CHAPTER III.
The retirement of Wyanokee from her temporary presidency in the grandcouncil of the confederated nations, was the signal for beginning thegeneral carouse, by which such meetings were usually terminated. Twohuge bucks, with their throats cut, had been some time suspended from apole laid across a pair of stout forked saplings, driven into the groundat the distance of a few feet from each other; these were now broughtinto the centre of the area, and quickly deprived of their skins. Theneighbourhood of civilized man had already introduced that bane ofsavage morals, whiskey; and plentiful supplies of this, together withpipes and tobacco, were now served to the representatives. A generalscene of rude and savage debauch immediately followed. Meat was broiledor roasted upon the coals--whiskey was handed round in calabashes, whilethe more gay and volatile members of the assemblage found an outlet fortheir animated feelings in the violent and energetic movements of theIndian dance. The sounds which issued from the forest were a mingled dinof tinkling metals--rattling bones, and the monotonous humming of thesingers, occasionally enlivened by a sharp shrill whoop from some youngsavage, as his animal spirits became excited by the exercise. The squawsperformed the part of menials, and bore wood, water, and corn, to supplythe feast for their lords and masters.
The new queen of the nation, upon whose ground these carousals wereheld, retired to her own wigwam, as much disgusted with the moralblindness and depravity of the deputies, as with the commencing revels.Besides her disgust of what was left behind, there was an attraction forher in her own sylvan palace, which, till a few hours back, it had sadlywanted in her eyes; not that she approached it with any hope that herpassion would now or ever meet with a return from its object--but stillthere was a melancholy pleasure in holding communion with one so farsuperior to the rude, untutored beings she had just left. She felt alsoa longing desire, not only to learn more of the mysterious transactionsof which she had gathered some vague indications from Bacon's discourse,but to take advantage of present circumstances in returning some of themany favours heaped upon herself by her white friends. There was anobler motive for this than mere gratitude; she wished to show to Baconand Virginia, that she could sacrifice her own happiness to promotetheirs. She felt now satisfied that both of them had discovered theexistence of her passion, long before she was aware of the improprietyof its exhibition according to civilized usages, and she was anxious toevince to them how nobly an Indian maiden could cover this false stepwith honour. Full of these ennobling, and as it proved, delusive ideas,she entered the wigwam with a mien and step which would not havedisgraced a far more regal palace.
Bacon was found upon a mat, reclining in melancholy mood against theside of the apartment, intently eyeing the movements of the savages uponthe green. She followed his eye for a moment in shame and confusion forthe spectacle exhibited by the men of her own race.
"Do you mark the difference," said Bacon, "between the dances in yonderforest and those at Jamestown? Why do not the women join in themerry-making? We consider them worthy to partake of all our happiness."
"Ay, 'tis true, there is no Virginia there!"
His brow settled into a look of stern displeasure and offence, as hereplied, "Would you renew the scenes of the last night?"
"No, Wyanokee desires not to give pain, but to remove it--as she camehere now to show. You heard me claim you last night as a husband."--Acrimson tint struggled with the darker hue of her cheek, as she forcedherself to proceed.--"But it was only to save you from the cruel handsof my countrymen. You may, therefore, give up all uneasiness on thatsubject--I know well that the Great Spirit has decreed it otherwise thanI desired, and I submit without a murmur. It is useless for me toconceal that I had learned too quickly to feel the difference between ayouth of your race, and one of yon rude beings; but it was more owing tomy ignorance of your customs than any want of proper maidenly reserve.That is now passed, you are a married man, and as such I can conversewith you in confidence."
"Yes," said Bacon, a bitter smile playing over his countenance, "I ammarried to stern adversity! 'Tis a solemn contract, and binds me to abride from whom I may not easily be divorced. Death may cut the knot,but no other minister of justice can. I must say too, that theceremonies of last night were fitting and proper. I wooed my bridethrough earth, air, and water; in thunder, lightning, and in rain. Norwas she coy or prudish. She came to my arms with a right willing grace,and clings to me through evil and through good report. I am hers, whollyhers for ever. It is meet that I should learn to love her at once. Ay,and I do hug her to my heart. Is she not my own? do we not learn to loveour own deformities? then why not learn to love our own sorrows?Doubtless we shall be very happy--a few little matrimonial bickerings atfirst, perhaps, but these will soon be merged in growing congeniality.Man cannot long live with any companion, without bestowing upon it hisaffection; the snake, the spider, the toad, the scorpion, all have beenloved and cherished: shall I not then love my bride? Is there not ahallowed memory around her birth? was she not nurtured and trained bythese very hands? Is there not wild romance too, in her adventures andour loves? Is she not faithful and true? yea, and young too! not coyperhaps, but constant and devoted."
