Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 26.djvu/121

 among them. The elder of the Assiniboines, the orator of the village, said to me: My father, we have brought thee here; I do not doubt that thou mayest be well here; we flatter ourselves with bringing thee back to thy fort; thou art the master to do what thou shalt consider suitable; we will come to seek thee, so soon as thou shalt wish it. Speaking then to the Mandans: We are leaving our father; take great care of him and of all the French; learn to know them; they know how to do everything; he is a spirit; we love and fear him; do like us. We leave much grieved at the theft which has been committed on our father by entering among us; what can he think of us; we cannot deny that it is an unworthy thing. The Frenchman came to see us and you robbed him; we are pleased that our father should be good or it would not have passed in that way. I do not fear to tell you so; we could have found the bag had he wished it; there is still time if he will. I made him finish, as I saw the old man was getting heated.

One of the Mandan chiefs answered: Neither I, nor my people have any share in what you accuse us of; I do not answer for others; I am vexed enough; I have had every search made by my young men; I have nothing to reproach myself with. Who knows if it is not an Assiniboine? There were some of both in the crowd; thou can'st answer for nothing. Be not uneasy as to what regards our father and all his people; he is here master as if he were at home. We beg him to number us among his children. This I did at once, by putting my hands on the head of each chief, which is the usual ceremony, answered by loud shouts of joy and thanks. I then said to the Assiniboines: I am sending four Frenchmen to my fort to give my news there; I recommend you to get them to that place as soon as you can. I have left powder in the village and all that is necessary to have them brought. The council ended with loud thanks from both parties. As the Assiniboines did not yet speak of leaving, although they