2. Around his body is a beautiful garment, he wears large leggings, sandals, tablets of white wood, feathers behind his head and behind his shoulders, on his head the antlers of a deer, a heavy war club in his right hand.
3. What is the wish of the great warrior who has come?
4. He wishes to speak to the chief of the numerous and powerful Taensas.
5. Let the warrior enter the house of the old men. The chief is seated in the midst of the old men. He will certainly hear thee. Enter the house of the old men.
6. Great chief, old man, I enter. Thou comest. Enter; bring him in. What wishes the foreign warrior? Speak, thou who hast come.
7. Old men, ancient men, I am the chief of many men; at ten days’ journey up the river there lies the land of poplars, the land of the wild rice, which belongs to the brave warriors, the brothers of the Taensas.
8. They said to me—since thou hast not chosen a bride, go to the Taensas our brothers, ask of them a bride; for the Chactas are strong; we will ask a bride of the Taensas.
9. That is well; but speak, warrior, are the Chactas numerous?
10. Count; they are six hundred, and I am stronger than ten.
11. That is well; but speak, do they know how to hunt the buffalo and the deer? does the squirrel run in your great forests?