Although this language was prompted by very different states, both ofheart and head, from that of the preceding night, yet its literalconstruction by the Indian maiden betrayed her into very little moreunderstanding of its import. She better comprehended the language of hiscountenance. That, she saw, indicated the bitterness of death, but thecause was still a mystery. She therefore continued her kind endeavourswith something more of doubt and embarrassment. "My intention was tooffer you and Virginia a home as soon as these warlike men are pacifiedand gone--that you might come here and live with me until her granduncle will receive her and you. Oh, it will make Wyanokee very happy."
She would, no doubt, have continued in this strain for some time, buthis impatience could be contained no longer. "Is it possible that you donot yet understand the depth and hopelessness of my misery? Know it thenin all its horrors. I was half married last night to my own half sister!Did fate, fortune or hell ever more ingeniously contrive to blight thehappiness of mortal man at one fell blow? View it for a moment. Therewas the game beautifully contrived--the stake was apparently trifling,but the prize glittered with India's richest rubies--the very thoughtsof them conjured up scenes of fairy land. The richest fantasies ofromance sparkled before the eye of the player. The wildest dream ofearthly happiness allured him to each renewed attempt. First a littlewas staked--then another portion--then another to insure the two former,and so on until houses and lands and goods and chattels--yea and lifeitself, or all that made it valuable, were hazarded upon the throw. Lo,he wins! Joy unutterable fills his breast--he is about to place thejewels next his heart, but behold they turn into scorpions. Rich andbeautiful in all their former ruby colour--but there is a fearfultalismanic power in their beauty. There is a deadly poison in the sight!They charm to kill. Lay them not near the heart or else the greatmagician, the king of evil--the prince of darkness himself, has boughtyou body and soul! That was my case. I won the glorious stake, I had ithere (striking his breast), yea, and have it now, and the devil istempting me to lay it next my heart. I have wrestled with him all thenight, but again he is at work. See that you do not help him!"
Again she was lost in reverential awe. As his paroxysm by slow degreesreturned, she exhibited in the mirror of her own countenance thepassion, the wild enthusiasm, reflected from his, until the final chargeto herself, when she was overcome with wonder and fear. His ownpreternaturally quick perceptions caught the effect produced, and heagain folded his arms and leaned back in grim and sullen silence, butwith the keen eye of the serpent watching the changing countenance ofhis auditor. She was sunk in abstraction for some moments, and then, asif rather thinking aloud than communing with another, she said, "Is itpossible?"
"Yea, as true as that the serpent infused his poison into the ear of themother of mankind. As true as that man was the first creatur
e that diedon the face of the earth by the hands of his fellow. As true as deathand hell! As true as that there is a hereafter. Happiness is negative!Misery positive. There is always a subtle doubt lingering upon our mostsubstantial scenes of happiness; but with misery it is slow, certain andenduring; the proof conclusive and damning. It is more real than ourexistence, and exists when it is no more. Our nerves are strung tovibrate to the touches of harmony and happiness only when played upon byinspirations from above, but they vibrate in discord to the earth, theair, the winds, the waves, the thunder--the lightning. They are rudelyhandled by men, beasts, reptiles, devils, by famine, disease and death.Am I not a wretched monument of its truth? Are not these miserable andfaded trappings, the funeral emblems of my moral decease? Am I not aliving tomb of my own soul? A memento of him that was, with aninscription on my forehead, 'Here walks the body of Nathaniel Bacon,whose soul was burned out on the ever memorable night of his ownwedding, by an incendiary in the mortal habiliments of his own Father,with a torch lit up in pandemonium itself? His body still walks theearth as a beacon and a warning to those who would commit incest!'"
