haustion across the
prairies, they set fire to grass behind him, obliging him to take to his
heels with them or burn. By adoption into the family of Aquipaguetin
he had a large relationship thrust upon him, for the old weeper had
many wives and children and other kindred. Hennepin indeed felt that
he was not needed and might at any time be disposed of. He never had
that confidence in his father Aquipaguetin which a son should repose
in a parent.

He was separated from Ako and Du Gay, who were taken to other villages.
By the time he reached father Aquepaguetin's house he was so exhausted,
and his legs, cut by ice in the streams, were so swollen that he fell
down on a bear robe. The village was on an island in a sheet of water
afterwards called Lake Buade. Hennepin was kindly received by his new
family, who fed him as well as they were able, for the Sioux had little
food when they were not hunting. Seeing him so feeble, they gave him an
Indian sweating bath, which he found good for his health. They made a
lodge of skins so tight that it would hold heat, and put into it stones
baked to a white heat. On these they poured water and shut Hennepin in
the steam until he sweated freely.

The Sioux had two kinds of lodges--one somewhat resembling those of the
Illinois, the other a cone of poles with skins stretched around, called
a tepee.

Father Hennepin did little missionary work among these Indians. He
suffered much from hunger, being a man who loved good cheer. But the
tribes went on a buffalo hunt in July and killed plenty of meat. All
that northern world was then clothed in vivid verdure. Honeysuckles and
wild grapevines made the woods fragrant. The gentian, which jealously
closes its blue-fringed cup from the human eye, grew close to the lakes.
Captive though the Frenchmen were, they could not help enjoying the
evening camp-fire with its weird flickerings against the dark of savage
forests, the heat-lightning which heralded or followed storms, the
waters, clear, as if filtered through icebergs, dashing in foam over
mossy rocks.

They met during the buffalo hunt, and it was about this time that some
"spirits," or white men, were heard of, coming from Lake Superior. These
proved to be the great ranger Greysolon du Lhut and four other
Frenchmen.

This man, cousin to Tonty, passed nearly his whole life in the woods,
going from Indian town to Indian town, or planting outposts of his
own in the wilderness. Occasionally he