minion of these pale-faced intruders, and they feared they might
be turned upon them in an unsuspecting hour.

There was among the Natchez a mighty chief and warrior. He was of great
stature and fame, being seven feet high and powerfully proportioned. He
had a large beard, and was called the chief of the Beard, because he
was the only man of all the tribe who had this facial ornament or
incumbrance. He was a mighty warrior and was wise in counsel. He
believed he saw great evil to the Natchez in the increase of the French
and the extension of French power. He knew, and told his people, this
was the foreboding of the extinction of the holy fire. He went forth
with the chief of the Walnut Hills, named Alahoplechia, and the chief
of the White Clay, Oyelape, among their neighbors of other tribes, the
Chicasaws and Choctaws, preaching a crusade against the French; urging
them to unite with the Natchez, the Homochittas, and the Alabamas, and
to attack and destroy the last man of the French settlements at Mobile,
Boloxy, Ship Island, and New Orleans, as they were mischievous
intruders from across the Salt Lake, whence they were yearly bringing
their people to rob them of their homes and appropriate them.

There had come to them red men from the Wabash and Muskingum, who bore
to them the sad news of the encroachments of the pale-faces upon their
people and their hunting-grounds. "Soon," said the bearded chief, who
was the leading spirit of the mission, "these white faces will meet
along the Great River. They will forget the arrow of truth and the
tomahawk of justice. They will only know power and oppression. Then
they will be mighty as the hurricane when the Great Sun hides his face
in wrath and the tempest tears the forest. Who can resist him then? The
holy fire has been sent again from heaven, from the Great Spirit, our
God, the Great Sun. It tells us to save our people from this fearful
destruction which comes with the white man. These pale-faces are
cunning; they must not know of our union. We must not counsel long, or
they will learn our intentions. We must strike at once. The Choctaws
must strike at Mobile. At the same moment, Homochittas, Boloxies, and
Homas, you must strike at Boloxi. The Chickasaws and the Natchez will
fall upon New Orleans and Rosalie." (The latter is the Indian name for
what is now Natchez.) His advice was startling, but unheeded. In order
to precipitate a war, on his return with the chiefs who accomp