J. B. Jones

“ The large blue chanticleer was balanced on one foot with an eye turned upwards as if scanning the heavens to guard against the sudden attack of the far-seeing eagle. Nature seemed to be indulging in a last sweet morning slumber, if indeed not over-sleeping herself, while the sun rose stealthily up and smiled at all her charms exposed!
“Hillo! ain’t you all up yit? Git up, Joe, and feed your hosses,” cried Sneak, approaching the gate on the outside, and thus most unceremoniously dispelling the charm that enwrapped the premises. ”

“ Some of the savages looked above, among the twining branches, and some shot their arrows in the snow, but fortunately not in the direction of Mary, while others ran about in every direction, examining all the large trees in the vicinity. The chief was amazed and utterly confounded. He drew not forth an arrow, nor brandished a tomahawk. While he thus stood, and the rest of the party were moving hurriedly about a few paces distant, Mary again repeated the word “FATHER!” As suddenly as if by enchantment every savage was paralyzed. Each stood as devoid of animation as a statue. ”

“ At all events, he thought there would be more safety on the beach, which extended out a hundred paces from the water, among the small switches of cotton-wood that grew thereon, than in the midst of the tall trees of the forest, where a heavy branch was every now and then torn off by the wind, and thrown to the earth with a terrible crash. Occasionally a deafening explosion of thunder would burst overhead; and Joe, prostrating himself on the neck of his horse, would, with his eyes closed and his teeth set, bear it out in silence. ”

“ A spreading elm stood near the door of Roughgrove’s house, and beneath its clustering boughs William and Mary were seated on a rude bench, entirely screened from the glaring light of the sun. A few paces distant the brook glided in low murmurs between the green flags and water violets over its pebbly bed. The morning dew yet rested on the grass in the shade. The soft sigh of the fresh breeze, as it passed through the motionless branches of the towering elm, could scarce be heard, but yet sufficed ever and anon to lift aside the glossy ringlets that hung pendent to the maiden’s shoulders. ”

“ Then, the speed of the flying snow-canoe, were she to leap out, would not only produce a hurtful collision with the hard snow-crust, but certainly cause her detection. The poor girl’s heart sank within her, and, for a time, she reclined submissively in the canoe, and gave way to a flood of tears. She thought of her gray-haired father, and a piercing agony thrilled through her breast. And she thought, too, of others—of Boone, of Glenn, and her pangs were hopelessly poignant. Thus she lay for several long hours, a prey to grief and despair. ”

“ It seemed that the deer which had escaped had actually given intelligence to the rest of the arrival of a deadly foe in the vicinity, for not one could now be seen in riding several miles. The sun was sinking low and dim in the west, and Glenn was on the eve of turning homeward, when, on emerging from the flat prairie to a slight eminence that he had marked as boundary of his excursion, he beheld at no great distance an enormous mound, of pyramidical shape, which, from its isolated condition, he could not believe to be the formation of nature. ”

“ Bruin had eluded the dogs a few minutes by climbing a bending tree at the mouth of the valley, from which he passed to another, and descending again to the earth, proceeded almost exhausted up the ravine. Joe’s eyes grew larger and larger as the monster approached, and when within a few feet of him he uttered a horrible unearthly sound, which attracted the bear, and fearing the fatal aim of man more than the teeth of the dogs, he whirled about, with a determination to fight his way back, in preference to again risking the murderous lead. ”

“ Had the dream been an ordinary one, and he not an actor in it, it might have passed swiftly from his memory; but inasmuch as the conduct imputed to him was so natural, and the expressions he was made to utter so characteristic, he could not but regard it as a vision far more significant and important than a mere freak of the brain during a moment of slumber.
“What are you studying about?” interrogated Glenn.
“I can’t understand it,” replied Joe, shaking his head.
“Neither can the most renowned philosopher,” said Glenn; “but you can tell whether your musket has been discharged.” ”

