They now had only profane fire, and the whole nation was in the agonies of despair.  The cause of all their calamities was now no longer a secret.  They extinguished the profane fire, and in prayer, fasting, and continued oblations, they propitiated the sun to send them fire that was holy, to protect and preserve them.  It was the folly of ignorance and superstition, and availed nothing; but, like all prayer, was considered a pious duty, though nothing was ever known to result therefrom, and nature moved steadily and undeviatingly forward in obedience to the fixed, immutable, and eternal laws affirmed by the all-wise Creator.  There was gloom upon every brow and despair in every heart.  The curse pronounced by the first Great Sun had come—­destruction and death to all the Natchez—­because of the extinction of the holy fire.  At length a tree was stricken by lightning near the White Apple village temple, and set on fire.  The men of the temple saw the answer to their prayers in this, and hastened to re-kindle the holy flame from this fire, so miraculously sent them from heaven.  It was to them a miracle, because, though perfectly in obedience to natural laws, they did not comprehend them, and like unto all people under similar circumstances, all in nature is a miracle which they do not understand, and cannot satisfactorily explain.  But there was no efficiency found in this, and the trouble went forward.

The French had come among them, and taught them the value and corrupting influence of money.  Boats had ascended and descended the Great River, and communication, through this channel, had been established with Canada.  They were grasping, by degrees, the lands, building forts and peopling the country.  They had introduced the black man, and the wiser of the Natchez saw in the future the doom of their race.  They saw the feuds fomented between the numerous tribes along the coast of the Mississippi by the French, and the destruction of these by bloody wars.  They saw, too, to offend the French was sure to bring destruction upon the offending party.  Their neighbors were made, through French influence, to fall upon and destroy them.  The Chickasaws and Choctaws—­great nations, having multitudes of warriors—­were under the dominion of these pale-faced intruders, and they feared they might be turned upon them in an unsuspecting hour.

There was among the Natchez a mighty chief and warrior.  He was of great stature and fame, being seven feet high and powerfully proportioned.  He had a large beard, and was called the chief of the Beard, because he was the only man of all the tribe who had this facial ornament or incumbrance.  He was a mighty warrior and was wise in counsel.  He believed he saw great evil to the Natchez in the increase of the French and the extension of French power.  He knew, and told his people, this was the foreboding of the extinction of the holy fire.  He went forth with the chief of the Walnut Hills, named Alahoplechia,