"'Tis no use, Tayoga," he said. "The lad was murdered by Garay and the
river took his body away. Why, it will be a year this coming autumn
since he disappeared, and think you if he were alive he couldn't have
come back in that time! 'Tis the part of youth to hope, and it does you
credit, but the matter is past hope now. We've all given up except you."

"When only one hopes, Great Bear, though all others have failed, there
is still hope left. Last night I saw Tododaho on his star very clearly.
He looked down at me, smiled and seemed to speak. I could not hear his
words, but at the time I was thinking of Dagaeoga. Since Tododaho sits
with the great gods, and is one of them, he knew my thoughts, and, if he
smiled when I was thinking of Dagaeoga, he meant to give me hope."

The hunter again shook his head sadly.

"You thought you saw it, because you wished it so much," he said, "or
maybe the promise of Tododaho was for the future, the hereafter."

"For the hereafter we need no special promise, Great Bear. That has
always been made to all of us by Manitou himself, but I was thinking of
Dagaeoga alive, present with us in this life, when Tododaho smiled down
on me. I hold it in my heart, Great Bear, as a sign, a promise."

Willet shook his head for the third time, and with increasing sadness,
but said nothing more. If Tayoga cherished such a hope it was a
consolation, a beautiful thing, and he was not one to destroy anybody's
faith.

"Do you know this region?" he asked.