ecas, and Cayugas. They called themselves the Five Nations. They had
corn fields, and lived in towns. Their language was different from that
of the Algonquins, with whom they were ever at war.

The wild flowers were in bloom in June, 1609, when Samuel Champlain
sailed up the St. Lawrence to join a war party against the Iroquois. He
had resolved to make the Algonquins his allies, and through them, and
with the aid of the Jesuit priests, he would lay the foundations of the
empire of New France.

The war party sailed up the Richelieu, or the St. John, carried their
canoes past the rapids, launched them once more, and came out into the
lake which bears the name of the intrepid explorer. Two Frenchmen
accompanied Champlain, and there were twenty-four canoes, carrying sixty
warriors, who had put on their feathers, and filled their quivers with
arrows.

The woods were full of game, and the lake was swarming with fish, so
that there was no lack of provisions. At daybreak they hauled their
canoes up on the beach, and secreted themselves, so that no Iroquois
might discern them; but when the sun went down they launched their
canoes, and stole on in silence over the peaceful waters.

It was ten o'clock in the evening. They were near Crown Point, when they
heard the dip of other paddles, and beheld a fleet of Iroquois canoes
moving northward. A whoop wilder than the howling of a pack of wolves
rent the air, and the Iroquois pulled for the shore to prepare for
battle. They hacked down trees with their stone hatchets, and built a
barricade.

Both parties danced, sang, howled, and yelled through the night,
boasting of what they would do.

"We will fight you at daybreak," came from one side.

"You are cowards, and don't dare to fight," was the answer.

The morning sunlight streamed up the eastern sky, revealing the outline
of the Green Mountains, and driving the darkness from the wilderness.
The air was calm and peaceful as the Algonquins and Iroquois ranged
themselves for battle. Many times had they met, and the great world had
been no better--nor perhaps any worse--for their fighting; but this was
to be a momentous conflict, affecting the welfare of the people of
America through all succeeding ages.

Champlain put on a steel breastplate, and an iron casque to protect his
head, with a plume waving from the burnished metal, buckled on his
sword, loaded his arquebuse, or gun with a bell-shaped muzzle, putting
in four balls. Th