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285 AN INDIAN SECRET ORDER. 286 chief of the Ottawas was the High Priest of a secret order, and to bear this out the book is cited: "To Pontiac must be ascribed the highest position among the leaders of the Algonquin rsice. Born the son of a chief, he became in turn the chief of his own people, the Ottawas, whom it is said commanded on the occa- sion of Braddock's defeat. For this or other services in bet^f of the French he had received marks of dis- tinguished consideration from Montcalm himself. By reason of his natural ability, his influence was felt and respected wherever the name of his tribe was spoken, while to his dignity of chief he added the sacred char- acter of high priest of the powerful secret order of the Mide. ' ' The dance of the secret order which took place in the year 1541 was made up of eight divisions, each division doing its strut as required in battle. "Those who were not enrolled in some one of the eight orders were held in but little respect. " The first degree were the young entered appren- tices, like the Masons, or perhaps pages in the Knights of Pythias would be a better term, comprising the young men. The second is passed, but the third or- der was important. They were the "Club Men." Their dance was called "Hichaaqawee, " and were aU men in the prime of life. They carried notched clubs; their province was to mimic an attack; these club men dash at the enemy, and although they hold the most dangerous position, yet there were always more applicants than could be accommodated, and the work jsays there were deaths in the third degree, but none ever resigned. Then there was the sixth degree, or "Dog Men." They had rattles, which no doubt an-