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+The Project Gutenberg eBook, Oonomoo the Huron, by Edward S. Ellis
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+
+
+
+Title: Oonomoo the Huron
+
+
+Author: Edward S. Ellis
+
+
+
+Release Date: October 14, 2005  [eBook #16869]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OONOMOO THE HURON***
+
+
+E-text prepared by Al Haines
+
+
+
+Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
+      file which includes the original illustrations.
+      See 16869-h.htm or 16869-h.zip:
+      (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/8/6/16869/16869-h/16869-h.htm)
+      or
+      (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/8/6/16869/16869-h.zip)
+
+
+
+
+
+OONOMOO THE HURON
+
+by
+
+EDWARD S. ELLIS
+
+Author of "The Trail-Hunter," "Hunter's Cabin," etc.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+New York
+Hurst & Company
+Publishers
+Copyright, 1911, by Hurst & Company.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+CHAPTER
+
+    I.  Hans Vanderbum
+   II.  Other Characters
+  III.  Oonomoo and the Shawnees
+   IV.  The Young Lieutenant and Cato
+    V.  The Home of the Huron
+   VI.  Adventures on the Way
+  VII.  The Plan for the Rescue
+ VIII.  The Exploit of Hans Vanderbum
+   IX.  A New Danger
+    X.  Conclusion
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
+
+
+"Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, ain't you got dat cooked?"
+
+A girl, fifteen or sixteen years of age, seated on the ground, beside a
+squaw.
+
+Mary Prescott.
+
+"If you don't want to be killed, get up," said the young officer.
+
+"Niniotan, my son, is late."
+
+"You have saved me, and I want to grasp your hand for it."
+
+But Oonomoo and the Miami had whipped out their knives.
+
+So terrible did the exasperated Huron appear, that the entire party of
+Shawnees paused out of sheer horror.
+
+Niniotan stood like a statue, his arms folded and his stony gaze fixed
+upon the senseless forms of his parents.
+
+
+
+
+OONOMOO, THE HURON.
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+HANS VANDERBUM.
+
+
+        The mountain's sides
+  Are flecked with gleams of light and spots of shade;
+  Here, golden sunshine spreads in mellow rays, and there,
+  Stretching across its hoary breast, deep shadows lurk.
+  A stream, with many a turn, now lost to sight,
+  And then, again revealed, winds through the vale,
+  Shimmering in the early morning sun.
+  A few white clouds float in the blue expanse,
+  Their forms revealed in the clear lake beneath,
+  Which bears upon its breast a bark canoe,
+  Cautiously guided by a sinewy arm.
+  High in the heavens, three eagles proudly poise,
+  Keeping their mountain eyrie still in view,
+  Although their flight has borne them far away.
+  Upon the cliff which beetles o'er the pool,
+  Two Indians, peering from the brink, appear,
+  Clad in the gaudy dress their nature craves--
+  Robes of bright blue and scarlet, but which blend
+  In happy union with the landscape round.
+  Near by a wigwam stands--a fire within
+  Sends out a ruddy glow--and from its roof,
+  Cone-shaped, a spiral wreath of smoke ascends.
+  Not far away, though deeper in the woods,
+  Another hut, with red-men grouped about,
+  Attracts the eye, and wakens saddened thoughts
+  Of that brave race who once were masters here,
+  But now, like autumn leaves, are dying out.--BARRY GRAY.
+
+
+"Shtop dat noise! shtop dat noise!" vociferated Hans Vanderbum, growing
+red in the face with fury, because his repeated commands had received
+so little attention.
+
+The scene was deep in the forests of Ohio, a short distance from the
+Miami river.  An Indian town of twenty-five or thirty lodges here
+stood, resembling a giant apiary, with its inhabitants flitting in and
+out, darting hither and thither, like so many bees.  The time was early
+in the morning of a radiant spring, when the atmosphere was still and
+charming; the dew lingered upon the grass and undergrowth; birds were
+singing in every tree; the sky glowed with the pure blue of Italy; and
+the whole wilderness in its bloom looked like a sea of emerald.
+Everything was life and exhilaration, one personage alone
+excepted--Hans Vanderbum was unhappy!
+
+The Indian lodges differed very little from each other, being of a
+rough, substantial character, built with an eye to comfort rather than
+beauty.  One at the extreme northern edge of the village is that with
+which our story deals.  A brief description of it will serve as a
+general daguerreotype of all those wild abodes.
+
+The wigwam was composed of skins and bark, the latter greatly
+predominating.  The shape was that of a cone.  The framework was of
+poles, the lower ends of which were placed in a sort of circle, while
+the tops were intersected, leaving a small opening, through which the
+smoke reached the clear air above.  Unsightly and repulsive as this
+might seem from the outside view, the dwelling, nevertheless, was
+water-proof and comfortable, and abundantly answered the end for which
+it was built.
+
+A thin vapor was ascending in a bluish spiral at the top of the lodge
+indicated.  A Shawnee squaw was occupied in preparing the morning meal,
+while her liege lord still reclined in one corner, in the vain effort
+to secure a few minutes more of slumber.  This latter personage was
+Hans Vanderbum--our friend Hans--a huge, plethoric, stolid, lazy
+Dutchman, who had "married" an Indian widow several years before.  At
+the time of her marriage this squaw had a boy some three or four years
+of age, while a second one, the son of the Dutchman, was now just large
+enough to be as mischievous as a kitten.  They were a couple of greasy,
+copper-hued little rascals, with eyes as black as midnight, and long,
+wiry hair, like that of a horse's mane.  Brimful of animal spirits,
+they were just the reverse of Hans Vanderbum, whose laziness and
+stupidity were only excelled by his indifference to the dignity and
+rights of human nature.
+
+Hans Vanderbum lay fiat upon his back, for the atmosphere of the wigwam
+was too warm for covering, his ponderous belly rising and falling like
+a wave of the sea, and his throat giving forth that peculiar rattling
+of the glottis, which might be mistaken for suffocation.  The boys
+certainly would have been outside, basking in the genial sunshine, had
+not their mother, Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, positively denied them
+that coveted privilege.  The commands of the father might be trampled
+upon with impunity, but the young half-breeds knew better than to
+disobey their mother.
+
+"Shtop dat noise! shtop dat noise!" repeated Hans, raising his head
+without stirring his body or limbs.
+
+His broad face seemed all ablaze from its fiery red color, and the
+threatening fury throned upon his lowering forehead would almost have
+annihilated him who encountered it for the first time.  As it was, the
+two boys suddenly straightened their faces, and assumed an air of meek
+penitence, as if suffering the most harrowing remorse for what they had
+done; and the father, after glaring at them a moment, as if to drive in
+and clinch the impression he had made, let his head drop back with a
+dull thump upon the ground, and again closed his eyes.
+
+The black, snaky orbs of the boys twinkled like stars through their
+overhanging hair.  Glancing first at their mother, who did not deign to
+notice them, the eldest picked up his younger brother, who was grinning
+from ear to ear with delight, and, summoning all his strength, he
+poised him over the prostrate form of his father for a moment, and then
+dropped him!  The prolonged snore which was steadily issuing from the
+throat of the sleeping parent, terminated in a sharp, explosive grunt.
+As his eyes opened, the boys scrambled away like frogs to the opposite
+side of the lodge, under the protecting care of their mother.
+
+"Dunder and blixen!  You dunderin' Dutch Indians, dishturbin' your poor
+old dad dat is wearing his life out for you!  I'll pound both of you
+till you're dead!"
+
+Hans Vanderbum's system had suffered too great a shock for further
+slumber.  He rose to the sitting position, and, digging both hands into
+his head, glared at his offspring a moment, and then began his regular
+lecture.
+
+"Quanonshet, you little Dutchman, and Madokawandock, you little bigger
+Dutchman, vot does you t'ink of yourselves?  Vot does you t'ink will
+become of you, disgracing your parents in this manner?  You oughter be
+pounded to death to treat your poor old fader in this manner, who is
+working of himself away to bring you up in the way you ought for to go.
+Eh? vot do you t'ink of yourself, eh?  Vot do you t'ink of yourself?"
+demanded Hans, furiously shaking his head toward the boys at each word.
+
+Quanonshet and Madokawandock were too confounded for reply.
+
+"Shposing your poor old fader should go crazy!!  Here he is working
+himself to skin and bone--Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, ain't you got
+dat cooked?"
+
+[Illustration: "Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, ain't you got dat
+cooked?"]
+
+"No!" screamed the wife.  "You big, lazy man, get up and stir yourself!
+You don't do anything but sleep and smoke, while _I'm_ working all the
+flesh off _my_ bones for you!"
+
+These forcible remarks were made in the pure Shawnee tongue, and were
+accompanied by gesticulation too pointed and significant for Hans to
+mistake the spirit in which they were given.  Although it is the
+invariable custom among the North American Indians for the husband to
+rule the wife, and impose all burdens upon her, except those of the
+hunt, and fight, such, by no means, was the case with the present
+couple.  Hans Vanderbum's body was too unwieldy for him to accompany
+the young men (or even the old men) upon their hunting expeditions; in
+short, he contributed nothing toward the support of his interesting
+family.  The first husband of Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock had been an
+Indian, with all the characteristics of his race--indolent, selfish and
+savage; and her life with him had been that of the usual servitude and
+drudgery.  Accordingly, when she ventured a second time upon the sea of
+matrimony, she naturally fell into the same routine of labor, planting
+and cultivating what little corn, beans and vegetables were raised for
+the family, and doing all the really hard work.  Hans Vanderbum
+sometimes gathered firewood, and frequently, when the weather was
+pleasant, spent hours in fishing.  He was an inveterate smoker and
+sleeper; and, beyond doubt, was perfectly content in his situation.
+Having been taken a prisoner some years before, and adopted into this
+branch of the Shawnee tribe, he was offered the hand of
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock in marriage, and accepted it at once,
+totally forgetful of his first love, which had been the beautiful
+inmate of the Hunter's Cabin.
+
+Hans Vanderbum sat and gazed at his wife with an admiring eye, as she
+busied herself with the preparations of the morning meal.  Hoping to
+mollify her, he commenced flattering her, speaking in a low tone as if
+it were not his wish that she should hear him, but taking good care, at
+the same time, that nothing should escape her ears.
+
+"Shplendid figger, Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock has got.  No wonder
+all te braves of te Shawnee tribe should love her, and dat Hans
+Vanderbum gots her at last.  Jis' look at _dat_ foot! long and flat
+like a board, and she's de same shape all de way down from her head to
+her heels.  Ishn't dat breakfast ready, my dear wife?"
+
+The wife gave a spiteful nod, and Hans Vanderbum shambled up beside
+her, where the food, consisting of meat and a few simple vegetables,
+was spread upon a rude table which had no legs.  Quanonshet and
+Madokawandock were not behind-hand in their movements, and the whole
+four fell to with such voracity, that, in a very short time, their
+hunger was satisfied.
+
+"Now, you two fellers come out doors and learn your lessons," said the
+father, lighting his pipe, and putting on a very stern and dignified
+look.
+
+The boys tumbled over each other in their eagerness to get into the
+open air.  Hans followed them, while Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock
+busied herself about her household duties.  Quanonshet and
+Madokawandock rollicked and frisked awhile before they were "called to
+order."  After repeated commands, they approached their father, and
+standing side by side, awaited his instructions.
+
+Hans Vanderbum had provided himself with a long pole, and stood by a
+sandy portion of ground, upon which he had no difficulty in tracing
+what letters and characters he wished.  With due preparation and
+importance he marked out the first letter of the German alphabet, and
+then, straightening himself up, demanded in a thundering tone "vot dat
+was."  His two sons looked mute and dumbfounded.  They had not the
+remotest idea in the world of its name and significance.  For over
+three months the patient father had instructed them daily in regard to
+this character, and the two together must have repeated it several
+thousand times.  But, it mattered not; neither had any conception now
+of it, and their looks showed such unmistakably to their instructor.
+
+"Dunder and blixen, vot Dutch Indians!" he exclaimed, impatiently.
+Repeating its name, he again demanded "vot dat was."  This time they
+answered readily, and his eyes sparkled with pleasure.
+
+"Shmart boys," said he, approvingly.  "You learns well, now.  One dese
+days--"
+
+Hans Vanderbum's words were cut short by the sudden sharp explosion of
+his pipe, the bowl being shattered in a hundred pieces, while nothing
+but the stem remained in his mouth.
+
+"Where's mine pipe?" he asked, looking around in the vain hope of
+descrying it somewhere upon the ground.  Quanonshet and Madokawandock
+indulged in one short scream of laughter, then instantly straightened
+their faces and looked as meek and innocent as lambs.  Gradually the
+truth began to work its way into the head of Hans.  Looking sternly at
+the two, he asked, in a threatening voice:
+
+"Which of you put dat powder in mine meerschaum, eh? which of you done
+dat, eh?"
+
+Neither answered, except by hanging their heads and looking at their
+bare feet.
+
+"I axes you once more, and dis is de last time."
+
+Each now protested that it was not himself but the other, so that if
+there really were but one culprit, Hans had no means of determining.
+Under the circumstances, he concluded the safest plan was to believe
+both guilty.  Accordingly he made a sudden dash and commenced whacking
+them soundly with the stick he held in his hand.  They yelled, kicked,
+and screamed; and squirming themselves loose, scampered quickly away
+from their irate instructor.
+
+"Dat meerschaum can't be fixed," he soliloquized, taking the bare stem
+out of his mouth and looking sorrowfully at it.  "'Cause dere ishn't
+anything to fix it mit.  It ish wonderful what mischief gets into dem
+boys; dere ain't no time when dey ain't doin' notting what dey hadn't
+not ought to--all de times just de same way, while I toils myself to
+death to educate dem and bring 'em up in de way apout which dey ought
+to go."
+
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock being in the habit of frequently
+indulging in the use of tobacco, her husband was not deprived entirely
+of his solace.  Going into the wigwam, he unbosomed his griefs to her,
+and she kindly loaned him her own pipe.
+
+"I hopes dere ain't no powder in dat," he remarked, glancing uneasily
+into the bowl.
+
+"Nothing but tobac," replied his spouse, in her native tongue, "unless
+you've put the powder in yourself."
+
+"Dunderation, I don't does dat, and blow mine eyes out my head.  Dem
+little Dutchmen is up to all kinds of such tricks, and some dese days
+dey will blow deir poor fader's brains out of his head, and den what
+will become of dem?" feelingly inquired Hans Vanderbum.
+
+"What will become of them?" repeated Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, her
+voice rising higher and higher at each word.  "Who is it that supports
+them now and takes care of them?  Who is it that does that?  Who is
+it--"
+
+"It's you--it's you," replied her husband, seeing the mistake he had
+made.  "I doesn't do nottings--I doesn't do nottings; it's my wife, my
+good Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, dat does it all.  She's a very nice
+squaw, de same shape all de way down."
+
+These concessions and compliments greatly soothed the feelings of the
+incensed spouse.  She scolded her husband no more.
+
+"What you going to do, my dear frau?" he asked, in a voice as cooing
+and winning as a dove's.
+
+"Going to work, to plant the corn, to get food for you and Quanonshet
+and Madokawandock when the snow falls."
+
+"Very kind, clever woman; good frau is mine
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
+
+"What are _you_ going to do?" asked the wife, as the two passed out the
+wigwam.
+
+"Going to shmoke and _meditate_--meditate _hard_," replied Hans
+Vanderbum, impressively.
+
+"Can't you think as well while you're _fishing_?"
+
+"I shpose I can; if my Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock t'inks so, I can."
+
+"Well, she thinks so."
+
+The fact that his wife "thought so" was equivalent to a command with
+Hans.  He manifested no unwillingness or reluctance in obeying.
+Accordingly, he furnished himself with a hook, line and bait, and set
+out for the river.
+
+It was now getting well along in the forenoon, the sun being above the
+tree-tops.  The Shawnee Indians had left their wigwams to engage in
+their daily avocations.  The women were mostly toiling in the field,
+their pappooses hanging from the trees or leaning against their trunks.
+The older children were frolicking through the woods, or fishing or
+hunting.  A few warriors and old men still lounged about the wigwams,
+but the majority either were engaged in the hunt, or were upon the
+war-trail.
+
+Stolid and indifferent as was the nature of Hans, it struck him that
+there was something unusual in the appearance and actions of the
+Indians.  It seemed as though some startling event had occurred from
+which they had not fully recovered.  They were uneasy and restless in
+their movements, constantly passing to and from the river.  Upon
+reaching the banks of the latter, the Dutchman found a considerable
+number already there.  They were not engaged in fishing, but lay close
+to the edge of the water, as if they expected the appearance of
+something upon its surface.  Had he been a little more observant, there
+was something else which would have attracted his attention, on his
+passage through the woods.  Fully a dozen times a peculiar sound, like
+the whistle of a bird, reached his ears, and he supposed it to be
+nothing more, although it did seem odd to him that the bird should
+follow him almost to the river bank.  Besides this, he caught a
+flitting glimpse of an Indian now and then, some distance in the woods,
+that appeared to be watching him; but Hans did not care, even if such
+were the case, and he paid no further heed to him.
+
+Reaching the river, he made his preparations with great care and
+elaboration.  He had several hooks pendent from his line, upon each of
+which he shoved the wriggling worms, spitting upon them during the
+operation, as if to make them more tractable.  To the line also was
+fastened a pebble, to make it sink.  Swinging this several times around
+his head, he let go, when it spun far out in the river, and he
+commenced cautiously following it by means of a projecting tree-trunk.
+This latter extended a dozen feet out over the surface of the water,
+and had been used as a seat a great many times by him.  Passing out to
+the extremity, he was afforded a comfortable resting-place where he
+could sit hour after hour smoking his pipe and engage in fishing.  Had
+he noticed the large branch of the tree upon which he seated himself,
+he would have hesitated before trusting the weight of his body upon it,
+but his nature was too unsuspicious to be attracted by anything trivial
+in its appearance, and he made his way out upon it, as he had done
+scores of times before.
+
+Ensconcing himself in his seat, he gave his whole attention to his line
+and his pipe, not noticing the interested glances which the Shawnees
+along the bank bestowed upon his operations.  After the space of a few
+minutes, he felt something pull at his line, and doing the same, he
+hauled a fine plump fish out of the water, casting it upon the land.
+
+"Dat is purty goot," he mused, "and I will soon got a lot more, and my
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock will feel goot too, when I takes 'em
+home.  She won't--  Dunder and Blixen!"
+
+The limb upon which he was seated suddenly broke short off, and Hans
+dropped into the river out of sight.  But such a ponderous body as his
+could not sink, and upon coming to the surface, he paddled hurriedly to
+the shore.
+
+"Dem little Dutchmen, Quanonshet and Madokawandock, will be de death of
+deir old fader afore long.  Dat is deir work.  I knows it, I knows it,
+and I will pound 'em all up when I gits home."
+
+Looking about his person, he found that one of the hooks, catching in
+his clothes, had brought the line to shore; and, as his involuntary
+bath had not really been unpleasant, he was able to continue his labor.
+But, before going out upon the tree he examined the roots to satisfy
+himself that no further mischief had been perpetrated by his hopeful
+sons.  Feeling assured upon this point, he again passed out on the
+tree, and was soon engaged in fishing as before, totally unmindful of
+the broad grins of the delighted Shawnees who had witnessed his
+discomfiture.
