"He gives thanks," whispered Tayoga, to Robert, "first to Manitou, who
has kept us alive, next to our great mother, the Earth, who has produced
the food that we eat and who sends forth the water that we drink, and
last to the Sun, who lights and warms us."
Robert thought it a beautiful ceremony, full of idealism, and he nodded
his thanks to Tayoga while he still watched. Tododaho passed the pipe to
the sachem on his right, who took the three puffs in a similar manner,
and thus it was passed to all, the entire act requiring a long time, but
at its end the fourteen Onondaga sachems and the thirty-six visiting
sachems sat down together and under the presidency of Tododaho the
council was opened.
"But little will be done today," said Tayoga. "It is merely what you
call at the Albany school a preliminary. The really great meeting will
be after the Maple Dance, and then we shall know what stand the
Hodenosaunee will take in the coming war."
Robert turned away and came face to face with St. Luc. He had known that
the chevalier was somewhere in the vale of Onondaga, but in his
absorption in the Iroquois ceremonies he had forgotten about him.
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