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

;1670-72.] THE CROSS AMONG THE FOXES. 45whose demeanor towards histhe savage.guests had no savor ofTheir hosts told them of the great river Mississippi,rising far in the north and flowing southward, — theyknew not whither, — and of many tribes that dweltalong its banks. When at length they took theirdeparture, they left behind them a reputation asmedicine-men oftranscendent power.In the winter following, Allouez visited the Foxes,whom he found in extreme ill-humor. They wereincensed against the French by the ill-usage whichsome of their tribe had lately met when on a tradingvisit to Montreal ; and they received the Faith withshouts of derision. The priest was horror-strickenat what he saw.Their lodges, each containing fromfive to ten families, seemed in his eyes like seragliosfor some of the chiefs had eight wives. He armedhimself with patience, and atlength gained a hearing.Nay, he succeeded so well, that when heshowed them his crucifix they would throw tobaccoon it as an offering ; and, on another visit which hemade them soon after, he taught the whole village tomake the sign of the cross. A war-party was goingout against theirenemies, and he bethought him oftelling them the story of the Cross and the EmperorConstantine.This so wrought upon them that theyall daubed the figure of a cross on their shields ofbull-hide, setout for the war, and came back victorious,extolling the sacred symbol as a great warmedicine.