+
+The fish bit readily.  In a short time he had taken enough to insure
+him a welcome reception in his own wigwam.  He was debating with
+himself whether it would not be better to return, especially as his
+pipe had been extinguished by his immersion, when a piece of bark
+floated down toward him and caught against his line.
+
+There certainly was nothing remarkable in this.  After freeing it of
+the obstruction, he continued fishing.  But, scarcely a minute had
+elapsed before a second and a third piece of bark, precisely like the
+first, lodged against his line, and remained there with such
+persistency that it required considerable effort upon his part to
+remove them.
+
+"Where in dunderation did dey come from?" he asked, looking inquiringly
+about him.  His first impression was that the Shawnees along the banks
+were throwing these pieces out into the river for the purpose of
+annoying him; but, on looking toward them, he could discover nothing in
+their appearance to warrant such a supposition.  He turned elsewhere
+for the cause.  Resuming his attention to his line, he found several
+other pieces passing beneath him, and he began now to feel really
+provoked at this repeated annoyance.  He was about to break out into
+some exclamation, when the appearance of these floating objects
+arrested his attention.  A glance showed him there was something meant
+more than mere mischief.  The pieces of bark were of a peculiar
+construction, roughly cut into the shape of an Indian canoe, showing
+unmistakably that they were sent down the stream for the purpose of
+arresting his notice.
+
+"Dat means something," exclaimed Hans, decidedly, "and I must find out
+what it is."
+
+By simply looking up-stream, he could discern this fleet of miniature
+boats coming down toward him in a straight line.  In the clear sunlight
+they were visible for a great distance, and it was no difficult matter
+to determine their starting point.  Some two hundred yards above,
+another tree projected out over the water very much the same as that
+upon which Hans was seated, so similar in fact that he had often used
+it for the same purpose.  As the line of the pieces of bark pointed
+directly toward these, there was but little doubt that here they were
+launched upon the water.
+
+"It can't be dat Quanonshet and Madokawandock is dere," mused Hans
+Vanderbum, "for to try to worry deir poor old fader.  Dey're too big
+Dutchmen to build such boats, and dey wouldn't know how to make 'em
+float under me if dey did.  No; dere's somebody out on dat tree, and
+he's doing it to make me look up at him.  I'm looking but I can't see
+notting."
+
+He shaded his eyes as he spoke, and looked long and searchingly at the
+tree, but for a considerable time could discover nothing unusual about
+it.  At length, however, he fancied that he saw one of the limbs sway
+gently backward and forward in a manner that could hardly be caused by
+the wind.  Gradually it began to dawn upon him that if there was any
+person upon the tree, he meant that his presence should not be
+suspected by the Shawnees along the bank.  Accordingly Hans Vanderbum
+was more circumspect in his observations.
+
+Still watching the tree, he soon discovered something else that he
+thought was meant to attract his eye.  The water directly beneath it
+flashed and sparkled as if it was disturbed by some object.  Straining
+his gaze, he finally discerned what appeared to be a human hand swaying
+backward and forward.
+
+"Dat is enough!" thought Hans Vanderbum.  "Dere's somebody dere dat
+wants to see me, and is afeard of dese oder chaps about, so I goes to
+him."
+
+Working his way cautiously backward, he reached the land and started
+apparently to return to his wigwam.  As he did so, he looked at the
+Shawnees and was gratified to see that their suspicions had not been
+aroused by his movements.  Proceeding some distance, he hid his fish
+and line and made his way up the river, escaping the Shawnees by means
+of a long _détour_.
+
+Reaching the stream and tree, he was somewhat taken aback by not
+finding any one at all.  Considerably perplexed, he looked about him.
+
+"Can't be dat Quanonshet and Madokawandock have been fooling deir poor
+old fader again," said he.  "I'm purty sure I seen some one on the
+tree, when dem pieces of bark come swimming downstream."
+
+A subdued whistle reached his ear.  Looking behind him, he saw a Huron
+Indian standing a few yards away.  The eyes of both lit up as they
+encountered the gaze of each other, for they were both friends and old
+acquaintances.
+
+"Ish dat you, Oonomoo?" inquired Hans Vanderbum.
+
+"Yeh--me--Oonomoo," replied the Indian, pronouncing his name somewhat
+differently from the Dutchman, (and from that by which we have before
+referred to him).
+
+"Was dat you on de tree out dere?"
+
+"Yeh, me--Oonomoo out dere on log."
+
+"And did you make dem pieces of bark to come swimming down by me?"
+
+"Yeh, me made 'em."
+
+"And shtirred de water wid yer hand and moved de limb?"
+
+"Yeh, Oonomoo do all dat."
+
+"I shpose you wanted to see me?"
+
+"Yeh, wanted to see you--want talk wid you," said the Huron, motioning
+for Hans to follow him.  The latter did not hesitate to do so, as he
+had perfect faith in his honesty, knowing much of his history.  The
+savage led the way some distance into the woods, where they were not
+likely to be seen or overheard, and then stopped and confronted his
+companion.
+
+"Where'd you come from, Oonomoo?" asked the latter.
+
+"From fightin' de Shawnees," replied the savage, proudly.
+
+"Yaw, I sees yer am in de war-paint.  Did you get many?"
+
+"The lodge of Oonomoo is full of the scalps of the cowardly Shawnees,
+taken many moons ago," answered the Huron, his eyes flashing fire and
+his breast heaving at the remembrance of his exploits.  This reply was
+made in the Shawnee language, as he spoke it as well as one of their
+warriors; and, as Hans also understood it, the conversation was now
+carried on in that tongue.
+
+"When did you see Annie Stanton last?" inquired the Dutchman, showing
+considerable interest.
+
+"Several moons ago, when the sun was in the woods and the waters were
+asleep."
+
+"Is her husband, that rascally Ferrington, living?"
+
+Oonomoo replied that he was.
+
+"And is their baby, too?"
+
+"Yes, they have two pappooses."
+
+"Dunder and blixen!" exclaimed Hans Vanderbum, and then resuming the
+English language, or rather his version of it, he added:
+
+"Dat gal wanted to marry mit me once."
+
+"Why no marry den?" inquired Oonomoo, also coming back to the more
+difficult language.
+
+"She wan't te right kind of a gal--she wan't like my
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, dat is de same shape all de way down
+from her head to her heels.  So I let dat Ferrington have her."
+
+The Huron, who understood all about that matter, indulged in a broad
+smile at this remark.  Whatever his business was, it was manifest he
+was in no hurry, else he would not have indulged in this by-play of
+words with his friend.
+
+"You doesn't t'ink de baby will dies, does you?"
+
+"No--in de settlement--Shawnee can't git her now--don't live off in de
+woods like as dey did afore."
+
+"Dat's lucky for her; don't t'ink dey will get her there, 'cause dey
+tried it once--dat time, you remember, when we was all in de HUNTER'S
+CABIN in de woods, and you came down de chimney, and I watched and kept
+de Shawnee off."
+
+The Huron signified that he remembered the circumstance well.
+
+"Dem was great times," added Hans Vanderbum, calling up the
+recollection of them.  "I left de village one hot afternoon, and walked
+all de way t'rough de woods to get to de cabin to help dem poor folks.
+We had mighty hard times.  I catched a cold and couldn't shtop my
+dunderin' nose one night when it wanted to shneeze, and dat's de way de
+Shawnee catched me.  Twan't so bad arter all," added Hans Vanderbum,
+musingly, "'cause if it wasn't for dat I wouldn't got my
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
+
+"How soon go back?" asked Oonomoo.
+
+"To de village, do you mean?"
+
+"Yeh."
+
+"Any time afore noon will does, so Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock gits
+de fish for our dinner."
+
+"One, two hours," said the Huron, looking up at the sky, "den sun git
+dere," pointing to the zenith.  "Shawnees know here?"
+
+"Know me here?  Guesses not; don't care if dey does, nor dey doesn't
+care neider."
+
+"Shawnees won't come here?"
+
+"No, no, Oonomoo, you needn't be afraid--"
+
+"Afraid who?" demanded the Huron, with quick fierceness.  "Oonomoo
+never run afore one--two--t'ree--dozen Shawnees.  He only runs when dey
+comes like de leaves in de woods."
+
+"Dey won't come like de leaves.  If dey does, why you can leave too,
+and I t'inks you know how to use dem legs dat you've got tacked onto
+you.  I t'inks you run as fast as me."
+
+"So I t'inks," replied the Indian, with a grin.
+
+"Dere's no mistake but dem Shawnees would like to get your scalp,
+Oonomoo."
+
+"Two--t'ree--hundreds--all Shawnees like to git Oonomoo's scalp--nebber
+git him--Oonomee die in his lodge--scalp on his head," said the Huron,
+proudly.
+
+"I hopes so; hopes I will, too."
+
+The expression of the Indian's face was changed.  It assumed a dark,
+earnest appearance.  He was done trifling, and wished to commence
+business.
+
+"See her dis mornin'?" he asked, in short, quick tones.
+
+"See who?" asked Hans Vanderbum, in turn, completely at a loss to
+understand him.
+
+"De gal."
+
+"De gal?  Who you talking about--Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock?"
+
+"De gal Shawnees got in de village."
+
+The Dutchman's blank expression showed that he did not comprehend what
+the Huron was referring to; so he added, by way of explanation:
+
+"Shawnees kill women and children--deir warriors squaws--don't fight
+men--burn houses toder day--run off wid gal--got her now in de
+village--she gal of Oonomoo's friend--Oonomoo want to get her."
+
+From these rather disconnected expressions, Hans Vanderbum understood
+that a war-party of Shawnees had brought in a prisoner who was a friend
+of the Huron's.  It was for the purpose of learning something regarding
+her that he had signaled the fisherman to leave his hook and line and
+come to him.  The captive having reached the village quite recently, he
+had failed to be apprised of it, so that Oonomoo learned no more than
+he already knew regarding her.
+
+"When did dey took her?" asked Hans Vanderbum.
+
+"When sun dere, yisterday," replied the Indian, pointing off in the
+western horizon.
+
+"Do you want to know 'bout her?"
+
+"Yeh."
+
+"Den I goes find out."
+
+So saying, Hans Vanderbum strode away through the forest in the
+direction of the Shawnee village.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+OTHER CHARACTERS.
+
+
+  "He joys to scour the prairies wide,
+    Upon the bison's trail;
+  To pierce his dark and shaggy hide
+    With darts that never fail.
+
+  "His is the lion's strength in war,
+    In peace, the lion's rest;
+  And the eagle hath not flown so far
+    As his fame throughout the West."
+
+
+Upon leaving the Huron, Hans Vanderbum hurried toward the village, as
+rapidly as the peculiar structure of his body would allow.  As has been
+remarked, he was well acquainted with Oonomoo, knowing him to be a
+faithful ally of his race.  He was anxious, therefore, to show his
+friendship to the savage.  Down, too, somewhere in the huge heart of
+the plethoric Dutchman, was a kindly feeling for the distress of a
+human being, and he felt willing and anxious to befriend any hapless
+captive that had fallen into the hands of the relentless Shawnees.
+
+So absorbed was he in meditating, that he took no heed of
+his footsteps until he was suddenly confronted by his spouse,
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, who, flourishing a sort of hoe over his
+head, demanded, or rather screeched:
+
+"Where's your fish?"
+
+Hans Vanderbum winked very rapidly, and putting his hands up over his
+head, as if to protect it, "I forgots all about dem.  I goes right back
+and gots dem."
+
+He wheeled around as he spoke, receiving a resounding whack from the
+hoe, by way of a reminder, and went lumbering through the woods in
+search of his basket of fish.  He experienced little difficulty in
+finding it, and in a few moments was back again to his affectionate
+partner.
+
+"How did you get wet?" she asked, looking at his flapping garments.
+
+"Dem little Dutchmen done it; dey fixed de limb and made it proke and
+let me down in de water and almost drownded.  Quanonshet and
+Madokawandock will be de death of deir poor dad."
+
+The wife vouchsafed no reply, but jerking the fish from his hand,
+entered the wigwam for the purpose of cooking them, while Hans
+Vanderbum himself went lounging on through the village, it being his
+purpose not to seem too anxious and hurried in his effort to gain his
+news regarding the captive.  He was, despite his stupidity, not devoid
+of sagacity at times.
+
+He had not long to search.  In the very center of the town, his eyes
+fell upon a promiscuous crowd collected around a wigwam, gazing at
+something within.
+
+"Vot you got dere?" he demanded, in a tone of great indignation, as he
+shoved his way through the bystanders.  Those addressed made no reply,
+waiting for him to satisfy his curiosity by seeing the object for
+himself.  In the interior, he descried a young woman, or rather a girl,
+for she could scarcely have been more than fifteen or sixteen years of
+age, seated upon the ground, beside a squaw, with whom it was apparent
+she had been endeavoring to hold a conversation; but, finding it
+impossible in the ignorance of each other's language, they had ceased
+their efforts by common consent and were now sitting motionless.
+
+[Illustration: A girl, fifteen or sixteen years of age, seated upon the
+ground, beside a squaw.]
+
+As Hans Vanderbum gazed curiously at her, his big heart filled with
+pity.  She was attired in the plain, homespun dress common among the
+settlers at that period, her head totally uncovered, and her long, dark
+hair falling in luxuriant masses around her shoulders.  Her hands were
+clasped and her head bowed with a meek, resigned air that reached more
+than one Shawnee heart.  Her complexion was rather light, her features
+not dazzlingly beautiful, but prepossessing, the expression which
+instantly struck the beholder being that of refinement; speaking a
+nature elevated and holy, as much above that of the beings who
+surrounded her, as would have been that of an angel had he alighted
+amid a group of mortals.
+
+The great exertion made by Hans Vanderbum in reaching the wigwam,
+caused him to breathe so heavily as to attract the attention of the
+captive.  Catching sight of a white man, she arose quickly, and
+approaching him, said, eagerly:
+
+"Oh!  I'm so glad to meet one of my own color and race, for I am sure
+you must be a friend."
+
+"Yaw, I's your friend," replied Hans Vanderbum, hardly knowing what he
+said; "and I's sorry as nobody to see you here.  How did you got here?"
+
+"They brought me, the Shawnee warriors did.  They attacked the house in
+the night, when I was alone with the servants.  They murdered them all
+except me.  They have brought myself here to perish in captivity."
+
+"Yaw, de Shawnees ish great on _dat_ business.  'Cause I shneezed dey
+cotched me once and brought me here to perish in captivity mit
+yourself," said Hans Vanderbum, in a feeling voice.
+
+"Are you a prisoner, also?" asked the captive, in considerable surprise.
+
+"Yaw, but I _likes_ it!  I's got a wife, Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock,
+dat is de same shape all de way down, and a little Dutchman,
+Madokawandock; so dey hasn't to watch, like I shpose dey will have to
+you."
+
+"Can any of these around me understand English?" asked the girl, in a
+low tone.
+
+"No; de women don't know notting about it, except my wife, and she
+ain't here; and de men know notink.  You needn't be afraid to say
+anything you pleases to me."
+
+"You could not betray me," added the girl, turning her dark, soulful
+eyes anxiously full upon him.
+
+"No, no," he replied, energetically.  "Voot's your name?"
+
+"Mary Prescott."
+
+"How fur does you live from here--dat is, how fur did you live?"
+
+"It must be over thirty miles, in an eastern direction, I think."
+
+"Does you know Oonomoo?"
+
+Hans Vanderbum asked the question in a lower tone, for the name was
+well known to all present.
+
+"A Huron Indian?  Oh, yes; I know him well," replied the captive; her
+countenance lighting up.  "He was well remembered in our neighborhood,
+and was a true friend to us all.  Do you know him too?  Though I
+suppose of course you do, from your asking me the question."
+
+"Yaw, I knows him, and he knows me too, and we both knows each oder, so
+dat we are acquainted.  Well, dat shentleman is hid off in de woods
+near here, and he has sent me in to l'arn what I cans about you."
+
+The prisoner kept back the joyful exclamation that came to her lips,
+and said:
+
+"Tell him that I am unharmed and hopeful, and trust that while he
+interests himself in me, he will not run into danger."
+
+"Not run into danger!" repeated Hans Vanderbum; "dat is what Oonomoo
+lives on.  He'd die in a week if he wan't into danger, out of grief.
+He don't do notting else; it's what he was made for," he added, growing
+enthusiastic in speaking of the Huron.
+
+"I know he is a brave and true-hearted Indian, and is greatly esteemed
+by the Moravian missionaries.  He hesitates at no risk when his friends
+are in danger."
+
+"Ef he does run risk dey don't catch him, 'cause he knows how to run
+and fight, and ish shmarter dan de Shawnees.  Where ish your parents?"
+
+"My mother and sister happened to be absent on a visit to Falsington,
+which is fifteen or twenty miles distant from our place, while father,
+who is a Captain, is doing service somewhere on the frontier, in the
+American army.  How thankful indeed I am that dear mother and Helen
+were away, for they have escaped this terrible captivity."
+
+"You washn't left all alone?"
+
+"Oh, no; there were several servants, and I saw them tomahawked, and
+heard their piercing cries."
+
+The captive covered her face, and her frame shook like an aspen at the
+remembrance of the dreadful scenes through which she had so recently
+passed.  It was several minutes before she recovered her self-command.
+When she did, Hans Vanderbum proceeded with his questions.
+
+"Dey burnt de place, I shpose?"
+
+"Yes, yes; they destroyed everything."
+
+"I shpose your folks will feel bad when dey finds dese Shawnees have
+got you, won't dey?"
+
+"Oh, yes, yes; do not speak of it."
+
+At this point Hans Vanderbum began to get a sort of dim, vague idea
+that his style of conversation was not exactly calculated to soothe the
+feelings of the unfortunate prisoner; so he determined, if possible, to
+make amends for it.  Patting her on the head, he said, gently:
+
+"Don't feel bad, my darling; I ish shorry for you, but I wants to ax
+you anoder question."
+
+"What is it?" queried the maid, with a wondering look.
+
+"Will you answer it?" asked Hans Vanderbum, endeavoring to put on an
+arch, quizzical expression.
+
+"If it is in my power I instantly will.  Pray, do not hesitate to ask
+me anything you choose."
+
+"Well, den, gits ready for it.  I would shust like to know if dere
+ishn't some feller dat is in love mit you, and you is in love mit, and
+dat both ish in love mit each oder, eh?"
+
+The crimson that suffused the cheeks and mounted to the very forehead
+of the captive, answered the question of Hans Vanderbum more plainly
+than words.  Still, he insisted upon a verbal reply.
+
+"There is no need of concealing the truth from you," she answered.  "I
+have a dear young friend--"
+
+"Who ish he?"
+
+"Lieutenant Canfield, who is in service with my father," she replied.
+
+"Oh, den he don't know notting about it?"
+
+"I am not sure of that.  Oonomoo has acted as a runner or bearer of
+messages between many of the men in the American army and their
+families, upon the frontier, and the last time I saw him he brought me
+word that Lieutenant Canfield intended shortly to visit me on furlough.
+He may have arrived immediately after the Indians burnt our place."
