ad come into their country as friends,
making them rich presents, and who undeniably desired only to do them
good.

They could not utter the scalp halloo, nor the yell announcing that
they were bringing victims for the stake. But they made the forest
resound with their war-whoops, and with their shouts of triumph. During
the absence of the war party, the women and the old men had planted
several stakes, and had gathered around their large quantities of dried
grass, with which they intended to scorch and blister and consume the
prisoners, whom they doubted not the victors would bring back. They
were anticipating a grand gala day in dance and yell, as they witnessed
the writhings of their victims and listened with delight to the shrieks
which agony extorted.

Father Hennepin and his companions were appalled as they looked at
these stakes and these preparations for torture, and feared that they
were to occupy the places prepared for the Miamis. They, however,
concealed their fears, carefully abstained from the slightest
indication of anxiety, and assumed that they were contented and beloved
members of the tribe which had adopted them.

It was about the 21st of April, 1680, when these unfortunate men, who
had been cradled in France, were led into the miserable hovels of this
village of savages. They were all conducted into the wigwam of the
principal chief. Here, much to their encouragement, the chief presented
them his own peace calumet, to smoke. He then gave them, in a birch
bark dish, some boiled wild rice, seasoned with dry whortleberries.
Half-famished as the Frenchmen were, this was by no means unpalatable
food.

After this feast each one was conducted to the wigwam of the Indian by
whom he had been adopted. These Indians lived in different villages
several miles apart. The captives now found, much to their sorrow, that
they were to be separated. Father Hennepin was adopted by the chief
Aquipaguetin, and was conducted nearly three miles, often through
marshes knee-deep with mud and water, till they came to a considerable
stream, probably one of the upper tributaries of the St. Francis River.
Here five wives of the chief, with their canoes, were obsequiously
waiting the approach of their lord and master. A young son of the chief
was also with them. The chief informed them all that he had adopted the
white man in the place of the child he had lost; and that his wives
were to call him their son, and that his son wa