[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
instant presented, with her face flushed with excitement, her
spirited blue eye wandering with curiosity, and her beautiful mouth
slightly parted in admiration.
"Sago, sago!" said Peter, in his deep, guttural enunciation,
speaking reasonably good English. "Sago, sago all, ole and young,
friend come to see you, and eat in your wigwam--which head--chief,
eh?"
"We have neither wigwam nor chief here," answered le Bourdon, though
he almost shrunk from taking the hand of one of whom he had heard
the tales of which this savage had been the hero; "we are common
people, and have no one among us who holds the States' commission. I
live by taking honey, of which you are welcome to all you can want,
and this man is a helper of the sutlers at the garrisons. He was
travelling south to join the troops at the head of the lake, and I
was going north to Mackinaw, on my way in, toward the settlements."
"Why is my brother in such haste?" demanded Peter, mildly. "Bees get
tired of making honey?"
"The times are troubled, and the red men have dug up the hatchet; a
pale-face cannot tell when his wigwam is safe."
"Where my brodder wigwam?" asked Peter, looking warily around him.
"See he an't here; where is he?"
"Over in the openings, far up the Kalamazoo. We left it last week,
and had got to the hut on the other shore, when a party of
Pottawattamies came in from the lake, and drove us over here for
safety."
On hearing this, Peter turned slowly to the missionary, raising a
finger as one makes a gesture to give emphasis to his words.
"Tole you so," said the Indian. "Know dere was Pottawattamie dere.
Can tell 'em great way off."
"We fear them, having women in our party," added the bee-hunter,
"and think they might fancy our scalps."
"Dat like enough; all Injin love scalp in war-time. You Yankee, dey
Br'ish; can't travel on same path now, and not quarrel. Must not let
Pottawattamie catch you."
Page 109
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"How are we to help it, now you have come in? We had all the canoes
on this side of the river, and were pretty safe, but should you
cross and place your canoe in their hands, there is nothing to
prevent them from doing what they please with us. If you will
promise not to cross the river till we can get out well on the lake,
we may shift our ground, however, and leave no trail."
"Muss cross over--yes, muss cross over, else Pottawattamie t'ink it
strange--yes, muss cross over. Shan't touch canoe, dough."
"How can you help it, if they be so minded? You are but a single
man, and they are twenty."
On hearing this, Corporal Flint pricked up his ears, and stood if
possible more erect than ever, for he considered himself a part of a
man at least, and one moreover who had served in all the wars of the
west, from the great battle of St. Glair to that of Mad Anthony. He
was spared the necessity of a reply, however, for Peter made a
significant gesture which as much as told him that he would take
that office on himself.
"No need be afeard," said Peter, quietly. "Know Pottawattamie--know
all chief. Nobody touch canoe of Onoah when he say don't touch him."
"Yet they are Injins of the British, and I see you here in company
with a soldier of Uncle Sam."
"No matter; Onoah go just where he please. Sometime to
Pottawattamie; sometime to Iroquois. All Ojebways know Onoah. All
Six Nation know him well. All Injin know him. Even Cherokee know him
now, and open ears when he speak. Muss cross river, and shake hand
with Crowsfeather."
There was nothing boastful, or vaunting, in Peter's manner while he
thus announced his immunity or power, but he alluded to it in a
quiet, natural way, like one accustomed to being considered a
personage of consequence. Mankind, in general, make few allowances
for the influence of habit; the sensibilities of the vainglorious
themselves being quite as often wounded by the most natural and
direct allusions of those who enjoy advantages superior to their
own, as by those that are intended to provoke comparisons. In the
present instance, however, no such feeling could exist, the Indian
asserting no more than his extended reputation would fully maintain.
When Peter had thus expressed himself, the missionary thought it
meet to add a few words in explanation. This he did, however, aside,
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]