Authors: James Fenimore Cooper
All, but the chiefs already named, were now in their places. These had
delayed their appearance, in the vain hope that their own unanimity
might smooth the way to that of their respective factions; for,
notwithstanding the superior influence of Mahtoree, his power was to be
maintained only by constant appeals to the opinions of his inferiors. As
these important personages at length entered the circle in a body,
their sullen looks and clouded brows, notwithstanding the time given to
consultation, sufficiently proclaimed the discontent which reigned among
them. The eye of Mahtoree was varying in its expression, from sudden
gleams, that seemed to kindle with the burning impulses of his soul, to
that cold and guarded steadiness, which was thought more peculiarly to
become a chief in council. He took his seat, with the studied simplicity
of a demagogue; though the keen and flashing glance, that he immediately
threw around the silent assembly, betrayed the more predominant temper
of a tyrant.
When all were present, an aged warrior lighted the great pipe of his
people, and blew the smoke towards the four quarters of the heavens. So
soon as this propitiatory offering was made, he tendered it to Mahtoree,
who, in affected humility, passed it to a grey-headed chief by his side.
After the influence of the soothing weed had been courted by all, a
grave silence succeeded, as if each was not only qualified to, but
actually did, think more deeply on the matters before them. Then an old
Indian arose, and spoke as follows:—
"The eagle, at the falls of the endless river, was in its egg, many
snows after my hand had struck a Pawnee. What my tongue says, my eyes
have seen. Bohrecheena is very old. The hills have stood longer in their
places, than he has been in his tribe, and the rivers were full and
empty, before he was born; but where is the Sioux that knows it besides
himself? What he says, they will hear. If any of his words fall to the
ground, they will pick them up and hold them to their ears. If any blow
away in the wind, my young men, who are very nimble, will catch them.
Now listen. Since water ran and trees grew, the Sioux has found the
Pawnee on his war-path. As the cougar loves the antelope, the Dahcotah
loves his enemy. When the wolf finds the fawn, does he lie down and
sleep? When the panther sees the doe at the spring, does he shut his
eyes? You know that he does not. He drinks too; but it is of blood! A
Sioux is a leaping panther, a Pawnee a trembling deer. Let my children
hear me. They will find my words good. I have spoken."
A deep guttural exclamation of assent broke from the lips of all the
partisans of Mahtoree, as they listened to this sanguinary advice from
one, who was certainly among the most aged men of the nation. That
deeply seated love of vengeance, which formed so prominent a feature in
their characters, was gratified by his metaphorical allusions, and the
chief himself augured favourably of the success of his own schemes, by
the number of supporters, who manifested themselves to be in favour of
the counsels of his friend. But still unanimity was far from prevailing.
A long and decorous pause was suffered to succeed the words of the first
speaker, in order that all might duly deliberate on their wisdom, before
another chief took on himself the office of refutation. The second
orator, though past the prime of his days, was far less aged than the
one who had preceded him. He felt the disadvantage of this circumstance,
and endeavoured to counteract it, as far as possible, by the excess of
his humility.
"I am but an infant," he commenced, looking furtively around him, in
order to detect how far his well-established character for prudence and
courage contradicted his assertion. "I have lived with the women, since
my father has been a man. If my head is getting grey, it is not because
I am old. Some of the snow, which fell on it while I have been sleeping
on the war-paths, has frozen there, and the hot sun, near the Osage
villages, has not been strong enough to melt it." A low murmur was
heard, expressive of admiration of the services to which he thus
artfully alluded. The orator modestly awaited for the feeling to subside
a little, and then he continued, with increasing energy, encouraged by
their commendations. "But the eyes of a young brave are good. He can see
very far. He is a lynx. Look at me well. I will turn my back, that you
may see both sides of me. Now do you know I am your friend, for you look
on a part that a Pawnee never yet saw. Now look at my face; not in this
seam, for there your eyes can never see into my spirit. It is a hole cut
by a Konza. But here is an opening made by the Wahcondah, through which
you may look into the soul. What am I? A Dahcotah, within and without.
