ered, already deeply interested in his simple story. "That
was all before my time, nor do I even remember hearing the name till
now, yet there were Frenchmen upon the great river full a hundred years
ago, I have been told. 'Twas most likely they who came to your people.
Did they do harm to your fathers?"

"They passed away in peace," he continued, using the language with
greater ease as he proceeded, "for we were then strong, and of courage
in battle; the fire bright on our altars. Nor did we look again upon
any white face for so long a time that this visit became no more than a
tradition among the people. More and more did the fathers believe this
Tonty was a visitant from the Sun--many there were who worshipped him
as a god. When he left he said he would come again, and with every
sunrise the eyes of my people were turned in watching up the river.
Then, when I was but a child, there came to our village canoes from
below, from the way of the salt water. They did land, unmolested of
our people, who supposed Tonty had come back; fair-faced men with
yellow hair and beards and dressed in shining metal from head to heel.
I was at the shore with the others when they came, and heard them speak
in this tongue, and call themselves _Francais_. Others of that race
followed, and we welcomed and fed them all, even as our fathers had
done to Tonty. Some were warriors with swords, and fire-sticks, but
with these were also some strange, black-robed men, who sought to tell
us of another God, greater than the Sun our fathers worshipped. They
had pictures, and crosses of wood, and prayed to these as we to the
Sun. But we believed not in their God, and tried to drive them away
from our village when they put out our fires, for they made much
trouble among our people, so that the priests came to hate them--the
black-robes. Some among them went, but one would not go, and so we
made offering of him in sacrifice to the Sun. Then we thought we were
rid of the black-robes, and could again live as we had been taught of
our fathers."

He stopped speaking, his head bent low on his breast, his eyes on the
altar name. I waited without a word.

"But they were of strong heart," he went on at last, never looking at
me, "and returned again, until finally war arose between my people and
these white-faced _Francais_. Many came up the great river from the
salt water in big boats, and drove us forth from our village, the home
of our fathers,