American fiction -- 19th century; Historical fiction; Indians of North America -- Fiction
Once, and once only, during their slow passage up the Kalamazoo, did
the bee-hunter observe something about Peter to awaken his original
apprehensions. The fourth day after leaving the mouth of the river,
and when the whole party were resting after the toil of passing a
“carrying-place,” our hero had observed the eyes of that tribeless
savage roaming from one white face to another, with an expression in
them so very fiendish, as actually to cause his heart to beat quicker
than common. The look was such a one as le Bourdon could not remember to
have ever before beheld in a human countenance. In point of fact, he had
seen Peter in one of those moments when the pent fires of the volcano,
that ceaselessly raged within his bosom, were becoming difficult to
suppress; and when memory was busiest in recalling to his imagination
scenes of oppression and wrong, that the white man is only too apt to
forget amid the ease of his civilization, and the security of his power.
But the look, and the impression produced by it on le Bourdon, soon
passed away, and were forgotten by him to whom it might otherwise have
proved to be a most useful warning.
It was a little remarkable that Margery actually grew to be attached to
Peter, often manifesting toward the chief attentions and feelings such
as a daughter is apt to exhibit toward a father. This arose from the
high and courteous bearing of this extraordinary savage. At all times,
an Indian warrior is apt to maintain the dignified and courteous bearing
that has so often been remarked in the race, but it is very seldom that
he goes out of his way to manifest attention to the squaws. Doubtless
these men have the feelings of humanity, and love their wives and
offspring like others; but it is so essential a part of their training
to suppress the exhibition of such emotions, that it is seldom the mere
looker-on has occasion to note them. Peter, however, had neither wife
nor child; or if they existed, no one knew where either was to be found.
The same mystery shrouded this part of his history as veiled all the
rest. In his hunts, various opportunities occurred for exhibiting to the
females manly attentions, by offering to them the choicest pieces of
his game, and pointing out the most approved Indian modes of cooking the
meats, so as to preserve their savory properties. This he did sparingly
at first, and as a part of a system of profound deception; but day by
day, and hour after hour, most especially with Margery, did his manner
become sensibly less distant, and more natural. The artlessness, the
gentle qualities, blended with feminine spirit as they were, and the
innocent gayety of the girl, appeared to win on this nearly remorseless
savage, in spite of his efforts to resist her influence. Perhaps the
beauty of Margery contributed its share in exciting these novel emotions
in the breast of one so stern. We do not mean that Peter yielded to
feelings akin-to love; of this, he was in a manner incapable; but a man
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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