"The Eagle Eye will obey his father," replied the Indian, calmly. "One
of your pale-faced tribe has deeply insulted your red son."
"Ha!" exclaimed Inverawe, "find him out for me, and you shall forthwith
see him punished to your heart's content."
"The cunning and cowardly kite is beneath the vengeance of the Eagle,"
replied the Indian. "But there was a youth among your pale faces,
who stood the red man's friend. Him would I hold as my brother. Him
would I bring with me beneath the shelter of my father, the great
chief, that he may grow green and lofty under his protection."
"You shall search me out that youth," replied Inverawe, "and be
assured he shall find a friend in me for your sake."
The Eagle Eye, with great dignity, took the right hand of Inverawe
between both of his, and pressed it forcibly to his heart. When they
reached the ground where the men were halting, the major despatched a
non-commissioned officer with the Indian, to find out the young man,
and to bring him immediately before him. They soon reappeared with
him; and what was Inverawe's astonishment, when he lifted up his eyes,
and beheld--his son!
It was exactly as Donald had himself prognosticated. Inverawe's
heart was so filled with joy, in thus so unexpectedly beholding and
embracing his boy, at the very moment when he had been dreaming that he
was so far from him; and with pride in thinking of that brave spirit
which had impelled him to follow him to America; as well as with deep
gratification at the kind-hearted act which had thus caused him to be
so strangely brought before him, that no room was left within it for
those gloomy thoughts which might have otherwise arisen there. He
clasped him again and again to his bosom, whilst the Indian stood
by as a calm spectator of the scene, his countenance unmoved by the
feelings of sympathy that were working within him. Their first emotions
were no sooner over, than Inverawe hurried Donald away to introduce
him to the commanding-officer, and he was speedily admitted into the
corps as a gentleman volunteer, with the promise of the first vacant
ensigncy. It will easily be believed, that the strict ties which
were thus formed between the Campbells of Inverawe and the noble
Eagle Eye, were destined to increase every day. Under the direction
of his European friends, his wound was treated with the most tender
care, and he was soon perfectly cured. The Eagle Eye deeply felt the
kindness of his Highland father and brother; but, whether in happiness
or in pain, in joy or in grief, his lofty countenance never betrayed
those feelings which are so readily yielded to in civilized life. It
was in vain that they tried to induce him to adopt European habits,
or to domesticate him so far as to make him regularly participate
in those comforts, which are the fruits of civilization. He adhered
with pertinacity to his own customs, and looked down with barbarian
dignity upon those of his hosts, which so widely differed from them;
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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