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was married made no great difference in his advice, for the Indian
was much too shrewd an observer not to have detected the bee-
hunter's attachment. He had not supposed it possible to separate his
friend from the family of Gershom, though he did suppose there would
be less difficulty in getting him to go on a path different from
that which the missionary and corporal might take. His own great
purpose was to serve le Bourdon, and how many or how few might
incidentally profit by it he did not care. The truth compels us to
own, that even Margery's charms, and nature, and warm-hearted
interest in all around her, had failed to make any impression on his
marble-like feelings; while the bee-hunter's habits, skill in his
craft, and close connection with himself at the mouth of the river,
and more especially in liberating him from his enemies, had united
him in a comrade's friendship with her husband. It was a little
singular that this Chippewa did not fall into Peter's superstitious
dread of the bee-hunter's necromancy, though he was aware of all
that had passed the previous day on the prairie. Either on account
of his greater familiarity with le Bourdon's habits, or because he
was in the secret of the trick of the whiskey-spring, or from a
closer knowledge of white men and their ways, this young Indian was
freer from apprehensions of this nature, perhaps, than any one of
the same color and origin within many miles of the spot. In a word,
Pigeons-wing regarded the bee-hunter as his friend, while he looked
upon the other pale-faces as so many persons thrown by accident in
his company. Now that Margery had actually become his friend's
squaw, his interest in her was somewhat increased; though she had
never obtained that interest in his feelings that she had awakened
in the breast of Peter, by her attentions to him, her gentleness,
light-hearted gayety, and womanly care, and all without the least
design on her own part.
"No," answered the Chippewa, after a moment's reflection, "no very
safe for Yankee, or Yankee Injin. Don't t'ink my scalp very safe, if
chief know'd I'm Yankee runner. Bess alway to keep scalp safe. Dem
Pottawattamie I take care not to see. Know all about 'em, too. Know
what he SAY--know what he DO--b'lieve I know what he T'INK."
"I did not see you, Pigeon, among the red young men, yesterday, out
on Prairie Round."
"Know too much to go dere. Crowsfeather and Pottawattamie out dere.
Bess not go near dem when dey have eye open. Take 'em asleep. Dat
bess way wid sich Injin. Catch 'em some time! But your ear open,
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Bourdon?"
"Wide open, my good friend--what have you to whisper in it?"
"You look hard at Peter when he come in. If he t'ink good deal, and
don't say much, when he DO speak, mind what he say. If he smile, and
very much friend, must hab his scalp."
"Chippewa, Peter is my friend, lives in my cabin, and eats of my
bread! The hand that touches him, touches me."
"Which bess, eh--HIS scalp, or your'n? If he VERY much friend when
he comes in, his scalp muss come off, or your'n. Yes, juss so. Dat
de way. Know Injin better dan you know him, Bourdon. You good bee-
hunter, but poor Injin. Ebbery body hab his way--Injin got his.
Peter laugh and very much friend, when he come home, den he mean to
hab YOUR scalp. If don't smile, and don't seem very much friend, but
look down, and t'ink, t'ink, t'ink, den he no mean to hurt you, but
try to get you out of hand of chiefs. Dat all."
As Pigeonswing concluded, he walked coolly away, leaving his friend
to ruminate on the alternative of scalp or no scalp! The bee-hunter
now understood the Chippewa perfectly. He was aware that this man
had means of his own to ascertain what was passing around him in the
Openings, and he had the utmost confidence in his integrity and good
wishes. If a red man is slow to forget an injury, he never forgets a
favor. In this he was as unlike as possible to most of the pale-
faces who were supplanting his race, for these last had, and have,
as extraordinary a tenacity in losing sight of benefits, as they
have in remembering wrongs.
By some means or other, it was now clear that Pigeonswing foresaw
that a crisis was at hand. Had le Bourdon been as disconnected and
solitary as he was when he first met the Chippewa, it is not [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] - zanotowane.pl
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