+
+"A good t'ing; a good t'ing if he only has."
+
+"Why would it be a good thing?"
+
+"Does he know Oonomoo?"
+
+"Certainly; he has known him for several years."
+
+"Well, den, dey will come together, and dey'll fix up fings so dat dey
+will got you out of dis place afore long."
+
+"I hope so; I hope so.  Death would not be more terrible than the
+suffering I undergo here, especially at night.  Oh! will you not stay
+by me?" asked the prisoner, the tears starting to her eyes.
+
+Hans Vanderbum gouged his fists into his own visual organs, and
+muttered something about "de dunderin' shmoke," before he could reply.
+
+"Yesh, yesh, I 'tends to you.  You needn't be 'fraid.  Dey won't hurt
+you, I doesn't t'ink.  Dey jist keeps you.  May be dey burns you, but
+dat ain't sartain.  I must go to Oonomoo now, for I've been away from
+him a good long while."
+
+"Tell him I am hopeful."
+
+"Ain't dere notting else to tell him?" asked Hans Vanderbum, still
+lingering.
+
+"I know of nothing else.  He certainly needs no advice from me."
+
+"Notting to send to Lieutenant Canfield, eh?" again queried Hans.
+
+"Tell Oonomoo," said the girl, looking down to the earth, "that if he
+meets Lieutenant Canfield to say the same thing to him for me, that I
+am waiting and hopeful, and have a good friend constantly by me, which
+lightens, in a great measure, the gloom of my captivity."
+
+"Who ish dat friend?"
+
+"You."
+
+"Yaw, I tells him.  Good-by; be a good gal till I comes back.  I bees
+back burty soon."
+
+So saying, Hans passed out of the wigwam on his way to return to
+Oonomoo.  His prolonged conversation with Miss Prescott had attracted
+the attention of the Indians who were lingering outside, and several
+asked him its purport.  To these he invariably replied, "she didn't
+know wheder it was going for to rain or not, but she fought it would do
+one or toder."
+
+From his long residence among the Shawnees and his family connection
+with them, Hans Vanderbum was not suspected of disaffection.  Indeed,
+it could not properly be said that he felt thus toward them.  He would
+not willingly do anything to injure them any more than he would have
+fought against his own race.  Had he been dwelling among the whites, he
+would have befriended any hapless prisoner that might be in their power
+as he intended to befriend the poor girl with whom he had just been
+conversing.
+
+It was about noon when he reached his own wigwam.  He looked in, and
+seeing that the fish had been cooked and was ready, told his wife that
+he didn't feel very hungry and he guessed he would take a short walk
+for his health.  She, however, ordered him at once to take his place
+inside and eat his dinner.  The henpecked husband dared not refuse, and
+he was accordingly compelled to take part in the meal, while constantly
+occupied in thinking that the Huron was waiting for him; but, as
+patience is one of the cardinal virtues of the North American Indian,
+Hans was sure of finding him at the rendezvous upon his return.
+
+Some twenty minutes later, Hans Vanderbum was at the tree, where he had
+first caught sight of Oonomoo.  It was not long before the latter came
+from his concealment, and, after exchanging words upon unimportant
+subjects, for the purpose of concealing his curiosity, he inquired in
+regard to Miss Prescott.
+
+"She tells me to tell you dat she's dere, and is hopeful, and ain't
+hurt, and hopes you won't hurt yourself to git her away."
+
+"Oonomoo won't hurt his self--Shawnee won't hurt Oonomoo--he git gal
+away too."
+
+"Oh, I like for to forgot.  She tells me 'bout Lieutenant Canfield de
+same as she tells you.  Will you see him?"
+
+"See him dis mornin'--waitin' in woods fur me--see him 'gin--tell what
+gal said."
+
+"I'm glad for to hear it, Oonomoo.  I shpose you'll be back this way
+ag'in one dese days."
+
+"Be back soon--have somebody with me--tell gal so--look out fur
+whistle--keep ears open--hear _dis_ time."
+
+"Yaw, I will.  I heerd you dis oder time, too; but didn't t'ink 'twas
+you.  I'll know de next time.  You going now?"
+
+The Huron signified that he was, and took his departure as quietly as
+he had come.  Hans watched as the dusky figure flitted in and out among
+the trees and finally disappeared in the distance.  Then, muttering to
+himself, he returned to the village.
+
+The day was unusually warm for the season; there was little activity in
+the Indian town.  Hans noticed that many of the Shawnees were still
+lingering along the Miami, although what object other than that of mere
+languor could induce them to remain, he could not possibly conceive.
+Reaching his own wigwam, he was confounded with joy to learn that the
+captive, Miss Prescott, was to be domiciled in it.  He could scarce
+believe it until Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock told him that she was to
+be strictly guarded, used as her slave and never to be out of her sight
+for one minute.  In case of her escape, Hans Vanderbum was to be held
+responsible for it, his life paying the forfeit.
+
+"Dat is quare," he muttered.  "I guess Oonomoo can fix it, if dey
+_does_ do it."
+
+It perhaps is well to remark here, by way of explanation, that the time
+in which the incidents occurred, which we intend to relate, was a few
+years subsequent to the great victory of Anthony Wayne over the
+combined forces of the various Indian tribes in the West.  As a
+consequence of this splendid achievement and the no less splendid
+victory gained in the renowned treaty of Greenville, a long and almost
+undisturbed peace along the frontier was inaugurated, where, for years
+before, all had been strife of the most revolting kind.  But, profound
+peace and security never existed on the border until the final removal
+of the Indians beyond the Mississippi.  Isolated families, small bodies
+of men, and the lonely traveler through the forest, never were secure
+from the stealthy attacks of the red-men.  Deep in the gloom of the
+solemn wilderness, many a deadly conflict occurred between the hunter
+and the Indian.  Often the victim sunk noiselessly to the turf, and his
+bones bleached for years in these wilds, while none but his slayer knew
+of his fate.
+
+Captain Prescott, placing great faith in the treaty of Greenville, had
+erected a fine mansion upon a tract of land received from Government.
+His residence was upon the extreme frontier.  He had misgivings when he
+removed his wife and two daughters to that wilderness home.  He
+provided a number of trusty servants for their protection in his
+absence with the army.  Circumstances transpired which prevented his
+fulfilling his promise to return home to remain, and he continued
+absent nearly three years, occasionally making a short visit, and
+returning to his duties again before he had fairly greeted his family.
+
+On one of these visits, Captain Prescott took, as his companion, a
+young Lieutenant named Canfield.  It so happened that this visit lasted
+several days, and a period of greater happiness to the young Lieutenant
+probably never occurred.  Mary Prescott, at that time, could not
+properly be called a woman, except in the grace and dignity of her
+character.  She inherited the rich fancy, the nervous sensibility, and
+stern will of her father, and what may seem like a contradiction, the
+gentleness and modesty of her mother.  She was the youngest child, and,
+naturally enough, the pet of the others; but, the parents were too
+sensible to spoil her by flattery or foolish indulgence.  She was of
+that age when the female mind is most susceptible to the great passion
+of our nature in its most romantic phase, when Lieutenant Canfield
+visited their house.  His frank bearing, his gentlemanly deportment,
+and, above all, the favorable reports which her father gave of his
+gallant conduct, conspired to enlist young Mary in his favor.
+
+[Illustration: Mary Prescott.]
+
+They were scarcely thrown into each other's society before the natural,
+though sometimes tardy, results of the virtues we have mentioned were
+seen.  The tell-tale blush--the voice unconsciously lowered to the most
+thrilling softness--the timid glance--the deep-drawn sigh--the absent,
+vacant appearance when separated for a short time from each other--the
+supreme happiness when together--all were signs which escaped not the
+eyes of the sister and mother, although the matter-of-fact father
+failed to notice such trifles.  His days of courtship had become a
+fable, if they were not forgotten.
+
+If there were any displeasure at this state of affairs upon the part of
+her mother, it was only because she believed her daughter too young to
+entertain thoughts of marriage.  Like a wise and prudent parent,
+however, she did not seek to accomplish an impossibility--that of
+preventing what no parent yet succeeded in preventing.  Having great
+confidence in the young Lieutenant, from the representations of her
+husband, she merely resolved to be discreet with him.  Accordingly,
+when, on the day of his departure, he found courage to mention his love
+of Mary to her parents, the mother took it upon her to reply that she
+entertained no objection to his suit, but, from the youth of her
+daughter, he must not expect their consent to a union for several
+years.  At the same time she gracefully hinted that the suddenness of
+his passion might well excite suspicion that it was hardly genuine.
+Delighted beyond measure at this answer, Lieutenant Canfield added that
+he would not claim her hand until both father and mother were fully
+satisfied, and until he had proven to them that he was worthy of their
+daughter.  Thus matters stood when Captain Prescott and the Lieutenant
+took their departure.
+
+Matters were somehow or other so arranged that the Lieutenant found
+opportunity to visit the family of Captain Prescott oftener than the
+Captain himself.  On these occasions, the mother was pleased to observe
+that while the attachment between him and her daughter became more and
+more marked, the Lieutenant always manifested the most scrupulous
+respect for the wishes of her parents, and never breathed a word to her
+that he believed could occasion the slightest objection upon their part.
+
+Besides these visits, the lovers found ready means for exchanging their
+expressions of affection through the faithful Huron, Oonomoo, who made
+stated journeys from Captain Prescott's mansion to his post.  On these
+occasions, he went loaded with missives from one party to another,
+carrying back as many as he brought.  He was a great favorite with the
+whites, who appreciated his chivalrous faithfulness and fidelity, and
+loaded him with many expressions of their esteem.  He had the
+reputation of being the fleetest runner, the most successful scout and
+best hunter in the West.  Volumes would be required to record all the
+exploits told of him--of the marvelous number of scalps which hung in
+his lodge, and of the many hair-breadth escapes he had had.  It was
+said he had a wife and child hid somewhere in the recesses of the
+forest, to whom he made stated visits, and whom his deadly enemies, the
+Shawnees, had sought in vain for years.  He was now about thirty-five
+years of age, and had been known as a scout and friend of the whites
+for full a dozen years.
+
+Somewhat less than two years after the first meeting of Lieutenant
+Canfield with the daughter of Captain Prescott, the wife and eldest
+daughter of the latter made a journey of pleasure to a neighboring
+settlement.  Mary would have accompanied them, had she not received an
+intimation from Oonomoo that her lover proposed to make her a visit
+about that time.  She accordingly remained at home with the servants.
+
+Two nights afterwards, when the darkness was almost impenetrable, a
+large war-party of Shawnees suddenly attacked the place.  The negroes
+had no time for defense, and only sought their own safety in flight.
+But one, however, escaped, the rest falling beneath the merciless
+tomahawk.  Mary Prescott was carried off a prisoner.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+OONOMOO AND THE SHAWNEES.
+
+
+  Through forty foes his path he made,
+  And safely reached the forest-glade.--SCOTT.
+
+
+After parting from Hans Vanderbum, the Huron sped noiselessly through
+the woods, taking a direction that would lead him to a point on the
+river fully three hundred yards below where he had signaled the German.
+The stream making a bend there, he would thus escape the observation of
+the Shawnees along the bank, at the point where the fisherman had been
+engaged in his labors.
+
+So silent, yet rapid, was the motion of Oonomoo, that his figure
+flitted through the rifts in the wood like a shadow.  His head
+projected slightly forward, in the attitude of acute attention, and his
+black, restless eyes constantly flitted from one point to the other,
+scarcely resting for a second upon any single object.  In his left hand
+he trailed his long rifle, while his right rested upon the buckhorn
+handle of the knife in his belt.
+
+He had progressed a considerable distance thus, when the Huron's gait
+decreased very rapidly.  He was now in the vicinity of the river, where
+he had left his canoe drawn up on the bank.  It was necessary to
+reconnoiter thoroughly before venturing to approach it.  Accordingly,
+he halted.  The movement of the panther in approaching his foe was not
+more stealthy and cautious than was his.
+
+At length, reaching the shelter of a tree, and cautiously peering
+around, the Huron caught sight of the stern of his canoe.  One glance
+and his dark eyes flashed fire!  The Shawnees had been there!
+
+What sign caught the notice of Oonomoo?  What kindled the fire in his
+dark eye?  What caused one hand to close over his knife, and the other
+to grasp his rifle?  It was a sign of his enemy.  Too well the
+sagacious Huron knew that the Shawnee was lying in wait for him.
+
+The canoe, which Oonomoo left behind him, during his interview with
+Hans Vanderbum, lay precisely as it was first deposited.  Not a
+surrounding limb, shrub or leaf had, so far as he could see, been
+disturbed since he left the spot.  And yet the evidence which presented
+itself to the eyes of the Indian was as palpable and unmistakable as
+would have been the appearance of enemies themselves.
+
+Oonomoo had carefully drawn his bark canoe up the river-bank and
+concealed it as well as the circumstances would admit.  He had then
+deposited his long Indian paddle in it, leaving the blade projecting
+over the stern.  The paddle _was now several inches further to one side
+than it had been left by him_!
+
+This was the entire evidence.  It was abundantly sufficient to satisfy
+the Huron.  He did not doubt for an instant.  His only uncertainty was
+in regard to the precise location of his foes.  A few minutes'
+observation satisfied him that they were not between the canoe and the
+river.  His course of action was accordingly determined.  It would have
+been the easiest matter in the world for him to have escaped by
+swimming the river; but as an opportunity for a contest of skill with
+his enemies was offered, he was too proud not to embrace it at once.
+Retreating several rods, he continued his way upstream in his usual
+cautious manner, until he had gone perhaps a furlong above his canoe,
+when he approached and entered the stream.
+
+The Miami, at this point, was so heavily wooded, that it was impossible
+to pass close under its shore without entering the water.  Once within
+this and in a stooping position, a person would be invisible to any one
+on the same bank, although he could be plainly seen from the opposite
+shore.  Oonomoo now commenced his descent of the river with the
+intention of recovering his canoe.  This was necessarily a tedious and
+prolonged operation, as a single misstep, a slip or splash of the water
+might betray him to his enemies.  But, he was equal to the task, and
+never hesitated for a moment except to listen for some sign of his
+enemies.
+
+The Shawnees, by the merest accident, had discovered the Huron's canoe
+and examined it.  Satisfied that it belonged to none of their tribe,
+and most probably had been left there by some hostile scout, they
+carefully allowed it to remain as they had found it, and endeavored to
+restore everything around to its natural position, so as not to arouse
+the suspicion of the owner upon his return.  This done, they withdrew
+and awaited with loaded rifles for his reappearance.  We have shown how
+a most trifling error in regard to the paddle placed the Huron on his
+guard.
+
+It was perhaps a half-hour after Oonomoo had commenced his descent of
+the river, that the canoe, without any perceptible jar, slid an inch or
+two down the bank.  So quietly and cautiously was this effected, that,
+had the Shawnees been looking directly at it, their suspicion would not
+have been aroused.
+
+Some ten or fifteen minutes later, the boat moved about the same
+distance further.  The expectant Shawnees, clutching their rifles, were
+listening anxiously for some sound that might indicate the approach of
+their foe, and paid little heed to the canoe itself.  Ever and anon, it
+retreated an inch or two down the bank in the same mysterious
+manner--going short distances and so very slowly that no one but a
+thoroughly suspicious Indian would have believed there was any human
+agency connected with it.
+
+The canoe was fully an hour and a half in moving a single foot, during
+which time the Huron managed, by the most consummate skill, to sustain
+it in such a manner that the shrubbery and undergrowth around appeared
+to occupy relatively the same position that they did before it had been
+disturbed.  The river shore was only some twenty or thirty feet
+distant, and from where Oonomoo lay, the way was almost entirely clear
+to it, so that when he chose to make any sudden dash or movement, no
+hindering cause could possibly offer itself.
+
+One of the Shawnees chanced to glance at the canoe.  At the same
+instant, his keen eye detected its changed position, imperceptible
+almost as it was.  With a guttural exclamation he arose and moved
+toward it, followed by his two companions.  They had taken scarcely a
+step, when they saw the boat slide swiftly forward several feet, and
+then suddenly rising to the perpendicular position, whisk off through
+the bush at a still more rapid rate.  Two twinkling moccasins, that
+looked as if they were its support, as they doubled over each other,
+fully explained to the Shawnees the cause of this singular scene.
+
+With a loud yell, the three dashed forward, while the Huron ran at the
+top of his speed over the slight distance that lay between him and the
+river.  Reaching the shore, he changed the canoe from his rear to his
+front, and holding it like a shield above and before him.  With one
+foot in the edge of the water, he concentrated all his strength for the
+effort and leaped far out in the stream--the canoe falling with a loud
+splash perfectly flat upon the surface.  The impetus thus given caused
+it to shoot like an arrow for a long distance, when the Huron,
+inclining his body to the left, careened it so much, that his own
+person was concealed from any who might be upon the shore, while, by
+reaching his hand over into the current, he was enabled to use it as a
+paddle, and continue his onward motion.
+
+Oonomoo was fully aware that the delicate structure of the canoe was no
+obstruction at all against a rifle-shot.  Accordingly, while descending
+the river, he had taken precaution to insure his safety, in case of
+such an occurrence as had now transpired.  A large, rotten limb, hardly
+the length of his own body, was carried with him.  At the moment of
+lifting the canoe from the ground, the limb was placed within it, and
+thus was carried back to the edge of the river.  Lying flat upon his
+face, this limb was about the thickness of the Huron's waist, and by
+skillfully balancing the boat, it was interposed directly between him
+and his foes.  The only parts of his person which possibly could be
+struck were his feet and the arm stretched over the side of the canoe.
+The former necessarily being in the stern, it was hardly probable that
+they would be wounded.  There was such risk of the arm that Oonomoo
+drew it within the boat for a few moments.  He had scarcely done so,
+when the reports of two rifles, and the peculiar zip of the bullets as
+they cut through the side of the canoe and buried themselves in the
+rotten wood, proved how wise was the precaution he had taken.
+
+Quick as thought, the hand of the Huron was in the water again, where,
+as he vigorously used it, it flashed like some fish at play.  The
+Shawnees, who plainly discerned the two holes their bullets had made,
+could scarcely believe their daring foe had escaped injury.  But they
+were forced to believe he was still living from the fact that the canoe
+steadily progressed across and was not carried down-stream by the
+current.  The whoop of the Shawnees had been heard by their comrades
+further down the bank.  As the canoe reached the middle of the river,
+they caught a sight of it, and readily conjectured the true state of
+the case.  In a twinkling, two of their own were launched in pursuit.
+Discovering this, Oonomoo arose to the upright position, and dipping
+his paddle deep in the water, sent his boat forward with astonishing
+swiftness.  As it lightly touched the bank, he leaped ashore and pulled
+it up after him.  Then uttering a defiant yell, he turned, and to show
+the scorn in which he held the Shawnees, walked slowly and deliberately
+into the forest.  Once fairly beyond their sight, however, his pace
+quickened, and when the sun sunk low in the western horizon, he was
+many a mile from the Miami.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+THE YOUNG LIEUTENANT AND CATO.
