CHAPTER XXX.
Through the wide-spread woods which lay between the extensiveterritory occupied by the Mohawks and the beautiful land of theOneidas, early on the morning of the day some of the events of whichhave been already recorded, a small troop of Indians glided along intheir usual stealthy manner. They were in their garments of peace.Each was fully clothed according to the Indian mode; and themany-coloured mat of ceremony hung from their shoulders, somewhatencumbering them in their progress. They took the narrow trails; yetit was not so easy for them to conceal themselves, if such was theirobject, as it might have been in another dress, and at another time;for, except when passing a still brilliant maple, or a rich brown oak,the gaudy colouring of their clothing showed itself strongly againstthe dark evergreens or the white snow.
The party had apparently travelled from night into day; for, as soonas the morning dawned, the head man of the file stopped, and, withoutchanging his position, and thus avoiding the necessity of making freshprints in the snow, conversed over his shoulder with those behind him.Their conversation was brief, and might be translated into modernEnglish thus:
"Shall we halt here, or go on farther? The day's eyes are open in theeast."
"Stay here till noon," said an elder man behind him. "The Oneidasalways go to their lodge in the middle of the day. They are children.They require sleep when the sun is high."
Another voice repeated the same advice; and, springing one byone from the trail into the thicket, they gathered together under awide-spreading hemlock, where the ground was free from snow, andseated themselves in a circle beneath the branches. There they passedtheir time nearly in silence. Some food was produced, and also somerum--the fatal gift of the English; but very few words were uttered,and the only sentences worth recording were--
"Art thou quite sure of the spot, brother?"
"Certain," answered the one who had been leading; "the intelligencewas brought by an Albany runner, a man of a true tongue."
From time to time, each of the different members of the group lookedup towards the sky; and at length one of them rose, saying,--
"It is noon; let us onward. We can go forward for an hour, and thenshall be near enough to reach the place, and return while the shadowsare on the earth."
"We were told to spread out and enter by several trails," said theelder man of the party.
"It is not needful now," observed the one who seemed the leader; "whenit can all be done between sun and sun."
His words seemed conclusive; and they resumed the path again, walkingon stealthily in a single file as before. They had gone about threemiles more, when a wild, fearful yell, such as no European wouldbelieve a human throat could utter, was heard near upon their right.Another rose up on their left, the instant after, and then another intheir front. Each man stopped in breathless silence, as if suddenlyturned to stone; but each with the first impulse had laid his handupon his tomahawk. All listened for a repetition of the well-knownwar-whoop, and each man asked himself what such a sound could mean ina land where the Indians were all at peace amongst themselves, andwhere no tidings had been received of a foreign foe; but no oneuttered a word, even in a whisper, to the man close to him.
Suddenly, a single figure appeared upon the trail before them,--tall,powerful, commanding; one well known to all there present. It was thatof the Black Eagle, now feathered and painted for battle, with hisrifle in his hand, and his tomahawk ready.
"Are ye Mohawks?" he demanded, as he came nearer. "Are we brethren?"
"We are Mohawks and brethren," replied the leader of the party; "weare but wandering through the forest, seeking to find something whichhas been lost."
"What is it?" asked Black Eagle, somewhat sternly; "nothing is lostthat cannot be found. Snow may cover it for a time; but when the snowmelts, it will come to light."
"It is a young lad's coat," said the cunning Mohawk; "but why is BlackEagle on the war path? Who has unburied the hatchet against theOneidas?"
"The Black Eagle dreamed a dream," replied the chief, round whomnumerous Oneidas, fully equipped for war, had by this time gathered;"and in his dream he saw ten men come from the mid-day into the landof the Oneida, and ten men from the side of the cold wind. They worethe garb of peace, and called themselves brothers of the children ofthe Stone. But the eyes of the Black Eagle were strong in his dream,and he saw through their bosoms, and their hearts were black; and avoice whispered to him, they come to steal from the Oneida that whichthey cannot restore, and to put a burden upon the children of theStone that they will not carry."
"Was it not the voice of the singing bird?" asked the young Mohawkchief. "Was the dream sent by the bad spirit?"
