Forest Glen; or, The Mohawk's FriendshipKellogg, Elijah
General
Forest Glen; or, The Mohawk's Friendship
Kellogg, Elijah
Frontier and pioneer life -- Juvenile fiction; Quakers -- Juvenile fiction
"Brother, open your ears. The Delawares and Shawanees have struck your
people, and you have done the same to them, and struck the Delawares
much harder than they have struck you; you are great warriors. The Six
Nations do not think it right or just that the pale-faces should take
the land of the Delawares without paying them for it: therefore they
look on, and let them strike you. You are my brother; I know you to be
a just and brave man, though you live among very bad people: therefore
I've run a great ways and very fast to tell you that the Delawares
are coming to take your scalp and the scalps of all your people, that
their young men whose scalps your people have taken may rest in their
graves."
"I thank you, brother. When will the Delawares come?"
"At break of day, after the sun comes and goes."
"How many of them?"
The Mohawk took from his pouch seven kernels of parched corn, placed
them in a row on the table, and spread out his fingers over them,
saying,--
"So many Delawares."
Then, taking away all but two of the kernels, he again spread his
fingers, saying, "So many Shawanees," and then signified that there
would be the same number of Monseys. Honeywood then inquired if there
would be any French officers or soldiers with them, to which the Mohawk
replied that there would not.
"It is well, brother: we will be ready."
While all were attentively listening, the little child had left the
mother's side (who was too much occupied with the fearful tidings to
heed his motions), and, venturing farther and farther, at length crept
to the feet of the Indian, and began playing with his leggings, which
were of a bright red color.
The little creature, gradually becoming more bold, at length stood up
on his feet by holding the lacings of the leggings, and looked proudly
around, crowing and laughing, no doubt thinking himself the central
figure of the group, and the object of universal attention.
"One hundred and ten raging Indians! Our time has come: we shall all be
murdered!" exclaimed the mother.
Honeywood set food before the Mohawk, then took off his moccasons,
which were worn, and his leggings, and gave him some water for his
feet. The Indian signified his wish to sleep till within an hour of
daybreak. Honeywood spread blankets on the floor, promising to watch,
and rouse him at the proper time. Wasaweela, wrapping himself in a
blanket, was asleep in a moment. The others retired to the bedroom,
where they conversed in low tones.
"Sarah, you've heard your father say many times, and you, Cal, have
also heard your father say, if an Indian war should break out, that
this Mohawk who then hunted with me, and was apparently so friendly,
would be the very first to take my scalp and those of my family. Now
you see what he has done,--travelled through woods and swamps, forded
or swum rivers, much of the time on the run night and day, to save the
life of one (and the lives of his family) who had merely treated him
kindly."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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