+
+
+  Suddenly rose from the South a light, as in autumn the blood-red
+  Moon climbs the crystal walls of heaven, and o'er the horizon,
+  Titan-like, stretches its hundred hands upon mountain and meadow,
+  Seizing the rocks and the rivers and piling huge shadows together.
+          --LONGFELLOW.
+
+
+From a long distance the conflagration had been visible, its light
+throwing a red glare far up in the sky, and revealing the huge clouds
+that swept forward like crimson avalanches, while the surrounding trees
+glowed as if their branches were burning hot.  Those nearest had their
+bark blistered and their leaves curled and scorched from the intense
+heat.  A conflagration at night, when viewed from a distance, always
+seems awful in its sublimity.  There is something calculated to inspire
+terror in the illuminated dome of the heavens and the onward sweep of
+this fearful element, when viewed in a civilized country; but it is
+only in the wilderness, away from the abode of man, that such an
+exhibition partakes of all the elements of grandeur and terror.
+
+The solitary hunter, as he stood upon the banks of some lonely stream,
+leaned on his rifle and gazed with a beating heart at the brilliant
+redness that lit up so much of the sky.  The beasts in their lair
+turned their glowing eyeballs toward the dreadful illumination, and
+stood transfixed with fear until its light died away; while the dark
+face of the vengeful Shawnee grew darker and more terrible as he gazed
+upon this work of his own hands.  A silence, deep and profound, rested
+like a pall upon the wilderness and remained there until darkness again
+held undisputed reign.
+
+Lieutenant Canfield had seen the glowing light from a great distance,
+when its appearance was much like that of the moon as it comes up in
+the horizon.  Little did he suspect its true nature.  It was not until
+the next morning that he encountered Oonomoo, the Huron, who related
+the particulars of the attack of the Shawnee party upon the house of
+Captain Prescott and the capture of his daughter.  Had not the
+impulsive Lieutenant thus learned of his beloved's safety from
+massacre, had he not received the assurance of an immediate attempt for
+her recapture, there is no telling to what imprudent lengths he might
+have gone in his blind devotion to the young captive.  Oonomoo remained
+with him but a short time, when he departed on his mission to the
+Shawnee village, and the lover continued on toward the estate of
+Captain Prescott.
+
+It was nearly noon when Lieutenant Canfield reached the place--now
+nothing but a mass of charred and blackened ruins.  Leaving his horse
+in the woods, he dismounted and examined the remains of the mansion and
+smaller buildings.  The ghastly corpses of the negroes still lay upon
+the ground, having been undisturbed, and with a feeling of
+heart-sickness the young soldier passed them by.  In his profession, he
+had witnessed many revolting sights, but none that affected him more
+than this.  He shuddered, as he reflected that the very barbarians who
+had wantonly inflicted his woe were the captors of the adored daughter
+of Captain Prescott, and that they had inflicted as shocking outrages
+even upon such defenseless captives as she.
+
+Walking thus moodily forward, he was suddenly brought to a standstill
+by coming in front of an awkward, odd-looking structure, which excited
+his wonder in no small degree.  The charred remains of the logs of one
+of the buildings had been collected together and piled one above the
+other, so that they bore some resemblance to a rudely-fashioned oven.
+From the circumstances of the case, these must have been arranged in
+this manner subsequently to the visit of the Shawnees, and it was this
+fact which awakened the curiosity of the Lieutenant.  His first
+supposition was that it was the doings of the Huron.  But what reason
+could he have had for rearing such a structure?  What possible purpose
+could it serve him?
+
+All at once it flashed upon the Lieutenant that it was the work of the
+Shawnees themselves, and he began to view the contrivance with some
+apprehension.  This feeling was considerably strengthened when he
+either heard or fancied he heard the movement of some one within it.
+Prudence dictated that he should place a little more distance between
+it and himself.  Accordingly he began to retreat, walking backward and
+keeping his gaze fixed upon it, ready for any demonstration from his
+concealed enemies.
+
+Suddenly something within the hollow of the structure fell with a dull
+thump that nearly lifted the Lieutenant from his feet.  At the same
+moment he heard a suppressed growl, as if made by a caged bear.  He now
+began to feel more wonder than fear.
+
+"What in the name of creation is the meaning of that concern, and what
+sort of animal is caged in it?" he muttered, staying his retreat.
+
+The Lieutenant debated whether or not to approach and examine the
+interior of the odd-looking hut.  It seemed hardly possible that any
+human being could be within, although it was certain there was some
+living object there.
+
+"At any rate I'll stir him up," he concluded, resolutely approaching.
+The growls were now redoubled, and he really believed some four-footed
+animal was the cause of all the uproar.
+
+"It may be the Shawnees have attempted a little pleasantry after their
+bloody work, and caged up some poor creature within those logs,"
+thought he.  "I'll let him loose if such be the case."
+
+He placed his hand upon the stump of a log nearest to him, when a
+thunderbolt appeared to have exploded before him.  He started back as
+though he had received an electric shock.  A perfect battery of howls
+was leveled against him, and for a moment his ears were stunned with
+the deafening uproar.  He determined, however, to solve the mystery.
+Giving the structure a push that brought it tumbling to the ground, he
+sprung back and held his rifle prepared for any foe, were he a
+four-footed or a two-footed one.  Instead of either, what was his
+amazement to see a negro, as black as midnight, emerge from the ruins,
+and cringe at his feet.
+
+"Oh, Mr. Injine, please don't shoot! please don't kill me!  Nice, good
+Mr. Injine, don't hurt me!  Please don't tomahawk poor Cato!  He never
+hurt an Injine in all his life.  Please don't!  Oh, don't!  don't!
+don't! boo-hoo! oo!-oo-oo!"
+
+"Get up, get up, Cato, and don't make a fool of yourself," said the
+Lieutenant, recognizing in the frightened negro the favorite servant of
+Captain Prescott's family.
+
+"Oh, please don't hurt me!  Please don't kill poor Cato!  He never hurt
+good Injine in all his life!  Please, good, nice Mr. Injine, let me go,
+and I'll do anyt'ing you wants me to, and lubs you as long as I lib.
+Please, don't hurt poor nigger Cato," repeated the servant, fairly
+beside himself with terror.
+
+"If you don't want to be killed, get up," said the young officer,
+sternly enough to bring Cato to his senses; but only after he had been
+assisted by what he supposed to be a ferocious Indian, ready to brain
+him, was he enabled to rise and to keep his feet.
+
+[Illustration: "If you don't want to be killed, get up," said the young
+officer.]
+
+"Don't you know me, Cato?" asked the Lieutenant, laughing heartily at
+the woe-begone appearance of the negro.
+
+"Hebens, golly! ain't you an Injine, Massa Canfield?" he asked, his
+knees still shaking with terror.
+
+"Do I look like one?"
+
+"Guess you isn't, arter all," added the negro, with more assurance.
+"Hebens, golly!  _I ain't afeard_!" he suddenly exclaimed,
+straightening up proudly.  "Didn't t'ink Cato was afeard, Massa
+Canfield?"
+
+"I must say that the circumstantial evidence of your cowardice is hard
+to resist."
+
+The negro's eyes enlarged as he heard the large words of the soldier,
+and his looks showed that he had no idea of their meaning.
+
+"Doesn't t'ink I's _afeard_?"
+
+"Why did you build such a looking concern as that?"
+
+"Why I build dat?  To keep de rain off of me."
+
+"It hasn't rained at all for several days."
+
+"Know dat, but, den, expect maybe 'twill.  Bes' to be ready for it when
+_does_ come."
+
+"But, as there were no evidences of a storm coming very soon, why
+should you get in there just now?"
+
+"Storms out in dese parts bust berry suddent sometimes.  Oughter know
+dat, Massa Canfield."
+
+"Yes, I do; but, why in the name of common sense did you set up such a
+growling when I came near your old cabin?"
+
+"Did I growl at you?"
+
+"Yes: made as much noise as a grizzly bear could have done."
+
+"Done it jist for fun, Massa.  Hebens, golly! wanted to see if you was
+afeard, too."
+
+"But," said the soldier, assuming a more serious air, "let the jesting
+cease.  When did you put those logs together, Cato?"
+
+"Dis morning, arter _dey_ went away," he replied, with a shudder,
+casting a look of terror around him.
+
+"And when did they--the Shawnees--go away?"
+
+"Didn't stay long, Massa; come in de night, berry late--bust on de
+house all at once."
+
+Lieutenant Canfield felt a painful interest in all that related to Mary
+Prescott.  Although the Huron had given him the principal incidents of
+the attack and massacre, he could not restrain himself from questioning
+the negro still further.
+
+"Had you no warning of their approach?"
+
+"Nothing; didn't know dey war about till dey war among us."
+
+"What was the first thing you heard, Cato?  Give me the particulars so
+far as you can remember."
+
+"Hebens, golly!  I'll neber forgit _dat_ night if I lib a fousand
+years.  Wal, you see I and Big Mose had just gwane to bed and blowed de
+candle out----"
+
+"Had Miss Mary retired?"
+
+"Yes--she'd been gone a good while.  You see, me and Big Mose am
+generally de last niggers dat am up, specially myself.  I goes around
+for to see if de t'ings am all right about de house.  Wal, me and Mose
+had been around to see if eberyt'ing was right, and was coming back
+from de barn and got purty near de house, when Mose whispers, 'Cato, I
+see'd a man crawling on de ground back dar.  I didn't say nuffin' for
+fear ob scaring ob _you_.'  'Oh!  git out,' says I, 'you's _skeart_.'
+But I felt a little oneasy myself, 'cause I kind ob fought I heern
+somefin' when we was a little furder off.  I commenced for to walk
+fast, and Big Mose commenced for to walk fast, and afore we knowed it,
+we bofe was a canterin', and when we come aginst de door, we'd like to
+'ve busted it in, we was tearing along so fast.  We tumbled in ober
+each oder, and fastened dat door in a hurry you'd better beliebe."
+
+"Wal, we went to our room, and blowed out de candle and said our
+prayers and went to bed.  We hadn't been laying dar long, when Big Mose
+turned ober toward me, and whispers, 'I tell you, Cato, dar am Inj'ines
+about de house.  'Cause why I see'd one, and I had a dream last night
+dat a whole lot ob dem comes here in de night and killed all of us
+niggers and burnt Missis Mary!'  Hebens, golly! Massa Canfield, I begun
+to turn white about de gills when I heerd him say _dat_.  I'd been
+shibering and shaking, and now I shook like de ager.  I told Big Mose
+to be still and go to sleep, 'cause it seemed to me if I went to sleep
+when t'ings looked bad, dey would be all right agin in de mornin'.
+But, he wouldn't be still and says, 'I tell you, Cato, dar _am_ Injines
+crawlin' around ob dis house dis very minute, 'cause I can hear dar
+knees and hands on de ground.'  I couldn't make Big Mose keep quiet.
+Bimeby, he says, 'Cato, let's git up and be ready for 'em, for dey're
+comin'.  I _knows_ it, I ken _feel_ it in my bones.  Let's wake up
+Missis Mary and de niggers and fight 'em, for dey'll be here afore
+morning, sure.'  Wal, dat nigger worrid me awful.  I told him I
+wouldn't git up, but was going to sleep, and turned ober in bed, but I
+couldn't keep my eyes shet.
+
+"Bimeby, I heard Big Mose crawling soft-like out de bed.  He was trying
+to make no noise, so he wouldn't wake me, finking I was asleep.  He
+stepped like a cat on de floor, and I listened to see what he was going
+to do.  I heerd him move around and den all was still.  'What you
+doing, Mose?' I axed.  'I'm going to say my prayers,' he said, 'and
+it's de last time too, 'cause de Injines will soon be here.'  I didn't
+try to stop him, for I felt so bad, I commenced saying mine in de bed.
+
+"Big Mose kept mumbling and crying for a long time, and I shaking more
+and more, when all at once, hebens, golly!  I see'd somefin'
+bright-like shine trough de winder, and I looked out and de barn was
+all afire.  Den dar come a yell dat nearly blowed de roof off de house.
+Big Mose gib a screech and run, and _bang-bang_ went a lot ob guns all
+around us.  De Injines was dar, burnin', tomahawkin', screechin',
+shoutin', and killin' de poor niggers as fast as dey showed demselves.
+I see'd Miss Mary----"
+
+"Did they harm her?"
+
+"No!  She didn't 'pear _skeart_ a bit.  She tried to keep de Injines
+from killing de poor niggers, not t'inking anyt'ing about herself."
+
+"How was it that _you_ escaped?"
+
+"I stayed where I was till I was nearly burnt up, when I sneaked out
+and none of 'em didn't 'pear to notice me.  I hid in de woods and
+stayed dar till mornin'."
+
+"Did you see anything more of Miss Mary?"
+
+"Yes, I see'd de Injines go away purty soon, and take her along.  Dey
+didn't take any ob de niggers, 'cause dey had killed 'em all but me,
+and I was already dead, but I comed to agin."
+
+"None of Captain Prescott's family were in the house besides Mary, were
+they?" asked the Lieutenant, asking a question of which he well knew
+the answer.
+
+"Nobody else wan't dar--bress de Lord!  Missis Prescott and Helen went
+off on a visit to de settlement, t'ree, four days ago."
+
+"How was it Miss Mary remained behind?"
+
+"Ki-yi! you doesn't know, eh?" said Cato, grinning vastly, in total
+forgetfulness, for the moment, of his dreadful surroundings.
+
+"How should I know?  Of course, I do not."
+
+"Wal, den, Oonymoo, dat red Injine, told her as how maybe you'd be
+'long dese parts 'bout dis time, and _she_ 'cluded she'd be't home when
+_you_ called.  _Dat's_ how she was heah!"
+
+A thrill went through the gallant Lieutenant at this evidence of the
+affection of the fair maiden he had journeyed so far to see.  Despite
+the heart-sickness which had come over him at sight of the revolting
+scenes around, he experienced a sort of pleasure from the words of the
+negro, and felt anxious for him to say more.
+
+"How do you know, Cato, that this was the reason she remained behind?"
+
+"Hebens, golly! didn't I hear her tell Missis so?"
+
+"Her mother?  And what did she say?"
+
+"Oh! she and Missis Helen kinder laughed, and showed all dar white
+teef, and dey didn't try to persuade her to go, 'cause dey _knowed_ dar
+wan't no use ob tryin' to do nuffin' like _dat_.  She lubs the
+Leftenant altogeder too much.  Yah! yah!" and Cato kicked up his heels,
+hugely delighted.
+
+"Have you told me when you built this house of yours?"
+
+"T'ought I hahd.  Done dat ar workmanship dis mornin', arter all de
+Injines had gone.  T'ought dar'd be somebody 'long dis way afore long."
+
+"There has been nothing saved," said the Lieutenant, looking around and
+speaking apparently to himself.
+
+"Noffin' but dis poor nigger, and I don't know what will become of him
+now dat he's all alone," said Cato, with a woe-begone demeanor.
+
+"Have no anxiety upon that account.  You shall be attended to.  Captain
+Prescott and all his family are living, and, depend upon it, you will
+not suffer if he can prevent it."
+
+"But de house am gone--de horses--de corns--eberyt'ing but me."
+
+The young soldier continued musing for a moment and then asked:
+
+"How far from here is the settlement to which Mrs. Prescott has gone?"
+
+"Ten, fifteen or forty miles."
+
+"Can't you tell me more precisely than that?"
+
+"Somewhere atween ten and forty or fifty--dat's all I can tell."
+
+"Have you ever been there yourself?"
+
+"Offin--horseback."
+
+"You know the way?"
+
+"Jes' as well as did from de house to de barn."
+
+"How would you like to go there?"
+
+"What! alone?" asked Cato, the old look of terror coming back to his
+countenance.
+
+"Certainly--you have been there and back you said, didn't you?"
+
+"Yes, but bress your soul! de Injines wan't about den."
+
+"I guess there were as many as there are this minute."
+
+"Oh! gracious!  I don't want to go alone.  What made ye ax me dat
+queshun?"
+
+"Why, I thought this, Cato.  You see I expect Oonomoo to return to this
+place by nightfall, when I intend to accompany him to the Shawnee
+village where Miss Mary is held captive----"
+
+"Goin' to git her?"
+
+"We hope to.  I was going to propose that you should make your way to
+the settlement and carry the news of this sad affair to Mrs. Prescott
+and her daughter, assuring her that the Huron and myself will do all we
+can to rescue Mary.  They must have seen the light, last night, and no
+doubt are dreadfully anxious to learn whether it was their mansion or
+not.  Besides, I doubt whether the Huron will be willing that you
+should accompany us."
+
+"Why won't he?  I guess Cato knows enough to take care of his self.
+Allus has done it.  Done it last night."
+
+"We will let the matter rest until his return.  It shall be as he says."
+
+"What time 'spect him?"
+
+"In the course of a few hours.  In the meantime, there is another
+matter that must be attended to.  Do you know whether there is a spade
+or shovel lying about?"
+
+"Dunno; guess dar is dough.  I'll see in a minute."
+
+Cato ran some distance to where the charred remains of another building
+were heaped together, and searching among the ruins, brought forth a
+spade with a portion of the handle still left.
+
+"What ye want to do dat ar?" he asked, as he brought it to the
+Lieutenant.
+
+"We must bury those bodies, Cato.  It would be wrong to deny them a
+decent burial when we possess the time and means."
+
+Cato had a mortal horror of touching any creature that was dead, but
+more than once he had wished that the corpses were placed in the
+ground, although he had not the courage to put them there.  He showed
+no reluctance now to the performance of his portion of the task.
+
+"You know how to dig, I presume?" asked the Lieutenant.
+
+"Yis, I offin dug wid dis berry same spade.  Whar'd you want thar
+graves?"
+
+"One grave will answer for the four, and this spot will do as well as
+any other."
+
+The soldier gave the proper directions, and the negro commenced his
+labor at once.  In an hour or two, he had hollowed out a grave, ready
+for the reception of the dead bodies.  He could not conceal his
+repugnance to touching them, although he did not refuse to do so.
+
+"Dat ar is poor Big Mose," said he, as they took hold of a Herculean
+negro, who had been brained by the keen tomahawk.  "And he knowed the
+Injines war a-comin' a long time afore dey did.  Poor Mose," he added,
+as the big tears trickled down his cheek, "he neber will eat any more
+big suppers or come de double-shuffle or de back-action-spring by
+moonlight.  Poor feller! he had a big heel and knowed how to handle it."
+
+The body was carefully lowered into the grave, and the others, one by
+one, were placed beside it.  It was a sight which haunted Lieutenant
+Canfield for many a night--those black, upturned corpses--awful
+evidences of the terrible passions of the Shawnees.  The earth was
+carefully deposited over them and the last sad rites performed.
+
+The sun was now past the meridian, and the young soldier began to look
+momentarily for the appearance of the Huron.  An hour or two had
+passed, when Cato spoke:
+
+"Massa Canfield, 'tain't noways likely dat ar Injine will be along
+afore dark.  _Dat's_ de time dem critters likes to travel, so what's de
+use ob our waitin' here so long.  Oder Injines _mought_ be around dese
+parts and wouldn't it be a good idee to git in de woods whar dey
+wouldn't be so apt to see us?"