"I know not," answered the Black Eagle. "Say ye! But the Black Eaglebelieved the dream, and, starting up, he called his warriors roundhim, and he sent Lynx-eyes, the Sachem of the Bear, to the north, andled his own warriors to the south, saying, 'Let us go and meet theseten men, and tell them, if they be really brethren of the Oneida, tocome with us and smoke the pipe of peace together, and eat and drinkin our lodges, and return to their own land when they are satisfied;but, if their hearts are black and their tongues double, then let usput on the war-paint openly, and unbury the long-buried hatchet, andtake the war-path like men and warriors, and not creep to mischieflike the silent copperhead.'"
The last words were spoken in a voice of thunder, while his keen blackeye flashed, and his whole form seemed to dilate with indignation.
The Mohawks stood silent before him; and even the young chief who hadshown himself the boldest amongst them, bent down his eyes to theground. At length, however, after a long pause, he answered--
"The Black Eagle has spoken well; and he has done well, though heshould not put too much faith in such dreams. The Mohawk is thebrother of the Oneida: the children of the Stone and the men ofblood[2] are one, though the Mohawk judges the Oneida hasty in deeds.He is a panther that springs upon his prey from on high, before hesees whether it be not the doe that nourished his young. He forgetshospitality--"
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[Footnote 2: A name greatly affected by the Mohawks.]
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The eyes of the Black Eagle flashed fiercely for a moment; but thenthe fire went out in them, and a grave, and even sad look succeeded.
The young man went on boldly, however, saying--"He forgetshospitality. He takes to death the son of his brother, and sheds theblood of him who has eaten of the same meat with him. He waits not topunish the guilty, but raises his tomahawk against his friend. TheFive Nations are a united people: that which brings shame upon one,brings it upon all. The Mohawk's eyes are full of fire, and his headbends down, when men say, 'The Oneida is inhospitable: the Oneida ishasty to slay; and repays faith, and trust, and kindness, by death.'What shall we say to our white father beyond the salt waters, when heasks us, 'Where is my son Walter, who loved the Oneidas, who was theirbrother, who sat by their council-fire and smoked the pipe of peacewith them?' Shall we say, 'The Oneidas have slain him, because hetrusted to the hospitality of the Five Nations, and did not fly?' Whenhe asks us, 'What was his crime? and did the Oneidas judge him for itlike calm and prudent men?' shall we answer, 'He had no crime, and theOneidas took him in haste without judgment. He was full of love andkindness towards them--a maple tree overrunning with honey for theOneidas; but they seized him in haste, when, in a few moons, theycould have found many others?' If we say thus, what will our greatfather think of his red children? Black Eagle, judge thou of this;and, when thou dreamest another dream, see thou forked-tonguedserpents hissing at the Five Nations, and ask, 'Who made themhiss?'--I have spoken."[3]
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[Footnote 3: The word "Hero," or "Hiro," "I have spoken," was socommon in all the speeches of the orators of the Five Nations, that itwas supposed to have given rise, in combination with the word "Koue,"(an exclamation either of approbation or grief, according as it waspronounced quickly or slowly,) to the name of "Iroquois," given by theFre
nch to the Five confederate Nations.]
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The feelings excited by this speech in all the Oneida warriors whoheard it, would be difficult to describe. There was much anger; butthere was more shame. The latter was certainly predominant in thebreast of Black Eagle. He put his hand to his shoulder, as if seekingfor his mantle to draw over his face; and, after a long pause, hesaid--
"Alas, that I have no answer! Thou art a youth, and my heart is old.My people should not leave me without reply before a boy. Go in peace.I will send my answer to him who sent thee; for our brethren, theMohawks, have not dealt well with us in using subtlety. There are moreof you, however. Let them each return to his home; for the children ofthe Stone are masters of themselves."
"Of us there are no more than thou seest," returned the young man.
Black Eagle gazed at him somewhat sternly, and then answered--
"Six men have entered the Oneida lands from this side, since morningyesterday, by separate ways. Let them go back. We give them from sunto sun, and no one shall hurt them. But if they be found here afterthat, their scalps shall hang upon the war-post."
