Jim took the vacated seat, and, with a far-reaching, resonant voice began his discourse to the Indians.

“Chieftains, warriors, maidens, children of the forest, listen, and your ears shall hear no lie.  I am come from where the sun rises to tell you of the Great Spirit of the white man.

“Many, many moons ago, as many as blades of grass grow on yonder plain, the Great Spirit of whom I shall speak created the world.  He made the sparkling lakes and swift rivers, the boundless plains and tangled forests, over which He caused the sun to shine and the rain to fall.  He gave life to the kingly elk, the graceful deer, the rolling bison, the bear, the fox—­all the beasts and birds and fishes.  But He was not content; for nothing He made was perfect in His sight.  He created the white man in His own image, and from this first man’s rib He created his mate—­a woman.  He turned them free in a beautiful forest.

“Life was fair in the beautiful forest.  The sun shone always, the birds sang, the waters flowed with music, the flowers cast sweet fragrance on the air.  In this forest, where fruit bloomed always, was one tree, the Tree of Life, the apple of which they must not eat.  In all this beautiful forest of abundance this apple alone was forbidden them.

“Now evil was born with woman.  A serpent tempted her to eat of the apple of Life, and she tempted the man to eat.  For their sin the Great Spirit commanded the serpent to crawl forever on his belly, and He drove them from the beautiful forest.  The punishment for their sin was to be visited on their children’s children, always, until the end of time.  The two went afar into the dark forest, to learn to live as best they might.  From them all tribes descended.  The world is wide.  A warrior might run all his days and not reach the setting sun, where tribes of yellow-skins live.  He might travel half his days toward the south-wind, where tribes of black-skins abound.  People of all colors inhabited the world.  They lived in hatred toward one another.  They shed each other’s blood; they stole each other’s lands, gold, and women.  They sinned.

“Many moons ago the Great Spirit sorrowed to see His chosen tribe, the palefaces, living in ignorance and sin.  He sent His only Son to redeem them, and said if they would listen and believe, and teach the other tribes, He would forgive their sin and welcome them to the beautiful forest.

“That was moons and moons ago, when the paleface killed his brother for gold and lands, and beat his women slaves to make them plant his corn.  The Son of the Great Spirit lifted the cloud from the palefaces’ eyes, and they saw and learned.  So pleased was the Great Spirit that He made the palefaces wiser and wiser, and master of the world.  He bid them go afar to teach the ignorant tribes.

“To teach you is why the young paleface journeyed from the rising sun.  He wants no lands or power.  He has given all that he had.  He walks among you without gun or knife.  He can gain nothing but the happiness of opening the redmen’s eyes.