American fiction -- 19th century; Historical fiction; Indians of North America -- Fiction
Here the corporal, without knowing it, made some such reproach to the
aboriginal warriors of America as the English used to throw into the
teeth of ourselves--that of not standing up to a weapon which neither
party possessed. It was matter of great triumph that the Americans would
not stand the charge of the bayonet at the renowned fight on Breed's,
for instance, when it is well known that not one man in five among the
colonists had any such weapon at all to “stand up” with. A different
story was told at Guildford, and Stony Point, and Eutaw, and Bennington,
and Bemis' Heights, and fifty other places that might be named, after
the troops were furnished with bayonets. THEN it was found that the
Americans could use them as well as others, and so might it have proved
with the red men, though their discipline, or mode of fighting, scarce
admitted of such systematic charges. All this, however, the corporal
overlooked, much as if he were a regular historian who was writing to
make out a case.
“Harkee, brother, since you WILL call me brother; though, Heaven be
praised, not a drop of nigger or Injin blood runs in my veins,” resumed
the corporal. “Harkee, friend redskin, answer me one thing. Did you ever
hear of such a man as Mad Anthony? He was the tickler for your infernal
tribes! You pulled no saplings together for him. He put you up with 'the
long-knives and leather-stockings,' and you outrun his fleetest horses.
I was with him, and saw more naked backs than naked faces among your
people, that day. Your Great Bear got a rap on his nose that sent him to
his village yelping like a cur.”
Again was the corporal compelled to stop to take breath. The allusion to
Wayne, and his defeat of the Indians, excited so much ire, that several
hands grasped knives and tomahawks, and one arrow was actually drawn
nearly to the head; but the frown of Bear's Meat prevented any outbreak,
or actual violence. It wa's deemed prudent, however, to put an end to
this scene, lest the straightforward corporal, who laid it on heavily,
and who had so much to say about Indian defeats, might actually succeed
in touching some festering wound that would bring him to his death at
once. It was, accordingly, determined to proceed with the torture of the
saplings without further delay.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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