The Poetical Works of Thomas CampbellCampbell, Thomas
General
The Poetical Works of Thomas Campbell
Campbell, Thomas
English poetry -- Scottish authors
“A party of the Senekah Indians came to war against the Katahba, bitter
enemies to each other.—In the woods the former discovered a sprightly
warrior belonging to the latter, hunting in their usual light dress:
on his perceiving them, he sprang off for a hollow rock four or five
miles distance, as they intercepted him from running homeward. He was
so extremely swift and skilful with the gun, as to kill seven of them
in the running fight before they were able to surround and take him.
They carried him to their country in sad triumph, but though he had
filled them with uncommon grief and shame for the loss of so many of
their kindred, yet the love of martial virtue induced them to treat
him, during their long journey, with a great deal more civility than if
he had acted the part of a coward. The women and children, when they
met him at their several towns, beat him and whipped him in as severe a
manner as the occasion required, according to their law of justice, and
at last he was formally condemned to die by the fiery torture.—It might
reasonably be imagined that what he had for some time gone through, by
being fed with a scanty hand, a tedious march, lying at night on the bare
ground, exposed to the changes of the weather, with his arms and legs
extended in a pair of rough stocks, and suffering such punishment on his
entering into their hostile towns, as a prelude to those sharp torments
for which he was destined, would have so impaired his health and affected
his imagination, as to have sent him to his long sleep, out of the way
of any more sufferings.—Probably this would have been the case with the
major part of white people under similar circumstances; but I never knew
this with any of the Indians: and this cool-headed, brave warrior, did
not deviate from their rough lessons of martial virtue, but acted his
part so well as to surprise and sorely vex his numerous enemies:—for when
they were taking him, unpinioned, in their wild parade, to the place
of torture, which lay near to a river, he suddenly dashed down those
who stood in his way, sprang off, and plunged into the water, swimming
underneath like an otter, only rising to take breath, till he reached
the opposite shore. He now ascended the steep bank, but though he had
good reason to be in a hurry, as many of the enemy were in the water,
and others running, very like bloodhounds, in pursuit of him, and the
bullets flying around him from the time he took to the river, yet his
heart did not allow him to leave them abruptly, without taking leave in
a formal manner, in return for the extraordinary favours they had done,
and intended to do him. After slapping a part of his body, in defiance
to them,” continues the author, “he put up the shrill war-whoop, as his
last salute, till some more convenient opportunity offered, and darted
off in the manner of a beast broke loose from its torturing enemies. He
continued his speed, so as to run by about midnight of the same day as
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account