Beadle's Dime Library, No. 149 — page 9: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Border Rifles. ‘* What do you say?”’ “Certainly, because they had sold me the territory they occupied.” “Oh, oh, captain! this requires an explanation.” “Ty is very easy to give, and to prove 3 Oger faith in the matter, I will show you the of The hunter and the chief exchanged a glance of surprise. ‘*IT am quite out of my reckoning,”’ said Tranquil. “Wait a moment,” the captain went on, “1 will fetch the deed and show it to you.” And he went out, “Oh, sir!’ the young lady exclaimed, as she ce her hands entreatingly, “try to prevent a uarrel.”’ es madam |!”’ the hunter said sadly, ‘‘ that will be very difficult, after the turn matters have taken.” “Here, look,”’ the captain said, as he came in and showed them the deed. The two men required but a glance to detect the trick. ** That deed is false,’’ said Tranguil. “False! thatis impossible!" the captain went on in stupor; ‘if it be, 1 am odiously deceived,” “ Unfortunately that has happened.” “What is to be done?’’ the captain muttered, me- a es Black-deer rose. ‘Let the pale-faces listen,” he said, majestically; **a sachem Is about to s ; The Canadian tried to interpose, but the chief sternly im silence on him. “My father has been deceived; heis a just war- rior, his head is gray; the Wacondah has given him wisdom; the Snake Pawnees are also just; they wish to live in peace with my father, because he is inno- cent of the fault with which he is reproached, and for which another must be rendered responsible.” The commencement of this speech greatly sur- prised the chief's hearers; the young mother es- pecially, on angie. the words, felt her anxiety dis- appear, and poy well up in hor heart again. “The Snake Pawnees,”’ the sachem continued, *‘ will restore to my father all the merchandise he extorted from him; he, for his part, will pledge him- self to abandon the hunting-grounds of the Pawnees, and retire with the pale-faces who came with him; the Pawnees will give up the vengeance the wished to take for the murder of their brothers, and the war hatchet will be buried between the red-skinsand the pale-faces of the West. I have spoken.” After these words thore was o silence, His hearers wore struck with stupor; if the condi- tions were unacceptable, war became incvitable. ‘““What does my fathor answer!" the chief asked Pp resently. 7 Unhappily, chief,” the captain answered sadly, “T cannot consent to such conditions, that is im- poans: 8 I cam do is to double the price I paid previously." The chief shrugged his shoulders in centempt. ** Black-deer was mistaken,’’ ho said, with a crush- stalle of sarcasm; ‘the pale-faces have really a forked tongue." Tt was im ble to make the sachem understand the real state of the case; with that blind obstinacy characteristic of his race, he would listen to noth- ing; the more thoy tried to prove to him that he was wrong, the more convinced he felt be was right. At ine hour of the night the and Black-deer withdrew, accompanied, as far as the intrenchments, by the captain. So soon as they had gone, James Watt returned thoughtfully to the tewer; on the threshold he xambhad agaiust a rather large object, and stooped down to see what it was. * Oh!" he exclalmed aa ho rose again, “ foam they really mean fighting! By Heaven! they have it to their h ‘s content !"’ The object against which the captain had stum- bled was a bundle of arrews fastened by a serpent skin; the two ends of this skin and the points of the arrows were blood-stained, Black-deer, on retiring, had let the declaration of war fall behind him. All hope of peace had vanished, and preparation for fighting must be made. After the first mom»*nt of stupor the ca re- ained his coolness; and although day had not yet Seales, he aroused the colonists and assembled them in front of the town, to Lold a council and consult asto the means for neutralizing the peril that qonaced them, eit) ee a CHAPTER IX, os hm wv THE SNAKE PAWNELS, We will now clear upa few points in this story which may appear obscure to the reader, The Be however great their other faults may be, have a fanatic love for the country where they are born, and nothing can take its ge Monke -face did not speak falsely when he told Captain Watt that he was one of the principal chiefs of his tribe; but he had been careful not to reveal for what reason he had been expelled from his tribe. This réason the time has now arrived for us to make known. Monkey-face was not only a man of unbridled am- bition, but also, an extraor thing for an Indian, he had no religious faith, and was completely ex- po from those weaknesses and that superstitious sredulity to which his fellows are so amenable; in addition, he was faithleas, dishono more depraved manners, Having been takex, when young, to the American Union, he had been ina position to see the eccentric civilization of the United States. Usable to comprehend the good and bad sides of this eivilization, and steer between them, he had, as generally ns in such been_sge- e, and of happe cases, duced by that which most flattered his tastes and in- stincts, and had only taken from the customs of the whites whatever completed and furnished his pre- cocious depravity. Hence, pnd he returned to his tribe, his language and manners were so discordant with what wes done and said around him, that he speedily excited the contempt and hatred of his countrymen. His most violent enemies were naturally the riests, or, at least, the sorcerers, whom he had ried several times to turn into ridicule. So soon’as Monkey-face had put on his back the omnipotent party of the sorcerers, it was all over with