2 35 



Their approach awakened Manita, 

 who had passed from her swoon into 

 the sleep of youth, and was much 

 refreshed. The curses of Sharpnose 

 and Whiteleg as they replaced the 

 dead in a crotch of the tree and 

 lashed it firmly with Sharpnose's 

 lariat, told Manita that her mother 

 would be avenged, and her thoughts 

 took a more personal bent. The 

 rebellion in her heart was ten times 

 stronger than yesterday, but she 

 no longer wanted to take White- 

 leg's bright sharp knife and plunge 

 it into the heart of Mr. Warwick, 

 the missionary and teacher of the 

 school. To kill him would mean to 

 die too. The arms of the White 

 Government are long and many, 

 and merciless and she wanted to 

 be free, to get away from it all, to 

 live the life of her people, the life 

 to which she was born. 



An Indian woman is, according 

 to the Whiteman's law, a ward of 

 the Government in the Agent's pow- 

 er until eighteen, or until married, 

 and admitted to be marriageable 

 at fifteen. Here was the loop-hole. 

 She had no wish to be married, but 



