322 WILD SPOETS IN THE SOUTH. 



him in his Roman attitude until the dispatch was read, 

 and watched the while the countenance of the colonel, 

 but the hard-bearded face gave no sign. 



The rider dismounted and stripped his saddle. A 

 brief order was given by the colonel to the orderly who 

 stood behind him, and the Indian chief resumed his talk. 



" My heart and the hearts of my chiefs are white, not 

 from fear, but in love. You sent me the flag of the five 

 fingers (white flag, with white and red hands clasped). 

 I know you want friendship. I. trust you. Tustenuggee 

 is here. Listen, white man ; what he says is true — listen, 

 Great Spirit ; what he says i»true. His answers are the 

 answers of his people. He is chief of the chiefs." 



The Colonel — " The chief has spoken like a brave man, 

 and his words in council are like his deeds in battle. We 

 all honor him, for he will listen to reason. He has lost 

 many men in the wars, and the rest are weary. But the 

 white soldiers still come, and will come on forever. The 

 white man has many soldiers, and many weapons, and 

 much ammunition. It is not good for the red man to 

 fight against him, for he will waste away, no matter how 

 brave. The white man has ofiered his red brothers lands 

 in Arkansas many times. Some have gone there — Tus- 

 tenuggee has refused. The white man now offers for the 

 last time, and he wants to know if Tustenuggee will 

 move at once with all his people." 



Said the chief: " Hundreds of winters ago the Great 

 Spirit gave to his red children this land, its woods and 

 its waters." 



