Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/341

 An Account of tie Choktah Nation. 329

earth. The old trader, who was fhot through the fhoulder, going two years after the death of this our brave red friend, unfortunately a quarter of a mile into the woods, from the fpacious clearing of the Chikkafah coun try, while all the men were on their winter hunt, and having only a to- mohawk in his hand, the cowardly French Indians attacked him by furprife, fhot him dead, and carried his fcalp to Tumbikpe-fort : another white man unarmed, but out of the circle they had fuddenly formed, ran for his fire-arms ; but he and the traders came too late to overtake the blood hounds. In this manner, fell thofe two valuable brave men, by hands that would have trembled to attack them on an equality.

The French having drawn off fome towns from the national confederacy^ and corrupted them, they began to mew thcmfelves in their proper colours, and publicly offered rewards for our fcalps. Of this I was foon informed by two Choktah runners, and in a few days time, I fent them back well pleafed. I defired them to inform their head-men, that about the time thofe days I had marked down to them, were elapfed, I would be in their towns with a cargo, and difpofe of it in the way of the French, as they were fo earned in flealing the Englilh people. I charged them with a long relation of every thing I thought might be conducive to the main point in view ; which was, the continuance of a fair open trade with a free people, who by treaty were become allies of Great Britain ; not fubjefts* as our public records often wrongly term them but people of one fire. As only merit in war-exploits, and flowing language and oratory, gives any of them the lead preference above the retl, they can form no other idea of kings and fubjccts than that of tyrants domineering over bafe flaves ; of courfe, their various dialects have no names for fuch.

I left the Chikkafah, and arrived in the Choktah country before the ex piration of the broken days, or time we had appointed, with a confiderable cargo. By the intended monopoly of our great beloved man, in frighten ing the Chikkafah traders, there were no Englifh goods in the nation, when I went : and the neceflity of the times requiring a liberal diftribution, according to my former meffage, that alone muft have fallen heavy upon me under the public faith, without any additional expences. A day before I got there, Minggo Pujhkoojh^ the half-brother of Red Shoes, was returned home from Charles-town, and by him I had the honour of re-

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