Page:Life Among the Piutes.djvu/131

 I said, “We will wait and see what he will do.”

Oytes said, “Let us go and tell our soldier-fathers about him!”

I said, “No, we must wait.”

The next day was Sunday, and there was nothing to do. Some of my people came to make a home with us who were never on the reservation before. I went to them, and they said,—

“We have come to make a home with you. We heard that your white father was so good to all, so we thought we would come here.”

I said, “Our good father has gone away, and there is another one here, and I don’t know what he is going to do for us.”

They said, “We have nothing to eat.”

I said, “To-day is the day when people don’t work. It is called Sunday. It is the day when the white people talk with the Spirit-Father, and the agent told me to tell my people never to come for anything on Sunday. To-morrow is ration-day. I will go and see him, anyhow.”

I went to him and said, “Mr. Reinhard, some of my people have come here to make a home with us. They were never here before. They say they have nothing to eat. This is why I came to speak to you. Excuse me for coming on Sunday to tell of my people’s wants.”

He told me to say to them that he was not going to issue any more rations to them.

I said, “Very well, I will tell them.”

I went and got my horse and told one of my cousins to saddle it while I went to tell Jarry, my cousin, my father’s sister’s son. Our agent and he were talking about me. I heard him say, “I shall have her go away, and if you want to be my friend, I will give you a good living if you Will do as I want you to.”