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Eastman, Charles A., 1858-1939

"Old Indian Days"


He asked by signs if She-who-has-a-Soul be-
lieved the story. To this she replied:
"It is a sweet story--a likely legend! I do
believe!"
Then the good father took out a small cross,
and having pressed it to his heart and crossed
his forehead and breast, he gave it to her.
Finally he dipped his finger in water and touched
the forehead of the maiden, repeating mean-
while some words in an unknown tongue.
The mother was troubled, for she feared that
the stranger was trying to bewitch her daugh-
ter, but the chief decided thus:
"This is a praying-man, and he is not of
our people; his customs are different, but they
are not evil. Warriors, take him back to the
spot where you saw him first! It is my desire,
and the good custom of our tribe requires that
you free him without injury!"
Accordingly they formed a large party, and
carried the Black Robe in his canoe back to
the shore of the Great Lake, to the place where
they had met him, and he was allowed to depart
thence whithersoever he would.


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