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

440 THE INNOCENT AND THE GUILTY. [1687.of provisions, held a council toshould do.determine what theyIt was resolved that Joutel, with Hiens,Liotot, and Teissier, should go in advance to thevillages and buy a supply of corn. Thus, Joutelfound himself doomed to the company of threevillains,who, he strongly suspected, were contrivingan opportunity to kill him ; but, as he had no choice,he dissembled his doubts, and set out with his sinistercompanions, Duhaut having firstsupplied him withgoods for the intended barter.They rode over hills and plains till night,encamped, supped on a wild turkey, 'and continuedtheir journey till the afternoon of the next day,when they saw three men approaching on horseback,one of whom, to Joutel's alarm, was dressed like aSpaniard. He proved, however, to be a CenisIndian, like the others. The three turned theirhorses' heads, and accompanied the Frenchmen ontheir way. At length they neared the Indian town,which, with itslarge thatched lodges, looked like acluster of gigantic haystacks. Their approach hadbeen made known, and they were received in solemnstate. Twelve of the elders came to meet them intheir dress of ceremony, each with his face daubedred or black, and his head adorned with paintedplumes. From their shoulders hung deer-skinswrought with gay colors.some, bows and arrows ;Some carried war-clubs-,some, the blades of Spanishrapiers, attached to wooden handles decorated withhawk's bells and bunches of feathers.They stopped