With stiff arms and shoulders, and knees that did not wish to move, Dave
walked from the wigwam. It was early morning, and near a small camp-fire
were assembled Foot-in-His-Mouth, Mamuliekala, and several others. They
were eating the first meal of the day, and Dave was given a fair share of
the food. When he started to talk, he was told to keep silent, and after
that saw it would be useless, for the present, to say more.
The meal over, the Indians brought forth a number of horses, and soon the
whole party were leaving the village, being followed by a number of braves
Dave had not seen before. It was cold and raw, and the wind blew freely and
more than once came a flurry of snow.
By the middle of the afternoon the party reached another village called
White Bear Spring, tradition telling that a white bear had once had his den
close to the spring which fed the brook that was at hand. There was but a
small collection of wigwams here, and the place seemed more than half
asleep when Dave and his captors came in.
While on horseback the young pioneer's hands had remained free, so that he
might guide the steed through the forest and along the river bank. But now,
when he dismounted, his hands were again bound behind him.
"White young man try to run away, Indian kill," said Foot-in-His-Mouth,
with a frown, and after that Dave was allowed to move around the camp-fire
as pleased him. But if he tried to edge toward the boundary of the village
he was at once ordered back in a manner that left no room for dispute.
"They don't intend to let me get away," he thought dismally. "And yet, what
good will it do them to carry me off?"
It was easy to ask himself this question, but no answer could be reached,
and at length he had to give it up. He noticed that some Indians were sent
out as guards and he knew that the red men were fearful that somebody had
followed them.
The night was passed at White Bear Spring, and the following day the
Indians split up into two parties, one moving back to the southward and the
other continuing to the north. With the latter contingent went Dave and
Foot-in-His-Mouth. The Indian had a long talk with Mamuliekala, and Dave
saw a string of wampum passed from the old magician to the other. He also
heard Pontiac's name mentioned.
A hard journey on foot now followed. The trail was over rocks and uneven
ground, and more than once the young pioneer slipped and fell. The Indians
were in no good humor and often pushed and struck him, urging him forward.
They did not stop for dinner, and the day's tramp was not concluded until
an hour after sunset, when they reached a small valley, wherein flowed a
stream on its way to Lake Erie.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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