Then they made the sign
which no Indian makes outside of the Medicine Lodges - a sweep
of the right hand just clear of the dust and an inbend of the left
knee at the same time, and those proud eagle feathers almost
touched his boot-top.'
'What did it mean?' said Dan.
'Mean!' Pharaoh cried. 'Why it's what you - what we - it's the
Sachems' way of sprinkling the sacred corn-meal in front of - oh!
it's a piece of Indian compliment really, and it signifies that you
are a very big chief.
'Big Hand looked down on 'em. First he says quite softly, "My
brothers know it is not easy to be a chief." Then his voice grew.
"My children," says he, "what is in your minds?"
'Says Cornplanter, "We came to ask whether there will be war
with King George's men, but we have heard what our Father has
said to his chiefs. We will carry away that talk in our hearts to tell
to our people."
'"No," says Big Hand. "Leave all that talk behind - it was
between white men only - but take this message from me to your
people - 'There will be no war.'"
'His gentlemen were waiting, so they didn't delay him-, only
Cornplanter says, using his old side-name, "Big Hand, did you
see us among the timber just now?"
'"Surely," says he.
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