"
The crowd murmured reverently, and men stole out of the thicket
by twos and threes to join it. There was no anger in their god's
face.
"These are my orders. (Heaven send they'll take 'em, but I seem
to have impressed 'em so far!) I myself will stay among you while
this man scratches your arms with the knives, after the order of
the Government. In three, or it may be five or seven, days, your
arms will swell and itch and burn. That is the power of Smallpox
fighting in your base blood against the orders of the Government
I will therefore stay among you till I see that Smallpox is
conquered, and I will not go away till the men and the women and
the little children show me upon their arms such marks as I have
even now showed you. I bring with me two very good guns, and a
man whose name is known among beasts and men. We will hunt
together, I and he and your young men, and the others shall eat
and lie still. This is my order."
There was a long pause while victory hung in the balance. A
white-haired old sinner, standing on one uneasy leg, piped up:
"There are ponies and some few bullocks and other things for
which we need a kowl [protection].
Pages:
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180