The Prairie (Fiscle Part 3) Of 2 by J Fenimore Cooper (top non fiction books of all time .TXT) 📖

Part 3 Chapter 20 Pg 22

Not Suffer Apprehension To Blind His Judgment,  They Did Not Fail To

Produce A Suitable Impression.

 

"It Is Rational," Rejoined The Trapper,  When The Other Had Delivered

His Reasons; "It Is Very Rational,  For What Man Cannot Move With His

Strength He Must Circumvent With His Wits. It Is Reason That Makes Him

Stronger Than The Buffaloe,  And Swifter Than The Moose. Now Stay You

Here,  And Keep Yourselves Close. My Life And My Traps Are But Of

Little Value,  When The Welfare Of So Many Human Souls Are Concerned;

And,  Moreover,  I May Say That I Know The Windings Of Indian Cunning.

Therefore Will I Go Alone Upon The Prairie. It May So Happen,  That I

Can Yet Draw The Eyes Of A Sioux From This Spot And Give You Time And

Room To Fly."

 

As If Resolved To Listen To No Remonstrance,  The Old Man Quietly

Shouldered His Rifle,  And Moving Leisurely Through The Thicket,  He

Issued On The Plain,  At A Point Whence He Might First Appear Before

The Eyes Of The Siouxes,  Without Exciting Their Suspicions That He

Came From Its Cover.

 

The Instant That The Figure Of A Man Dressed In The Garb Of A Hunter,

And Bearing The Well Known And Much Dreaded Rifle,  Appeared Before The

Eyes Of The Siouxes,  There Was A Sensible,  Though A Suppressed

Sensation In The Band. The Artifice Of The Trapper Had So Far

Succeeded,  As To Render It Extremely Doubtful Whether He Came From

Some Point On The Open Prairie,  Or From The Thicket; Though The

Indians Still Continued To Cast Frequent And Suspicious Glances At The

Cover. They Had Made Their Halt At The Distance Of An Arrow-Flight

From The Bushes; But When The Stranger Came Sufficiently Nigh To Show

That The Deep Coating Of Red And Brown,  Which Time And Exposure Had

Given To His Features,  Was Laid Upon The Original Colour Of A Pale-

Face,  They Slowly Receded From The Spot,  Until They Reached A Distance

That Might Defeat The Aim Of Fire-Arms.

 

In The Mean Time The Old Man Continued To Advance,  Until He Had Got

Nigh Enough To Make Himself Heard Without Difficulty. Here He Stopped,

And Dropping His Rifle To The Earth,  He Raised His Hand With The Palm

Outward,  In Token Of Peace. After Uttering A Few Words Of Reproach To

His Hound,  Who Watched The Savage Group With Eyes That Seemed To

Recognise Them,  He Spoke In The Sioux Tongue--

 

"My Brothers Are Welcome," He Said,  Cunningly Constituting Himself The

Master Of The Region In Which They Had Met,  And Assuming The Offices

Of Hospitality. "They Are Far From Their Villages,  And Are Hungry.

Will They Follow To My Lodge,  To Eat And Sleep?"

 

No Sooner Was His Voice Heard,  Than The Yell Of Pleasure,  Which Burst

From A Dozen Mouths,  Convinced The Sagacious Trapper,  That He Also Was

Recognised. Feeling That It Was Too Late To Retreat,  He Profited By

The Confusion Which Prevailed Among Them,  While Weucha Was Explaining

His Character,  To Advance,  Until He Was Again Face To Face With The

Redoubtable Mahtoree. The Second Interview Between These Two Men,  Each

Of Whom Was Extraordinary In His Way,  Was Marked By The Usual Caution

Of The Frontiers. They Stood,  For Nearly A Minute,  Examining Each

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Other Without Speaking.

 

"Where Are Your Young Men?" Sternly Demanded The Teton Chieftain,

After He Found That The Immovable Features Of The Trapper Refused To

Betray Any Of Their Master's Secrets,  Under His Intimidating Look.

 

"The Long-Knives Do Not Come In Bands To Trap The Beaver? I Am Alone."

 

"Your Head Is White,  But You Have A Forked Tongue. Mahtoree Has Been

In Your Camp. He Knows That You Are Not Alone. Where Is Your Young

Wife,  And The Warrior That I Found Upon The Prairie?"

 

"I Have No Wife. I Have Told My Brother That The Woman And Her Friend

Were Strangers. The Words Of A Grey Head Should Be Heard,  And Not

Forgotten. The Dahcotahs Found Travellers Asleep,  And They Thought

They Had No Need Of Horses. The Women And Children Of A Pale-Face Are

Not Used To Go Far On Foot. Let Them Be Sought Where You Left Them."

 

The Eyes Of The Teton Flashed Fire As He Answered--

 

"They Are Gone: But Mahtoree Is A Wise Chief,  And His Eyes Can See A

Great Distance!"

 

"Does The Partisan Of The Tetons See Men On These Naked Fields?"

Retorted The Trapper,  With Great Steadiness Of Mien. "I Am Very Old,

And My Eyes Grow Dim. Where Do They Stand?" The Chief Remained Silent

A Moment,  As If He Disdained To Contest Any Further The Truth Of A

Fact,  Concerning Which He Was Already Satisfied. Then Pointing To The

Traces On The Earth,  He Said,  With A Sudden Transition To Mildness,  In

His Eye And Manner--

 

"My Father Has Learnt Wisdom,  In Many Winters; Can He Tell Me Whose

Moccasin Has Left This Trail?"