“ I’ll faint presently!” said Joe, trembling at every joint.
“You’re a fool,” said Sneak, “to mind ’em that way. If you wasn’t to notice ’em, they wouldn’t do it. See how they’re laughing at you.”
“Oh, Sneak, I can’t help it, to save my life, indeed I can’t. Oh, my good Lord, what would I give to be away from here!” said Joe, his eyes fit to burst from their sockets.
“I’ve killed many a deer in a minit—it don’t hurt a man to die more than a deer. I wish the snarvilorous copper-skinned rascals would git through quick!” said Sneak.
“Me try you agin,” said the savage, again going to Sneak. ”

“ He is now grazing in the prairie at the head of the valley; and here are the blossoms, still alive, fresh and sweet.” The trembling and tearful girl then gently and sadly strewed the flowers over the grass at her feet.
“Sweet La-u-na!” cried William, snatching up the blossoms and pressing them to his lips, “forgive the young chief; he will still love you and never leave you again.”
“No—no—no!” said the girl, shaking her head in despair; “the pale face youth will not creep through the silent and shady forest with La-u-na any more. He will gather no more ripe grapes for the Trembling Fawn. ”

“ Joe soon disappeared.
“If you want to hunt, you can go on; Roughgrove and me will bury this robber,” said Sneak.
“Be it so,” said Glenn; “but remember that you are not to put him in the river, nor must you commit any indecent outrage upon his person. Let his body return to the earth—his soul is already in the hands of Him who created it.”
“That’s as true as gospel,” said Sneak; “and I would rather be froze in this snow than to have his hot berth in the t’other world. I don’t feel a bit mad at him now—he’s paying for his black dagiverous conduct hard enough by this time, I’ll be bound. ”

“ The startling report seemed to rend both the earth and the heavens, and rumbled far up and down the valley of the Missouri, like the deep bellowing of a coruscant thunder-cloud, and died away in successive vibrations until it finally resembled the partially suppressed growling of an angry lion.
When the inmates of the house sallied forth, the scene was again quiet. After clearing away the enormous masses of snow from the palisade, they looked out from the inclosure through the loophole on the east, and all was stillness and silence. But the view was changed. ”

“ Then why did you not answer my questions?” asked Roughgrove, turning to the captive. The young chief made no answer, but sat with his arms folded, and still regarding the features of Mary.
“He’s a perfect fool!” said Sneak.
“He’s a snake in the grass, and’ll bite some of us some of these times, before we know any thing about it,” said Joe.
“Be silent,” said Glenn. “If the hope that fills my breast should be realized, the young chief will cause more rejoicing than sorrowing among us. The wisdom of Providence surpasses all human understanding. ”

“ Chief, please let me go home, and I’ll pay you whatever you ask!” said Joe, to the tallest of the savages.
The Indian, if he did not understand his captive’s words, seemed to comprehend his terrors, and was much diverted at his ludicrous expression of features.
“Oh pray! good Mr. Chief—”
“Keep your mouth shet! They’ll never git through torturing us, if you let ’em know you’re afraid,” said Sneak.
“That’s just what I want,” said Joe; “I don’t want them to ever quit torturing us—because they’ll never quit till we’re both dead. But as long as they laugh at they’ll be sure to let me live.” ”

“ Presently he stood up and intently regarded the dim path over-shadowed by the luxuriant foliage that Joe had so recently traversed, and an animated smile played upon his lips, and dark, clear eyes sparkled with a thrill of ecstasy.
A slight female form, emerged from the dark green thicket, and glided more like a spirit of the air than a human being towards the wondering group. Her light steps produced no sound. In each hand she held a rich bouquet of fresh wild flowers, and leaves and blossoms were fantastically, though tastefully, arranged in her hair and on her breast. ”

