Our
Indians had to fight for their lives. Many of them were killed, others were
badly wounded, and of the large company that started out not more than half
ever returned to their homes. The expedition was a complete failure.
"Still there was the memory of the sugar among them, and it happened that
one day in the council somebody said:
"'Why not send to Nanahboozhoo?'
"Good!" shouted Minnehaha; "that is just what I thought they would do."
"Well, hold on," said her more matter-of-fact brother; "just as like as not
Nanahboozhoo would give them salt instead of sugar, if he were in one of
his tantrums."
Souwanas was not displeased at this interruption on the part of the
children, and gladly availed himself of the opportunity thus offered to
once more help himself to the sweets.
Earnestly appealing to Souwanas, Minnehaha, who always looked on the bright
side of things, and who had a quick intuition quite beyond her years, said:
"It could not be a sweet story if Nanahboozhoo gave them salt instead of
sugar; could it, Souwanas?"
The old man, as soon as his mouth was sufficiently emptied to resume his
story, amused by the earnestness with which the child appealed to him,
replied with the words, "Tapwa, tapwa!" (Verily, verily!)
Sagastao, however, unwilling to give in, retorted, "O 'tapwa, tapwa'
doesn't mean anything, anyway."
Souwanas only laughed at this criticism, and proceeded with his story.
[Illustration: Across a single log at a dizzy height.
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