h by another treaty,
which Black-hawk himself had signed, the treaty of 1804 was re-pledged
by the Sacs and Foxes, this all was United States land, and no settlers
had any rights to it.

The Indians were unable to put the settlers off, and trouble arose.
Once Black-hawk was taken, in the forest, by settlers who accused him
of shooting their hogs; they tore his gun from him, and beat him with
sticks.

This was such a disgrace to him, that he painted a black mark on his
face, and wore the mark for almost ten years. Only a scalp could wipe
it off.

The white trespassers kept coming in. They respected nothing. They
even built fences around the corn fields of the principal Sac village,
at the mouth of Rock River; they ploughed up the grave-yard there; they
took possession of Black-hawk's own lodge; and when in the spring of
1828 the Black-hawk people came back from their winter hunt, they found
that forty of their lodges had been burned.

Up to this time none of the land had been put on the market by the
United States. But the Indian agent was trying to persuade the Sacs to
move across the Mississippi, into Iowa. That was for their own good.
The white settlers were using whiskey and every other means, to get the
upper hand.

Chief Keokuk agreed with the agent. He was not of the rank of
Black-hawk and the Thunder clan, but he had fought the Sioux, and was
of great courage and keen mind and silver tongue. He was an orator;
Black-hawk was a warrior.

So the Sacs split. Keokuk--a stout, heavy-faced man--took his Sacs
across into the country of the Foxes. Black-hawk's band said they
would be shamed if they gave up their village and the graves of their
fathers.

Black-hawk visited some white "chiefs" (judges) who were on Rock
Island. He made complaint. He said that he wore a black mark on his
face; but that if he tried to avenge the black mark, by striking a
white man, then the white men would call it war. He said that the Sacs
dared not resent having their lodges burned and their corn fields
fenced and their women beaten, and the graves of their fathers ploughed
up.

"Why do you not tell the President?"

"He is too far off. He cannot hear my voice."

"Why do you not write a letter to him?"

"It would be written by white men, who would say that we told lies.
Our Great Father would rather believe a white man, than an Indian."

The two judges said that they were sorry for the Sacs, but could do
nothing