You know it. Therefore hear me. The blood of every creature on the
prairie is red. Who can tell the spot where a Pawnee was struck, from
the place where my young men took a bison? It is of the same colour. The
Master of Life made them for each other. He made them alike. But will
the grass grow green where a Pale-face is killed? My young men must not
think that nation so numerous, that it will not miss a warrior. They
call them over often, and say, Where are my sons? If they miss one, they
will send into the prairies to look for him. If they cannot find him,
they will tell their runners to ask for him, among the Siouxes. My
brethren, the Big-knives are not fools. There is a mighty medicine of
their nation now among us; who can tell how loud is his voice, or how
long is his arm?—"
The speech of the orator, who was beginning to enter into his subject
with warmth, was cut short by the impatient Mahtoree, who suddenly arose
and exclaimed, in a voice in which authority was mingled with contempt,
and at the close with a keen tone of irony, also—
"Let my young men lead the evil spirit of the Palefaces to the council.
My brother shall see his medicine, face to face!"
A death-like and solemn stillness succeeded this extraordinary
interruption. It not only involved a deep offence against the sacred
courtesy of debate, but the mandate was likely to brave the unknown
power of one of those incomprehensible beings, whom few Indians were
enlightened enough, at that day, to regard without reverence, or few
hardy enough to oppose. The subordinates, however, obeyed, and Obed was
led forth from the lodge, mounted on Asinus, with a ceremony and state
which was certainly intended for derision, but which nevertheless was
greatly enhanced by fear. As they entered the ring, Mahtoree, who had
foreseen and had endeavoured to anticipate the influence of the Doctor,
by bringing him into contempt, cast an eye around the assembly, in
order to gather his success in the various dark visages by which he was
encircled.
Truly, nature and art had combined to produce such an effect from the
air and appointments of the naturalist, as might have made him the
subject of wonder in any place. His head had been industriously shaved,
after the most approved fashion of Sioux taste. A gallant scalp-lock,
which would probably not have been spared had the Doctor himself been
consulted in the matter, was all that remained of an exuberant, and at
that particular season of the year, far from uncomfortable head of
hair. Thick coats of paint had been laid on the naked poll, and certain
fanciful designs, in the same material, had even been extended into the
neighbourhood of the eyes and mouth, lending to the keen expression
of the former a look of twinkling cunning, and to the dogmatism of
the latter, not a little of the grimness of necromancy. He had been
despoiled of his upper garments, and, in their stead, his body was
sufficiently protected from the cold, by a fantastically painted robe of
dressed deer-skin. As if in mockery of his pursuit, sundry toads, frogs,
lizards, butterflies, &c., all duly prepared to take their places
at some future day, in his own private cabinet, were attached to the
solitary lock on his head, to his ears, and to various other conspicuous
parts of his person. If, in addition to the effect produced by these
quaint auxiliaries to his costume, we add the portentous and troubled
gleamings of doubt, which rendered his visage doubly austere, and
proclaimed the misgivings of the worthy Obed's mind, as he beheld his
personal dignity thus prostrated, and what was of far greater moment in
his eyes, himself led forth, as he firmly believed, to be the victim of
some heathenish sacrifice, the reader will find no difficulty in giving
credit to the sensation of awe, that was excited by his appearance in a
band already more than half-prepared to worship him, as a powerful agent
of the evil spirit.
Weucha led Asinus directly into the centre of the circle, and leaving
them together, (for the legs of the naturalist were attached to the
beast in such a manner, that the two animals might be said to be
incorporated, and to form a new order,) he withdrew to his proper place,
gazing at the conjuror, as he retired, with a wonder and admiration,
that were natural to the groveling dulness of his mind.
