k flattened, his cheeks swollen with ungovernable anger, his
lips drawn up, showing his dreadful fangs, his eyes red as burning
coals, and his forked tongue of the colour of the hottest flame.

[Footnote A: The name given by the Indians to the bellows.]

"Back, back," said he, "I am very passionate; I shall bite you. If you
value your safety, go back before I make you very sorry that you have
bit your thumb at me. Or, if you are really mad, let me know, that I
may pity you, and not harm you."

Shamonekusse drew back with astonishment, and called the priest to
come and talk with the strange creature. The priest, having made a
short petition to his guardian Okki, which was the stuffed skin of a
horned owl, came forward, and demanded of the strange creature, "Who
are you?"

"I am," answered he, "the partisan leader of the rattlesnakes. I am
the 'mighty wise man of very low stature, and of cross and passionate
disposition, wearing a particoloured robe, and carrying a bag of
rattles,' spoken of by the Great Wahconda, as he who was ordered to
guide the Lenapes to the River of Fish."

"We are the Lenapes," answered the priest.

"Then you are the men I expected and was looking for," answered the
chief of the rattlesnakes. "But why were you about to declare war
against me--me, who alone possess, under the Wahconda, the means of
conducting you in safety to the end of your journey? You are too brave
and valiant, too hasty and choleric, Lenapes; it will be good for you
to lose some of your blood to make you tamer."

"We are very sorry," answered the priest, perceiving the wisdom of
conciliating the old fellow, "that the war-club was raised, and the
hatchet raked up. It is our wish that the hatchet shall be buried
again, and that there shall be a clear sky between us. Shall it be so,
rattlesnake?"

"The hatchet shall be buried again, and there shall be a clear sky
between us," answered the snake. "Yet, a little bird tells me that a
black cloud shall arise, and that the hatchet may as well be put under
the bedstead[A], whence it may be easily drawn forth. The rattlesnakes
and the Lenapes, ere many suns shall pass, will be enemies, and each
attempt the extermination of the other."

[Footnote A: Put the hatchet under the bedstead, an Indian figure,
signifying that peace will not last long.]

"Oh, we will not talk of that now," answered the priest; "we will put
all thoughts of the evil day afar off. We will smoke with you, s