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

Not The

Lives,  Of The Party.

 

"Did My Brother Ever Go On A War-Path To Strike My People?" He Calmly

Demanded Of The Indignant Chief,  Who Still Awaited His Reply.

 

The Lowering Aspect Of The Teton Warrior So Far Lost Its Severity,  As

To Suffer A Gleam Of Pleasure And Triumph To Lighten Its Ferocity,  As

Sweeping His Arm In An Entire Circle Around His Person He Answered--

 

"What Tribe Or Nation Has Not Felt The Blows Of The Dahcotahs?

Mahtoree Is Their Partisan."

 

"And Has He Found The Big-Knives Women,  Or Has He Found Them Men?"

 

A Multitude Of Fierce Passions Were Struggling In The Tawny

Countenance Of The Indian. For A Moment Inextinguishable Hatred Seemed

To Hold The Mastery,  And Then A Nobler Expression,  And One That Better

Became The Character Of A Brave,  Got Possession Of His Features,  And

Maintained Itself Until,  First Throwing Aside His Light Robe Of

Pictured Deer-Skin,  And Pointing To The Scar Of A Bayonet In His

Breast,  He Replied--

 

"It Was Given,  As It Was Taken,  Face To Face."

 

"It Is Enough. My Brother Is A Brave Chief,  And He Should Be Wise. Let

Him Look: Is That A Warrior Of The Pale-Faces? Was It One Such As That

Who Gave The Great Dahcotah His Hurt?"

 

The Eyes Of Mahtoree Followed The Direction Of The Old Man's Extended

Arm,  Until They Rested On The Drooping Form Of Inez. The Look Of The

Teton Was Long,  Riveted,  And Admiring. Like That Of The Young Pawnee,

It Resembled More The Gaze Of A Mortal On Some Heavenly Image,  Than

The Admiration With Which Man Is Wont To Contemplate Even The

Loveliness Of Woman. Starting,  As If Suddenly Self-Convicted Of

Forgetfulness,  The Chief Next Turned His Eyes On Ellen,  Where They

Lingered An Instant With A Much More Intelligible Expression Of

Part 3 Chapter 20 Pg 29

Admiration,  And Then Pursued Their Course Until They Had Taken Another

Glance At Each Individual Of The Party.

 

"My Brother Sees That My Tongue Is Not Forked," Continued The Trapper,

Watching The Emotions The Other Betrayed,  With A Readiness Of

Comprehension Little Inferior To That Of The Teton Himself. "The Big-

Knives Do Not Send Their Women To War. I Know That The Dahcotahs Will

Smoke With The Strangers."

 

"Mahtoree Is A Great Chief! The Big-Knives Are Welcome," Said The

Teton,  Laying His Hand On His Breast,  With An Air Of Lofty Politeness

That Would Have Done Credit To Any State Of Society. "The Arrows Of My

Young Men Are In Their Quivers."

 

The Trapper Motioned To Middleton To Approach,  And In A Few Moments

The Two Parties Were Blended In One,  Each Of The Males Having

Exchanged Friendly Greetings,  After The Fashions Of The Prairie

Warriors. But,  Even While Engaged In This Hospitable Manner,  The

Dahcotah Did Not Fail To Keep A Strict Watch On The More Distant Party

Of White Men,  As If He Still Distrusted An Artifice,  Or Sought Further

Explanation. The Old Man,  In His Turn,  Perceived The Necessity Of

Being More Explicit,  And Of Securing The Slight And Equivocal

Advantage He Had Already Obtained. While Affecting To Examine The

Group,  Which Still Lingered At The Spot Where It Had First Halted,  As

If To Discover The Characters Of Those Who Composed It,  He Plainly Saw

That Ishmael Contemplated Immediate Hostilities. The Result Of A

Conflict On The Open Prairie,  Between A Dozen Resolute Border Men,  And

The Half-Armed Natives,  Even Though Seconded By Their White Allies,

Was In His Experienced Judgment A Point Of Great Uncertainty,  And

Though Far From Reluctant To Engage In The Struggle On Account Of

Himself,  The Aged Trapper Thought It Far More Worthy Of His Years,  And

His Character,  To Avoid Than To Court The Contest. His Feelings Were,

For Obvious Reasons,  In Accordance With Those Of Paul And Middleton,

Who Had Lives Still More Precious Than Their Own To Watch Over And

Protect. In This Dilemma The Three Consulted On The Means Of Escaping

The Frightful Consequences Which Might Immediately Follow A Single Act

Of Hostility On The Part Of The Borderers; The Old Man Taking Care

That Their Communication Should,  In The Eyes Of Those Who Noted The

Expression Of Their Countenances With Jealous Watchfulness,  Bear The

Appearance Of Explanations As To The Reason Why Such A Party Of

Travellers Was Met So Far In The Deserts.

 

"I Know That The Dahcotahs Are A Wise And Great People," At Length The

Trapper Commenced,  Again Addressing Himself To The Chief; "But Does

Not Their Partisan Know A Single Brother Who Is Base?"

 

The Eye Of Mahtoree Wandered Proudly Around His Band,  But Rested A

Moment Reluctantly On Weucha,  As He Answered--

 

"The Master Of Life Has Made Chiefs,  And Warriors,  And Women;"

Conceiving That He Thus Embraced All The Gradations Of Human

Excellence From The Highest To The Lowest.

 

"And He Has Also Made Pale-Faces,  Who Are Wicked. Such Are They Whom

Part 3 Chapter 20 Pg 30

My Brother Sees Yonder."

