SWANTON] INDIAN TUIHF.S OF THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 151 



but bronk bis bead witli a j^iinsbot. S<» it is good, Frenehniaii. tbat you speak 

 to your cbiols. for if be kills biniseif bis women will die, witb a groat number 

 of warriors, and tbat would be a great misfortune."" Tbese words made M. 

 Brontin determine to return to tbe fort in order to confer witb >L do Vilainville, 

 tbe eomnuinder, and M. Dumanoir, director of tbe grant of St. Catberine. For 

 my i)art. after baving dined witb M. Rrontin I returned to tbe great vilbige, 

 wbere I found some Frencbmen wbo told me tbat tbey were very mucb dis- 

 turbed regarding me at tbe settlement; tbat M. de Vilainville bad gone out just 

 now from tbe great village, and tbat be bad spoken to tbe great war cbief tbat 

 lie migbt not make so many peoi)le die. After tbat I entered, the cabin of tbe 

 dead man, wbere I saw bim laid on a cane bed covered witb mats. He had on 

 moccasins and was dressed. In front of bim were planted four large canes, to 

 wbicb were fastened all tbe calumets wbicb bad been presented to bim, and 

 between tbese canes were tbe dishes wbicb bad been served to bim after be bad 

 died. I also saw there his wife, dressed in her most beautiful clothing, with 

 many other women and a man. They said to me, " Those are the ones who are 

 going to die with him." A moment later La Glorieuse ^ entered, also dressed up, 

 and placed lierself in the ranks of the others. This Glorieuse was descended 

 from tbe women chiefs and was, besides, a very skillful surgeon, especially in 

 venereal diseases. Many of our Frencbmen bad been I'estoreil to life by her. 

 The wife of tbe Tattooed-serpent, seeing me looking at all this apparel and per- 

 ceiving tbat tbe st)ectacle pained me. said to me, " I am going in three nights. 

 It is very grievous " tbat tbe Tattooed-sei'pent is dead. He was like a French- 

 man. But what would you haveV " La Glorieuse also said to me : "I am going 

 with them. Is it not good? What do you say?" My heart was so oppressed 

 tbat it was impossible for me to reply. 



In the midst of all this the wife of the head servant (louv) of the deceased 

 arrived, tbe very one whom I bad seen, as I have said, with the women. This 

 head servant is one of tbe Honored men wbo lights tbe pipe of tbe great cbief 

 and follows bim everywhere. He is present at tbe councils, where he records 

 the votes. It is he also who speaks for the great chief. His wife, seeing him 

 with the others, said to him : " What are you doing there? " " Do not you 

 know," replied he, "that my chief is dead? It is well that I go with him." 

 " That is very well," answered the woman. " You know also that you have 

 never repulsed me; that we have always walked together along the same road; 

 tbat we have always eaten together. Thus I do not wish to go witb j-our chief, 

 but I wish to go with you." Her husband wished to speak to her to deter her 

 from dying, but she would not listen and went out to prepare herself. 



Almost at tbe same time came one called Taotal,** escorted by thirty warriors, 

 who led bim. This savage had formerly married a woman chief, and accord- 

 ing to the law of the country he ought to have died with her, but he had 

 fled to M. de Bienville and by his flight had escaped death. Afterward he had 

 obtained bis pardon, but at this time some Frenchmen told me that he must 

 die because lie was one of tbe principal warriors of tbe deceased ; tbat he had 

 already fled tbat morning witb a view to escape death, and that the great 

 chief of war had had him pursued in order to bring him back. In fact, as 

 soon as he arrived, he was placed in tbe ranks of the other unfortunate victims 

 of superstition. This man wept bitterly, so much so that the wife of the 

 Tattooed-serpent, seeing him in this condition, said to him, " Why do you weep? 

 Are you not a warrior? " " Doubtless I am," he replied. " Life is then dear to 



« Cela est beaucoup de valeur. 



" See p. 145. 



•^ Cent beaucoup dc valeur. 



"* The same as the Ette-actal referred to on p. 146. 



