CHAPTER XXVIII
There was the bustle and the din of preparation in the great Castle ofthe Oneidas. With the first light of the morning, numerous small bandsbegan to pour in, summoned secretly long before, to hold a warcouncil, and to march against the enemy. Before noon larger bandsbegan to appear, led by several of the noted warriors of the nation,and one very numerous body coming across the lake in a little fleet ofcanoes brought with them a great quantity of baggage in the shape ofhuts and provisions, with women and even children.
The scene which took place when all were assembled, in number morethan a thousand, is perfectly indescribable. Nor shall I attempt togive a picture of it. A long period of peace seemed only to have giventhe western warriors a sort of thirst for war; and their joy at theunburying of the hatchet and the march against the enemy broke forthin demonstrations which to any civilized eye would have appearedperfectly frantic. Screaming, shouting, singing, dancing, striking thewar post with their tomahawks, and shaking their rifles in the air,they seemed like beings possessed by some evil spirit--the calm andgrave demeanor was altogether cast aside, and the calmest and mostmoderate boasted outrageously of deeds done in the past or to beperformed in the coming war. About an hour after noon, however, asudden and complete change came over the scene. In an open spacebefore the great lodge, all the chieftains of the different totems ortribes assembled, and the usual circle was formed around the great warpost of the Black Eagle. The younger warriors gathered in other rowswithout the first, and the youths, the women, and the children wereseen beyond these again. One exception to the usual order took place.The great chief had on either side of him one of those, both of whomhe now called his children. Otaitsa, in her most brilliant costume,stood upon his left, and Walter Prevost, armed and dressed like theOneidas, with the sole difference that his head was not shaved, liketheirs, remained standing throughout the ceremony, on his right.
As soon as all was quiet--and the stillness of death very soon fellover the whole multitude--Black Eagle, in a speech of powerfuleloquence, related all that had occurred on the preceding night, andjustified the act of himself and the other chiefs in the eyes of thepeople. He said that he himself and five of his brethren had beenprepared to sacrifice the son of Prevost to atone for the blood of theSnake, and to satisfy the customs of the Oneidas, although they wouldrather have slain their own son; but that the Great Spirit had spokenby the tongue of his sister, and they had forborne. When he had done,the Old Cedar Tree rose, but uttered only a few words. "It was thevoice of the Great Spirit," he said; and immediately a murmur of"Koui! koui!" ran round the assembly, in confirmation of the act.
The chief then explained to his warriors why he had that day calledthem around him; for although the object was already well known toall, and the news had by that time spread that the Englishmen weremarching against the French upon Lake Champlain, the Indians neveracted in masses without solemn deliberation; and a war speech, as theycalled it, was universally expected from their renowned leader. Hedealt at length upon the alliance between the English and the FiveNations, upon the good faith with which the stipulations of theirtreaties had been maintained by the British Provinces; he referred tothe talk held some six months before, at the Castle of Sir WilliamJohnson, skilfully mingling with his discourse the names of severalpersons most popular with the tribes, and he ended by exhorting hishearers to show their truth and friendship toward their Englishbrethren, and to pour down their fiercest wrath upon the French, whomhe spoke of contemptuously as brethren of the Hurons and theAlgonquins.
The same signs of approbation followed; and many another chief addedhis voice, raising the passions of the warriors to the highest pitch.One, especially, urged them to immediate action, telling them that theMohawks had already marched, that they were with the English army, andthat the faces of the children of the Stone would be full of shame ifa Mohawk brought home more scalps than an Oneida.
Some were for setting out on the instant, but this proposal wasoverruled, and the following morning was appointed for the march tobegin, as more parties were expected from the different districts, andsome had not come fully prepared for the long journey and importantenterprise.
The council was succeeded by scenes similar to those with which theday began, and it must not be concealed that in many instances thedreadful firewater was employed, so far as even to produce beastlyintoxication. Small drums and wild instruments of music, songs ofevery different character, from the wailing lament or the religiouschant to the fierce and boastful war song, rose from every part of,the village; and it was not till the sun had completely set thatanything like quiet and order was restored. Paint it in what colors wewill, it was a barbarous and terrible, though exciting scene, andWalter Prevost was well pleased to hear the noise gradually die awayinto low murmurs, and silence again begin to resume her reign.
Then came a very, very happy hour. He sat with Otaitsa alone, in thegreat lodge, while the Black Eagle wandered amongst his peoplewithout; and for the first time since his deliverance from death thetwo had an opportunity of pouring forth to each other the manyfeelings which, had accumulated in the last four and twenty hours.
