Legend upon the Cane Read Free Page B

a black triangle hat, with the point just to the
left of his head. Their appearance seemed very odd to Natchitos and
Tooantuh, considering the days hot sun and how many pelts it must
have taken to fashion such clothing.
    As the raft came to rest in
the mud and grass on the riverbank, the standing man stepped down
to the ground in front of Natchitos and Tooantuh, a mere ten yards
in front of them. Natchitos raised his right hand in front of him,
as if to say, “ That’s far
enough!”
    “ Greetings to you, Bride
les Boeufs,” Natchitos said in his own language. The man did not
understand and turned to see Bride les Boeufs, which means Buffalo
Tamer, now standing in the raft behind him. It was the Indian guide
in the raft along with them.
    “ Hello my old friend,”
Buffalo Tamer said. He hopped off the raft and walked straight up
to Natchitos with a smile. “I ask for your grace and kindness to
welcome these men. We have traveled down from the Yatasi. They have
entrusted me as their guide.”
    “ The Yatasi? Smart they are
to employ you, my good friend. You are the best tracker I know,”
Natchitos said. They clasped their right arms together in the
traditional greeting. “Why are the whites here? Can you make the
white talk?”
    Just then, the white man standing behind
Buffalo Tamer spoke up. “I am Lieutenant Louis Juchereau de St.
Denis. I come in peace in the name of Louis XIV, King of
France.”
    Buffalo Tamer looked back at St. Denis with
a scowling expression. It was not yet the time for him to speak to
the chief. But he knew that the white leader always seemed to speak
out of turn. He shook his head and allowed him to continue.
    “ I and my companions humbly
present ourselves before you and offer our friendship,” St. Denis
said. Buffalo Tamer translated St. Denis’ words to
Natchitos.
    Natchitos replied, “If your desire is to
visit our land in peace, then we accept your presence here.”
Tooantuh gave Natchitos a frown. He never liked the way Natchitos
accepted strangers in their land so easily. “But, I do not know of
this France of which you speak. Why have you come here?”
    “ We have come from the
Yatasi tribe, where, with the aid of Buffalo Tamer, we have
established an agreement to trade with them,” St. Denis continued.
“We are hoping to do the same with you. We have goods to trade with
you and have different methods of raising crops that we can show
you. In return, all we ask is to be able to live upon your land for
only a short period of time. We only wish to live in peace
alongside you.”
    Natchitos listened to his
words with a perplexed look upon his face. “ Why now? ” he thought to
himself. “And why would the Yatasi make
agreements with this man?” He pulled
Buffalo Tamer to the side. “Buffalo Tamer, what do you think of
this man? Can he and these other soldiers be trusted?”
    “ He’s a good man,” Buffalo
Tamer replied. “They have treated me well and have done all the
things that they have spoken to among the Yatasi. I believe his
heart is a good one. We were only among the Yatasi for two weeks
before coming down the Cane.”
    Natchitos grew silent and thought longer
about what Buffalo Tamer was saying. It seemed to him that it would
take much longer than just two weeks time to make an agreement with
the Yatasi. What was it about this white man that was so
trustworthy?
    Buffalo Tamer broke the silence. “He is a
good man, but he talks too much.” Natchitos gave him a coy
grin.
    The soldiers began to step off the rafts.
Tooantuh noticed immediately that the soldiers did indeed have
muskets with them. “Chief,” he whispered to Natchitos, and motioned
towards the soldiers. Natchitos saw the rifles and looked back over
at Tooantuh then back at St. Denis sternly.
    Among the six soldiers was a sergeant, Henri
LaRouche. He casually barked orders at the other men, with a
satchel over one shoulder and his rifle dangling from his other
hand. “Gather that gear out of those