The door was darkened for a moment, and in the next the Recluse stoodbefore him. His giant limbs lost none of their extent or proportions asviewed through the dim light which fell in scanty and checkered massesfrom the insterstices of the sylvan walls. He stood in the light of theonly door,--his features wan and cadaverous, and his countenancewretchedly haggard. "Why lingerest thou here in the lap of the tawnymaiden, when thy countrymen will so soon need the assistance of thy arm?This night the torch of savage warfare and cruelty will in allprobability be lighted up in the houses of thy friends and kindred. Isit becoming, is it manly in thee to seek these effeminate pastimes, inorder to drown the images of thy own idle fancy? If thou hastunconsciously erred, and thereby cruelly afflicted thy nearest kindred,is this the way to repair the evil? Set thou them the example! Be aman--the son of a soldier. Thy father before thee has suffered torturesof the mind, and privations of the body, to which thine are but thefeeble finger-aches of childhood as compared to the agonies of a painfuland protracted death. Rouse thyself from thy unmanly stupor, and hiethee hence to the protection of those who should look up to thee. Be notanxious for me, maiden; I see thy furtive glances at the besotted menof thy race, and thence to me. I have long watched their movements. Theysee me not; they will attempt no injury--and if they should their blowswould fall upon one reckless of danger--who has nought to gain orlose,--who has long had his lights trimmed, and lamp burning, ready forthe welcome summons."
When he first entered the wigwam, Bacon sprang upon his feet, and gazedupon the unwelcome apparition as if he doubted his humanity; but as hishollow and sepulchral voice fell upon his ear in the well known, deepexcited intonations of the chapel, he moved backward, his hands clasped,until his shoulders rested against the wall. There, shuddering withemotion, he gazed earnestly and in silence upon his visiter, whose wordsfell upon an indiscriminating ear. The Recluse perceived something ofhis condition as he continued, "Hearest thou not?--seest thou not? Rousethee from this unmanly weakness. I saw thy dead horse upon the moor. Iwill leave thee mine at the head of the Chickahominy Swamp. When nightcloses upon yonder brutal scene, mount and ride as if for thy life, eventhen thou mayst be too late! Remember! This night be thou in Jamestown!"
Having thus spoken, he stooped through the door, and vanished among thetrees behind the wigwam, as he had come. Bacon still gazed upon theplace where he had been, as if he still occupied the spot, his eyelidsnever closing upon the distended iris, until he fell upon the floor ina swoon. Such restoratives as an Indian wigwam afforded, were speedilyadministered, and very soon the desired effect was produced. While helay thus worn down by the sufferings produced by the tortures of theprevious night, and the cruel excitement of his feelings, Wyanokeediscovered, as she was bathing his temples, the small gold locket, whichhe had worn suspended from his neck, since the death of Mr. Fairfax.Apparently it contained nothing but the plaited hair and the inscriptionalready mentioned. She caught it with childlike eagerness, and turned itfrom side to side, with admiring glances, when her finger touched aspring and it flew open; the interior exhibited to view the features ofa young and lovely female.
At this juncture Bacon revived. His countenance was pale and haggardfrom the exhaustion of mental and bodily sufferings. His perceptionsseemed clearer, but his heart was burdened and oppressed--he longed forspeedy death to terminate the wretched strife. The prospect was dark andlowering in whatever direction he cast his thoughts; no light of hopebroke in upon his soul--all before him seemed a dreary joyless waste. Inthis mood he accidentally felt the open trinket within the facings ofhis doublet, and inserting his hand he drew it forth. His head waselevated instantly, his eyes distended and his whole countenanceexhibited the utmost astonishment. His first emotion was any thing butpleasant--as if he had drawn from his bosom one of his own figurativescorpions, but this was speedily succeeded by one of a different nature.The first sensation of pleasure which he had felt since he leftJamestown beamed upon his mind; it was mingled with the most unboundedsurprise; but quick as thought the light of hope broke in upon his darkand cheerless prospects. Again and again the picture was closelyscrutinized, but with the same conviction, never before had he beheldthat face. It was resplendent with smiles and beauty. The dark hazeleyes seemed to beam upon him with affectionate regard. The auburntresses almost fluttering in the breeze, so warm and mellow were thelights and shadows. But what rivetted his attention was the want ofresemblance in the picture to the lady whom he had been so recently andso painfully taught to believe his mother. The latter had light flaxenringlets and blue eyes, and the _tout ensemble_ of the features weretotally dissimilar. He imagined he saw a far greater resemblance betweenthe picture and himself, and hence the ray of hope. But in the place ofdespair came feverish suspense--he now longed again to meet the Recluse,whose presence had so lately filled him with horror. His mind sought invain within its own resources for means to bring the question to animmediate issue. Was he the first-born son of Mrs. Fairfax or not?Perhaps Brian O'Reily could tell something of the picture, or had seenthe original. No sooner had this faint, glimmering prospect ofunravelling the mystery dawned upon his mind, than he was seized withthe most feverish desire to set out for Jamestown.
