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

;1680.] IROQUOIS TREACHERY. 281who had felt their courage, and who had been toldby Tonty that they were twice as numerous as themselves,showed symptoms of no little uneasiness.They proposed that he should act as mediator, towhich he gladly assented, and crossed the meadowtowards the Illinois, accompanied by Membre', andby an Iroquois who was sent as a hostage. TheIllinois hailed the overtures with delight, gave theambassadors some refreshment, which they sorelyneeded, and sent back with them a young man oftheir nation as a hostage on their part. This indiscreetyouth nearly proved the ruin of the negotiationfor he was no sooner among the Iroquois than heshowed such an eagerness to closethe treaty, madesuch promises, professed such gratitude, and betrayedso rashly the numerical weakness of the Illinois,thathe revived all the insolence of the invaders. Theyturned furiously upon Tonty, and charged him withhaving robbed them of the glory and the spoils of44victory. Where are all your Illinois warriors, andwhere are the sixty Frenchmen that you said wereamong them ? " It needed all Tonty's tact and coolnessto extricate himself from this new danger.The treaty was at length concluded ;was it made, when the Iroquoisbut scarcelyprepared to break it,and set about constructing canoes of elm-bark, inwhich to attack the Illinois women and children intheir island sanctuary.Tonty warned his allies thatthe pretended peace was but a snare for their destruction.The Iroquois, on their part, grew hourly more