NORTH AMERICAN



INDIANS,



children, the Indians, to expose themselves to danger,
for your sakes.
  Father; many lives have already been lost on your
account;-Nations have suffered, and been weakened !-
children have lost paients !-brothers and relatives !-
wives have lost husbands !-It is not known how many
more may perish before your war will be at an end !'a
Father, I have said, that you may perhaps, think me a
fool, for thus thoughtlessly rushing on your enemy.
Do not believe this, father; think not that I want sense
to convince me, that although you now pretend to keep
up a perpetual enmity to the Long-Knives, you may bea
fore long conclude a peace with them. Father, you say
you love your children, the Indians.-This you have
often told them, and indeed it is your interest to say so
to them, that you may have them at your service. But,
father, who of us can believe that you love a people of a
differett color from your own, better than those who
have a white skin like yourselves? Father, pay atten-
. ~ ~~.  .



tion to,



what i



am going to say.



setting me (meaning the India
enemy, much in the same mar
dog on the game; while I am i
that enemy of yours, with the blH
you gave me, I may, perchaw
to the place from whence you
shalt I see? Perhaps I may
hands with the Long-Knives;
ple he now calls his enemies.
laugh at my folly, for having
yet I arn now risking my life at
keep what I have said in remer
here is what has been done wvi
me, (with these words he hang
mandant, with the scalp upor
have done with the hatchet wh
and found it sharp. Neverthel
I might have done. No, I di



  While you, father, are
ns in general), on your
iner, as a hunter sets his
in the act of rushing on
oody destructive weapon
ce, happen to look back
started me; and what
see my father shaking
yes with these very peo-
  I may there see him



obeyed his orders



0



his command! Father,
nbrance. Now, Father,
th the hatchet you gave
ded the stick to the com-
i it, above mentioned) I
[at you ordered me to do,
ess I did not do all that
id not, my heart failed



235



and