The savages still kept up the carouse, but it would be hazardous in theextreme, as he was assured by his hostess, to attempt to leave Orapacsuntil the conclusion of the feast, which perhaps would last till night.At that time they were all to proceed to the Powhatan domain. He wascompelled therefore to content himself with reading the lineaments ofthe interesting countenance just opened to his view.
Upon what a frail foundation will a despairing man build up his fallencastles in the air. Such was the occupation of our hero until the lightof the sun had vanished over the western hills. He lay upon his mat inthe twilight gloom, indulging in vague uncertain reveries. He hadexamined the picture so long, so intently, and under such a morbidexcitement of the imagination, that he supposed himself capable ofrecollecting the features. He had called up dim and misty shadows ofmemory (or those of the imagination nearly resembling them) from aperiod wrapped in obscurity and darkness. He endeavoured to go back stepby step to his years of childhood, until his excited mind becamecompletely bewildered among the fading recollections of long passeddays. As the rippling waters of the purling stream mingled with themonotonous whistling of the evening breeze, his versatile imaginationfell into a kindred train. The music of the nursery, by which hischildish struggles had been lulled to repose, floated over his memoryin the tenderest and purest melancholy. Who that has music in his soulhas not, at a like season and hour, refreshed his heart with these earlyimpressions? Nor are they entirely confined to an inviting melancholymood and the hour of twilight. In the full vigour of physical and mentalpower, and when the spirits are bounding and elastic--in the midst ofdramatic representations or the wildest creations of Italian musicalgenius, these stores of memory's
richest treasures will suddenly floodthe soul, touched perhaps by the vibration of some kindred chord.Bacon's harassed mind was refreshed by the tender and softened mood intowhich he had fallen. Besides, he was now stimulated by the glimmeringdawn of hope. When therefore darkness had completely covered the face ofthe land, he arose to go upon his mission, a different being. Althoughhis own emotions on parting were faint compared to those of Wyanokee,they were yet sorrowful and tender. He lamented the lot of the Indianmaiden, and respected the virtues and accomplishments which elevated herso far above those by whom she was surrounded. He bade her adieu withthe most heartfelt gratitude for her services, and aspirations for herwelfare.
When he stepped from the wigwam he was astonished to see the huge fires,upon which they had cooked the feast, still burning with undiminishedbrilliancy, and still more startled to observe twenty or more savageslying drunk around them, and half as many sober ones holding vigilsover their slumbers. He immediately changed his intended direction, andskirted round the forest in which they lay, so as to arrive at the placepointed out by the Recluse by a circuitous route.
When he came opposite to the fires, and half way upon his circuit, hewas not a little alarmed to hear the astounding war-whoop yelled by oneof the sentinels. Casting his eyes in that direction he saw that all theguard were on the _qui vive_, and some of the slumberers slowly shakingoff their stupidity. He supposed that one of the sentinels had heard hisfootsteps, and thus alarmed the rest. Taking advantage of the trees, andthe distance he had already gained, he was enabled to elude theirvigilant senses. But when he came to the spot pointed out by theRecluse, a greater difficulty presented itself. The horse was alreadygone, but not taken by the one who brought him there, as he sawevidently from the impressions of his feet in the earth, where he hadstood most of the afternoon. He soon came to the conclusion that theIndians had found and carried him off. This was the more probable asthey adjourned their council about the time he must have been taken. Hiscall to Jamestown was too urgent to be postponed, and however feeble inbody he determined to exert his utmost strength to arrive there duringthe night.