Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/77



ADVENTURES IN THE *AR WEST.

"God bless you for an angel of mercy! I must thank you my heart is bursting witk gratitude! "

"Nay, spare your thanks to mortal! Thank God not me for I am only an humble instrument in his hands."

"Mysterious being, who art thou? "

"lie-member your promise and question not."

"But you seem more of Heaven than earth."

"It is only seeming then. But I must remind you that you have now talked full long."

"Nay, but tell me where I am?"

"In the lodge of Cha-cha-chee-kee-ho- bah, or Old-Man-of-the-Mountains."

"Is it he that stands beside you ?"

"The same. He is ' Great Medicine,' and has cured you."

"And how long have I been here?"

"Four days."

"Good heavens! you astonish me! Surely not four days?"

"Prairie Flower would not tell you wrong*" said my informant, with a re proachful look.

"I know it, sweet being. I will not doubt you and only intended to express surprise. Then I have been four days nconscious."

"Ay, a week."

"A week?" I exclaimed, looking her earnestly in the face: "A week, say you? A-iul was the battle fought a week ago?"

"It was a week ago last night."

"And pray in what part of the country am I now?"

"On the Black Hills."

"Indeed! And how far from Fort Laramie?"

"Not less than sixty miles."

"And how was I borne here?"

"On a litter."

"By whom?"

"My friends."

"White men or red?"

"The latter."

"And for what purpose?"

"To restore you to health."

"And what object could you or they have in bestowing such kindness on strangers?"

"To do good."

"For which of course you expect a recompense? ' '

Prairie Flower looked at me earnestly a moment, with a sweet, sad, reproachful expression, and then said with a sigh :

"Like the rest of the world, you mis construe our motives."

"Forgive me!" I exclaimed, almost passionately for her appearance and words touched my very soul : " Forgive me, sweet being! I was wrong, I see. On your part it was solely charity that prompted this noble act. But it is so rare that even a good action is done in this world without a selfish motive, that, in the thoughtlessness of the moment, I even imputed the latter to you."

"That is why I suppose so few under stand us?" she said, sadly.

"You must be a very singular people," I rejoined, looking her full in the eye. "Will you not tell me the name of your tribe?"

She shook her head.

"I told you before," she answered, "you must not question me touching my history or tribe. Let it suffice that we are known as the Mysterious or Great Medi cine Nation; that to us all roads are free, and with us all nations are at peace. We war upon none and none upon us."

"And yet do you not excite others to deeds you seem to abhor?"

"What mean you?" she asked quickly, a flush of surprise giving a beautiful glow to her noble features.

"Forgive me if I speak too plainly. But was not your message to Forl Larar mie the cause of a bloody battle between the whites and Indians at Bitter Cotton- wood?"

"The immediate cause of warrior meet ing warrior in the game of death, most undoubtedly," she answered, with a proud look and sparkling eyes. " But do you not 'overlook the fact, that it was done to save the innocent and defenceless? Were not the Indians gathered there in mighty force to prey upon the weak? and was it not the duty of those who sought to d* right to warn the few against the many the unwary of their, hidden foe? Could Prairie Flow-er stand idly by and see de* fenceless women and children drawn into a fatal snare, and made a bloody sacrifice to a heartless enemy? Had the pale- face so laid in wait for the red-man,