+
+It struck the Lieutenant that there was some sense in the advice of the
+negro; so he concluded to act upon it.  Moving away toward the wood,
+his foot struck and scattered a pile of black cinders lying near the
+ruins of the house.  Looking down, he saw something glitter.  What was
+his surprise to discover in the ashes a gold watch and chain which he
+had often seen upon the neck of Mary Prescott.  A portion of the chain
+had been melted by the intense heat, but by some singular means, the
+watch had been so well preserved that there was scarcely a blemish upon
+it.  As he picked it up, Cato exclaimed, with rolling eyes:
+
+"Dat is Miss Mary's! dat is Miss Mary's!"
+
+"It couldn't have been around her neck, certainly, when it was lost."
+
+"No, she allers laid it on de stand aside her bed, and dat's de way it
+got dar.  See, dar's de legs ob de stand."
+
+It was as the negro said, and in the hope of finding some more of the
+valuables of the family, the soldier kicked the ashes and cinders
+hither and thither and searched among them for a considerable time.
+Nothing further rewarded him, however.  Placing the watch upon his own
+person, he went on, across the edge of the clearing, into the woods
+beyond.  He led his horse further into their protection, and then
+beckoned the negro to his side.
+
+"Do you feel sleepy, Cato?"
+
+"No! what'd you ax that fur?"
+
+"Well I do, and I am going to try to get a little sleep.  I wish you to
+keep watch of the clearing while I do."
+
+"Don't 'spect none of dem Injines will be back here?"
+
+"No, but Oonomoo will probably soon be.  I want you to see him the
+minute he comes, and awaken me so that there shall be no unnecessary
+delay."
+
+Cato promised to obey, and took his station nearer the clearing, while
+the fatigued soldier stretched himself upon the ground and was soon
+wrapped in a dreamless slumber.
+
+Lieutenant Canfield slept until nearly sunset, and would have slept
+even longer had he not been aroused by Cato roughly shaking his
+shoulder.
+
+"Why, what's the matter?" he asked, looking up in the terror-stricken
+countenance of the negro.
+
+"Hebens, golly! _dey've come_!"
+
+"Who has come? what are you talking about?"
+
+"De Injines.  Dar's forty fousand of 'em out dar in de clearing!"
+
+Considerably flurried by the husky words of his sable friend,
+Lieutenant Canfield arose and walked stealthily toward the clearing to
+satisfy himself in regard to the cause of the negro's excessive fear.
+
+"Be keerful, or dey'll see you," admonished the latter, following
+several yards behind.
+
+Approaching as near the edge of the wood as he deemed prudent, he was
+rewarded by the sight of some six or eight Indians--undoubtedly
+Shawnees--who were examining the ruins that lay around them with
+considerable curiosity.  They were ugly-looking customers in their
+revolting war-paint and fantastic costumes, and the Lieutenant felt
+that the wisest plan he could adopt was to give them a wide berth.
+Withdrawing further into the wood, he asked the negro when he had first
+seen them.
+
+"Massa Canfield, I stood and watched out dar for two, free hours till I
+fell asleep myself and come down kerwollup on de ground.  I laid dar a
+good while afore I woke, and de fust t'ing I see'd when I looked out
+dar, war dem Injines walking round, kickin' up t'ings and makin'
+darselves at home ginerally.  You'd better beliebe I trabeled fast to
+tell you ob it."
+
+"From which direction do you think they come?"
+
+"Dunno, but I finks de way dey looks dat dey come purty near from dis
+way, mighty clus to whar we's standin'; and I t'inks dey'll take de
+same route to git back agin."
+
+Somehow or other, the Lieutenant had the same impression as the negro.
+It was so strong upon him that he resolved to change their position at
+once.  Accordingly, he proceeded to where his horse was tied, and
+unfastening, led him into the wood.  Making a _détour_, he came back
+nearly upon the opposite side of the clearing, where, if possible, the
+wood was still thicker.  Here they carefully screened themselves from
+observation and watched the Shawnees.
+
+Hither and thither they passed, searching among the ruins for plunder,
+occasionally turning up some trifle upon which they pounced with the
+avidity of children, and examining the half-burnt remnants of chairs,
+tables and stands, etc.  Here and there they pulled the black, twisted
+nails forth, that looked like worms burnt to a cinder, and carefully
+preserved them for future use.  Every metallic substance was seized as
+a prize, and some of the wooden portions of instruments were also
+appropriated.  Thin twists of smoke still ascended from different spots
+in the clearing, and the ashes when stirred showed the red live coals
+beneath them.
+
+"Yah! yah! dat feller's got sumkin' nice," said Cato, laughing heartily
+and silently at one of the Indians, who had pulled forth a long board
+with evident delight.  Turning it over, he balanced it on his shoulder
+and was walking rapidly away, when suddenly he sprung several feet in
+the air with a yell of agony, and jumped from beneath it, rubbing his
+shoulder very violently as if suffering acute pain.
+
+"Yah! yah! knowed 'twould do dat.  Lower part all afire, and reckoned
+it burnt him a little."
+
+The Indian continued dancing around for several moments, not ashamed to
+show to his companions how much he suffered.  He by no means was the
+only one who was caught in this manner.  Very often, a savage would
+spring from the ground, with a sharp exclamation, as some coal pierced
+through his moccasin, and now and then another could be seen, slapping
+his fingers against his person, after he had hastily dropped some
+object.  One eager Shawnee attempted to draw a red-hot nail from a slab
+with his thumb and finger, and roasted the ends of both by the
+operation, while a second seated himself upon a board which set fire to
+the fringe of his hunting-shirt.  He did not become aware of it until a
+few minutes later, when, in walking around, the fire reached his hide.
+Placing his hand behind him, he received unmistakable evidence of its
+presence, when he set up a loud whoop and started at full speed for the
+spring, reaching which, he seated himself in it, before he felt
+entirely safe.
+
+These, and many other incidents, amused the Lieutenant for the time
+being, while the delight of Cato was almost uncontrollable.  He seemed
+in danger of apoplexy several times from the efforts he made to subdue
+his laughter.  But, all at once there was a sudden cessation in his
+mirth, and a visible lengthening of his visage.  Grasping the shoulder
+of the soldier, he exclaimed:
+
+"Look dar!  Look dar!  See dem!"
+
+"I see nothing to alarm us."
+
+"Look dar whar we went into the clearin'.  Don't you see dem Injines
+dar?"
+
+Lieutenant Canfield did see something that alarmed him.  The whole
+eight Indians had followed the track of himself and the negro to the
+edge of the wood, where they had halted and were consulting together.
+They certainly must have noticed it before, but had probably been too
+busy to examine it particularly.  It had never once occurred to the
+white man that this evidence of his presence would tell against him,
+but he now saw the imminent peril in which he and the negro were placed.
+
+"We must flee, Cato," said he.  "Fortunately it will soon be dark, when
+they cannot follow us."
+
+"Will we bofe git on de hoss?" asked the frightened negro.
+
+"No; it will do no good.  Let us take to the woods.  Hush!  What's
+that?"
+
+Just as they were about moving, the sharp report of a rifle came upon
+their ears, and with a loud whoop the Shawnees rushed off in a body,
+taking an easterly direction, which was different from that followed by
+the soldier and negro.  Now that all immediate danger was gone, the two
+remained behind, to learn, if possible, the cause of the mysterious
+shot and subsequent action of the Shawnees.
+
+It was not until night, when Oonomoo, the Huron, returned, that the
+cause was made known.  He had approached several hours before, and seen
+the savages in consultation, and divined the cause of it.  To divert
+them from pursuing his two friends, whom they would most certainly have
+captured, he discharged his piece among them, and then purposely showed
+himself to draw them after him.  The stratagem succeeded as well as he
+could have wished.  He easily eluded them, until they had followed him
+some distance in the woods, when he made his way back again to the
+clearing, where he rejoined the Lieutenant and the negro.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+THE HOME OF THE HURON.
+
+
+  Tis nature's worship--felt--confessed,
+  Far as the life which warms the breast!
+  The sturdy savage midst his clan,
+  The rudest portraiture of man,
+  In trackless woods and boundless plains,
+  Where everlasting wildness reigns,
+  Owns the still throb--the secret start--
+  The hidden impulse of the heart.--BYRON.
+
+
+The Huron, after his escape from the Shawnees, quickened his pace, as
+we have stated, and went many a mile before he changed his long,
+sidling trot into the less rapid walk.  When he did this, it was upon
+the shore of a large creek, which ran through one of the wildest and
+most desolate regions of Ohio.  In some portions the banks were nothing
+more than a continuous swamp, the creek spreading out like a lake among
+the reeds and undergrowth, through which glided the enormous
+water-snake, frightened at the apparition of a man in this lonely spot.
+The bright fish darted hither and thither, their sides flashing up in
+the sunlight like burnished silver.
+
+The agile Indian sprung lightly from one turf of earth to another, now
+balancing himself on a rotten stump or root, now walking the length of
+some fallen tree, so decayed and water-eaten that it mashed to a pulp
+beneath his feet, and then leaping to some other precarious foothold,
+progressing rapidly all the time and with such skill that he hardly
+wetted his moccasin.
+
+While treading a log thus, which gave back a hollow sound, the head of
+an immense rattlesnake protruded from a hole in the tree, its tail
+giving the deadly alarm, as it continued issuing forth, as if
+determined to dispute the passage of man in this desolate place.  The
+fearless Huron scarcely halted.  While picking his way through the
+swamp he had carried his rifle lightly balanced in his left hand, and
+he now simply changed it to his right, grasping it by the muzzle, so
+that the stock was before him.  He saw the cavernous mouth of the snake
+opened to an amazing width; the thin tongue, that resembled a tiny
+stream of blood; the small, glittering eyes; the horn-like fangs, at
+the roots of which he well knew were the sacks filled almost to
+bursting with the most deadly of all poisons; the thin neck, swelling
+out until the scaly belly of the loathsome reptile was visible.
+
+The Huron continued steadily approaching the revolting thing.  He was
+scarcely a yard distant when the neck of the snake arched like a
+swan's, and the head was drawn far back to strike.  In an instant the
+stock of his rifle swept over the top of the log with the quickness of
+lightning.  There followed a sharp, cracking noise, like the explosion
+of a percussion-cap, and the head of the rattlesnake spun twenty feet
+or more out over the swamp.  It struck the branch of a tree, and,
+dropping to the water, sunk out of sight.  The headless body of the
+reptile now writhed and doubled over itself, and smote the tree in the
+most horrible agony.  Oonomoo walked quietly forward, and with his feet
+shoved it from the log.  Still twisting and interlocking, it sunk down,
+down, down into the clear spring-like waters until it could be seen on
+the gravelly bottom, where its struggles continued as he passed on.
+
+Not affected by this occurrence, the Huron walked on as quietly as
+before, his dark, restless eye seemingly flitting over every object
+within his range of vision.  The character of the swamp continued much
+the same.  A broad sheet of water, from nearly every portion of which
+rose numerous trees, like thin, dark columns, here and there twisted
+round and round, and, seemingly, smothered by some luxuriant vine;
+others prostrate, the roots sunk out of sight, and the trunk protruding
+upward, as if a giant had used them for spears and hurled them into the
+swamp; shallow portions, where the water was but a few inches deep, and
+then others, where you could gaze down for twenty feet, as if you were
+looking through liquid air.  These were the peculiarities of this
+singular spot in the wilderness, through which the Huron was journeying.
+
+He must have proceeded fully a half-mile into this water wilderness,
+when he reached what might properly be termed the edge of the swamp;
+that is, the one through which he had been making his way, for there
+was still another a short distance from him.  The growth of trees
+terminated almost in a mathematical line, and a lake of water,
+something less than a quarter of a mile in width, stretched out before
+him, perfectly clear of every obstruction.  The Indian stood a long
+time, looking about in every direction.  What was unusual, there was an
+expression of the most intense anxiety upon his countenance.  Well
+might there be; for, sooner than to have a human eye (whether it was
+that of the white or red man) to witness the movements he was now about
+to make, he would have suffered death at the stake a thousand times!
+
+Apparently satisfied, he laid his rifle on the tree upon which he had
+been standing, and then sprung out into the deeper water, sinking like
+a stone from sight.  When he came to the surface, he brought something
+with him, which proved to be a canoe.  With this he swam to the tree,
+where he righted and turned the water from it.  A paddle was secured in
+it.  Taking his seat, the canoe went skimming like a swallow over the
+water toward the opposite swamp.
+
+Reaching this, he shot in among the trees, avoiding them with as much
+ease and dexterity as would a bird on the wing.  Going a hundred yards
+in this manner, he arose in his canoe and looked around.  A shade of
+displeasure crossed his face, apparently of disappointment at not
+discovering some person or object for whom he was looking.  Waiting a
+moment, he placed his thumb on his mouth, and gave utterance to a low,
+tremulous whistle, an exact imitation of a bird often found in the
+American swamps.  A moment later, there came a response exactly the
+same, except that it sounded fainter and a considerable distance away.
+The moment it caught the ear of the Huron, he reseated himself and
+folded his arms in the attitude of patient waiting.
+
+Scarce five minutes had elapsed, when the plash of another paddle was
+heard, and a second canoe made its appearance, carefully approaching
+that of the Huron.  In it was seated an Indian boy, not more than
+twelve years of age, who handled it with a skill scarcely second to
+that of his father, Oonomoo.
+
+"Niniotan, my son, is late," said the latter, sternly, as the boy came
+alongside.
+
+[Illustration: "Niniotan, my son, is late."]
+
+"I was chasing a deer this morning, and was carried further in the
+woods than I thought," meekly replied the boy.
+
+"Has the Moravian missionary given Niniotan two tongues that he should
+think Oonomoo speaks idle words?"
+
+"Niniotan does not think so," said the son, in a humble voice of
+thrilling sweetness.
+
+"Oonomoo said when the sun was over yonder tree-top he would be waiting
+for his boy Niniotan.  He waited, but Niniotan was not here."
+
+The son of the Huron warrior bowed his head as if he had nothing to say
+to the merited rebuke.  The father took his seat in the canoe of his
+son, who carried him rapidly forward through the swamp, for perhaps a
+quarter of a mile further, when the ground became so solid that they
+landed and walked upon it.  The grass was green and luxuriant, the
+trees stood close together, and in some places the shrubbery seemed
+almost impenetrable.  But Niniotan never hesitated.  The way was
+perfectly familiar.  A rabbit could scarcely have glided through the
+wood with more dexterity than did he and his father.
+
+Finally the two reached what appeared to be a large mound of earth,
+covered over with rank grass and brilliant flowers.  On one side was a
+perfect bank of bushes, so that the mound could not be seen until it
+was closely approached.  A Shawnee Indian might have encamped beside
+it, without once having his suspicion awakened in regard to its nature.
+This was the retreat and home of Oonomoo, the friendly Huron, where his
+wife, Fluellina, and son, Niniotan, dwelt, which was regularly visited
+by him, and where he frequently spent days, enjoying the sweets of
+home.  No living person besides these three knew of its existence.  It
+stood upon this vast island in the midst of this swamp, almost
+inaccessible to approach, and where no one would have dreamed of
+looking for the dwelling place of a human being.  The surrounding
+waters were as cold and clear as crystal, and were swarming with the
+choicest fish.  Abundance of game was upon the land, and, what might
+seem curious, considering the location of the island, its air possessed
+an extraordinary degree of salubrity.
+
+The mound was but a mere shell, the interior of which was lined with
+luxurious furs and skins, and furnished with every convenience and
+comfort that the fancy of a warrior's wife might covet.  Within, too,
+were numerous presents, such as rifles, knives, pistols, beads and
+picture-books which had been given Oonomoo by his numerous white
+friends.  In addition there was a magnificent gold watch--a gift from a
+wealthy lady, whose life the Huron had saved several years before.
+Hearing that he had a young wife, she sent the present to her, and it
+had hung within their "wigwam" ever since.  Its use was understood, and
+it was regularly wound and attended to with great care.
+
+Fluellina, the wife of Oonomoo, was also a Huron, who had been educated
+at one of the Moravian missionary stations in the West, and was a
+professing Christian.  She was a mild, dove-eyed creature, a number of
+years younger than her husband, whom she loved almost to adoration, and
+for whom she would not have hesitated to lay down her life at any
+moment.  She had had another child--a boy, born two years before
+Niniotan, but he had died when but six years of age, and was buried in
+the clear depths of the water which surrounded his home.
+
+Regularly every month, Fluellina, accompanied by her son, visited a
+Moravian missionary who dwelt with his family on the site of the once
+flourishing station of Gnadenhutten, where, in 1782, was enacted one of
+the darkest episodes in American history.  It was here the infamous
+monster, Colonel Williamson, murdered the one hundred Moravian
+Indians--a crime for which it seems a just God would have smitten him
+and his followers to the earth.  Here this faithful Huron woman and her
+son received instruction in holy things from the aged missionary--a
+white man who alone knew the relation which she bore to the famous
+Huron, Oonomoo, and who never betrayed it to his dying day.  By this
+means, her regular visits were rendered safe and free from the
+annoyance of being watched--an exemption she never could have had, had
+any one else suspected the truth.
+
+Fluellina succeeded in inducing her husband to visit this missionary on
+several occasions, when he proved an attentive listener to the aged
+disciple of God.  He took in every doctrine and subscribed to every
+truth except one--that of loving his enemies.  He believed he never
+could love the Shawnees--they who had first caused his father to be
+broken of his chiefdom, and then had murdered his mother.  He had sworn
+eternal hatred against them, and in the interior of his lodge hung such
+an incredible number of their scalps that we decline to name
+it--knowing that we should be suspected of trifling with the credulity
+of our readers.  He had never taken the scalp of a white man, and would
+promise never to harm any being except the Shawnees; but, toward them
+his feelings must be those of the deadliest enmity.
+
+The sublime truths of the great Book of books, its glorious promises,
+and its awful mysteries, thrilled the soul of the Huron to its center,
+and many a time when wandering alone through the great, solemn forests,
+he felt his spirit expanding within him, until his eyes overflowed, and
+he, the mighty, scarred warrior, wept like a child.  The sweet
+instruction, too, of the gentle Fluellina had not been lost entirely
+upon him.  It was owing to these that for a year he had not taken the
+scalp of a Shawnee, though he had been sorely tempted and had slain
+more than one.  He could not yet bring himself to the point of letting
+them go free altogether.
+
+With this somewhat lengthy parenthesis, we will now return to the
+present visit of the Huron to his island home.
+
+Oonomoo was about to pass into the interior of the lodge, when a light
+exclamation caught his ear.  As he turned his head, Fluellina came
+bounding to his arms.  However stoical and indifferent the North
+American Indian may appear in the presence of his companions or of
+white men, it is a mistake to suppose that he is wanting either in the
+ordinary affections of humanity, or in those little demonstrations of
+love so peculiar to our own race.  Deep in the woods, when alone with
+their families, they throw off restraint and are warriors no more--but
+_men_.  The little child is dandled on the knee, or sported with upon
+the grass, and the proud mother receives her share of her husband's
+caresses.  Great as may be the glory of the savage in the hunt and
+chase, his happiness in the bosom of his own family is unsurpassed by
+any other enjoyment which ever falls to his lot.
