prolonged than their own. He then stalked proudly to the
head of the party, and even preceded Major Blackwater
into the council room.

In this rude theatre of conference some changes had been
made since their recent visit, which escaped not the
observation of the quick-sighted chiefs. Their mats lay
in the position they had previously occupied, and the
chairs of the officers were placed as before, but the
room itself had been considerably enlarged. The slight
partition terminating the interior extremity of the
mess-room, and dividing it from that of one of the
officers, had been removed; and midway through this,
extending entirely across, was drawn a curtain of scarlet
cloth, against which the imposing figure of the governor,
elevated as his seat was above those of the other officers,
was thrown into strong relief. There was another change,
that escaped not the observation of the Indians, and that
was, not more than one half of the officers who had been
present at the first conference being now in the room.
Of these latter, one had, moreover, been sent away by
the governor the moment the chiefs were ushered in.

"Ugh!" ejaculated the proud leader, as he took his seat
unceremoniously, and yet not without reluctance, upon
the mat. "The council-room of my father is bigger than
when the Ottawa was here before, yet the number of his
chiefs is not so many."

"The great chief of the Ottawas knows that the Saganaw