at the close of this busy day , when the old spirit came in very much out of breath , he said to wassamo , " son - in - law , i am in want of tobacco . none grows about this dry place of mine . you shall return to your people and procure me a supply . it is seldom that the few who pass these sand - hills offer me a piece of tobacco,--it is a rare plant in these parts,--but when they do , it immediately comes to me . just so , " he added , putting his hand out of the side of the lodge and drawing in several pieces of tobacco which some one passing at that moment offered as a fee to the old spirit , to keep the sand - hills from blowing about till they had got by . other gifts beside tobacco came in the same way to the side of the lodge -- sometimes a whole bear , then a wampum - robe , then a string of birds -- and the sand - spirits altogether led an easy life ; for they were not at the trouble to hunt or clothe themselves ; and whenever the housekeeping began to fall short , nothing would happen but a wonderful storm of dust , all the sand - hills being straightway put in an uproar , and the contributions would at once begin to pour in at the side windows of the lodge , till all their wants were supplied .
it was a rare plant .
why did the old spirit highly value tobacco ?
why did the old spirit highly value tobacco ?