ding him to come to the fort,
which was about six miles away. When the chief arrived there, Chopart
told him, bluntly enough, that he had decided to build a settlement on
the site of the White Apple village, and that he must clear away the
huts and build somewhere else. His only excuse was that it was necessary
for the French to settle on the banks of the rivulet on whose waters
stood the Grand Tillage and the abode of the Grand Sun.

The Sun of the Apple was taken aback by this arbitrary demand. He
replied with dignity that his ancestors had dwelt in that village for as
many years as there were hairs in his head, and that it was good that he
and his people should continue there. This reasonable answer threw
Chopart into a passion, and he violently told the Sun that he must quit
his village in a few days or he should repent it.

"When your people came to ask us for lands to settle on," said the
Indian in reply, "you told us that there was plenty of unoccupied land
which you would be willing to take. The same sun, you said, would shine
on us all and we would all walk in the same path."

Before he could proceed, Chopart violently interrupted him, saying that
he wanted to hear no more, he only wanted to be obeyed. At this the
insulted chief withdrew, saying, with the same quiet dignity as before,
that he would call together the old men of the village and hold a
council on the affair.

The Indians, finding the French official so violent and arbitrary, at
first sought to obtain delay, saying that the corn was just above the
ground and the chickens were laying their eggs. The commandant replied
that this did not matter to him, they must obey his order or they should
suffer for their obstinacy. They next tried the effect of a bribe,
offering to pay him a basket of corn and a fowl for each hut in the
village if he would wait till the harvest was gathered. Chopart proved
to be as avaricious as he was arbitrary, and agreed to accept this
offer.

He did not know the people he was dealing with. Stung with the injustice
of the demand, and deeply incensed by the insolence of the commandant,
the village council secretly resolved that they would not be slaves to
these base intruders, but would cut them off to a man. The oldest chief
suggested the following plan. On the day fixed they should go to the
fort with some corn, and carrying their arms as if going out to hunt.
There should be two or three Natchez for every Frenchman, and