第17章

Curiosity pricked Henry like a nettle.Who was coming now? It must be some man of great importance, or they would not wait so silently.There was the same air of expectancy that had preceded the arrival of Timmendiquas.All the warriors looked toward the eastern wall of the forest, and Henry looked the same way.

Presently the black foliage parted, and a man stepped forth, followed at a little distance by seven or eight others.The stranger, although tall, was not equal in height to Timmendiquas, but he, too, had a lofty and splendid presence, and it was evident to anyone versed at all in forest lore that here was a great chief.He was lean but sinewy, and he moved with great ease and grace.He reminded Henry of a powerful panther.He was dressed, after the manner of famous chiefs, with the utmost care.

His short military coat of fine blue cloth bore a silver epaulet on either shoulder.His head was not bare, disclosing the scalp lock, like those of the other Indians; it was covered instead with a small hat of felt, round and laced.Hanging carelessly over one shoulder was a blanket of blue cloth with a red border.

At his side, from a belt of blue leather swung a silver-mounted small sword.His leggins were of superfine blue cloth and his moccasins of deerskin.Both were trimmed with small beads of many colors.

The new chief advanced into the opening amid the dead silence that still held all, and Timmendiquas stepped forward to meet him.These two held the gaze of everyone, and what they and they alone did had become of surpassing interest.Each was haughty, fully aware of his own dignity and importance, but they met half way, looked intently for a moment or two into the eyes of each other, and then saluted gravely.

All at once Henry knew the stranger.He had never seen him before, but his impressive reception, and the mixture of military and savage attire revealed him.This could be none other than the great Mohawk war chief, Thayendanegea, the Brant of the white men, terrible name on the border.Henry gazed at him eagerly from his covert, etching his features forever on his memory.His face, lean and strong, was molded much like that of Timmendiquas, and like the Wyandot he was young, under thirty.

Timmendiquas and Thayendanegea-it was truly he-returned to the fire, and once again the trumpet-shaped pipe was smoked by all.

The two young chiefs received the seats of favor, and others sat about them.But they were not the only great chiefs present, though all yielded first place to them because of their character and exploits.

Henry was not mistaken in his guess that this was an important council, although its extent exceeded even his surmise.

Delegates and head chiefs of all the Six Nations were present to confer with the warlike Wyandots of the west who had come so far east to meet them.Thayendanegea was the great war chief of the Mohawks, but not their titular chief.The latter was an older man, Te-kie-ho-ke (Two Voices), who sat beside the younger.The other chiefs were the Onondaga, Tahtoo-ta-hoo (The Entangled) ;the Oneida, 0-tat-sheh-te (Bearing a Quiver) ; the Cayuga, Te-ka-ha-hoonk (He Who Looks Both Ways) ; the Seneca, Kan-ya-tai-jo (Beautiful Lake) ; and the Tuscarora, Ta-ha-en-te-yahwak-hon (Encircling and Holding Up a Tree).The names were hereditary, and because in a dim past they had formed the great confederacy, the Onondagas were first in the council, and were also the high priests and titular head of the Six Nations.But the Mohawks were first on-the war path.

All the Six Nations were divided into clans, and every clan, camping in its proper place, was represented at this meeting.