James Fenimore Cooper

“ When engaged in war he usually prepares himself, in the coolest and wisest manner, to meet its struggles, indulging only in moments of leisure, and of comparative security. It is true that the march of what is called civilization is fast changing the red man's character, and he is very apt now to do that which he sees done by the "Christians" around him.
Le Bourdon, when his dialogue with the Chippewa was over, and after a few words of explanation with Margery, took his own canoe, and paddled through the rice-plants into the open water of the river, to reconnoitre. ”

“ Else might the unfortunate man have destroyed himself, by indulging in a liquor so much more palatable than that he was accustomed to use, after so long and compelled an abstinence. The jug was now produced, however, and le Bourdon emptied it in the river, to the great joy of the two females, though not without a sharp remonstrance from the Chippewa. The bee-hunter was steady, and the last drop of the liquor of Gascony was soon mingling with the waters of the Kalamazoo. This done, the bee-hunter desired the women to embark, and called to the Chippewa to do the same. ”

“ There are varieties in honor, as in any other human interest: so are there many moral degrees in warfare. Thus, the very individual who admires the occupation of Algiers, or that of Tahiti, or the attack on Canton, together with the long train of Indian events which have dyed the peninsulas of the East in the blood of their people, sees an alarming enormity in the knocking down of the walls of Vera Cruz, though the breach opened a direct road into San Juan de Ulloa. ”

“ Although le Bourdon was personally a stranger to Elksfoot, news flies through the wilderness in an extraordinary manner; and it was not at all unlikely that the fact of a white American's being in the openings should soon spread, along with the tidings that the hatchet was dug up, and that a party should go out in quest of his scalp and the plunder. It would seem that the savage tact of the Chippewa detected that in the manner of the Pottawattamie chief, which assured him the intentions of the old warrior were not amicable ”

“ Presently, le Bourdon stopped, and examined the ground on which he stood.
"HERE we must turn, Chippewa," he said, in a guarded voice. "This is the spot where I must have missed my way."
"Good place to turn 'bout," answered the Indian — "dog too near."
"We must shoot the dogs if they press us too hard," returned the bee-hunter, leading off rapidly, now secure in the right direction. "They seem to be in trouble, just at this time; but animals like them will soon find their way across this marsh."
"Bess shoot Pottawattamie," coolly returned Pigeonswing. ”

“ In the eyes of the same profound moralists, the garitas of Mexico ought to have been respected, as so many doors opening into the boudoirs of the beautiful dames of that fine capital; it being a monstrous thing to fire a shot into the streets of a town, no matter how many came out of them. ”

“ Tell young men s'pose he get canoe, den he may get OUR canoe, and carry 'em off — s'pose he swim; dat Chippewa devil swim down stream and get OUR canoe dat fashion — bess go back, some of you, and see arter OUR canoe — dat what he tell young men most."
"That is a lucky thought!" exclaimed le Bourdon — "let us paddle down, at once, and seize all their canoes before they can get there. The distance by water, owing to this bend in the river, is not half as great as that by land, and the marsh will double the distance to them."
"Dat good counsel," said Pigeonswing — "you go — I follow." ”

“ As no time was to be lost — the barking of the dogs and the cries of the savages too plainly letting it be known that the enemy was getting through the marsh by some means or other — he hurried the party down to the canoes, entering that of Whiskey Centre at once. ”

“ DAT what Injin t'ink queer, eh?"
"It is not easy to make a red man understand all the ways of the pale-faces, Pigeonswing; but we will talk of these things another time, when we are more at our ease. Just now, I wish to learn all I can of the manner in which you fell into the hands of the Pottawattamies."
"Dat plain 'nough — wish Christian talk half as plain. You see, Bourdon, dat Elksfoot on scout, when we meet in openin', up river. I know'd his ar'nd, and so took scalp. Dem Pottawattamie his friend — when dey come to meet ole chief, no find him; but find Pigeonwing ”

“ Then he rendered what had been said into such English as he could command, accompanying the translation by the explanations that naturally suggested themselves to one like himself.
"Chief talk to young men," said the Chippewa — "all chief talk to young men — tell him dat Pigeonswing must get off in canoe — don't see canoe, nudder — but, muss be canoe, else he swim. T'ink more than one Injin here — don't know, dough — maybe, maybe not — can't tell, till see trail, morrow morning — "
"Well, well; but what does he tell his young men to DO?" demanded the bee-hunter, impatiently. ”