 

"Do They Go On Foot To Do Wrong?" Demanded The Teton,  With A Wild

Gleam From His Eyes,  That Sufficiently Betrayed How Well He Knew The

Reason Why They Were Reduced To So Humble An Expedient.

 

"Their Beasts Are Gone. But Their Powder,  And Their Lead,  And Their

Blankets Remain."

 

"Do They Carry Their Riches In Their Hands,  Like Miserable Konzas? Or

Are They Brave,  And Leave Them With The Women,  As Men Should Do,  Who

Know Where To Find What They Lose?"

 

"My Brother Sees The Spot Of Blue Across The Prairie; Look,  The Sun

Has Touched It For The Last Time To-Day."

 

"Mahtoree Is Not A Mole."

 

"It Is A Rock; On It Are The Goods Of The Big-Knives."

 

An Expression Of Savage Joy Shot Into The Dark Countenance Of The

Teton As He Listened; Turning To The Old Man He Seemed To Read His

Soul,  As If To Assure Himself He Was Not Deceived. Then He Bent His

Look On The Party Of Ishmael,  And Counted Its Number.

 

"One Warrior Is Wanting," He Said.

 

"Does My Brother See The Buzzards? There Is His Grave. Did He Find

Blood On The Prairie? It Was His."

 

"Enough! Mahtoree Is A Wise Chief. Put Your Women On The Horses Of The

Dahcotahs: We Shall See,  For Our Eyes Are Open Very Wide."

 

The Trapper Wasted No Unnecessary Words In Explanation. Familiar With

The Brevity And Promptitude Of The Natives,  He Immediately

Communicated The Result To His Companions. Paul Was Mounted In An

Instant,  With Ellen At His Back. A Few More Moments Were Necessary To

Assure Middleton Of The Security And Ease Of Inez. While He Was Thus

Engaged,  Mahtoree Advanced To The Side Of The Beast He Had Allotted To

This Service,  Which Was His Own,  And Manifested An Intention To Occupy

His Customary Place On Its Back. The Young Soldier Seized The Reins Of

The Animal,  And Glances Of Sudden Anger And Lofty Pride Were Exchanged

Between Them.

 

"No Man Takes This Seat But Myself," Said Middleton,  Sternly,  In

English.

 

"Mahtoree Is A Great Chief!" Retorted The Savage; Neither

Comprehending The Meaning Of The Other's Words.

 

"The Dahcotah Will Be Too Late," Whispered The Old Man At His Elbow;

"See; The Big-Knives Are Afraid,  And They Will Soon Run."

 

The Teton Chief Instantly Abandoned His Claim,  And Threw Himself On

Part 3 Chapter 20 Pg 31

Another Horse,  Directing One Of His Young Men To Furnish A Similar

Accommodation For The Trapper. The Warriors Who Were Dismounted,  Got

Up Behind As Many Of Their Companions. Doctor Battius Bestrode Asinus;

And,  Notwithstanding The Brief Interruption,  In Half The Time We Have

Taken To Relate It,  The Whole Party Was Prepared To Move.

 

When He Saw That All Were Ready,  Mahtoree Gave The Signal To Advance.

A Few Of The Best Mounted Of The Warriors,  The Chief Himself Included,

Moved A Little In Front,  And Made A Threatening Demonstration,  As If

They Intended To Attack The Strangers. The Squatter,  Who Was In Truth

Slowly Retiring,  Instantly Halted His Party,  And Showed A Willing

Front. Instead,  However,  Of Coming Within Reach Of The Dangerous Aim

Of The Western Rifle,  The Subtle Savages Kept Wheeling About The

Strangers,  Until They Had Made A Half Circuit,  Keeping The Latter In

Constant Expectation Of An Assault. Then,  Perfectly Secure Of Their

Object,  The Tetons Raised A Loud Shout,  And Darted Across The Prairie

In A Line For The Distant Rock,  With The Directness And Nearly With

The Velocity Of The Arrow,  That Has Just Been Shot From Its Bow.

 

 

 

Part 3 Chapter 21 Pg 32

             Dally Not With The Gods,  But Get Thee Gone.

                                                   --Shakspeare.

 

Mahtoree Had Scarcely Given The First Intimation Of His Real Design,

Before A General Discharge From The Borderers Proved How Well They

Understood It. The Distance,  And The Rapidity Of The Flight,  However,

Rendered The Fire Harmless. As A Proof How Little He Regarded The

Hostility Of Their Party,  The Dahcotah Chieftain Answered The Report

With A Yell; And,  Flourishing His Carabine Above His Head,  He Made A

Circuit On The Plain,  Followed By His Chosen Warriors,  In Scorn Of The

Impotent Attempt Of His Enemies. As The Main Body Continued The Direct

Course,  This Little Band Of The Elite,  In Returning From Its Wild

Exhibition Of Savage Contempt,  Took Its Place In The Rear,  With A

Dexterity And A Concert Of Action That Showed The Manoeuvre Had Been

Contemplated.

 

Volley Swiftly Succeeded Volley,  Until The Enraged Squatter Was

Reluctantly Compelled To Abandon The Idea Of Injuring His Enemies By

Means So Feeble. Relinquishing His Fruitless Attempt,  He Commenced A

Rapid Pursuit,  Occasionally Discharging A Rifle In Order To Give The

Alarm To The Garrison,  Which He Had Prudently Left Under The Command

Of The Redoubtable Esther Herself. In This Manner The Chase Was

Continued For Many Minutes,  The Horsemen Gradually Gaining On Their

Pursuers,  Who Maintained The Race,  However,