Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-02-19

MI!A. llNyllAv! u lal!llQl
BOUND HAND AND FOOT.
It is time fer the Iroquois also to bury
the Ratchet, and to place upon it heavy
stones, SO that it never again can be
dug up.
Brothers, as you know, the great
canoes from across the sea are bring
ing more and more white men. Look
about you, and tell me where are your
fathers and your brothers and your
sons? Half your fighting men are
gone; and II you turn to the west to
seek out strong young men from the
other tribes, which Of them will come
to sit by your fires and be your
brothers? The war trails of the ma
tons have gone to the west as far as
the Great river. All the country has
been at war. The friends of Onontio
beyond Michilimackinac have been so
busy fighting that they have forgotten
to take the beaver, or If they have
taken it, they have been afraid to bring
it down the water trail to us, lest the
Iroquois or the English should rob
| them.
Brothers, great peace is now de-
clared. Onontio, the father of all the
red men, has taken the promises OF
his children, the 1Iurons, the Algon-
gums, the Miamis, the Illini, the Outa-
GAMES, the ojibways, all those peo-
pies who live to the west, that they
will follow the war trail no more. Next
summer there will be great council.
Onontio and Corlaer have agreed to
call the tribes to meet at the Noun
tain in the st. Lawrence. Onontio
says to you that he will give you back
your prisoners, and now he demands
that you in return give back those
whom you may have with you. This
is his will: and if you fail him, you
know how heavy is his hand.
Brothers, see that you have pris-
oners here. white prisoners. These
must be given up to us. will take
them with me when return. For your
Indian captiveH it is the will of Onon-
ito that you bring them all to the Great
Peace in the summer, and that you
then, all of you, help to dig the great
hill under which the Ratchet is going
to be buried. Then once more our
rivers will not be red, and will look
more like water. The sun will not
shine red, but will look as the sun
should look. The sky will again be
blue. Our women and our children
will no longer be afraid, and you Iro-
quois can go to sleep in your houses
and not dread the arms of the French.
Brothers, have spoken. Peace il
good"
Teganisoris replied in the same
strain as that chosen by Joncaire, as
Surfing him that he was his brother;
that his heart went out to him; that
the Iroquois loved the French; and
that If they had gone to war with them,
1t was but because the young men
of Corlaer had closed their eyes so
that they could not see the truth. "As
to these prisoners" said he, take
them with you. We do not want them
with US. for we fear they may bring
US harm. Our medicine man coun-
seled us to offer up one of these pris.
oners as q sacrifice to the Great Spirit.
We did SO. Now our medicine. man
has bad dream. He says that the
white men are going to come and tear
down our houses and trample our
fields. When the time comes for the
peace, the Iroquois will be at the Noun.
tain. Brother, we will bury the
Ratchet. and bury it so deep that
henceforth none may ever again dig
1t up"
1T is WE'LL" said Joncaire, abruptly.
my brothers are wise. Now let the
council end. for my path is long and I
must travel back to Onontio at once"
Joncaire knew well enough the tickle
nature Of these savages, who might
the morrow demand another council
and perhaps arrive at different conclu-
stons. Hearing there were no white
prisoners in the villages farther to the
west, he resolved to set forth at once
upon the return with those now at
hand. Hurrying, therefore, as soon
as might be, to their leader. he urged
him to make ready forthwith for the
journey back to the st. Lawrence.
Unless much mistake, monsieur"
said he to Law, you are that same
gentleman who so set all Quebec by
the ears last winter. My faith! The
regiment Carignan had cause to re-
joice when you left for up river, even
though you took with YOU half the
ready coin of the settlement. Yet come
you once more to meet the gentlemen
Of France, and doubt not they will be
glad as ever to stake you high as may
be In this poverty-stricken region.
You have been far to the westward, ]
doubt not. You were, perhaps, made
prisoner somewhere below the straits"
| Ear below: among the tribe Of the
1llini. in the valley Of the Messasebe.' .
you tell me SO! l had thought no
white man left in that valley for this
season. And madame-this child
surely twas the first white infant born
in the great valley"
"And the most unfortunate"
NAY, how can you say that. since
iI,you have come more than half q thou
sand miles and are all safe and sound
to-day? Glad enough we shall be to
hays you and madame with N for ~