Thus saying, he turned and withdrew with his warriors, while the youngMohawk and his companions glided back through the woods towards theirown district, almost as silently as they came.
The returning path of the great Oneida chief was pursued by him andhis companions with a slow and heavy tread. Not a word was spoken byany one; for deep grief and embarrassment were upon each; and all feltthat there was much justice in the reproof of the young Mohawk. Theyhad come forth with feelings of much indignation and anger at theintelligence which had been received of the interference of othertribes in the affairs of the Oneida people, and they still felt muchirritation at the course which had been pursued; but their pride washumbled, and their native sense of justice touched by the vividpicture which had been given of the view which might be taken byothers, of their conduct towards Walter Prevost. They knew, indeed,that that conduct was mainly attributable to one family of one Totem;but they felt that the shame fell upon the whole nation, and would bereflected to a certain degree upon the confederacy generally.
Nothing grieved or depressed the Indian so much as the sense of shame.It was produced, of course, by very different causes from those whichaffected a European: still it was very powerful; and Black Eagle feltthat, in the case of Walter Prevost, the customs of his own people hadbeen violated by his hasty seizure; and that he himself, the chief ofthe nation, was in some degree responsible in the eyes of all men foran act which he had permitted, if he had not done.
At this time, while the confederacy of the Five powerful Nationsremained entire, and a certain apprehensive sense of their danger fromthe encroachments of the Europeans was felt by all the Indian tribes,a degree of power and authority had fallen to the great chiefs whichprobably had not been accorded to them in earlier and more simpletimes. The great chief of the Mohawks called himself King, and in somedegree exercised the authority of a monarch. Black Eagle, indeed,assumed no different title than the ordinary Indian appellation ofSachem; but his great renown, and his acknowledged wisdom, had perhapsrendered his authority more generally reverenced than that of anyother chief in the confederacy. The responsibility, therefore, weighedstrongly upon him; and it was with feelings of deep gloom anddepression that he entered the great Oneida village shortly before thehour of sunset.
The women and children were all assembled to see the warriors pass;all, excepting Otaitsa, who sat before the door of Black Eagle's greatlodge, with her head bent down under an oppressive sense of thedifficulties and dangers of her coming task.
Black Eagle saw her well, and saw that she was moved by deep grief;but he gave no sign even of perceiving her; and, moving slowly andwith an unchanged countenance to the door, he seated himself besideher, while his warriors ranged themselves around, and the women andyoung people formed another circle beyond the first. It was donewithout concert and without intimation; but all knew that the chiefwould speak before they parted.
Otaitsa remained silent, in the same position, out of reverence forher father; and, after a pause, the voice of Black Eagle was heard,saying,--
"My children, your father is grieved. Were he a woman, he would weep.The reproach of his people, and the evil conduct of his allies, wouldbring water into the eyes that never were moist. But there is a stormupon us--the heaviest storm that ever has fallen. The waters of ourlake are troubled, and we have troubled them ourselves. We must havecounsel. We must call the wisdom of many men to avert the storm. Let,then, three of my swiftest warriors speed away to the heads of theeight tribes, and tell them to come hither before the west is darkto-morrow, bringing with them their wisest men. Then shall my childrenknow my mind, and the Black Eagle shall have strength again."
He paused; and Otaitsa sprang upon her feet, believing thatintelligence of what she had done had reached her father's ears.
"Ere thou sendest for the chiefs, hear thy daughter."