"At this time last night," said the youth, "I was preparing to die."
"And at this time last night," answered the girl, gazing fondly uponhis face as he sat with his arm clasped fondly round her, and her headleaning on his shoulder, "and at this time last night Otaitsa wasready to die with you. I have since thought it very wrong of me,Walter; and fearing what I did was sinful, I have prayed part of thenight to God for forgiveness, and another part I have spent in praiseand thanksgiving. But I believe I was mad, my beloved, for I hardlyknew what I did, and followed blindly what they told me to do torescue him for whom I would have sacrificed a thousand lives. Besides,I was surrounded by my countrywomen, and you know they do not think aswe have been taught to think."
"If it was an error it was a blessed one, my own Blossom," answeredWalter, "for to it I owe my life; and life, when it is brightened byOtaitsa's love, is but too precious to me. The time will come, dearone, when we shall look back upon these days as but a painful dream,and the only bright reality that will last will be the memory of myBlossom's love, and all that she has done to save and bless me."
She gazed at him believingly; for hers was not a heart to doubt, andhis was not a heart to be doubted; and then she said, with a sigh:"But you are now going to battle, to risk your life and all yourhappiness. Still it is strange, but I would not stay you, though all Ihave heard from good Mr. Gore should make me look upon such thingswith horror, and though I would fain have you keep away from danger. Isuppose it is the habits of my people still clinging about me, evenwith a better faith than theirs."
"Fear not, dearest, fear not," answered Walter, boldly. "No harm willhappen to me, I do trust and believe, and I only leave you for a fewshort weeks."
"You will not leave me at all, Walter," she answered, "no, never more.I will go with you, if not to the battle, as near it as I can be. Ihave my father's leave; the warriors of my race will defend me, and Iwill not part with my recovered treasure any more."
"Go to my father's house," said Walter, joyfully. "It is very near thespot, and Edith will rejoice to have you with her."
Otaitsa fixed her eyes upon vacancy, and fell into a deep reverie; andan expression came into her face which Walter had remarked more thanonce before.
"Do you know, my beloved," he said, "that sometimes you strike me asvery like our dear Edith, especially when you look thoughtful, as youdid just now?"
"It is very natural," said Otaitsa, nestling closer to him; "you donot know that she is my cousin. My mother was your father's sister.Hush! not a word, especially in the ears of any of the tribe. Myfather knows it, but he will not know it, because amongst the elderpeople of the nation it was held contrary to our customs that cousinshould marry cousin. I asked Mr. Gore long ago if it were against yourlaw; but he said no, that it was neither against law nor religion. Heinquired why I asked so earnes
tly," she added, laughing, "but I wouldnot tell him. Come with me into my chamber, and I will show you manythings belonging to my mother. Stay! I will light my lamp!"
Otaitsa bent down and lighted her lamp, and guided her lover up to herlittle chamber; and there they sat, and turned over many a long-storedtreasure, and she showed him the picture of his own father, and of hermother, and of their mutual kin, and drawings of fair scenes inEurope, some of which he remembered well, with others of the land inwhich they then were, but of spots which he had never seen. There wasone, too, left unfinished, of a young, sweet child; and Walter gazedfirst upon the infant face and then upon the bright, happy countenancebeside him, and clasped his Blossom warmly to his breast. The book,too, with the drop of blood upon it, told its own tale to both theirhearts.
"And where is Mr. Gore?" he asked, at length; "he seems seems to haveleft altogether his little flock, or I am sure I should have seen himduring my captivity."
"He is coming back now," said Otaitsa. "My father would not let himreturn before. He was afraid, I believe, that the breath of the goodman would melt his icy purpose. He had a power over Black Eagle thatnone other had. I prayed and besought in vain. But had Mr. Gore beenhere he would have conquered. Black Eagle knew it and feared, andtherefore he sent him hence, and would not let him return till the daywas past."
"Would that he were here now," said Walter, earnestly.
Otaitsa asked him why, and he answered, with a warm kiss: "That hemight unite us forever."
A flush came upon her cheek, but there was the low sound of a stepbelow, and looking down the stairs, she said: "Is that you, myfather?"
"I come," said the chief; and slowly mounting the stairs, he enteredthe chamber where they were. His eyes roved round the room in a mannerwhich evidently showed that it was strange to him; and then he fixedthem on the pictures which lay upon the table, lighted but faintly bythe lamp. At first he seemed not to distinguish what they were, butthe moment he saw them clearly, he drew his mantle over his face andturned toward the door. He uttered no word, he shed no tear, but hedescended slowly, and Walter and Otaitsa followed.