swANTONl INDIAN TIUHES OF TIIK LOWr.li MISSISSTPIM V.\I.I-F,V 195 



This jivowiil ol" S persons, all of whom assunMl lis of tlic saiiit> Ihinj:, ohli.u'cd 

 US to give nil. 



M. (If In Loire, tiic cldor. was aliovt> all iiiiicli ('iiili.irrassiMJ Jiow lie sliouhl 

 withdraw his brolh^'r, who had reniainod in tlie vilia^io of the Xatclicz as 

 j^uard of the storohonso of poods of tho coniiiaiiy. lie spoke to mo about it, 

 aiiitcarinp vory sad. I told him that, if he woidd permit me, I would k<> alone 

 to find him, and that I would l)rin{; him l)aek with me or perish (here. After 

 having laid our plans above, we parted throe hours after midday in onh'r to 

 arriv(> at the landiiifr of the Nateliez villafjo one hour before sunset, in order 

 to be able to p) by day to till' vill:ii,'e. because it was one league distant from 

 the bank of the river. When we wore arrived there I told my jioople not to land 

 aud to await me until midnifiht, and that, if I had not returned then, tliey 

 mifilit count on my lieiii}: dead, and had then only to proceed. I took my pun, 

 my powder tlask, and my sack of balls, and I fjot out of the canoe to take my 

 way to the village. M. de la Loiii' coiidiicted me to the edge of the prairie; 

 ho embraced me weeping, and told me that, if I brought back his brother, he 

 would not be the only one who would remember such a great service, and 

 that all his family would bo under infinite obligations to nie. I answered 

 nothing exceitt that he should await me at daybreak, and that, God assisting, 

 I would do all that I could. 



When I was in tho iniddle of tho prairie, in sight of the village, some 

 Natchez; savages, perceiving me at a distance, ran to tell M. le Chevalier de 

 la Loire, for so was he called, that a Frenchman was coming, for they liad 

 not recognized mo at a distance. Immediately this young man came to see 

 who it was, and, having recognized me, he ran to me and threw himself on my 

 neck, asking the reason for my return. I told him at the moment that I was 

 fallen ill, and, when I was in his cabin, I begged him to send for the grand 

 chief, who came a moment afterward. I told him tliat there were (5 French- 

 men fallen ill in our canoes, which was the reason wliy we liad returned as 

 far as the landing, and that oO men were needed next day to bring our goods 

 to the storehouse of the company at his village. 



He replied that lie was going to have them informed, and that we had done 

 well in having come down, because the Yazous were worth nothing and might 

 have waited on the road to break our heads. I thanked him, telling him that 

 he was right, although I well knew all his treason. After he had gone I said 

 to the Chevalier do la Loire that we must think of escajiing, although wo 

 were guarded by 3 savages, who slept in the cabin where we lay. After 

 I had told him that tho youth became very uneasy, aud asked me every 

 moment if we could save ourselves. I told him, in order to reassure him, that 

 ho had only to leave it to me, and that we would certainly save ourselves. We 

 I)repared for it, and I made him load his gun [and lay it] side of his pillow, 

 so that he would have no trouble in finding it. When I saw that the 3 savages 

 who were lying in our cabin were asleep I was desirous of stabbing them with 

 my bayonet; but the young man withheld me, being absolutely unwilling, for 

 fear, said ho, lest it would make a noise and awaken the other savages, who were 

 then all asleep. I took that time then to make him leave with me, and after 

 I had softly opened the door I told him to take the road to the landing through 

 the prairie. When I saw that he was i)erhaps a quarter of a league in advance 

 I double locked the door of the cabin outside, inclosing the 3 savages. I 

 threw the key into a heap of dirt, and began running after him, gun in hand. 

 I joined him at the edge of the woods where I had told him to await me. As 

 soon as he saw me he asked whether the savages were awake. "They are all 

 in a deep sleep," said I, " that is why we are able to walk at present in safety." 

 We ran, however, almost a quarter of a league farther, so much did we desire 



