matter; how our educational fund, $8000 per annum, had been handled and
conducted for nearly twenty years, and yet not one Indian youth could
spell the simplest word in the English language, and these writings I
had published in the Detroit Tribune for public inspection.




CHAPTER VIII.

Becoming Protestant--Persecutions--Second Attempt to go to School--
Trials With Indian Agent--Governor Lewis Cass--Struggle During
Education--Getting Married--Coming Home--Government Interpreter and
Postmaster.


The next five years were passed among my people, doing a little of
everything, laboring, teaching, and interpreting sermons among the
Protestant missions--for there were by this time two Protestant
missions established among the Ottawas of Arbor Croche, one at Bear
River, now Petoskey, and another at Middle Village or Arbor Croche
proper, where I acted as an assistant teacher and interpreter. I met
much opposition from the Catholic community, because I had already
become a Protestant and left the Romish church, not by any personal
persuasion, however, but by terrible conviction on reading the word of
God--"That there is no mediator between God and man but one, which is
Christ Jesus, who was crucified for the remission of sins." One Sunday,
some friend persuaded me to come to the church, but when the priest saw
me he came and forcibly ejected me out of the room. The same priest
left the Indian country soon afterwards, and it seems he went to