The astonishment seemed mutual, between the spectators and the subject
of this strange exhibition. If the Tetons contemplated the mysterious
attributes of the medicine, with awe and fear, the Doctor gazed on every
side of him, with a mixture of quite as many extraordinary emotions,
in which the latter sensation, however, formed no inconsiderable
ingredient. Every where his eyes, which just at that moment possessed a
secret magnifying quality, seemed to rest on several dark, savage, and
obdurate countenances at once, from none of which could he extract a
solitary gleam of sympathy or commiseration. At length his wandering
gaze fell on the grave and decent features of the trapper, who, with
Hector at his feet, stood in the edge of the circle, leaning on that
rifle which he had been permitted, as an acknowledged friend, to resume,
and apparently musing on the events that were likely to succeed a
council, marked by so many and such striking ceremonies.
"Venerable venator, or hunter, or trapper," said the disconsolate Obed,
"I rejoice greatly in meeting thee again. I fear that the precious time,
which had been allotted me, in order to complete a mighty labour, is
drawing to a premature close, and I would gladly unburden my mind to one
who, if not a pupil of science, has at least some of the knowledge which
civilisation imparts to its meanest subjects. Doubtless many and earnest
enquiries will be made after my fate, by the learned societies of the
world, and perhaps expeditions will be sent into these regions to remove
any doubts, which may arise on so important a subject. I esteem myself
happy that a man, who speaks the vernacular, is present, to preserve
the record of my end. You will say that after a well-spent and glorious
life, I died a martyr to science, and a victim to mental darkness. As I
expect to be particularly calm and abstracted in my last moments, if you
add a few details, concerning the fortitude and scholastic dignity with
which I met my death, it may serve to encourage future aspirants for
similar honours, and assuredly give offence to no one. And now, friend
trapper, as a duty I owe to human nature, I will conclude by demanding
if all hope has deserted me, or if any means still exist by which so
much valuable information may be rescued from the grasp of ignorance,
and preserved to the pages of natural history."
The old man lent an attentive ear to this melancholy appeal, and
apparently he reflected on every side of the important question, before
he would presume to answer.
"I take it, friend physicianer," he at length gravely replied, "that the
chances of life and death, in your particular case, depend altogether on
the will of Providence, as it may be pleased to manifest it, through
the accursed windings of Indian cunning. For my own part, I see no great
difference in the main end to be gained, inasmuch as it can matter no
one greatly, yourself excepted, whether you live or die."
"Would you account the fall of a corner-stone, from the foundations of
the edifice of learning, a matter of indifference to contemporaries
or to posterity?" interrupted Obed. "Besides, my aged associate," he
reproachfully added, "the interest, that a man has in his own existence,
is by no means trifling, however it may be eclipsed by his devotion to
more general and philanthropic feelings."
"What I would say is this," resumed the trapper, who was far from
understanding all the subtle distinctions with which his more learned
companion so often saw fit to embellish his discourse; "there is but one
birth and one death to all things, be it hound, or be it deer; be it
red skin, or be it white. Both are in the hands of the Lord, it being as
unlawful for man to strive to hasten the one, as impossible to prevent
the other. But I will not say that something may not be done to put the
last moment aside, for a while at least, and therefore it is a question,
that any one has a right to put to his own wisdom, how far he will go,
and how much pain he will suffer, to lengthen out a time that may have
been too long already. Many a dreary winter and scorching summer has
gone by since I have turned, to the right hand or to the left, to add an
hour to a life that has already stretched beyond fourscore years. I keep
myself as ready to answer to my name as a soldier at evening roll-call.
In my judgment, if your cases are left to Indian tempers, the policy of
the Great Sioux will lead his people to sacrifice you all; nor do I
put much dependence on his seeming love for me; therefore it becomes a
question whether you are ready for such a journey; and if, being ready,
whether this is not as good a time to start as another. Should my
opinion be asked, thus far will I give it in your favour; that is to
say, it is my belief your life has been innocent enough, touching any
great offences that you may have committed, though honesty compels me to
add, that I think all you can lay claim to, on the score of activity in
deeds, will not amount to any thing worth naming in the great account."