by eagle feathers, and their bodies were painted bright vermilion.  Behind came the elders, with medicine-bags of rattlesnake skin streaming from their shoulders and long strings of bears’ claws hanging from neck and wrist.  They were dressed in buckskin, garnished with porcupine quills, and wore moccasins of buffalo hide, with the hair dangling from the heel.  In the belt of each was a skull-cracker—­a sort of sling stone with a long handle—­and a war-hatchet.  Each elder carried a peace pipe set with precious stones, and stuck in the stem were the quills of the war eagle to represent enemies slain.  Women slaves followed, loaded with skins for the elders’ tents.

[Illustration:  A parley on the Plains.]

A great fire had been kindled inside the court of the Cree stockades.  Round the pavilion the Sioux elders seated themselves.  First, they solemnly smoked the calumet of peace.  Then the chief of the Sioux rose and chanted a song, giving thanks for their safe journey.  Setting aside gifts of rare beaver pelts, he declared that the Sioux had come to make friends with the French, who were masters of peace and war; that the elders would conduct the white men back to the Sioux country; that the mountains were levelled and the valleys cast up, and the way made smooth, and branches strewn on the ground for the white men’s feet, and streams bridged, and the doors of the tepees open.  Let the French come to the Sioux!  The Indians would die for the French.  A gift was presented to invoke the friendship of the Crees.  Another rich gift of furs let out the secret of the Sioux’ anxiety:  it was that the French might give the Sioux “thunder weapons,” meaning guns.

The speech being finished, the Crees set a feast before their guests.  To this feast Radisson and Groseillers came in a style that eclipsed the Sioux.  Cree warriors marched in front, carrying guns.  Radisson and Groseillers were dressed in armor.[7] At their belts they wore pistol, sword, and dagger.  On their heads were crowns of colored porcupine quills.  Two pages carried the dishes and spoons to be used at the feast; and four Cree magicians followed with smoking calumets in their hands.  Four Indian maids carried bearskins to place on the ground when the two explorers deigned to sit down.  Inside the fort more than six hundred councillors had assembled.  Outside were gathered a thousand spectators.  As Radisson and Groseillers entered, an old Cree flung a peace pipe at the explorers’ feet and sang a song of thanksgiving to the sun that he had lived to see “those terrible men whose words (guns) made the earth quake.”  Stripping himself of his costly furs, he placed them on the white men’s shoulders, shouting:  “Ye are masters over us; dead or alive, dispose of us as you will.”