+
+Fluellina received the embrace of her husband with a radiant
+countenance, and she seemed overflowing with joy as she looked up in
+his own glowing face.  Taking her fondly by the hand, he led her a few
+yards away, where he seated her upon a half-imbedded rock and placed
+himself beside her.  A glance at the two would have shown that there
+was no considerable difference in their ages.  The wife could not have
+been over thirty at the most, and she looked much younger, while the
+husband was perhaps thirty-five.  His square, massive chest was covered
+with scars--eloquent evidences of his bravery, for he had never
+received a wound in the back.  His face, usually so stern and
+dignified, was now softened, and the bright, metallic glitter of eye
+was changed to the sparkle of gladness.
+
+The handsome, symmetrical arms of Fluellina were bare to the shoulder,
+and Oonomoo held one in his broad palm, closing and opening upon the
+plump flesh and delicate muscle, with as much admiration as though he
+were still her young and ardent lover.  They sat thus, gazing into each
+other's face for several moments without speaking, so full seemed their
+hearts.  Finally Oonomoo seated himself upon the ground at the feet of
+Fluellina and leaned his head over upon her lap.  This was what she
+wished, and she had maneuvered in that delicate manner peculiar to her
+sex, by which the desire of the lover is awakened without his
+suspecting the true cause.
+
+Unfastening the bindings of his hair, she parted it carefully and drew
+her fingers slowly through and through it until it glistened like
+satin.  She did not speak, for she had no desire to disturb the languor
+which she knew it cast over her husband.  As his head drooped, she
+sustained it and gradually ceased, until he slept.
+
+Oonomoo awoke in a short time, and reseated himself by the side of his
+wife.
+
+"Where is Niniotan?" he asked, looking around him.
+
+"He is dressing the meat of the deer which he slew this morning.  Shall
+I call him?"
+
+"No, I am not yet tired of my Fluellina."
+
+The happy wife replied by placing her warm cheek against his, and
+holding it there a moment.
+
+"Oonomoo has no wounds upon him," said she, raising her head and
+looking at his breast and shoulders.
+
+"But he has been in danger."
+
+"No scalps hang at his girdle."
+
+"_And none shall ever hang there again._"
+
+"Not the scalp of the Shawnee?"
+
+"No," replied the Huron, in a voice as deep and solemn as a distant
+peal of thunder.
+
+Fluellina looked at her husband a moment, with her face lit up by a
+strange expression.  Then, as she read the determination impressed upon
+his countenance, and knew the sacredness with which he regarded his
+pledged word, she sunk down on her knees, and clasping her hands,
+turned her dark, soulful eyes to heaven and uttered the one exclamation:
+
+"Great Spirit, I thank thee!"
+
+The kneeling Indian woman, her face radiant with a holy happiness, the
+stern warrior, his dark countenance lighted up as he gazed down upon
+her as if the long obscured sun had once more struggled from behind the
+clouds--these two silent figures in the green wood of their island home
+formed a picture touchingly beautiful and sublime.
+
+Who can picture the glory that illuminated the soul of the Huron
+warrior, the divine bliss that went thrilling through his very being,
+as he uttered this vow, and felt within him the consciousness that
+never, never again would he be overcome by the temptation to tear the
+scalp from the head of his enemy, the vengeful Shawnee.
+
+"When has Fluellina seen the Moravian missionary?" he asked, as she
+reseated herself beside him.
+
+"But a short time since.  He inquired of Oonomoo."
+
+"Oonomoo will visit him soon."
+
+"Can he not go with Fluellina to-day?"
+
+"When the sun is yonder," replied the Huron, pointing to a place which
+it would reach in about half an hour, "he must go, and when the sun
+sinks in the west, he must be many miles from here."
+
+"When will he return again?"
+
+"He cannot tell.  He goes to befriend the white man and maid who is in
+the hands of the Shawnees."
+
+"Fluellina will wait and will pray for Oonomoo and for them."
+
+"Oonomoo will pray for himself, and his arm will be strong, for he
+fights none but warriors."
+
+"And Niniotan will grow up like him; he will be a brave warrior who, I
+pray, will take no scalp from the head of his foe."
+
+"What think the missionary of Niniotan?"
+
+"He finds that the blood of Oonomoo flows strong in his veins.  His eye
+burns, and his breast pants when he hears of the great deeds his father
+has performed, and he prays that he may go with him upon the war-path."
+
+"He shall accompany him shortly.  He can aim the rifle, and his feet
+are like those of the deer.  He shall be a man whose name shall make
+the Shawnee warriors tremble in their lodges."
+
+"Shall he be a merciful warrior?" asked Fluellina, looking up in the
+face of the Huron.
+
+"Like his father, shall he be.  He shall slay none but men in rightful
+combat, and no scalp shall ever adorn his lodge.  He must drink in the
+words of the Moravian missionary."
+
+"He does, but his heart is young.  He will be valiant and merciful, but
+he longs to emulate the deeds of Oonomoo--his father."
+
+"I will teach him to emulate what Oonomoo will do, not what he has
+done."
+
+"He counts the scalps that hang in our lodge, and wonders why they do
+not increase.  He gazes long and often upon those which you tore years
+ago from the heads of the two chiefs, and I know he burns to gain a
+trophy for himself."
+
+"Has Fluellina the choicest food these forests can afford?"
+
+"The eye of Niniotan is sure, and his mother never wants."
+
+"He must not wander from the island, else his young arm may be
+overpowered by the Shawnees or Miamis.  They would know he was the son
+of Oonomoo, and through the son murder the father and mother."
+
+"Fluellina loves but three--Oonomoo, Niniotan, and," she added,
+reverentially raising her eyes to heaven, "the Great Spirit who is so
+kind to her."
+
+"And Oonomoo loves him," added the Huron, in his deep, bass voice.  "In
+the hunting-grounds beyond the sun, he and Fluellina and Niniotan will
+again live together on some green island in the forest, where the
+buffalo and deer wander in bands of thousands."
+
+"And where Delaware, Mingo, Chippewa, Miami, Ottawa, Pottawatomie,
+Shawnee, Huron, and the white man shall be brothers, and war against
+each other no more."
+
+The Huron made no reply, for the words of his wife had awakened a train
+of reflection to which he had been a stranger.  The thought that all
+the Indians, every tribe that had lived since the foundation of the
+world--those who were now the most implacable enemies to each other,
+the French, English and Americans--the thought of these living together
+in the Spirit Land in perfect brotherhood and good-will, was too
+startling for him to accept until Fluellina again spoke:
+
+"It is only the _good_ Delaware, Mingo, Chippewa, Miami, Ottawa,
+Pottawatomie, Shawnee, Huron, and white man that shall live there."
+
+It was all plain now to the simple-minded Indian, and he understood and
+believed.  He sat a few moments, as if ruminating upon this new theme,
+and then said gently to his wife:
+
+"Read out of Good Book to Oonomoo."
+
+Fluellina drew a small Bible from her bosom, one that she always
+carried with her, and opening at the Revelations, commenced to read in
+a clear, sweet and distinct voice.  The inspired grandeur, sublime
+truths and glorious descriptions of that most wonderful of all books
+thrilled her soul to its center with emotions unutterable; and she knew
+that the same effect, though perhaps in a lesser degree, was produced
+upon her husband.  The particular portion was the twenty-first chapter,
+whose meaning the Moravian missionary had frequently explained to her,
+and it was these verses in particular upon which she frequently dwelt
+with such awed rapture:
+
+"'And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain,
+and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of
+heaven from God,
+
+"'Having the glory of God; and her light was like unto a stone most
+precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
+
+"'And had a wall, great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the
+gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of
+the twelve tribes of Israel.
+
+"'And the building of the wall of it was of jasper; and the city was
+pure gold, like unto clear glass.
+
+"'And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all
+manner of precious stones.  The first foundation was jasper; the
+second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
+
+"'The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the
+eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the
+eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
+
+"'And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of
+one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were
+transparent glass.
+
+"'And I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb
+are the temple of it.
+
+"'And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall
+be no night there.'"
+
+The dim, vague glimpses afforded him from this and other portions of
+the book of the awful mysteries of the Last Day, the New Jerusalem, and
+the great white Throne, threw a spell over him which remained long
+after the words of the reader had ceased.  Full ten minutes, he sat,
+after the volume had been closed; then raising his head, said:
+
+"The sun is getting in the western sky, and Oonomoo must depart."
+
+The wife did not seek to detain her husband.  The wife of an Indian
+warrior never does.  She merely walked beside him, while he signaled
+for his son to approach.  He had scarce uttered the call, when Niniotan
+came bounding from the wood eager to obey the slightest wish of his
+father.  Seeing from his actions that he was about to depart, he
+lingered behind until his mother had bidden him good-by, and paused;
+then he leaped ahead, leading the way as before.
+
+The canoe reached, Oonomoo stepped within it, and Niniotan paddled him
+out among the trees until he came to where his own canoe was moored,
+into which the Huron stepped.  As he was about to dip the paddle, he
+said: "Let Niniotan wait until Oonomoo returns, and he shall go with
+him upon the next war-path."
+
+No pen can picture the glowing happiness that lit up the features of
+the boy at hearing these words.  His dark eyes fairly danced, and he
+seemed unable to control his joy.  His whole frame quivered, and he
+dipped his own paddle into the water, he bent it almost to breaking.
+Without noticing him further, Oonomoo sent his canoe spinning among the
+trees, and was soon in the broad sheet of water, crossing which, he
+reached the spot where he had brought up his boat.  Stepping out upon
+the log, he secured the paddle to it, and then turning it over, filled
+it with water.  It slowly sunk until it could be seen resting upon the
+bottom, when he sprung from the tree and commenced his departure from
+the swamp in the same manner that he had entered it.
+
+Once again in the grand old forest, with the mossy carpet beneath his
+feet, and the magnificent arches over his head, through which the
+breezes came like the cool breath of the ocean, the Huron struck into
+his peculiar rapid trot, which was continued until sunset, by which
+time he reached the clearing.  Approaching it in his usual cautious
+manner, he saw the Shawnees consulting together, and at the first
+glance understood the peril of his friends.  We have related the
+measures which he took to save them, and shown how successful they were.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+ADVENTURES ON THE WAY.
+
+
+  The paths which wound 'mid gorgeous trees,
+    The streams whose bright lips kissed the flowers,
+  The winds that swelled their harmonies,
+    Through these sun-hiding bowers,
+  The temple vast, the green arcade,
+  The nestling vale, the grassy glade,
+    Dark cave and swampy lair;
+  These scenes and sounds majestic, made
+    His world, his pleasures, there.--A. B. STREET.
+
+
+"You have saved our lives," exclaimed Lieutenant Canfield, as the dusky
+form of the Huron appeared beside him.
+
+"Ain't hurt, eh? den we go," said he, not noticing the remark.
+
+"No, neither of us is hurt."
+
+"I beliebes a bullet struck me aside de head," said Cato, removing his
+cap, and scratching his black poll.
+
+"A bullet struck you?" repeated the Lieutenant, in astonishment.
+"Where did it hit you?"
+
+"When dat gun went off, sunkin' struck me slap right above my ear, and
+I fought I felt it flatten dar."
+
+"Fudge! you are not hurt.  But I say, Oonomoo," resumed the soldier,
+with a more determined air, "you have saved me, and I want to grasp
+your hand for it."
+
+[Illustration: "You have saved me, and I want to grasp your hand for
+it."]
+
+The Huron extended his hand, but it hung limp in that of the ardent
+young man.  It was easy to see that the iterated thanks were
+distasteful to him.  He said nothing until the jubilant Cato also made
+a spring at it as soon as it was released.
+
+"Nebber mind--nottin'--Oonomoo do nottin'."
+
+"Hebens, golly! yes, you did.  If you hadn't come jes' as you did, I'd
+had to fout de Injines all alone, single-handed, widout any feller to
+help me, and, like as not, would've got hurt."
+
+"Can't hurt Cato's head--hard," said the Huron, dropping his hand upon
+the superabundant wool of the negro, and allowing it to bound up as if
+an elastic cushion were beneath it.  "Make nice scalp--Shawnee like
+it," added the Indian, still toying with it.
+
+"De Lord bless me!  I hopes he nebber will get it, and he nebber will
+if I can hender dem."
+
+It was now quite dark, and, to the surprise of the Lieutenant, a round,
+full, bright moon appeared above the forest.  The preceding night had
+been without a moon to light up the cloudy heavens; but there was
+scarcely a cloud visible now in the sky.  Here and there a small fleck
+floated overhead, like a handful of snow cast there by some giant,
+while not a breath of wind disturbed the tree-tops.  All was silent and
+gloomy as the tomb.
+
+"When are we to go to the Shawnee village?" asked the Lieutenant.
+
+"Now!" replied the Huron.
+
+"Then why do you linger?"
+
+"Cato go with us?"
+
+"That is just as you say, Oonomoo.  If you think it imprudent to take
+him along, he must remain behind."
+
+"You ain't agoin' to leab me here, be you?"
+
+"Know de way to settlement?" asked the Huron.
+
+"No, no; I (recollecting what he had told the Lieutenant) did know de
+way once, but, I's afraid I've forgot it.  My mem'ry is gittin' poor."
+
+"You find de way--must go--can't stay wid us."
+
+"Oh, gorry! don't leab me among de Injines; dey will eat me up alive!"
+replied the negro, bellowing like a bull.
+
+Canfield saw the glitter of the Huron's eyes, and taking Cato by the
+arm, said:
+
+"Let us hear no more of this, Cato, or you will arouse the anger of
+Oonomoo, and there is no telling what he may do."
+
+"But, I's afraid to go t'rough de dark woods, dat am full of de
+Shawnees," said the negro, in pitiful accents.
+
+"It will be no more dangerous than to go with us.  We shall probably
+find ourselves right among them before long; while, if you are
+cautious, there is little probability of your encountering them.  Go,
+Cato, and tell Mrs. Prescott and Helen what has happened, but do not
+exaggerate it.  Tell them, for me, that they can hope for the best, and
+that they shall soon hear from Oonomoo and myself."
+
+The words of the Lieutenant had the desired effect upon the negro.
+When he saw that he had but a choice between two dangers, he prudently
+took that which seemed to be the least, replying that, "all t'ings
+'sidered, 'twould be 'bout as well to tote off to de settlement, and
+guv de news to de folks dar."  He added that he was not influenced by
+"pussonal fear, but was simply actin' on de advice ob de Leftenant."
+
+Accordingly, Cato took his departure.  Our two friends watched him as
+he shuffled across the clearing, and finally disappeared in the shadowy
+wood beyond.
+
+Then the Huron turned to the duty before him.  Taking a northerly
+direction, he proceeded at such a rapid walk that the young soldier was
+compelled every now and then to run a few steps to maintain his place
+beside him.  He kept up his pace for a half-hour or so, when he
+suddenly halted.
+
+"Fast walk--make breathe fast," said he, his black eye sparkling.
+
+"It is rather rapid walking, Oonomoo, but I can stand it.  Don't stop
+on my account."
+
+"Plenty time--git dar mornin'--soon enough."
+
+"How far are we from the Shawnee village?"
+
+"Two--eight--dozen miles--go in canoe part way."
+
+"When will we rescue her from the dogs--the Shawnees?" asked the young
+Lieutenant, scarcely able to restrain his curiosity.
+
+"Dunno--may be can't get her 't all."
+
+"Won't get her?" he repeated, his heart throbbing painfully.  "My God,
+Oonomoo, why do you say that?"
+
+"'Cause true--hain't got her yit--may be won't--Shawnee watch
+close--t'ink Oonomoo 'bout."
+
+"But you _expect_ to rescue her, do you not?"
+
+"Yeh, 'spect to--do all can--ain't sartin--mustn't t'ink I am--be ready
+for her dead."
+
+"I will try to be prepared for the worst, Oonomoo, but I place great
+hopes on you."
+
+"Place hopes on Him--He do it, may be."
+
+Never, to his dying day, did Lieutenant Canfield forget the rebuke of
+that Huron Indian.  As he uttered these words he pointed upward--a
+flood of moonlight, streaming down through the trees upon his upturned
+face, rested like a halo of glory upon his bronzed brow.  Years
+afterward, when Oonomoo had been gathered to his fathers, and
+Lieutenant Canfield was an old man, he asserted that he could hear
+those words as distinctly, and see that reverential expression as
+plainly as upon that memorable night.
+
+"You are right, Oonomoo."  said the Lieutenant, "and I feel the reproof
+you have given me.  The merciful God is the only one upon whom we can
+rely, and under Him it is upon your sagacity and skill that I depend."
+
+"Dat so--we go purty soon."
+
+After resting a half-hour, the two moved forward at a much slower rate
+than before.  As the moon ascended, its light was so clear and
+unobstructed that in the open spots in the woods he could easily have
+read a printed page.  For a night of reconnoitering and action it
+possessed all the advantages and disadvantages of a clear day.  The
+Huron almost invariably held his peace when walking, and the young
+soldier did not attempt to disturb him upon the present occasion.  From
+his remarks, he gathered that it was his wish to reach the neighborhood
+of the Shawnee village in a few hours, and wait until daylight before
+attempting to accomplish anything.  To carry out his intentions, it was
+necessary, in the first place, to see Hans Vanderbum, and secure his
+cooperation.  Fully aware of his astonishing sleeping qualities, the
+Huron knew he might as well try to wake a dead man as to secure an
+interview with him during the night.
+
+An hour later the bank of the Miami was reached.  As they stood on the
+shore and looked down-stream, its clear surface, glistening brightly in
+the moonlight, could be seen as plainly as at noonday, until it
+disappeared from sight in a sweeping bend.  From their stand-point it
+resembled a lake more than a river, the woods, apparently, shutting
+down in such a manner as to hide it entirely.  Not a ripple was heard
+along the shore, and only once a zephyr hurried over its bosom,
+crinkling the surface as it passed, and rustling the tops of a few
+trees along the bank as it went on and was lost in the wood beyond.
+The great wilderness, on every hand, stretched miles and miles away,
+until it was lost afar, like a sea of gloom, in the sky.  Once a
+night-bird rushed whirring past, so startlingly close, that the
+Lieutenant felt a cold chill run over him as its wings fanned his face.
+It shot off like a bullet directly across the river, and could be
+distinguished for several minutes, its body resembling a black ball,
+until it faded out from view.  Nothing else disturbed the solemn
+stillness that held reign.  Everything wore the spirit of quietness and
+repose.
+
+The soldier was the first to speak.
+
+"Isn't this an impressive sight, Oonomoo?"
+
+"Yeh--make think of Great Spirit."
+
+"That is true.  You seem to be more than usually solemn in your
+reflections, my good friend, and I am glad to see it.  This calm
+moonlight night, the clear sky and the deep, silent wood, is enough to
+make any person thoughtful; but it must have required something more
+than ordinary to impress you thus."
+
+"Saw Fluellina to-day, Oonomoo's wife."
+
+Lieutenant Canfield was considerably puzzled to understand how this
+could account for the peculiar frame of the Huron's mind, but he had
+too much consideration to question him further.  It was not until he
+spoke again, that he gained a clear idea of his meaning.
+
+"Fluellina Christian--got Bible--tell 'bout God--Great Spirit up
+dere--read out of it--tell Oonomoo 'bout t'ings in it--Oonomoo nebber
+take anodder scalp."
