“ ‘The pale faces stayed with us the rest of the winter. Perhaps this was because they now had no horses to carry them away. They spent their time hunting and trapping. The beaver fur they dried in the sun, lacing them to pole hoops. We cured our skins the same way, fastening the edges with strong buckskin or hemp lashings.
“ ‘One day some of the Okanogans were watching the strangers from a thicket. They saw one of them go to the rack and strike the skin with his hand which threw it a distance from the frame. The Indians were frightened at his unusual strength. They were now convinced that their visitors were not mere men like themselves, but were beings from the spirit world. No human could possess such force without aid from the Great Spirit.44 Seeing them so powerful, we prayed all the more to them from our hiding. We no longer worshipped them as at first, in the fear that they would laugh at us. But we thanked the Great Spirit for sending them to us. We had looked for them long. We knew that they had come to show us the right way, for had not the dead man foretold it?
“ ‘In the spring when the birds had come back from the spirit world,45 and the red salmon were coming up the big river, my sister came to me in trouble. Her heart was poor and heavy. She sat down in my lodge and for a time was silent. She then told me that the pale faces wanted to go where the sun sinks down, where the Black Robe had gone. I wandered while she spoke. I thought:
“ ‘Why do they all want to go to the sunset? Is there anything wrong with the sun? Maybe the spirits have sent them to see about the sun? Maybe they have no more suns where they came from and they are going to change its trail? Maybe the sun will travel the other way after they have reached there and attended to it?
“ ‘ “He wants to go where the sun quits the earth, where it becomes lost in the big water,” said Wan-na-ka. “He wants some of your young men to take them in canoes down the Swa-netk-qha; and my brother; he wants me to go with him and leave my own people. I do not want to do this, and still I love him, my white god. He said that if I want him, I must go and leave my own blood forever. If I do not do this, then I must give him up for all time. He is leaving, he told me, maybe never to return among us. I am not to see him again. My brother, I have no other one to go to and you must tell me what to do. I am also to become a mother.”
“ ‘I told her that she must give me time to think; that I must consult my medicine man; to have my sleep and dream among the spirits. Then I could give her advice. Wan-na-ka then spoke again:
“ ‘ “My child is to be a boy. I want him to grow up among the Schu-ayl-pk, a wise counselor, a warrior chief. I want to stay near the graves of my ancestors, I do not want to die away from my people. I love them! I love you, my brother, and I love my pale faced husband. I have told you all, and you will guide me right in the steps I am to take. You are wise and will not show me the wrong trail.”
“ ‘Wan-na-ka was troubled, but she did not weep. I said to her:
“ ‘ “Speak no more! Go home to your white husband. After I call the spirits and dream, I can give you a strong answer. My heart is now sick and poor in words.”
“ ‘I consulted my medicine man and then went alone to the mountain woods. I slept! And the spirits showed me a broad trail yet unmade; creeping to us from the land of the morning sun. It is not for me to unblanket all that came to me in that vision. It is enough that I learned all about the pale faced gods.
“ ‘After five sundowns, I came back to my sister, Wan-na-ka. She gave me food, after the ancient custom. I was in troubled thought and I ate in silence. I made my heart strong, for I knew what I would say and the task was not easy. I spoke:
“ ‘ “My sister, we have been deceived in the strangers. Better had I not smoked the pipe with them; better had you never seen him whom you call a god-husband. Go with him! without my consent and learn what is to come to you; what the meaning of it is. He can not love you as one of his kind. Have you thought that maybe there are pale faced squaws where he came from, in the land of the morning lodge? In my dream I saw them! Their eyes are not of the night like those of the women of the Schu-ayl-pk. They are as the summer sky when the clouds are melted and gone. Their hair is as the leaves when touched by the first call of autumn. For these strange women, I saw your pale face forsake you when far from the Swa-netk-qha. Wan-na-ka, the choice belongs to you. Go and be forgotten by both your husband and people alike! For your own good, will I advise you. Stay with the Okanogans and the Schu-ayl-pks! Where you are loved and will not be cast aside. Goodbye, my sister. This is all that I will say, but before going I will answer your husband.
“ ‘ “Tell him that I must keep all of my young men. He may take the canoes, but my warriors he cannot have. I will need
