has remained faithful ever since to the words I spoke to him upon religion, and has kept them carefully in his mind and heart. He has preserved with care and respect the large miraculous medal and has always worn it, full of confidence in the protection of the Mother of God, and he and all his tribe have participated in her mighty favors.
He recounted to me with primitive simplicity the benefits obtained from heaven by the intercession of Mary. Once, in 1853, he and all his camp were buffalo hunting in the vast plains of the West. It was the cholera year, and the frightful scourge of God broke out among the Indians, where its ravages were terrible. Thousands of them fell victims to it. Pananniapapi's camp was attacked in its turn and in one day thirty died. There was universal mourning and nothing but groans and weeping was to be
heard anywhere. In the consternation of the moment, the head chief exhorted his people to have trust in God and apply to Mary. He placed the miraculous medal upon a new white parfleche, neatly painted. Surrounded by his people, he implored the succor of the Holy Virgin, the good Mother of the children of God. Pananniapapi embraced the wonder-working medal devoutly, and amid their pious invocations to Mary, which penetrated heaven, all the Yanktons, 3,000 in number, full of trust, kissed the medal after the example of their head chief. At the same instant every symptom of the malady disappeared and the cholera left them.
It gives me pleasure to add to this little tale the universal testimony which I have received to the character of the great and good chief Pananniapapi. He leads an exemplary life among his people. His charity is boundless. His position as chief brings him certain remunerative favors from the Government which would put his family in easy circumstances. He accepts them, and makes use of them solely to relieve the distress of the poor members of his tribe. He shares with resignation, nay, I may say with
joy, the general needs. He wears no mark of distinction.