+
+"A wise determination; such a brave man as you needs no _proof_ of your
+bravery, and that good Being which your Fluellina has told you about
+will smile upon your noble conduct."
+
+"Know dat--_feel_ it," added the Huron, eagerly.  He stood a moment
+longer, and then added, "Time dat we go."
+
+"You spoke of going part way in a canoe, but I do not see any for us."
+
+"Down yonder, by dat rock."
+
+The Indian pointed down the river as he spoke, and, following the
+direction of his finger, Lieutenant Canfield distinguished a large rock
+projecting some distance from the shore, but could distinguish nothing
+of the canoe of which he spoke.  Knowing, however, that it must be
+concealed somewhere in the vicinity, he remarked, as they withdrew
+again into the wood:
+
+"How is it, Oonomoo, that you have your canoe in every part of the
+country?  You must be the owner of quite a fleet."
+
+"Got two--free--twenty--more'n dat--all ober--in Big Miami--Little
+Miami--all 'long Ohio--Soty (Sciota)--Hocking--Mussygum
+(Muskingum)--'way out 'long de Wabash--hid all ober--got 'em
+eberywhere."
+
+"And I suppose you find occasion to use them all?"
+
+"Use 'em all.  Out on Wabash last winter--snow deep--two days in de
+snow--paddlin' on de ribber--hab 'em hid 'long de shore--sometime lose
+'em."
+
+"How did you get them in these different places?  Carry them there
+yourself?"
+
+"Made 'em--knowed want use 'em--made 'em and hid 'em."
+
+The young soldier was about to speak, when the Huron motioned for him
+to maintain his peace.  The conversation had been carried on in so low
+tones that a third party, a rod distant, could not have overheard their
+words.  Before the Indian spoke, he had glanced around to satisfy
+himself that it was impossible for a human being to be concealed within
+that area.
+
+Now, however, he was about to change his position, and the strictest
+silence was necessary.
+
+The two passed down through the woods, and were just emerging again
+upon the bank, when the Huron, who was in front, suddenly started back,
+so quickly and lightly that the Lieutenant did not understand his
+movement till he saw their relative change of position.
+
+"What is the matter?" he asked, in a whisper.
+
+"'Sh!  Shawnees dere."
+
+"Where? on the rock?"
+
+The Huron pointed across the river.
+
+"Dere! on dat shore--may be come over."
+
+The soldier, was much puzzled to know how his companion had made such a
+sudden discovery, when they were so far away.  As there could be no
+danger of their words being overheard, he made the inquiry.
+
+"See'd water splash," replied Oonomoo.  "Got canoe."
+
+"Not yours?"
+
+"No--deir own--come ober here, putty soon."
+
+His words were true.  He had hardly spoken, when a noise, as of the
+dipping of a paddle, was heard, and the next moment a canoe shot out
+from the bank and headed directly toward them.  This being the case, it
+was impossible to determine the number of savages in it, although there
+must have been several.
+
+"Would it not be best to move to prevent discovery?" asked the
+Lieutenant, as he watched the approaching Shawnees with considerable
+anxiety.
+
+"Won't land here--go 'low us."
+
+A moment later the head of the canoe turned down-stream.  It was then
+seen to be of considerable size.  Five savages were seated within it.
+Oonomoo bent his head, took one earnest glance at them, and then said:
+
+"Ain't Shawnees--Miamis."
+
+"Friends or foes?"
+
+"Jes' as bad--take scalp--kill white people--take your scalp--see you."
+
+Lieutenant Canfield by no means felt at ease at the indifference with
+which his friend uttered these words.  It certainly was no pleasant
+prospect--that of having these bloodthirsty Miamis for such near
+neighbors, and he expressed as much to Oonomoo.
+
+"Won't come here--keep quiet--won't git hurt," replied the
+imperturbable Huron.
+
+Considerably relieved at this assurance, he said no more, but watched
+the canoe.  To his astonishment and dismay it again changed its course,
+and headed directly toward the rock in front of them.  He looked at his
+companion, but his face was as immovable as a statue's and, determined
+not to show any childish fear, he maintained his place and said no more.
+
+Reaching the outer end of the rock, the Miamis halted for a moment or
+two, when they turned down the river again, and landed about a hundred
+yards below where our two friends were standing.  The latter waited for
+full half an hour, when, seeing and hearing nothing more of them, the
+Huron resolved to obtain his canoe, and continue their journey down the
+river.
+
+"But where is it?" asked the soldier, when he announced his intention.
+
+"Fastened out end of rock."
+
+"May be the Miamis discovered it and have destroyed it."
+
+"Dunno--meb' so--didn't take him 'way, dough."
+
+"Is the water very deep?"
+
+"Two--t'ree--twenty feet--swim dere."
+
+As it seemed impossible to run even the most ordinary risk, the
+Lieutenant felt no apprehension at all when he saw him walk down to the
+water without his rifle, and wade out and commence swimming.  The moon,
+as we have said, was unusually bright, and not only the dark, ball-like
+head of the Huron could be seen, floating on the surface, but, when his
+face was turned in the right direction, his black eyes and aquiline
+nose and high cheek-bones were plainly distinguishable, while his long,
+black hair, simply closed in one clasp (years before it was always
+gathered in the defiant scalp-lock), floated like a veil behind him.
+The soldier watched him until he disappeared around the corner of the
+rock, and then patiently awaited his return.
+
+The Huron was a most consummate swimmer, and moved, while in the water,
+as silently as a fish.  More from habit than anything else, as he found
+himself in the eddy made by the twisting of the river around the upper
+edge of the stone, he "backed water," and, for a moment, remained
+perfectly motionless.  The moon was in such a quarter of the sky that a
+long line of shadow was thrown out from the rock, far enough to envelop
+both Oonomoo and his canoe, lying several yards below him.  As he
+caught sight of the latter, he saw a Miami Indian seated in it,
+apparently waiting and watching for some one.  As quick as lightning
+the meaning of the singular action of the other canoe flashed upon his
+mind.  By some means which he could only conjecture, the Miamis had
+gained a knowledge of his movements.  Perhaps the discovery of his boat
+was what first awakened their suspicions.  At any rate, they had
+learned enough to satisfy themselves that a rich prize was within their
+grasp.  Leaving one of their number in the strange canoe, they had
+passed on down-stream, concealing the absence of their comrade with
+such skill, that the watchful eye of the Huron failed to detect it.
+Beyond a doubt they were lingering in the vicinity, ready to come to
+his assistance at the first signal.
+
+The instructions of the warrior who remained behind were to shoot the
+savage at the moment of his appearance, and, in case he had a
+companion, to put out in the stream at once and call to his friends,
+who would immediately come to him.  A brief glance at the situation of
+the Miami will show that his task was one of no ordinary peril,
+especially if the returning Indian should have any apprehension of
+danger.  If he chose, the latter could swim out to the rock, and walk
+over its surface to its outer edge, when he would be directly above the
+Miami, and could brain him with his tomahawk in an instant.  As the
+physical exertion thus incurred would be greater than the simple act of
+swimming out to the canoe, it was not likely such a thing would take
+place, unless, as we have said, the suspicions of the approaching
+savage be aroused.  The probability was that the latter would take
+precisely the same course that we have seen the Huron take, that is, if
+he believed the coast clear; but as there was no certainty of this, the
+Miami was compelled to keep watch both up-stream and down-stream, and
+it was thus it happened that his back was turned to Oonomoo at the very
+moment he came around the edge of the rock.
+
+The different methods by which the Miami could be disposed of occurred
+to the Huron with electric quickness.  To the first--that of passing
+over the rock and tomahawking him, there was one objection so important
+as to make it a fatal one.  In the bright moonlight, he would offer too
+fine a target to the other Miamis concealed along the bank.  Without
+the responsibility of his white friend's safety, Oonomoo felt it would
+be hardly short of suicide, for it would be affording his deadliest
+enemies the opportunity of capturing or killing him as they preferred.
+He had but the choice of two plans: that of pressing forward and
+engaging the Miami, or of instantly returning to the shore, and
+proceeding to the Shawnee village by land.  He chose the former.
+
+Everything depended now upon the quickness of the Huron's movements.
+The Miami being compelled to watch both directions, it was certain he
+would turn his head in a moment, when, if Oonomoo was still in the
+water, his fate would be pretty certain.  Accordingly he shot rapidly
+forward, and was so close when he halted, that, do his utmost, he could
+not prevent his head from striking the prow of the canoe.  Slight as
+was the shock, it did not escape the notice of the Miami, who instantly
+turned his head, and approaching the prow, leaned over and looked in
+the water.
+
+The Huron had been expecting this movement, and to guard against its
+consequences, sunk quietly beneath the surface, and allowed the current
+to carry him just the length of the canoe, when he again rose, with his
+head beneath its stem.  Resting here a moment, with his nose and eyes
+just in sight, he commenced drifting down-stream, inch by inch, until
+he caught a glimpse of the Miami's head over the edge of the canoe when
+he returned to his former position under the stern and gathered his
+energies for the struggle.
+
+Sustaining himself by his feet alone, he reached his hands upward,
+grasped the canoe in such a manner that it was firmly held on each
+side.  Holding it thus only long enough to make his hold sure, he
+pressed the stern quickly downward, and then by a sudden wrench threw
+the Miami upon his back in the water.  Letting go his hold, the Huron
+made a dash at him, and closing in the deadly embrace, the two went
+down--down--down--till their feet struck the soft bottom, when they
+shot up again like two corks.
+
+Imminent as was the peril of Oonomoo, his greatest fear was that their
+struggles would carry them below the rock, where the moonlight would
+discover them to the Miamis on the bank.  With a skill as wonderful as
+it was rare even among his own people, he _regulated_ his movements
+while submerged, in such a manner that they operated to carry both
+combatants _up_-stream, had there been no current, so that when they
+came to the surface, it was very nearly in the same spot that they had
+gone down.
+
+But Oonomoo and the Miami had whipped out their knives, and they raised
+them aloft at the same instant.  But neither descended.  They were
+still in the air, when the one spoke the simple word.  "Heigon!" and
+the other simultaneously with him uttered the name of "Oonomoo," and
+the hands of both dropped beside them.  Without speaking, the Miami
+grasped the edge of the rock and clambered to the surface, and beckoned
+for the Huron to follow; but the latter held back, and whispered, in
+the tongue of his companion:
+
+"Miamis on shore wait to make Oonomoo a prisoner."
+
+"Oonomoo is the friend of Heigon, and the Miamis will not injure him."
+
+[Illustration: But Oonomoo and the Miami had whipped out their knives.]
+
+The Huron hesitated no longer, but the next moment stood beside the
+Miami on the broad mass of stone.  Heigon gave a short peculiar whoop,
+which was instantly followed by the appearance of the other canoe with
+its four inmates, who impelled it forward with great rapidity, and in
+almost a twinkling were also upon the rock.  Each held a glittering
+knife in hand, and they gazed upon their victim with exulting eyes, who
+stood firm, unmoved, and returned their glances with as proud and
+defiant an air as a king would have looked upon the vassals beneath
+him.  They were about to proceed to violence, when Heigon simply said:
+"He is my friend."  Instantly every knife was sheathed, and the
+gloating expression of the Miamis changed to one of interest and
+pleasure.  They gathered more closely around the Huron, and looked to
+their companion for some further explanation.
+
+"When the snow was upon the ground," said he, "Heigon was hunting, and
+he became weak and feeble, like an old man, or the child that cannot
+walk.[1]  The snow came down till it covered the rocks like this, and
+Heigon grew weaker and feebler until he could walk no further, and lay
+down in the snow to die.  When he was covered over, and the Great
+Spirit was about to take him to himself, another Indian came that way.
+He was Heigon's enemy, but he lifted him to his feet and brushed the
+snow from his face and limbs and poured his fire-water down his throat.
+He dug the snow away until he came to the dry leaves, and then he
+kindled a fire to warm Heigon by.  He stayed by him all night, and in
+the morning Heigon was strong and a man again.  When he went away, he
+asked the Indian his name.  It was Oonomoo, the Huron.  He stands by
+us, and is now in our power."
+
+The eyes of the Miamis fairly sparkled as they listened to this
+narration of their comrade, and they looked upon the far-famed Huron
+with feelings only of friendship and admiration.  He had been
+considered for years as one of the deadliest enemies of the Miamis, and
+his capture or death by them would have been an exploit that would have
+descended through tradition to the last remnant of their people.  Fully
+sensible of this, this same Huron had come upon one of their most
+distinguished warriors when he was as helpless as an infant, and could
+have been scalped by a mere child.  But the magnanimous savage had
+acted the part of a good Samaritan, feeding and warming him and sending
+him on his way in the morning, refreshed and strengthened.  Such a deed
+as this could never be forgotten, either by the recipient or those of
+his tribe to whom it became known.
+
+During the narrative the Huron stood with arms folded, and as
+insensible to the praises of Heigon as if he had not uttered a syllable
+since the advent of his companions.  He who appeared to be the leading
+warrior now asked:
+
+"Whither does my brother Huron wish to go?"
+
+"To the Shawnee village on the shore of the Miami."
+
+"We journey thither, and will take our brother with us."
+
+"Oonomoo goes as the enemy of the Shawnees.  He goes to save a
+pale-faced maiden who has fallen into their hands.  My Miami brothers
+go as the friends of the Shawnees."
+
+"They go as the friends of Oonomoo, who saved one of their warriors,
+and they will carry him in their canoe."
+
+"The feet of Oonomoo are like the deer's, and his eyes are as the
+eagle's.  He can see his path at night in the wood, and can journey
+from the rising until the setting sun without becoming weary."
+
+"We know our brother is brave and fleet of foot.  His Miami friends
+will carry him far upon his journey, and when he wishes to go through
+the woods, they will leave him upon the shore."
+
+Oonomoo could not decline this kind offer.  Simply to show in a small
+degree their friendship for him, the Miamis insisted upon carrying him
+in their canoe as far as he wished, landing him upon the bank whenever
+it was his desire that they should do so.  The Miamis being allies of
+the Shawnees, and on their way to join one of their war-parties, they
+could not (even on account of their peculiar relations with the Huron)
+act as their enemies in any way; consequently the Huron did not expect
+or ask their assistance.  But while they were prevented from aiding him
+in the least, in his attempt to rescue the captive, the claims which he
+had upon their gratitude were such, that he well knew they would
+carefully avoid throwing any obstacle in his way, and would act as
+neutrals throughout the affair, believing, however, that it was not
+inconsistent with such a profession to carry him even in sight of the
+Shawnee village itself.  Beyond that it would be as if these five
+Miamis were a thousand miles distant.
+
+All this time, it may well be supposed, that Lieutenant Canfield was no
+uninterested spectator of the interview between his Huron friend and
+the Miamis.  When they made their appearance upon the rock, he believed
+that Oonomoo had been captured.  He was about to seek his own safety in
+flight, but he was struck by the apparently good feeling of the
+conference.  Their words being in the Miami tongue, he could not
+distinguish their meaning, but from their sound, judged them to be
+friendly in their nature.  Still, there could be no certainty, and he
+was in a torment of doubt, when he was startled by hearing the Huron
+call his name.  At first he determined not to answer, thinking his
+friend had been compelled to betray him by his captors.  A moment's
+reflection, however, convinced him that such could not be the case.
+
+"Canfiel'!  Canfiel'!"
+
+"What do you want, Oonomoo?"
+
+"Go down bank--wait for us--Miami won't hurt."
+
+The young soldier did as he requested, and the next moment saw the two
+canoes put out from the rock.  In the first were the four Miamis, and
+in the second Oonomoo and Heigon, the latter using the paddle.  They
+touched a point on the shore about a hundred yards down-stream, almost
+at the same moment that it was reached by the Lieutenant.
+
+"How-de-do, brudder?" asked the foremost, extending his hand.  The
+soldier exchanged similar greetings with the others, when at a signal
+the five seated themselves upon the ground, and he followed suit.  A
+pipe, the "calumet of peace," was produced and passed from mouth to
+mouth, each one smoking slowly and solemnly a few whiffs.
+
+This tedious ceremony occupied fully a half-hour, during which it was
+nearly impossible for the young Lieutenant to conceal his impatience.
+It seemed to him nothing but a sheer waste of time, and he wondered how
+Oonomoo could take it so composedly.  At length the last smoker had
+taken what he evidently believed the proper number of whiffs, and they
+arose and embarked again in their canoes.
+
+In the boat, which really belonged to the Huron, were seated himself,
+Lieutenant Canfield, and Heigon, who insisted upon using the paddle
+himself.  For a moment they glided along under the shadow of the wooded
+bank, and then, coming out on the clear, moonlit surface of the river,
+they shot downstream like swallows upon the wing.
+
+It was not quite ten miles to the Shawnee town, and, as it was now in
+the neighborhood of midnight, their destination would be easily reached
+in time.
+
+All went well for some four or five miles, when an exclamation from the
+canoe in advance attracted the attention of Oonomoo and the soldier.
+
+"What is it?" inquired the latter.
+
+"Ugh! nudder canoe comin'--Shawnees."
+
+Such proved to be the case.  A large war-canoe, containing over a score
+of painted warriors, was coming up the river, nearly in the center of
+the stream, while the Miamis were nearer the right bank.  When nearly
+opposite each other, the war-canoe paused while that which contained
+the four Miamis went over to it, somewhat after the manner that two
+friendly ships come to anchor in the midst of the ocean, and exchange
+congratulations and news.
+
+During the interview, Heigon prudently kept at a safe distance, but
+from the gesticulations and words of the Shawnees it was evident they
+were making inquiries in regard to the inmates of his boat.  The
+replies proved satisfactory, for a moment later, the canoes separated,
+and each party proceeded on his way.  Little did the Shawnees dream
+that the very foe for whom they were searching--he whose scalp was
+worth that of a hundred warriors, whose death they would have nearly
+given their own life to secure--little did they dream, we say, that
+this very man was within a few rods of them--so close that he
+recognized the features of every one of their number!
+
+Several miles further, and Oonomoo spoke to Heigon.  They were now in
+the vicinity of the Shawnee village, and he wished to land.  Heigon
+instantly turned the prow of his canoe toward shore, and the others,
+understanding the cause, followed.  A moment later, Lieutenant Canfield
+and the Huron stood upon _terra firma_.  They were compelled again to
+shake hands all around with their curiously-made friends, when they
+separated--the latter to go down the river as brothers to the warlike
+Shawnees, and the former to go to the same destination as their deadly
+enemies!
+
+
+[1] Meaning he became sick from some cause or other.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+THE PLAN FOR THE RESCUE.
+
+
+  Oft did he stoop a listening ear,
+    Sweep round an anxious eye,
+  No bark or ax-blow could he hear,
+    No human trace descry.
+  His sinuous path, by blazes, wound
+  Among trunks grouped in myriads round;
+    Through naked boughs, between
+  Whose tangled architecture fraught
+  With many a shape grotesquely wrought,
+    The hemlock's spire was seen.--A. B. STREET.
