There had come to them red men from the Wabash and Muskingum, who bore
to them the sad news of the encroachments of the pale-faces upon their
people and their hunting-grounds. "Soon," said the bearded chief, who
was the leading spirit of the mission, "these white faces will meet
along the Great River. They will forget the arrow of truth and the
tomahawk of justice. They will only know power and oppression. Then
they will be mighty as the hurricane when the Great Sun hides his face
in wrath and the tempest tears the forest. Who can resist him then? The
holy fire has been sent again from heaven, from the Great Spirit, our
God, the Great Sun. It tells us to save our people from this fearful
destruction which comes with the white man. These pale-faces are
cunning; they must not know of our union. We must not counsel long, or
they will learn our intentions. We must strike at once. The Choctaws
must strike at Mobile. At the same moment, Homochittas, Boloxies, and
Homas, you must strike at Boloxi. The Chickasaws and the Natchez will
fall upon New Orleans and Rosalie." (The latter is the Indian name for
what is now Natchez.
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