WANTON] INDIAN TRIBES OF THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 151

but break his head with a gunshot. So it is good, Frenchman, that you speak
to your chiefs, for if he kills himself his women will die, with a great number
of warriors, and that would be a great misfortune." a These words made M.
Brontin determine to return to the fort in order to confer with M. de Vilainville,
the commander, and M. Dumanoir, director of the grant of St. Catherine. For
my part, after having dined with M. Brontin I returned to the great village,
where I found some Frenchmen who told me that they were very much dis-
turbed regarding me at the settlement; that M. de Vilainville had gone out just
now from the great village, and that he had spoken to the great war chief that
he might not make so many people die. After that I entered the cabin of the
dead man, where I saw him laid on a cane bed covered with mats. He had on
moccasins and was dressed. In front of him were planted four large canes, to
which were fastened all the calumets which had been presented to him, and
between these canes were the dishes which had been served to him after he had
died. I also saw there his wife, dressed in her most beautiful clothing, with
many other women and a man. They said to me, Those are the ones who are
going to die with him." A moment later La Glorieuse b entered, also dressed up,
and placed herself in the ranks of the others. This Glorieuse was descended
from the women chiefs and was, besides, a very skillful surgeon, especially in
venereal diseases. Many of our Frenchmen had been restored to life by her.
The wife of the Tattooed-serpent, seeing me looking at all this apparel and per-
ceiving that the spectacle pained me, said to me, I am going in three nights.
It is very grievous c that the Tattooed-serpent is dead. He was like a French-
man. But what would you have? La Glorieuse also said to me: I am going
with them. Is it not good? What do you say?" My heart was so oppressed
that it was impossible for me to reply.
 In the midst of all this the wife of the head servant (lou6) of the deceased
arrived, the very one whom I had seen, as I have said, with the women. This
head servant is one of the Honored men who lights the pipe of the great chief
and follows him everywhere. He is present at the councils, where he records
the votes. It is he also who speaks for the great chief. His wife, seeing him
with the others, said to him: "What are you doing there? "Do not you
know," replied he, "that my chief is dead? It is well that I go with him."
"That is very well," answered the woman. You know also that you have
never repulsed me; that we have always walked together along the same road;
that we have always eaten together. Thus I do not wish to go with your chief,
but I wish to go with you." Her husband wished to speak to her to deter her
from dying, but she would not listen and went out to prepare herself.
 Almost at the same time came one called Taotal,4 escorted by thirty warriors,
who led him. This savage had formerly married a woman chief, and accord-
ing to the law of the country he ought to have died with her, but he had
fled to M. de Bienville and by his flight had escaped death. Afterward he had
obtained his pardon, but at this time some Frenchmen told me that he must
die because he was one of the principal warriors of the deceased; that he had
already fled that morning with a view to escape death, and that the great
chief of war had had him pursued in order to bring him back. In fact, as
soon as he arrived, he was placed in the ranks of the other unfortunate victims
of superstition. This man wept bitterly, so much so that the wife of the
Tattooed-serpent, seeing him in this condition, said to him, Why do you weep?
Are you not a warrior? Doubtless I am," he replied. Life is then dear to

 a Cela est beaucoup de valeur.
 b See p. 145.
 C C'est beaucoup de r nleur.
 The same as the Ette-actal referred to on p. 146.