Indians of North America -- Juvenile fiction; Pioneers -- West (U.S.) -- Juvenile fiction; Slavery -- Juvenile fiction
"I heard the sound of your rifle several times, and I tracked you here,
as I wanted to bring you good news," he said.
"I thank you, pray speak on," I answered; "I know that it will give
Kluko as much pleasure to tell good news as it will afford me to hear
it."
"When I saw you last, I warned you that a party of Blackfeet, instigated
by a white man, had undertaken the destruction of your farm: I have now
to tell you that they quarrelled with their white friend, and, following
his trail as he journeyed westward, they have attacked his camp, and cut
him and his people to pieces, carrying off their scalps as trophies."
"Do you speak of Silas Bracher?" I asked.
"That was the name of the white chief; I have no doubt about the matter,
although I could not remember it," answered Kluko. "As the red-men
obtained all the booty they could carry off, many times more than the
amount of the reward they expected to receive, they are not likely to
attack your farm, indeed they are already on their road back to their
own hunting-grounds, so you may now rest in peace for some time to come.
Should I again hear that they are out on the war-path, I will give you
timely notice. You know Kluko is your friend, and that you can trust
him."
I assured the Indian that I put full confidence in the information he
had brought, and invited him to accompany us to the farm, as I was sure
my father would be glad to see him and thank him for the service he had
rendered us. He was evidently pleased, and said he would come and see
his pale-faced brothers. In a short time Dan and Mr Tidey arrived, and
after they had saluted our Indian friend in the usual fashion, I told
them of the news he had brought.
"I was very sure that that wretched man would come to a violent end,"
observed Mr Tidey; "although he intended evil against us, we are bound
not to rejoice over his fate; we have been protected by a higher power."
"The great Spirit takes care of those who trust him," observed Kluko
reverently.
Having as much game as our horses could carry, we set off to return
home. The Indian, although on foot, easily kept up with us, and I could
not but admire his firm step and graceful carriage as he moved over the
ground, whether rough or smooth. The information he brought, relieved
my mother's mind of a constant source of care, but though my father
believed it to be true, he still considered it possible that the farm
might some day or other be attacked, and insisted that we should
continue the precautions we had hitherto adopted to escape being
surprised.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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