CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA, 19

uncommon thing on a hot summer’s day, to find an Indian
asleep in the street or under the dooryard trees.

“ Among the great men of the tribe was an Indian named Squam-
maney; Warmmesley he was sometimes called, also Warmmes-
ley-Squammaney. He was a giant in form, but his greatness
among his people arose from his supposed magical power
and his vigorous voice. It was believed: that he could

whoop and bellow so loud and long as to frighten

 
 
  

away evil spirits from the
sick, so that
the pa-

tient would recover. All the Indians regarded old Squamma-
ney with fear and awe, and he was very proud of his influence
over them.

“When -an Indian fell sick, Warmmesley-Squammaney was
called to the bedside. If old Warmmesley could not drive the
evil spirits away, the patient believed that he must die.

“In his peculiar way old Warmmesley once cured of rheuma-
tism a Puritan deacon who rewarded him by calling him a
‘pagan.’ The deacon had been confined to his room for weeks.
Some Indians called to see him, and pitying his condition,
set off in great haste for Warmmesley. The latter came, in
his dried skins, with his head bristling with horns and feathers.
The astonished deacon forgot his infirmities at the first sight
of the terrible object; and as soon as Warmmesley began to
leap and howl, and shake his beads, shells, and dried skins,