 

"There Have Been Wolves And Buffaloes On The Prairies; And There May

Have Been Cougars Too."

 

Mahtoree Glanced His Eye At The Thicket,  As If He Thought The Latter

Suggestion Not Impossible. Pointing To The Place,  He Ordered His Young

Men To Reconnoitre It More Closely,  Cautioning Them,  At The Same Time,

With A Stern Look At The Trapper,  To Beware Of Treachery From The Big-

Knives. Three Or Four Half-Naked,  Eager-Looking Youths Lashed Their

Horses At The Word,  And Darted Away To Obey The Mandate. The Old Man

Trembled A Little For The Discretion Of Paul,  When He Saw This

Demonstration. The Tetons Encircled The Place Two Or Three Times,

Approaching Nigher And Nigher At Each Circuit,  And Then Galloped Back

To Their Leader To Report That The Copse Seemed Empty. Notwithstanding

The Trapper Watched The Eye Of Mahtoree,  To Detect The Inward

Movements Of His Mind,  And If Possible To Anticipate,  In Order To

Direct His Suspicions,  The Utmost Sagacity Of One So Long Accustomed

To Study The Cold Habits Of The Indian Race,  Could However Detect No

Symptom,  Or Expression,  That Denoted How Far He Credited Or Distrusted

This Intelligence. Instead Of Replying To The Information Of His

Scouts,  He Spoke Kindly To His Horse,  And Motioning To A Youth To

Part 3 Chapter 20 Pg 24

Receive The Bridle,  Or Rather Halter,  By Which He Governed The Animal,

He Took The Trapper By The Arm,  And Led Him A Little Apart From The

Rest Of The Band.

 

"Has My Brother Been A Warrior?" Said The Wily Teton,  In A Tone That

He Intended Should Be Conciliating.

 

"Do The Leaves Cover The Trees In The Season Of Fruits? Go. The

Dahcotahs Have Not Seen As Many Warriors Living As I Have Looked On In

Their Blood! But What Signifies Idle Remembrancing," He Added In

English,  "When Limbs Grow Stiff,  And Sight Is Failing!"

 

The Chief Regarded Him A Moment With A Severe Look,  As If He Would Lay

Bare The Falsehood He Had Heard; But Meeting In The Calm Eye And

Steady Mien Of The Trapper A Confirmation Of The Truth Of What He

Said,  He Took The Hand Of The Old Man And Laid It Gently On His Head,

In Token Of The Respect That Was Due To The Other's Years And

Experience.

 

"Why Then Do The Big-Knives Tell Their Red Brethren To Bury The

Tomahawk," He Said,  "When Their Own Young Men Never Forget That They

Are Braves,  And Meet Each Other So Often With Bloody Hands?"

 

"My Nation Is More Numerous Than The Buffaloes On The Prairies,  Or The

Pigeons In The Air. Their Quarrels Are Frequent; Yet Their Warriors

Are Few. None Go Out On The War-Path But They Who Are Gifted With The

Qualities Of A Brave,  And Therefore Such See Many Battles."

 

"It Is Not So--My Father Is Mistaken," Returned Mahtoree,  Indulging In

A Smile Of Exulting Penetration,  At The Very Instant He Corrected The

Force Of His Denial,  In Deference To The Years And Services Of One So

Aged. "The Big-Knives Are Very Wise,  And They Are Men; All Of Them

Would Be Warriors. They Would Leave The Red-Skins To Dig Roots And Hoe

The Corn. But A Dahcotah Is Not Born To Live Like A Woman; He Must

Strike The Pawnee And The Omahaw,  Or He Will Lose The Name Of His

Fathers."

 

"The Master Of Life Looks With An Open Eye On His Children,  Who Die In

A Battle That Is Fought For The Right; But He Is Blind,  And His Ears

Are Shut To The Cries Of An Indian,  Who Is Killed When Plundering,  Or

Doing Evil To His Neighbour."

 

"My Father Is Old," Said Mahtoree,  Looking At His Aged Companion,  With

An Expression Of Irony,  That Sufficiently Denoted He Was One Of Those

Who Overstep The Trammels Of Education,  And Who Are Perhaps A Little

Given To Abuse The Mental Liberty They Thus Obtain. "He Is Very Old:

Has He Made A Journey To The Far Country; And Has He Been At The

Trouble To Come Back,  To Tell The Young Men What He Has Seen?"

 

"Teton," Returned The Trapper,  Throwing The Breach Of His Rifle To The

Earth With Startling Vehemence,  And Regarding His Companion With

Steady Serenity,  "I Have Heard That There Are Men,  Among My People,

Who Study Their Great Medicines Until They Believe Themselves To Be

Gods,  And Who Laugh At All Faith Except In Their Own Vanities. It May

Part 3 Chapter 20 Pg 25

Be True. It Is True; For I Have Seen Them. When Man Is Shut Up In

Towns And Schools,  With His Own Follies,  It May Be Easy To Believe

Himself Greater Than The Master Of Life; But A Warrior,  Who Lives In A

House With The Clouds For Its Roof,  Where He Can At Any Moment Look

Both At The Heavens And At The Earth,  And