Black Eagle was surprised; but no sign of it was apparent on his face.He slowly bowed his head; and the Blossom went on:--
"Have I not been an obedient child to thee? have I not loved thee, andfollowed thy lightest word? I am thy child altogether. Thou has takenme often to the dwelling of the white man, because he is of mykindred. Thou hast often left me there, whilst thou hast gone upon thewar-path, or hunted in the mountains. Thou hast said, 'They are of ourown blood. My wife--my beloved--was of high race amongst the pale-facepeople of the east; the daughter of a great chief. I served her in theday of battle, and she became mine; and true and faithful, loving andjust, was the child of the white chief to the great Sachem of theOneidas. Shall I keep her daughter from all communication with herkindred?' Young was I,--a mere child,--when first thou tookest methere; and Edith was a sister, Walter a brother to me. They both lovedme well, and I loved them; but my love for the brother grew strongerthan for the sister, and his for me. We told our love to each other;and he said--'When I am old enough to go upon the war-path, I will askthe Black Eagle to give me Otaitsa; and the red chief and the whitechief shall again be united, and the bonds between the Oneidas and theEnglish people shall be strengthened.' And we dreamed a dream that allthis would be true; and pledged ourselves to each other for ever. Nowwhat have I done, my father? The brethren of the Snake and the chiefApukwa, contrary to the customs of the Oneida, seized upon mybetrothed, carried off my husband captive within four days after theirbrother was slain by a white man, but not by my Walter. It is not forme to know the laws of the Oneidas, or to speak of the traditions ofour fathers; but in this, at least, I knew that they had done evil:they had taken an innocent man before they had sought for the guilty.I found the place where they had hid him. I climbed to the top of therock above the chasm: I descended the face of the precipice. I tiedropes to the trees for his escape. I loosened the thongs from hishands and from his feet; and I said, 'This night thou shalt flee, myhusband, and escape the wrath of thine enemies.' All this I did; andwhat is it? It may be against the law of the Oneidas, but it is thelaw of a woman's own heart, placed there by the Great Spirit. It iswhat my mother would have done for thee, my father, hadst thou been acaptive in the hands of thine enemies. Had I not done it, I should nothave been thy child; I should have been unworthy to call the BlackEagle my father. The daughter of a chief must act as the daughter of achief. The child of a great warrior must have no fear. If I am to die,I am ready."
She paused for a moment; and Black Eagle raised his head, which hadbeen slightly bowed, and said, in a loud, clear voice--
"Thou hast done well, my child. So let every Indian woman do for himto whom she is bound. The women of the children of the Stone are notas other women. Like the stone, they are firm; like the rock, they arelofty. They bear warriors for the nation. They teach them to do greatdeeds."
"Yet bear with me a little, my father," rejoined Otaitsa; "and let thydaughter's fate be in thy hand before all the eyes here present.Apukwa and the brethren of the
Snake had set a watch, and stole uponme and upon my white brother, and mocked thy daughter and her husband,and bound his hands and feet again, and said that he should die."
It is rare that an Indian interrupts the speech of any one; but theheart of the chief had been altogether with Otaitsa's enterprise; andhe now exclaimed, with great anxiety--"Then has he not escaped?"
"He has not," replied Otaitsa; "it went as I have said. Walter Prevostis still in the hands of the brethren of the Snake, and of Apukwa; andhe is not safe, my father, even until the nation shall have decidedwhat shall be his fate. When the nation speaks," she continued,emboldened by her father's approbation, "then will Otaitsa live ordie; for I tell thee, and I tell all the warriors here present, thatif my husband is slain for no offence by the hand of an Oneida, thedaughter of the chief dies too."
"Koue, koue!" murmured the chiefs, in a low, sad tone, as they gazedupon her, standing in her great beauty by her father's side, while thesetting sun looked out from beneath the edge of the snow-cloud, andcast a gleam of rosy light around her.
"He is not safe, even till the word is spoken," said Otaitsa: "forthey are bad men that hold him. They took him contrary to our customs.They despise our laws. They are Honontkoh, and fear nothing but thetomahawk of the Black Eagle. They drink blood. They slay their mothersand their brethren. They are Honontkoh!"
A murmur of awe and indignation at the hated name of the dark secretorder existing amongst the Indians, but viewed with apprehension andhatred by all the nobler warriors of the tribes, ran round the circle;and Black Eagle rose, saying--
"Let them be examined; and, if the stripe be found upon them, sethonest men to guard the lad. To-morrow, at the great council, we willdiscuss his fate; and the Great Spirit send us dreams of what isright! Come with me, my child. The Blossom is ever dear."
Thus saying, he turned and entered the lodge.