his ambitious plans; all his maneuvers failed, a dull opposition constantly overthrew his schemes at the very moment when he expected to see them su : For a long time, the chief, not knowing how to act, kept prudently on the defensive, while actively watching the movements of his enemies; awaiting, with that feline patience which formed the basis of his character, for chance to reveal to him the name | AS | all his measures were taken, he soon discovered that | of the man on whom his vengeance should fall. the man to whom he owed his continual checks was no other than a sorcerer of the tribe. This was an face hid his hatred for a season; council, after a lively discussion, he allowed his rage to carry him away, and, rushing on the unha Py old man, he stabbed him in the sight of all the elders of the tribe, before those present could prevent the ex- ecution of his design. The murder of the sorcerer put the climax on the horror this villain inspired. On the spot, the chief drove him from the territory of the nation, refusing him fire and water, and threatening him with the heaviest punishment if he dared to appear before them again. Monkey-face, too weak to resist the execution of this sentence, retired with rage in his heart, and ut- tering the most horrible threats. We have seen in what way he revenged himself by ey! the territory of his tribe to the Americans and thus causing the ruin of those who banished him. But he had scarce obtained the vengeance he had so lon rsued, when a strange revolution took place in this man’s beart. The sight of the land where he was born, and where the ashes of his father reposed, aroused in him with extreme force that love of his country which he thought dead, but was ony. asleep in his heart. e shame at the odious action he had committed, by surrende to the enemies of his race the hunt- ing grounds which he had himself so long freely traversed, the obstin with which the Americans set to work changi e face of the country, and destroying their aged trees, whose shadows had so long protected the councils of his nation—all these causes combined had caused him to reflect, and rendered des by the sacrilege which hatred im him to commit, he tried to rejoin his com- og Ve order to assist them in recovering what h his fault. a 8 lost t is to say resolved to betray his new friends to the profit of his old friends. fais aie man was unhappily engage afa th, bol a each step he took matt be marked for a me, It was easier than he at first supposed for him to rejoin his countrymen, for they were scattered and prio gm in despair through the forest round the ony. Monkey-face presented himself boldly to them, and was very careful not to tell them that he alone was the cause of the misfortune that overwhelmed them. On the other hand, he made a secret of his return, telling them that the news of the calamities which had suddenly fallen on them was the sole cause of his Tr that had they continued to be peppy. they would never have seen him again; but that, in the presence of such a frightful catastrophe as that which had erushed them, every feeling of hatred must disa r before the common vengeance to be taken on the pale-faces, those eternal and implaca- ble enemies of the red race. In a word, he displayed such noble sentiments and put the step he was taking in such a brilliant light, that he completely succeeded in deceiving the Indians, and them of the purity of his in- tentions, and his good faith. After this, with the diabolical intelligence he pos- ery he formed a vast plot against the Americans, a plot into which he had the cleverness to draw the other Indian people allied to his tribe; and while ostensibly rem the friend of the colonists, he silently prepared organized their utter ruin. The influence he succeeded in obtaining over his tribe within a short time was immense; three men alone entertained an instinctive distrust of him, and carefully watched his movements; they were Tran- quil the Canadian hunter, Black-~deer and Blue-fox. Ch ge ae could not understand the conduct of the chief; it seemed to him extraordinary that this man had thus become a friend of the Americans, Sev- eral times he asked bim explanations on this head, but Monkey-face had always answered in an am- — way, or evaded his questions. quil, whose suspicions daily grew, and who was determined to know positively what opinion to have of a man whose maneuvers appeared to him daily more yore succeeded in getting himself chosen with B -deer, by the great council of the — to bear the declaration of war to Captain att. Moukey-face was vexed at the choice of the envoys whom he knew to be secretly his cnemies; but he concealed his resentment; the more 60 & matters were too far advanced to withdraw, and everything was in readiness for the can gargere Tran and Black-deer consequently set out with orders to declare war on the pale-faces. “If I am not greatly mistaken,” the Canadian said to his friend as they rode along, “ we are going to hear something about Monkey-face.”’ “Do you think so?”’ “*T would view it. Tem convinced the scamp is playing a double game, and cheats us all to his own rofit. ‘*T have no great confidence in him; still I cannot believe that he could carry his effron 80 far."’ ‘* We shall soon see what we have to epend on; at any rate though, promise me one thing.’ “ What is itt ‘‘That I be the first to speak. I know better than you how to deal with the pale-faces of the West.” “Be it so,”’ Black-deer replied; ‘‘ act as you think roper.’ 