Hawk's Nest; or, The Last of the Cahoonshees.: A Tale of the Delaware Valley and Historical Romance of 1690. — John Shaqi
Hawk's Nest; or, The Last of the Cahoonshees.: A Tale of the Delaware Valley and Historical Romance of 1690.Allerton, James M. (James Martin)
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Hawk's Nest; or, The Last of the Cahoonshees.: A Tale of the Delaware Valley and Historical Romance of 1690.
Allerton, James M. (James Martin)
Delaware River Valley (N.Y.-Del. and N.J.) -- Fiction; Historical fiction
Never, replied Cahoonshee. White man expects me there, white man wants
Indian to help white man cheat Indian, white man great and powerful,
he take Indian’s land, and tell Indian to go west. Yes, Indian will be
driven west, until the great Pacific swallows them up, Indian become
extinct, white man own all, Indian die, white man live forever. No! No!
Cahoonshee take no part in this. English educate me, English make me
wise, yet English care nothing for Indian. English have a God, Indian,
the Great Spirit. English God help white man rob Indian. English send
missionary to convert Indian, Missionary in the cabin, fire-water in the
hold. White man no practice what they preach. Indian true to the Great
Spirit. White man all self. White man wise, Indian superstitious, Indian
believe in great medicine man, white man in money. No, Cahoonshee will
never return to Manhattan. Cahoonshee remain here until the Great Spirit
calls him home. Cahoonshee return to the scenes of his childhood on the
Steynekill and live alone until his dust unites with that of his kindred.
Think not, white man, that I am an enemy of your race. No, I am their
friend. I bow to the will of the Almighty. The education I received from
the white man, made me more wise, yet more miserable. I see that the
Indian must go down, while on their ruins the whites will raise a mighty
nation. But between us, brother, there must be no enmity. Let us smoke
the pipe of peace, and let this be the pledge between us: As long as the
grass grows on these hills, or the waters runs in these rivers.
CHAPTER VII.
The House of Death.
We will now return to the house of death, on the banks of the
Shinglekill. There lay the marble form of Mary Powers, the mother of Amy.
She was lovely in life; in death, a model for an artist. Her countenance
would indicate that she died in a peaceful state of mind, and perfectly
resigned to the fate that had overtaken her. At the head of the bed
stood Amy, crying as if her heart would break. At her side, stood her
faithful dog, lapping her hand and rubbing his head against her seemingly
trying to console her for the loss she had sustained in the death of her
mother. Tom and Drake were interested spectators. This was the first
natural death that either of them had ever witnessed. The senior Quick
stood in the door, with his back to the corpse, apparently much affected.
Cahoonshee stood at the foot of the bed, looking at the face of the
dead. Betsy gently led Amy out of doors, and taking a seat under the
butternuts, attempted to console her.
Don’t cry child, it is God that has called your mother home, and He has
promised to be a Father to the fatherless.
But I have no mother now, said Amy.
Yes, dear child, I will be your mother, and Tom and Drake shall be your
brothers.
Let the girl vent her feelings, said Cahoonshee, who unperceived had
approached. Let her mourn her loss. Let her learn from this how uncertain
all things are.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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