Hereupon, _Hiens_ took upon him to speak, and said, he had promis’d the Natives to go to the War with them, and design’d to be as good as his Word; that if we would expect his Return, we might by that Time consider which Way he would move,[108] and that in the mean Time we might stay in the Village among the _Cenis_. This was resolv’d on; we loaded all our Effects on our Horses, and repair’d to the same Place and the same Cottage, where we had been before, the Chief of it assigning us the one Half to lodge and lay up our Baggage.
[Sidenote: _Six French Men go to the Wars with the Natives._]
When the Day for setting out for the War was come, _Hiens_ departed with the Natives, four of our Comrades and the two half Savage _French_ Men going along with him; so that there were six of them, and each took a Horse. _Hiens_ left us all the Effects, and desir’d we would stay for him, which we promis’d, not knowing how to avoid it, considering, that the _Indians_ might have done us Harm, and even have obstructed our Departure. Thus we resign’d ourselves to Providence, and remain’d six of us together, _viz._ Father _Anastasius_, Monsieur _Cavelier_, his Nephew young _Cavelier_, young _Talon_, another Youth of _Paris_, and I. There also remain’d some old Men, who could not go to the War, and the Women. We were also join’d by two other _French_ Men, who had been left on the other Side the River, being the _Provencal_ and one _Teissier_.
[Sidenote: _Bewailing the Memory of Men kill’d._]
During our Stay, and our Warriors being abroad upon that Expedition, the old Men often visited us, and told us News from the Army by Signs, which we understood nothing of. We were from Time to Time alarm’d, seeing the Women weep, without any visible cause. The late Monsieur _de la Sale_ had often told us, that the Women bewail’d those that were to be kill’d; but we were inform’d, that they did so, when they call’d to Mind some who had been slain in the former Wars; which dispell’d our Apprehensions. However we were uneasy, because those old Men and Women examined us every Morning and Evening when we perform’d our Devotions.
We laid hold of that Opportunity to give them to understand, that we paid our Duty to one God, the only Supreme Sovereign of all Things, pointing to Heaven, and endeavouring in the best Manner we were able, to signify to them that he was Almighty, that he had made all Things, that he caus’d the Earth to produce, it’s Fruits to prosper, and the Growth of it, which maintain’d them to thrive; but this being only by Signs, they did not understand us, and we labour’d in vain.