“ Now it would run back toward the men a moment, and, wheeling suddenly, again leap upon the foe, when its feet could be heard to strike against the ground; then it plunged forward, and after making a spring beyond, would return to the attach.
“Here, Ringwood! Jowler!” cried Joe, and the hounds ran forward to the spot pointed out to them. But no sooner had they gone far enough to see the nature of the enemy that the fawn was attacking, than they turned away affrighted, and with their tails hanging down retreated from the scene of action. ”

“ When he reached a narrow rivulet about one hundred paces distant, that gradually widened and deepened until it formed the valley in which the ferry-house was situated a half mile below, he paused and suffered the hounds to lead the way. They ran a short distance up the ravine and halted at the edge of a small thicket, and commenced barking very fiercely as they scented the air under the bushes.
“I’ll bet it’s another bear,” said Joe, putting a fresh priming in the pan of his musket, and proceeding after the hounds. “If it is a bear, ought I to fool with him by myself?” ”

“ The first train of powder was ignited—the Indians were bursting through the snow-crust with direful yells—the blaze ran quickly along the plank—it reached the end of the reed—a shrill whizzing sound succeeded—a sharp crash under the snow—and then all was involved in a tremendous chaotic explosion! An enormous circular cloud of smoke enveloped the scene for a moment, and then could be seen tomahawks, bows, and arrows, and even savages, sailing through the air. The moon was darkened for the space of several minutes, during which time immense quantities of snow poured down from above. ”

“ He massacred one of the coiled rattlesnakes at a blow, and his pony kicked a puffing viper to atoms. Sneak paused a moment at the pool, and dealt his blows with such rapidity that nearly all the black racers that survived glided swiftly into the tall grass, and one of the largest was seen by Joe to run up the trunk of a solitary blasted tree that stood near the pool, and enter a round hole about ten feet from the ground. ”

“ But before the sentence was uttered, Sneak had broken through himself, and stood half-submerged in the snow.
“Ha! ha! ha! you musn’t count your chickens before they’re hatched,” said Joe, laughing; “but you may score one, now you have broken the shell.”
“I got in that time,” said Sneak, now winding through the bushes with much caution, as if it were truly in his power to diminish the weight of his body by a peculiar mode of walking. ”

“ The white men might shoot him.. He would as willingly die as live. If suffered to depart, it was his intention to steal his squaw away from the tribe, and join the Pawnees. He would never be an Osage again.
“Go!” said Boone, perceiving by a ray of moonlight that reached the Indian’s face through the clustering branches of the trees above, that he was in tears. The savage, without speaking another word, leaped out into the prairie, and from the circuitous direction he pursued, it was manifest that nothing could be further from his desire than to fall in with the war-party. ”

“ Then falling prostrate with their own weight, in less than a twinkling they were dispersed and flying over the smooth short grass in every direction, their innumerable scales all the time emitting a low buzzing sound as they ran along. Every moment others glided into the area from the tall grass, and those assembled thither rushed towards them in a body to manifest a welcome.
“Now’s the time!” cried Sneak, rushing forward, followed by Joe. ”

“ If we are attacked to-night, or even within a day or two, we have nothing to depend upon but our own force to defend ourselves.”
“Should it be so, I doubt not we will be able to withstand them as successfully as we did before,” said Glenn.
“Let us go with Roughgrove to his house, and take his daughter and his effects to your little fortress,” said Boone, joining the old ferryman, whom a single word sufficed to apprize of the state of affairs.
“I must prepare for the worst, now,” said Roughgrove; “they will never forget or forgive the part I acted on the night of their defeat.” ”

“ Glenn narrowly watched every look and motion of the young chief, and when Mary finished the account of her capture, he introduced the subject of the lost child, Mary’s brother, that Roughgrove had spoken about before starting in pursuit of the war-party.
“I can remember him!” said Mary, “and mother, too—they are both in heaven now—poor brother! poor mother!”
The young chief raised his head quickly, and staring at the maiden’s face, seemed to regard her tears and her features with an interest similar to that of a child when it beholds a rare and curious toy. ”