The Eyes of the Woods: A Story of the Ancient WildernessAltsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander)
General
The Eyes of the Woods: A Story of the Ancient Wilderness
Altsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander)
Frontier and pioneer life -- Fiction
Two Indian sentinels, a Shawnee and a native of the village, were dozing
by the wall of one of the log cabins, when they heard the step in the
open. They lifted heavy eyelids and beheld a gigantic figure, attired in
a garb that ordinary mortals do not wear, stalking toward the forest,
caring nothing for the sentinels, the village or anything else. They
were in the midway region between sleeping and waking, when images are
printed upon the brain in confused or exaggerated shapes, and the
mysterious visitor, who was even then taking his departure, seemed to
them at least fifteen feet high, while, from under the headdress of
twisted buffalo horns, two great eyes, hot and blazing like coals,
stared at them. This terrifying figure, as they gazed upon it, raised a
huge hand full of menace and shook it at them. They gave a yell of
terror and darted into the forest.
Red Eagle, sleeping the sleep of the just and tired, heard the shout of
alarm, and it impinged so heavily upon his unconscious brain that he was
shocked at once into an awakening. He leaped to his feet and ran out of
the cabin, just in time to meet the head chief of the village coming out
of another one. The two stared at each other, and then they saw the
great figure, in its mystic apparel, just where forest and open met.
Each uttered a gasp, and, before they could gasp a second time, the
apparition was gone among the trees, vanishing from their stupefied gaze
like a wisp of smoke before the wind. Then Red Eagle and his host, great
and wise chiefs though they were, looked at each other again and
trembled.
Henry meanwhile was racing through the forest and toward the north,
always toward the north, and as he ran he shook with laughter. He had
seen the look of dismay on the faces of the Indians and he rejoiced. He
was sorry that he had not seen Braxton Wyatt and Blackstaffe too. Their
minds were less subject to superstition than those of the red men, but
no doubt in the first minute or two they were frightened also if they
saw him.
Yet he believed that the renegades would arouse the Indians and perhaps
would suspect that the terrific stranger, who had come and departed so
mysteriously, was none other than the fugitive himself. He did not care
if they did; in truth, he rather hoped they would. He could imagine
their mortification and disappointment, and since they had gone to dwell
with strangers and fight their own people, it was only a fraction of
what they deserved.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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