"He strode across the prairie as the sun was rising; he arrived in time, and--Father, listen!"
There was another silence, so deep that one might almost hear the puffing smoke as it rose on the air.
"_They shot him!_ That is his boy, Waubeno."
Jasper stood silent; he thought of Johnnie Kongapod's story, and the night-scene at Pigeon Creek.
"I shall teach him a better way," said Jasper, at last. "I will lead him to honor the memory of his great father in a way that he does not now know. The Great Spirit will guide us both. His father was a great man. I will lead him to become a greater."
"Father," said the boy, coming forward, "I will always be true to you, but I have sworn by the stars."
Jasper stood like one in a dream. Could such a tale as this be true among savages? Honor like this only needed the gospel teaching to do great deeds. Jasper saw his opportunity, and his love of mankind never glowed before as it did then. He folded his hands, closed his eyes, and his silent thoughts winged upward to the skies.
Jasper and Waubeno crossed the prairies to Lake Michigan. It was June, the high tide of the year. The long days poured their sunlight over the seas of flowers. The prairie winds were cool, and the new vegetation was alive with insects and birds.
The first influence that Jasper tried to exert on Waubeno was to induce him to forego the fixed resolution to avenge his father's death.
"The first thing in education," he used to say, "is conscience, the second is the heart, and the third is the head."
He had planned to teach Waubeno while the Indian boy should be teaching him, and he wished to follow his own theory that a new pupil should first learn to be governed by his moral sense.
"Waubeno," he said, in their long walk over the prairie, "I wish to teach you and make you wise, but before I can do you justice you must make a promise. Will you, Waubeno?"
"I will. You would not ask me to do what is wrong."
"It may be a hard thing, but, Waubeno, I wish you to promise me that you will never seek to avenge your father. Will you, Waubeno?"
"Parable, I will promise you any right thing but that. I have made another promise about that thing--it must hold."
"Waubeno, I can not teach you as I would while you carry malice in your heart. The soul does not see clearly that is dark with evil. Do you see? I wish it for your good."