A few days after this, I was painting a beautiful little snow-bird, that
our man had shot out of a large flock that alighted near the door. I was
so intent upon my task, to which I was putting the finishing strokes,
that I did not observe the stealthy entrance (for they all walk like
cats) of a stern-looking red man, till a slender, dark hand was extended
over my paper to grasp the dead bird from which I was copying, and which
as rapidly transferred it to the side of the painted one, accompanying
the act with the deep guttural note of approbation, the unmusical,
savage “Owgh.”
My guest then seated himself with the utmost gravity in a rocking-chair,
directly fronting me, and made the modest demand that I should paint a
likeness of him, after the following quaint fashion:
“Moodie's squaw know much--make Peter Nogan toder day on papare--make
Jacob to-day--Jacob young--great hunter--give much duck--venison--to
squaw.”
Although I felt rather afraid of my fierce-looking visitor, I
could scarcely keep my gravity; there was such an air of pompous
self-approbation about the Indian, such a sublime look of conceit in his
grave vanity.
“Moodie's squaw cannot do every thing; she cannot paint young men,” said
I, rising, and putting away my drawing materials, upon which he kept his
eye intently fixed, with a hungry, avaricious expression. I thought it
best to place the coveted objects beyond his reach. After sitting for
some time, and watching all my movements, he withdrew, with a sullen,
disappointed air. This man was handsome, but his expression was vile.
Though he often came to the house, I never could reconcile myself to his
countenance.
Late one very dark, stormy night, three Indians begged to be allowed to
sleep by the kitchen stove. The maid was frightened out of her wits at
the sight of these strangers, who were Mohawks from the Indian woods
upon the Bay of Quinté, and they brought along with them a horse and
cutter. The night was so stormy, that, after consulting our man--Jacob
Faithful, as we usually called him--I consented to grant their petition,
although they were quite strangers, and taller and fiercer-looking than
our friends the Missasaguas.
I was putting my children to bed, when the girl came rushing in, out of
breath. “The Lord preserve us, madam, if one of these wild men has not
pulled off his trowsers, and is a-sitting mending them behind the stove!
and what shall I do?”
“Do?-why, stay with me, and leave the poor fellow to finish his work.”
The simple girl had never once thought of this plan of pacifying her
outraged sense of propriety.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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