The contrast thrilled
through me like a violin note. I heard my tongue use imagery that I
did not know was in me. The woman waited till I was through, and I
could feel that she was listening. Then she turned with Dubisson and
they went out of the door.
Longuant was the last of our garrison Indians to speak, and when he
finished it remained to Cadillac to sum up the situation. He picked
out the oldest men from each delegation and stood before them. Yet,
though he spoke to all, it was at Longuant that he looked.
"Listen," he said. "Hast ever seen the moon in the lake when the
evening is clear and the weather calm? It appears in the water, yet
nothing is truer than that it is in the sky. Some among you are very
old; but know, that were you all to return to early youth and take it
into your heads to fish up the moon in the lake, you would more easily
succeed in scooping that planet up in your nets than in effecting what
you are ruminating now. In vain do you fatigue your brains. You
cannot live with the bear and share your food with the wolf. You must
choose. Be assured of this; the English and French cannot be in the
same place without killing one another."
There was more in the same vein.
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