Henry had heard much at Pittsburgh of the Six Nations, their wonderful league, and their wonderful history.He knew that according to the legend the league had been formed by Hiawatha, an Onondaga.He was opposed in this plan by Tododaho, then head chief of the Onondagas, but he went to the Mohawks and gained the support of their great chief, Dekanawidah.With his aid the league was formed, and the solemn agreement, never broken, was made at the Onondaga Lake.Now they were a perfect little state, with fifty chiefs, or, including the head chiefs, fifty-six.
Some of these details Henry was to learn later.He was also to learn many of the words that the chiefs said through a source of which he little dreamed at the present.Yet he divined much of it from the meeting of the fiery Wyandots with the highly developed and warlike power of the Six Nations.
Thayendanegea was talking now, and Timmendiquas, silent and grave, was listening.The Mohawk approached his subject indirectly through the trope, allegory, and simile that the Indian loved.He talked of the unseen deities that ruled the life of the Iroquois through mystic dreams.He spoke of the trees, the rocks, and the animals, all of which to the Iroquois had souls.He called on the name of the Great Spirit, which was Aieroski before it became Manitou, the Great Spirit who, in the Iroquois belief, had only the size of a dwarf because his soul was so mighty that he did not need body.
This land is ours, the land of your people and mine, oh, chief of the brave Wyandots," he said to Timmendiquas."Once there was no land, only the waters, but Aieroski raised the land of Konspioni above the foam.Then he sowed five handfuls of red seed in it, and from those handfuls grew the Five Nations.Later grew up the Tuscaroras, who have joined us and other tribes of our race, like yours, great chief of the brave Wyandots."Timmendiquas still said nothing.He did not allow an eyelid to flicker at this assumption of superiority for the Six Nations over all other tribes.A great warrior he was, a great politician also, and he wished to unite the Iroquois in a firm league with the tribes of the Ohio valley.The coals from the great fire glowed and threw out an intense heat.Thayendanegea unbuttoned his military coat and threw it back, revealing a bare bronze chest, upon which was painted the device of the Mohawks, a flint and steel.The chests of the Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca head chiefs were also bared to the glow.The device on the chest of the Onondaga was a cabin on top of a hill, the Caytiga's was a great pipe, and the figure of a mountain adorned the Seneca bronze.
"We have had the messages that you have sent to us, Timmendiquas," said Thayendanegea, "and they are good in the eyes of our people, the Rotinonsionni (the Mohawks).They please, too, the ancient tribe, the Kannoseone (the Onondagas), the valiant Hotinonsionni (the Senecas), and all our brethren of the Six Nations.All the land from the salt water to the setting sun was given to the red men by Aieroski, but if we do not defend it we cannot keep it.""It is so," said Timmendiquas, speaking for the first time."We have fought them on the Ohio and in Kaintuck-ee, where they come with their rifles and axes.The whole might of the Wyandots, the Shawnees, the Miamis, the Illinois, the Delawares, and the Ottawas has gone forth against them.We have slain many of them, but we have failed to drive them back.Now we have come to ask the Six Nations to press down upon them in the east with all your power, while we do the same in the west.Surely then your Aieroski and our Manitou, who are the same, will not refuse us success."The eyes of Thayendanegea glistened.
"You speak well, Timmendiquas," he said." All the red men must unite to fight for the land of Konspioni which Aieroski raised above the sea, and we be two, you and I, Timmendiquas, fit to lead them to battle.""It is so," said Timmendiquas gravely.
