f February, a blue or red kerchief would have covered
the men's heads. The dress of an ordinary frontiersman in those days
consisted of shirt, breech-cloth, and buckskin leggins, with moccasins,
and neips, or strips of blanket wrapped around the feet for stockings.
The voyageur so equipped could undertake any hardship. But in the
settlements wooden shoes were worn instead of moccasins, and garments of
texture lighter than buckskin. The women wore short gowns, or long, full
jackets, and petticoats; and their moccasins were like those of squaws,
ornamented with beautiful quill-work. Their outer wraps were not unlike
the men's; so a multitude of blanket capotes flocked toward the
Mississippi bank, which at that time had not been washed away, and rose
steeply above the water. They had all run to see a procession of boats
pass by from Fort Chartres.

A little negro had brought the news that the boats were in sight. Black
slaves were owned by some of the French; and Indian slaves, sold by
their captors to the settlers, had long been members of these
patriarchal households. Many of them had left their work to follow their
masters to the river; the negroes pointing and shouting, the Indians
standing motionless and silent.

The sun flecked a broad expanse of water, and down this shining track
rushed a fleet of canoes; white uniforms leading, and brick-colored
heads above dusky-fringed buckskins following close after. This little
army waved their hands and fired guns to salute the crowd on shore. The
crowd all jangled voices in excited talk, no man listening to what
another said.

"See you--there are Monsieur Pierre D'Artaguette and the Chevalier De
Vincennes and excellent Father Senat in the first boat."

"The young St. Ange and Sieur Lalande follow them."

"How many of our good Indians have thrown themselves into this
expedition! The Chickasaw nation may howl when they see this array!
They will be taught to leave the boats from New Orleans alone!"

"But suppose Sieur De Bienville and his army do not meet the Commandant
D'Artaguette when he reaches the Chickasaw country?"

"During his two years at Fort Chartres has Sieur D'Artaguette made
mistakes? The expedition will succeed."

"The saints keep that beautiful boy!--for to look at him, though he is
so hardy, Monsieur Pierre D'Artaguette is as handsome as a woman. I have
heard the southern tribes sacrifice their own children to the sun. This
is a fair company of Christia