398 EXPEDITION TO THE 



from them, as fully confirms our statement. Their ene- 

 mies seem to place great confidence in this virtue of theirs, 

 as is manifest from the following transaction, which hap- 

 pened about thirty years ago. A battle had been fought on 

 Knife Lake between the Chippewas and Dacotas ; two hun- 

 dred warriors of the latter had surprised and cut up about 

 fifteen of the former, killed their wives and children 

 amounting to about forty, and taken eight or ten prisoners. 

 They then withdrew to the village of Tetankatane on the St. 

 Peter, which at that time consisted of about three hundred 

 lodges. They were engaged in celebrating their victory and 

 dancing the scalp dance ; on looking round, one of the party 

 was surprised to behold a warrior painted all over with 

 black, and marked with ten streaks of vermilion which 

 covered fresh wounds. He was immediately recognised to 

 be a distinguished Chippewa chief, called in his own lan- 

 guage, Keche Wabesches, by the Sioux, Natapa Hecha, 

 both which terms signify the Big Martin ; it was the same 

 chief who commanded the small party, the defeat of which 

 they were then celebrating. Under cover of a blanket he 

 had approached thus near undiscovered, passed through the 

 village, and it was only when he found himself in the pre- 

 sence of the warriors, that he dropped his mantle. In his 

 left hand he held a calumet of peace, his right was raised 

 to the heavens, as if calling for mercy. But his attitude 

 was firm, his manner imposing and undismayed. He was 

 immediately seized, and made to sit down; the warriors 

 formed a circle to protect him against the insults of the 

 women and children, the weak and the coward, who are 

 generally prone to triumph over the unprotected. The in- 

 trusion of an enemy, while they were engaged at their sa- 

 cred rites, was by many considered a mortal offence ; those 

 disposed to spare him sent word to Renville's father and 



