.
"My brother is a medicine-man of the pale-faces; his hairs are
gray," observed Crowsfeather. "Some of your medicine-men are good,
and some wicked. It is so with the medicine-men of the red-skins.
Good and bad are to be found in all nations. A medicine-man of your
people cheated my young men by promising to show them where fire-
water grows. He did not show them. He let them smell, but he did not
let them drink. That was a wicked medicine-man. His scalp would not
be safe did my young men see it again"--here the bee-hunter,
insensibly to himself, felt for his rifle, making sure that he had
it between his legs; the corporal being a little surprised at the
sudden start he gave. "His hair does not grow on his head closer
than the trees grow to the ground. Even a tree can be cut down. But
all medicine-men are not alike. My brother is a GOOD medicine-man.
All he says may not be just as he thinks, but he BELIEVES what he
says. It is wonderful how men can look two ways; but it is more
wonderful that they should go to the same place by paths that lead
before and behind. This we do not understand; my brother will tell
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us how it can be."
"I believe I understand what it is that my children would know. They
think the earth is flat, but the pale-faces know that it is round.
He who travels and travels toward the setting sun would come to this
very spot, if he travelled long enough. The distance would be great,
but the end of every straight path in this world is the place of
starting."
"My brother says this. He says many curious things. I have heard a
medicine-man of his people say that the palefaces have seen their
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