swords and brandished them with great fury.
Some even pointed their guns at me, and nodded to each other, as much as
to say, "This is the way we shall do with him." I sat on my camp-stool,
with my double-barreled gun across my knees, and invited the chief to
be seated also. When he and his counselors had sat down on the ground in
front of me, I asked what crime we had committed that he had come armed
in that way. He replied that one of my men, Pitsane, while sitting at
the fire that morning, had, in spitting, allowed a small quantity of the
saliva to fall on the leg of one of his men, and this "guilt" he wanted
to be settled by the fine of a man, ox, or gun. Pitsane admitted the
fact of a little saliva having fallen on the Chiboque, and in proof of
its being a pure accident, mentioned that he had given the man a piece
of meat, by way of making friends, just before it happened, and wiped it
off with his hand as soon as it fell. In reference to a man being given,
I declared that we were all ready to die rather than give up one of our
number to be a slave; that my men might as well give me as I give one
of them, for we were all free men. "Then you can give the gun with which
the ox was shot." As we heard some of his people remarking even now that
we had only "five guns", we declined, on the ground that, as they were
intent on plundering us, giving a gun would be helping them to do so.

This they denied, saying they wanted the customary tribute only. I asked
what right they had to demand payment for leave to tread on the ground
of God, our common Father. If we trod on their gardens, we would pay,
but not for marching on land which was still God's, and not theirs. They
did not attempt to controvert this, because it is in accordance with
their own ideas, but reverted again to the pretended crime of the
saliva.

My men now entreated me to give something; and after asking the chief
if he really thought the affair of the spitting a matter of guilt, and
receiving an answer in the affirmative, I gave him one of my shirts.
The young Chiboque were dissatisfied, and began shouting and brandishing
their swords for a greater fine.

As Pitsane felt that he had been the cause of this disagreeable affair,
he asked me to add something else. I gave a bunch of beads, but the
counselors objected this time, so I added a large handkerchief. The
more I yielded, the more unreasonable their demands became, and at every
fresh demand a shout was r