“Noble and generous son of the Lenapé, the Bad Spirit has no power
over a heart like yours! Are we not brothers? Have not the waters of
the Muskingum, and the treacherous knife of the Huron, tied our hearts
together, so that no fear, no suspicion, no falsehood, can come between
them? Netis believed that War–Eagle loved Olitipa only as a sister, or
he would rather have given his scalp to Mahéga than have spoken soft
words in the maiden’s ear!”
“My brother’s words are true,” replied the Delaware, in the low and
musical tone for which his voice was remarkable; “War–Eagle knows
it; he has dreamt, and is now awake: Olitipa is his sister—the
Great Spirit decrees that no child of an Indian warrior shall call
her mother. It is enough.” The countenance of the Delaware assumed a
sterner expression as he continued:—
“My brother must be ready; let his rifle be loaded and his eye open,
for Tamenund has seen the snow of many winters; the Black Father
is good and true, but his hand knows not the tomahawk: the Osage
panther will crouch near the tent of Olitipa, and the feet of the
Cut–throats[39] will not be far; before the sun goes down War–Eagle
will see his brother again.”
Thus saying, and waiting no reply, he returned with hearty strides
towards the village. Reginald gazed long and earnestly after the
retreating figure of the Indian, forgetting awhile, in admiration of
his heroic self–control, the dangers that beset his beloved and his
party.
“Could I,” he asked himself, “could I, under the same circumstances,
with all the light, and aid, and high motives of Christianity, have
shown the forbearance, generosity, and self–command displayed by this
noble heathen? Could I have seen all my long–cherished hopes, my warm
and passionate love, blasted in a moment, and have so soon, so frankly,
and so fully exculpated and forgiven the man to whom I owed my misery?
I hope I might have done so, still I am afraid to ask my heart the
question!”
Reginald’s cheek glowed under the influence of this self–scrutiny,
and he gladly availed himself of the approach of Paul Müller, to whom
he related what had passed, and expressed in the warmest terms his
admiration of his Indian brother’s conduct. The good missionary felt
inexpressibly relieved at hearing the amicable issue now announced to
him, for although he had never been made a confidant of War–Eagle’s
feelings towards Olitipa, his own observation had shown him of late
that they were not exactly fraternal, and he had viewed with dread a
rivalry between the two high–spirited young men, at a crisis when the
aid of both might be so necessary to protect his fair pupil from the
perils by which she was surrounded.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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