3 Five minutes after, they reached the colony, We related in the previous chapter how they were re- a ived, and what passed between them and Captain att. This custom of the Indians of declaring war acainst their enemies may appear extraordinary to Europeans, who are accustomed to regard them as stupid savages, but we must make no mistake; the man, respected and beloved by | all on account of his wisdom and Xe goer Monkey- | ut one day, in full | this traitor amon 9 red-skins have an eminently chivalrous character, and never, except in the case of a horse robbery or such matter, will they attack an enemy re warning him, that he may be on his guard. In fact, it is by cleverly working on this chivalrous character, of which the North Americans, we t to say, do not possess a particle, that the tes have gained the majority of their victories over the red-skins. When a few yards from the colony, the two men found again their horses which they had hoppled; they mounted, and went off at a rapid rate. ** Well,” Tranquil asked the chief, “‘ what do you think of all this?” ““My brother was right, Monkey-face has constant- ly cheated us: it is evident that this deéd emanates rom him alone.”’ ** What do a intend doing?” “Ido not know yet; perhaps it would be danger- ous to unmask him at this moment.” ““T am not of your opinion, chief; the presence of us can only injure our cause,” **'Let us have a look at him first.” “* Be it so! but permit me a remark,” “*T am listening, my brother.” “How is it that after recognizing the falseness of that deed of sale, you insisted on declaring war against this Long-knife of the West, since he has roved to you that he was deceived by Monkey- ace? The chief smiled cunningly. ‘The pale-face was cols deceived,”’ he said, “ use it suited him to 40 be] **I do not understand you, chief.” “I will explain myself. Does my brother know how a sale of land is effected?” **No, I do not; and 1 confess to you, that, never abbr 2's to buy or sell, I have not troubled myself about it,” “Wah! in that case I will tell my brother.” “You will cause me pleasure, for I always like to gain ne ee tee this may be useful to me at: some time,”’’ the Canadian said with a grin. “When a pale-face wishes to buy the hunting- ground of a tribe he to the principal sachems of the nation, and r smoking the calumet of ace in council, he explains his meani tions are discussed; if the two contrac a plan of the territory is drawn up the principal sorcerer, the pale-face gives his all the chiefs place their sign manual at the foot of the lan, the trees are blazed with a tomahawk, the aouaers marked, and the purchaser takes imme- te possession. a Hum,” Tranquil remarked, “that seems simple enough. ‘In what council has the gray-heed chief smoked the calumet? Where are the sachems who have | treated with him’ Let him show me the trees that were marked.” “In truth, I fancy he would find that difficult.” — “The Gray-head,”’ the chief continued, “knew that Monkey-face was cheating him; but the terri- tory suited him, and he calculated on the strength of arms to hold his own.” “ That is probable.”’ é “* Conquered by evidence, and recognizing too late that he acted inconsiderately, he fancied could recover all difficulties le e us a few more bales of merchandise. erever did the pale-faces have a straight honest tongue?”’ “ Thank you,” the hunter said laug , “IT do not speak of my brother's nation; I never had to complain of them, and I only refer to the Long- knives of the West. Does my brother still think that I was wrong in throwing down the bloody arrows?" ‘** Perhaps, in that circumstance, chief, you were a little too quick, and allowed your passions to carry yes away, but you have so many reasons for hating Americans that I dare not blame you.” —_ other’s assis- tance “Why should I refuse it to you, chief? Your cause | is still as it was, that is to sax just; it is my duty to help you, and I will do so, whatever may ” es Och! I thank my brother; bis rifle will be us.”’ ‘Here we are; it is time to form a determination with reference to Monkey-face.” “It is formed,” the chief answered, laconically. At this moment they entered a vast clearing, in the center of which several fires were burning. Five hundred Indian warriors, painted and armed for war, were lying about in the grass, while their horses, all harnessed and ready for mounting, were hoppled, and eating their proveuder of eliinding Round the principal fire several chiefs were crouch- | ing and smoking silently. new-comers dismounted and Peitnge toward this fire, before which Monkey-face walking up and down in considerable agitation. The two men took their places by the side of the other chiefs, and lit their calumets; although one expected their arrival impatiently, no one ad- dre a word to them, Indian pp Sa ge pe ol a chief from s ng before the cal was com- pletely smoked out. When Black-deer had finished his calumet, he © ox out the ashes, passed it through his belt, and ‘The orders of the sachems_ are accomplished; the bloody arrows have been delivered to pale- faces.”’ ; The chiefs bowed their heads in sign of satisfaction at this news. ? : Monkey-face walked up. ‘‘Has my brother Black deer seen Gray-head?” he asked. “Yes,” the chief answered “What does my brother ; the con- fo Then, I can still count on my ly. nk?” Monkey-face pressed him. . Black-deer gave him an equivocal glance. ‘What matters the thought of a chief at this mo- ment,” he answered, “since the council of the sa- chems resolved on war?”’ “The nights are long,” Blue-fox then said, “will iy oeure remain here smoking ?”* anquil remarked in his turn: “The Long-kniyes are on their guard, they are watching at this moment, my brothers remount their horses and withdraw, for the hour is not pro- pitious.” The chiefs gave a sign of assent. * em ¢ Comilicboo ‘S ;CONT 4 é pee