“My brother,” said Reginald, “there are among white men many wolves
and serpents: men whose hands are bloody, and their tongue forked. The
Great Spirit does not forbid to punish, or even to kill such men, in
defence of ourselves, our wigwams, our children, or our friend. He is
not angry with War–Eagle for striking down that Huron whose hand was
raised to shed his brother’s blood; but when the grass of many seasons
has grown over the graves of those who were injured, then the Great
Spirit commands man to let his anger sleep, to bury his hatchet, and to
forgive.”
“It may be so,” said War–Eagle, gravely; “the Good Father in the
Western Hunting–ground has said the same; Olitipa, whose voice is like
the mockingbird, and who speaks only truth, she has spoken the same;
but it is very dark, War–Eagle cannot see it.”
“Who is the Prairie–bird?” inquired Reginald, whose curiosity had twice
been excited by the mention of this extraordinary name.
Before the chief could reply, the Indian, whom he had sent, returned
with a mess made from several leaves, herbs, and roots, which he had
bruised and reduced to a kind of glutinous pulp. War–Eagle now took off
the bandage from the youth’s arm: after examining it carefully, and
applying some of the above mixture to both the orifices of the wound,
he bound it again, more strongly and skilfully than before; then taking
him in his arms, as if he had been a little child, he carried him down
to the rivulet; and by dint of bathing his temples and rubbing forcibly
his hands and feet, soon restored the suspended animation.
When he was recovered so far as to be able to speak, Reginald, sitting
down by him, said a thousand kind things to him, such as were prompted
by the gratitude of a generous heart.
While they were conversing, the guide drew near to the chief; and
pointing to the body of the Wyandot, which still lay where he had
fallen, said, “He is surely dead!”
“He is so,” replied the other, gravely; “when War–Eagle is angry he
does not strike his enemy’s forehead twice.”
The guide now turned over the body; and seeing that the iron point of
the war–club had entered just above the eyes, and had sunk deep into
the brain, he knew that instant death must have ensued. The chief
calling the two Indians, desired them to bury the body where it would
be safe from wolves and buzzards. “But,” he added, sternly, “let not
the spot be marked for his kindred: he died like a dog, and none should
lament him.”
As they turned away to execute these orders, the guide observed to the
chief “that Huron has not been long with the War–Eagle.”
“True,—but how does the Grande–Hâche know it?”
“His eye has been on him more than once; Grande–Hâche sees, but he can
hold his tongue.”
“Grande–Hâche is a warrior,” replied the chief: “he has seen many
things; he has talked with the wise men; does he know why yon Huron
wished to kill the young white brave?”
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account