La Salle and the discovery of the great West - North Central ...

:;1680.] TONTY'S MEDIATION. 227moment to stop the fight, if possible. The Iroquoiswere, or professed to be, at peace with the Frenchand, taking counsel of his courage, he resolved onan attempt to mediate, which may well be called adesperate one. He laid aside his gun, took in hishand a wampum belt as a flag of truce, and walkedforward to meet the savage multitude, attended byBoisrondet, another Frenchman, and a young Illinoiswho had the hardihood to accompany him. Theguns of the Iroquois still flashed thick and fast.Some of them were aimed at him, on which he sentback the two Frenchmen and the Illinois, andadvanced alone, holding out the wampum belt. 1moment more, and he was among the infuriatedwarriors. It was a frightful spectacle, — the contortedforms, bounding, crouching, twisting, to dealor dodge the shot; the small keen eyes that shonelike an angry snake's; the parted lips pealing their1 Membre says that he went with Tonty :" J'etois aussi a cote duSieur de Tonty." This is an invention of the friar's vanity. " Lesdeux peres Recollets e'toient alors dans une cabane a une lieue duvillage, oil ils s'etoient retires pour faire une espece de retraite, etils ne furent avertis de l'arrivee des Iroquois que dans le temps ducombat."— Relation des Decouvertes. " Je rencontrai en chemin lesperes Gabriel et Zenobe Membre, qui cherchoient de mes nouvelles."— Tonty, Memoire, 1693. This was on his return from the Iroquois.The Relation confirms the statement, as far as concerns Membre'" II rencontra le Pere Zenobe [Membre], qui venoit pour le secourir,aiant ete averti du combat et de sa blessure."The perverted Dernieres Decouvertes, published without authority,under Tonty's name, says that he was attended by a slave, whomthe Illinois sent with him as interpreter. In his narrative of 1(584.Tonty speaks of a Sokokis (Saco) Indian who was with the Iroquoisand who spoke French enough to serve as interpreter.A