The Shadow of the North: A Story of Old New York and a Lost CampaignAltsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander)
History
The Shadow of the North: A Story of Old New York and a Lost Campaign
Altsheler, Joseph A. (Joseph Alexander)
United States -- History -- French and Indian War, 1754-1763 -- Juvenile fiction
Tayoga, also was moving about the room. On a small shelf lay an
English dictionary and several readers. They too were worn. He had
spent many a grieving hour over them when he had come from the
Iroquois forests to learn the white man's lore. He recalled how he had
hated them for a time, and how he had looked out of his school windows
at the freedom for which he had longed. But he was made of wrought
steel, both mind and body, and always the white youth, Lennox, his
comrade, was at his elbow in those days of his scholastic infancy to
help him. It had been a great episode in the life of Tayoga, who had
the intellect of a mighty chief, the mind of Pontiac or Thayendanegea,
or Tecumseh, or Sequoia. He had forced himself to learn and in
learning his books he had learned also to like the people of another
race around him who were good to him and who helped him in the first
hard days on the new road. So the young Onondaga felt an emotion much
like that of Robert as he walked about the room and touched the old
familiar things. Then he turned to Huysman.
"Mynheer Jacobus," he said, "you have a mighty body, and you have in
it a great heart. If all the men at Albany were like you there would
never be any trouble between them and the Hodenosaunee."
"Tayoga," said Huysman, "you haf borrowed Robert's tongue to cozen und
flatter. I haf not a great heart at all. I haf a very bad heart. I
could not get on in this world if I didn't."
Tayoga laughed musically, and Mynheer Jacobus gruffly bidding them not
to destroy anything, while he was gone, departed to see that Caterina,
the Dutch cook, fat like her master, should have ready a dinner,
drawing upon every resource of his ample larder. It is but truth to
say that the heart of Mynheer Jacobus was very full. A fat old
bachelor, with no near kin, his heart yearned over the two lads who
had spent so long a period in his home, and he knew them, too, for
what they were, each a fine flower of his own racial stock.
They were to remain several days in Albany, and after dinner they
visited Alexander McLean, the crusty teacher who had given them such a
severe drilling in their books. Master McLean allowed himself a few
brief expressions of pleasure when they came into his house, and then
questioned them sharply:
"Do you remember any of your ancient history, Tayoga?" he asked. "Are
the great deeds of the Greeks and Romans still in your mind?"
"At times they are, sir," replied the young Onondaga.
"Um-m. Is that so? What was the date of the battle of Zama?"
"It was fought 202 B.C., sir."
"You're correct, but it must have been only a lucky guess. I'll try
you again. What was the date of the battle of Hastings?"
"It was fought 1066 A.D., sir."
"Very good. Since you have answered correctly twice it must be
knowledge and not mere surmise on your part. Robert, whom do you
esteem the greatest of the Greek dramatic poets?"
"Sophocles, sir."
"Why?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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