The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-16


choild.'"
The old priest nodded. "To Goa be the
cory! he murHaured. revereIltly.
That night Pere Palette had prayed long
and fervently that the children about them
might be matured in the -aith, as they We're
already mature in years. Then he lifted a
candle and went slowly UP the stairs tc
his roon sayin gsoftly to himself. over and
over
In good time; in good time, yes
And now he was dead: and Father Nc
GraW, as he knelt beside the little bed, asked
that he might be made a worthy successor to
thsi self-denying man who had been taker
home to dwell with the Master.
a week passed and Father McGraw sat- al
the close Of another sultry July day, on the
porch of the mission house; but this time he
was alone and sad. young Indian plumed
and painted, with bright blanket over his
shoulder, passed through the gate an6
walked rapidly up the path toward him
rather McGraw raised his head.
what is Ut. me SOM" he asked.
Three Quilts caught young Thunder to.
dav.'
Tut, tut, ME son." expostulated the young
priest. There is no such bird"
He found it among the rocks on Saskatoon
Mountain" continued the Indian. ut is but
half-grown and could not fly. 1t is not like
any other bird ever seen by the warriors. Its
eyes are like burning Goals. It's talons are
like spears its feathers like steel. It is the
Thunder Bird, ruler Of the sky
Sure, tbs nothing but aigle, me son; q
young aigle.'' urged the priest
The Indian shook his head doggedly mo
it is not an eagle. 1t is bigger, stronger
The color is not the same No, it is the
Thunder Bird.
9Th poor paple!' said Father McGraw
compassionately. Then he added to the In
dian in his own speech: 81 shall not thry tc
convince you, me son, at prisint. Co. and me
blessin go wild you
From a pole before every lodge in Little
Bears camp hung piece of new scarlet
cloth. 1t was the manito-wabinoso-a gift tC
the gods, Precipitation to the Thunder Bird
Chiefs and neadmen of distant tribes came
to see and to do homage to the god The
women disputed holly over the questions oil
priority of right in the business of feeding it
Father McGraw set about to demonstrate tc
the band that this latest object of Alteration
was no more invested with supernatural at
tributes than a senseless block of wood, thai
it was but common bird impotent to stay
the bolt launched from a kndling sky. He
had an able lieutenant in Galois, the half
breed whom the government employed to in
struct the Indians in agriculture, yet his
task was mapped out for him.
After three weeks of cautivity the bird ap
parently died. This seemed somewhat in.
con. Eatible with the conception Of the immor-
tally of a god-bnt how were they to GRASP
such weighty mysterier? Their trust in its
genuineness remained mistaken They
stuffed the defunct god and raised in on
pole in the center of the camp, where they
made obeisance to it as they passed. II
would shield them from the thunder and the
lightning.
Galois was good Catholic and he resolved
that the time had arrived for him to prove
il to the priest and to confound the supersti
lions of the savages at single coup. He
would forever shatter their belief in the ON.
impotence of the god. He would pull the birc
down and burn it.
A great camor arose from the band ove1
the destruction Of it's idol. 1.-THE gods will
avenge this sacrilege,'' cried the braves; 'the
half-breed will luffer the penalty for his ap-
FALLING crime!"
Galois laughed and called them fools and
children. This was what he had wished fol
and expected. Yet they waited, calmly and
confidently, for the punishment Of the de.
spoiler.
At the close Of a torrid day in August
black clouds sprung up and banked the sky
in the West. The cattle stood knee-deep in
the sloughs, fighting the ferocious flies and
mooing restessly. The air had been very
close and still The wind which blew die
not come from the direction of the clouds
but puffed in hot, sullen breaths across them
from the south. The Indian camp felt the
portent Of the elements, as the cattle did
and it cowed and looked on.
The clouds came Up rapidly, rolling and
tumbling over each other like the angry
pillows Of the sea, and the wind blew strong
er and more ftful. 1t died away in low
moan and left the atmosphere sitting and
turdened. An ominous rumble echoed
through the eaden vault Suddenly a blast
leaped with a straight from the inky
throat of the cloJdbank. It tore, shriekine
through the tops of the cottonwoods and pop
lars, and they bowed and staggered under il
like straining oxen under the lash. The
Thunder Bird had swooped down upon Little
Bears reservation and the warriors trembled
and looked on.
There followed an instant's pulseless pause
and they shrank close to the ground and hid
their faces A terrific shock seemed to rive
earth and heaven, and the darkened all
blazed with a. lurid, sulphurous glare. The
g.