"Take back thy presents; my young men will have none of them, for they
can accept nothing except from a friend; and if thou look'st at their
feet, thou shalt see their mocassins, their leggings, even their
bridles, are braided with the hair of thy people, perhaps of thy
brothers. Take thy 'Shoba-wapo' (fire-water), and give it to drink to
thy warriors, that we may see them raving and tumbling like swine.
Silence, and away with thee. Our squaws will follow ye on your trail for
a mile, to burn even the grass ye have trampled upon near our village.
Away with you all, now and for ever! I have said!!!"
The American force was numerous and well armed, and a moment, a single
moment, deeply wounded by these bitter taunts, they looked as if they
would fight and die to resent the insult; but it was only a transient
feeling; for they had their orders, and they went away, scorned and
humiliated. Perhaps, too, an inward voice whispered to them that they
deserved their shame and humiliation; perhaps the contrast of their
conduct with that of the savages awakened in them some better feeling,
which had a long time remained dormant, and they were now disgusted with
themselves and their odious policy.
As it was, they departed in silence, and the last of their line had
vanished under the horizon before the Indians could smother the
indignation and resentment which the strangers had excited within their
hearts.
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