+
+
+By this time, daylight was at hand.  A thin mist, rising from the
+river, was passing off through the woods; for the half-hour preceding
+the appearance of the sun, the darkness was more palpable than it had
+been at any time through the night.  The air, too, had a disagreeable
+chilliness in it, which, however little it affected the Huron, made the
+soldier, for the time being, exceedingly uncomfortable and impatient
+for the full light of day.
+
+The Shawnee village was about a mile distant, on the same bank of the
+stream with that upon which our friends found themselves.  As there was
+not the least probability of Hans Vanderbum being astir for several
+hours yet, they proceeded at a moderate walk through the wood.  One of
+the peculiar effects of this chilly morning air was to keep Lieutenant
+Canfield constantly gaping; his movements were so languid and his mind
+listless even to antipathy for conversation.  He maintained his place
+in silence beside Oonomoo.  The Indian was as watchful and keen as ever.
+
+As the young Lieutenant was yawning, and gazing around listlessly, he
+caught a glimpse of some body, as it threw itself prostrate behind a
+clump of bushes.  He looked at the Huron and was startled to observe
+upon his countenance no indication of having noticed this singular
+occurrence.
+
+"Oonomoo," he whispered, placing his hand upon his arm, "there's a
+person behind the bush, and we are in danger.  I saw him this very
+minute."
+
+"Me see'd 'em," said the Indian, walking straight toward the spot where
+he was concealed.
+
+This was too much for the young man.  When he reflected that, in all
+probability a rifle-barrel was leveled through those bushes, ready to
+do its deadly work, he was not ashamed to halt and allow the Huron to
+proceed alone.  But, no fear seemed to enter the head of the Indian.
+He strode straight forward, as if he had discovered something which he
+was about to pick, and, reaching the bushes, he parted and stepped
+among them.  The astonished soldier saw him stoop and lift some dark
+object, and then throw it down upon the ground again.
+
+Lieutenant Canfield now came forward.  Great was his amazement to
+recognize, in this dark object, the negro, Cato!  He lay upon his face,
+as lax and motionless as a piece of inanimate matter.
+
+"What is the matter with him?" asked the soldier.  "Is he dead?"
+
+"Scart near to def'--make b'lieve dead."
+
+Such undoubtedly was the case.  The negro, frightened at the appearance
+of two strangers, the foremost of whom he recognized as an Indian, had
+prostrated himself behind the bushes and feigned death in the hope that
+they would pass him by unnoticed.  The Lieutenant, now that they were
+so close to the Shawnees, where so much caution and skill were
+required, felt provoked to see the negro, and had little patience with
+his fooleries.
+
+"Get up, Cato," said he, rolling him over with his foot.  "You are not
+hurt, and we don't want to see any of your nonsense."
+
+One of the negro's eyes partially opened, and then he commenced
+yawning, stretching and shoving his feet over the leaves, as though he
+was just awaking.
+
+"Hebens, golly! but dis nigger is sleepy," said he.  "Hello! dat you,
+Oonomoo?  And bress my soul, if dar ain't Massa Canfield," he added,
+rising to his feet.
+
+"How came you here?" asked Canfield.
+
+"Come here my pussonal self--walked and runn'd most ob de way."
+
+"But, we sent you to the settlement.  Why did you not go?"
+
+"Bress your soul, Massa Canfield, I'll bet dar's ten fousand million
+Injines in de wood, atween us and de settlement.  I tried to butt my
+way trough dem, but dar was a few too many, and I had to gub it up."
+
+"How came you to wander so far out of your way as to get here?"
+
+"Dunno; t'ought I'd take a near cut home, and s'pose I got here widout
+knowing anyt'ing about it.".
+
+"Well, Oonomoo, what's to be done with him?"
+
+"Take him 'long--kill him if don't do what want to."
+
+"You understand, Cato?  We don't want you with us, but, there seems no
+help for it now; so we shall have to take you.  You must follow in our
+steps, and in no case make any outcry."
+
+The negro promised obedience, and, taking his position behind, they
+continued their journey, the Huron leading the way.  He proceeded some
+distance until he reached a dense portion of the wood, when he halted
+and turned around.
+
+"Plenty time--sleep some."
+
+These were pleasant words to the Lieutenant, who, in spite of his
+impatience, felt the need of sleep and rest before proceeding further.
+All stretched themselves upon the ground, where, in a few minutes, they
+were wrapped in slumber.  The negro, Cato, lay some distance from the
+other two, and was the first to awake.  Carefully raising his head and
+discovering that the dreaded Huron was still unconscious, he silently
+arose to his feet, and, retreating some distance with great care and
+caution, he suddenly turned and ran at the top of his speed.  His
+motive for so doing will soon appear.
+
+While our two friends are thus preparing themselves for the perilous
+duty before them, we will return to our old acquaintance, Hans
+Vanderbum, and his fair charge, in whom the reader, doubtless, feels a
+lively interest.
+
+      *      *      *      *      *      *
+
+It will be remembered that Miss Prescott was consigned to the care of
+the amiable Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, wife of Hans Vanderbum.  The
+reasons for this were several.  In the first place, the Shawnees were
+actuated in a small degree by their desire to lessen the sufferings of
+their captive.  This squaw had learned enough of the English language
+from her husband to hold almost an intelligible conversation in it;
+and; as quite an acquaintance had already been established between him
+and the maiden, she would certainly feel more at home in their company
+than among the others, who could not speak a word of her tongue.  What
+might be done with Miss Prescott in case she remained among the
+Shawnees for several years, of course it would be impossible to say;
+but it was certain they meditated no violence for the present, only
+wishing to hold her simply as a prisoner.  Was there danger of her
+escape they would not have hesitated to kill her, it being considered
+one of the greatest reproaches that can be cast in a Shawnee face to
+accuse him of having lost a prisoner.
+
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock was too thoroughly loyal for her to be
+suspected of any disposition to aid the prisoner in escape; and
+whatever might be the wishes of Hans Vanderbum, he was too stupid and
+lazy to be taken into account.
+
+Miss Prescott, accordingly, was installed in their lodge, where the
+first day was passed without anything of note occurring, save the
+discovery, on her part, of the total hopelessness of escape, without
+the assistance of friends.  There was but one entrance to the lodge,
+of barely sufficient width to afford the passage of Hans Vanderbum's
+body, and the sides of the wigwam were too strong and firm for
+her to think either of piercing or breaking them.  Added to this,
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock at night laid herself directly before
+this entrance, compelling Hans Vanderbum to lie down beside her, so
+that their united width was some four or five feet--rather too long a
+step to be taken by the girl without danger of awaking her jailers.
+When we add that Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock's slumbers were so light
+that the least noise awakened her, and that Miss Prescott never lay
+down to sleep without having her ankles bound together, no more need be
+said to convince the reader that the ingenuity of her captors could not
+have made her situation more secure.  Nevertheless, Hans Vanderbum
+managed to convey enough to her to keep hope alive in her breast, and
+to convince her that it would not be long before some enterprise for
+her freedom would be attempted by her friends.
+
+On the second morning of her captivity, Hans Vanderbum awoke at an
+unusually early hour, and the first thought that entered his mind was
+that he had an appointment with Oonomoo, the Huron; for it is a fact,
+to which all will bear witness, that, by fixing our thoughts upon any
+particular time in the night, with a determined intensity, we are sure
+to awaken at that moment.  Thus it was that he arose before his spouse;
+but his step awakened her.
+
+"What's the matter, Hans?  Are you sick?" she asked, with considerable
+solicitude.
+
+"No, my dear, good Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, I feels so goot as,
+ever, but I t'inks te mornin' air does me goot, so I goes out to got a
+little."
+
+No objection being interposed, he sauntered carelessly forth, taking a
+direction that would lead him to the spot where he had held the
+interview with the Huron upon the previous day.  He walked slowly, for
+it lacked considerable of the hour which had been fixed upon for the
+meeting, and, knowing the mathematical exactitude with which his friend
+kept his appointments, he had no desire to reach the spot in advance.
+
+"I doeshn't wish to hurry, so I t'inks I will rest myself here, and den
+when----"
+
+Hans was prevented any further utterance, by some heavy body striking
+his shoulders with such force that he was thrown forward upon his face,
+and his hat smashed over his eyes.
+
+"Mine Gott! vot made tat tree fall on me?" he exclaimed, endeavoring to
+crawl from beneath what he supposed to be the trunk of an immense oak
+which he had noticed towering above him.  This belief was further
+strengthened by a glimpse which he caught of a heavy branch upon the
+ground.
+
+"Hebens, golly! dat you, ole swill-barrel?" greeted his ears; and he
+picked his hat and himself up at the same time, to see the negro, Cato,
+lying on the ground, with his heels high up in the air.
+
+"Dunder and blixen! who are you?" inquired Hans, more astonished than
+ever.  "Did you drop down out te clouds?"
+
+"Yah! yah! yah! what makes you fink so, old hogsit, eh?  No, sir-ee!
+I's Mr. Cato, a nigger gentleman of Mr. Capting Prescott."
+
+The large eyes of the Dutchman grew larger as he proceeded.  "Vot makes
+you falls on mine head, eh?"
+
+"I's up in de tree a-takin' ob obserwashuns, when jis' as you got down
+hyar, de limb broke, and down I comes.  Much obleege fur yer bein' so
+kind fur to stand under and breaks my fall."
+
+"And breaks mine own neck, too, eh?"
+
+"Who might be you wid your big bread-basket?" inquired Cato, still
+lying upon his back and kicking up his heels.
+
+"Me?  I's Hans Vanderbum, dat pelongs to Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
+
+Cato grew sober in an instant.  He had heard Lieutenant Canfield
+mention this man's name in conversation with the Huron, and suspected
+at once that he was to perform a part in the day's work.
+
+"You're Hans Vanderbum, eh?  I've heerd Massa Canfield and Mister
+Oonymoo speak of you."
+
+"Yaw, I'm him.  Where am dey?"
+
+"Ain't fur off.  I lef 'em sleepin'; and come out for to see whedder
+dar war any Injines crawlin' round in de woods, and I didn't see none
+but you, and you ain't an Injine."
+
+The appointed hour for the meeting between Hans Vanderbum and Oonomoo
+having arrived, the Dutchman added:
+
+"He ish to meet me 'bout dis time or leetles sooner, and, so we both
+goes togedder mit each oder, so dat we won't bees alone."
+
+"All right; go ahead, Mr. Hansderbumvan; I'm behind you," said Cato,
+taking his favorite position in the rear.
+
+Several hundred yards further and Hans recognized the wished-for spot.
+He had hardly reached it, when a light step was heard, and the next
+moment Lieutenant Canfield and the Huron stood in his presence.
+
+"Brudder comes in good time," said the latter, extending his hand.
+
+"Yaw; Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock showed me de way to do dat,"
+replied Hans, shaking hands with the young Lieutenant also.  The latter
+expressed some surprise at seeing Cato present, saying that he had
+congratulated himself upon being well rid of him.  The negro explained
+his departure upon the grounds of his extreme solicitude for the safety
+of his friends.  The conversation between Hans and the Huron was now
+carried on in the Shawnee tongue.
+
+"How does matters progress with my brother?"
+
+"Very good; the gal is in my wigwam."
+
+"What does she there?"
+
+"Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock has charge of her."
+
+"That is good."
+
+"I don't know about that, Oonomoo; I think it couldn't be much worse;
+for Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock has got a bad temper, if she is the
+same shape all the way down."
+
+"It is good, my brother.  We will have the captive when the sun comes
+up again in the sky."
+
+"How are you going to get her?"
+
+"Give Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock this drug," said the Huron, handing
+him a dark, waxy substance.
+
+"Dunder! ish it pizen?" asked Hans, in English.
+"Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock will kill me deat if I pizen her."
+
+"It will not kill her; it will only put her in a sleep from which she
+will awake after a few hours."
+
+"Quanonshet and Madokawandock will have to take it too, for they don't
+sleep any more than she does."
+
+"There is enough for all.  To-day mix this with that which the squaw
+and Quanonshet and Madokawandock shall eat, and when it grows dark they
+will sleep and not awaken till the morrow's sun."
+
+"And what of the gal?"
+
+"When the moon rises above that tree-top yonder, cut the bonds that
+bind her, and lead her through the woods to this place.  Here Oonomoo
+will take her and conduct her to her friends in the settlement."
+
+From this point the Indian dialect was dropped for intelligible English.
+
+"And vot will become of me?" asked Hans Vanderbum, in considerable
+alarm.  "When Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock wakes up and finds te gal
+gone, she will t'inks I done it, and den--den--den--"  The awful
+expression of his countenance spoke more eloquently than any words, of
+the consequences of such a discovery and suspicion upon the part of his
+spouse.
+
+"Take some self when git back--go to sleep--squaw wake up first."
+
+Hans' eyes sparkled as he took in the beauty of the scheme prepared by
+the Huron.  The arrangement was now explained to Lieutenant Canfield,
+who could but admire the sagacity and foresight of his Indian friend,
+that seemed to understand and provide against every emergency.  It was
+further explained to Hans that he was to manage to give the drug to his
+wife and children several hours before sunset, as its effects would not
+be perceptible for fully four hours, and that he was to take a small
+quantity himself about dusk, to avert the consequences of his
+philanthrophy.  Lieutenant Canfield admonished him to be cautious in
+his movements, and to take especial pains with his charge after leaving
+his lodge, in order to avoid discovery from the sleepless Shawnees.
+The situation of Hans' wigwam was fortunate indeed, as he ran little
+risk of discovery if he used ordinary discretion after leaving it.
+
+Everything being arranged, Hans Vanderbum took his departure, and
+Oonomoo, the soldier and negro commenced the long, weary hours of
+waiting.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+THE EXPLOIT OF HANS VANDERBUM.
+
+
+      God forgive me,
+  (Marry and amen!) how sound is she asleep!
+          --ROMEO AND JULIET.
+
+
+Hans Vanderbum loitered on his way back to the village, to avoid giving
+the impression to any who might chance to see him that there was
+anything unusual upon his mind.  The precious substance handed to him
+by the Huron--a sort of gum--he wrapped in a leaf and stowed away in
+his bosom, guarding it with the most jealous care.  Upon it depended
+his hopes for the success of his cherished scheme.
+
+After several hours' intense thought, he decided upon his programme of
+action.  He would go fishing about the middle of the forenoon, giving
+his wife to understand that he would be back with what he had caught in
+time for dinner, so that she would rely upon him for that meal; but,
+instead of doing so, he would keep out of sight until toward night, by
+which time he rightly concluded his spouse and children would be so
+ravenously hungry that they would devour the fish without noticing any
+peculiar taste about them.
+
+It was also necessary to place Miss Prescott on her guard against
+eating them, as it would seriously inconvenience him if she should fall
+into a deadly stupor at the very time when she would most need her
+senses.  All this was not definitively provided for until a long time
+after his return to his wigwam.
+
+The more fully to carry out his plans, Hans feigned sickness shortly
+after his return, so that Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, who really had
+a sort of affection for him, allowed him to remain inside, while she
+busied herself with the corn-planting.  This was the very opportunity
+for which Hans longed, and he lost no time in improving it.
+
+"I've see'd Oonomoo," said he, by way of introduction.
+
+"Have you, indeed?" and the countenance of Miss Prescott became radiant
+with hope.
+
+"Yaw; see'd somebody else, too."
+
+The deep crimson that suffused the beautiful captive's face, even to
+the very temples, showed the stolid Dutchman that it was not necessary
+for him to mention the other person's name.
+
+"Yaw; see'd him, too."
+
+"And what did he say?"
+
+"Didn't say much, only grin and laughed.  De dunderin' nigger liked to
+kill me."
+
+Miss Prescott was dumbfounded to hear her lover spoken of in this
+manner.
+
+"Why, what do you mean, my friend?  Why do you speak of him in that
+manner?"
+
+"He jumped down out of a tree on top of mine head, and nearly mashed it
+down lower dan my shoulders.  Den he rolled round, kicked up his heels
+and laughed at me."
+
+"Of whom are you speaking?  Lieutenant Can--"
+
+"A big nigger dat called himself Cato."
+
+"Oh, I thought--" and the embarrassed girl covered her face to hide her
+confusion and disappointment.
+
+"See'd him too," said Hans, pleasantly.
+
+"Who?"
+
+"Lieutenant Canfield," he whispered.
+
+"Where is he? what did he say? when shall I see him?  Oh! do not keep
+me in suspense."
+
+"De Huron Injin, him and anoder nigger am out in de woods waitin' for
+de night to come, when I'm goin' for to take you out to dem."
+
+"But Keeway--your wife?"
+
+"Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock?  Yaw, she mine frow; been
+married six--seven years.  Nice name dat.  Know what
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock means?"
+
+"No, I have never heard," replied Miss Prescott, thinking it best to
+humor the whims of her friend.
+
+"It means de 'Lily dat am de Same Shape all de Way Down,' which am her.
+What you ax?"
+
+"But will your Lily allow me to depart?"
+
+"Dat am what I'm going for to tell you.  I'm going fishing purty soon,
+and won't be back till de arternoon.  When I come back we'll have fish
+for supper.  De Huron Injin give me something for to put in de fish,
+dat will put mine frow and de little ones to sleep, so dat dey won't
+wake up when we go out de wigwam."
+
+"And I suppose you do not wish me to eat of them?"
+
+"No, for you'd get to sleep too, den I shall have to carry you."
+
+"There is no danger of my having much appetite after what you have told
+me."
+
+"Den you won't forget.  Remembers dat--I t'inks I feels better."
+
+Hans Vanderbum caught a glimpse of his amiable wife in the door of his
+lodge at this moment, which was the cause of the sudden change in his
+conversation.  Suiting his action to his words, he arose and said:
+
+"I t'inks I feels better, Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, and guesses I
+go fishing."
+
+"I guess you might as well."
+
+"Mine dear frow, shust gits te line and bait, while I lights mine pipe."
+
+His wife complied, and a few minutes later Hans Vanderbum sallied forth
+fully equipped for duty.  He did not forget to tell his partner several
+times not to prepare dinner until his return, and she also promised
+this, from some cause or other, she being in a far better humor than
+usual.
+
+The demon of mischief seemed to possess Quanonshet and Madokawandock
+that day.  In making his way to the "fishing-grounds," he was tripped
+so often that he began to wonder what could possibly be the reason for
+it.  He stooped down to examine his path.
+
+"Dat ish funny de way dat grass grows.  Dat bunch on dat side has
+growed over and met dat bunch on de oder side, and den dey've growed
+togedder in one big knot, and den I catches mine foot under and tumbles
+down.  Dat ish funny for te grass to grow dat way."
+
+The innocent man did not once suspect that his boys had anything to do
+with this peculiar growth of the grass, although, had he looked behind
+him, he would have seen their dirty, grinning faces as they rolled upon
+the grass in ecstasies at his perplexity.
+
+After several more tumbles, Hans Vanderbum reached his favorite log,
+and crawled out like a huge turtle to the further extremity.  The
+exciting adventure which was before him occupied his thoughts so
+constantly that the mischievous propensities of his children never once
+entered his head, until the log suddenly snapped off at its trunk, and
+left him struggling in the water.  Reaching the land with considerable
+difficulty after this second mishap, he concluded that Quanonshet and
+Madokawandock were still living, and had lately visited that
+neighborhood.
+
+By noon, he had collected a goodly quantity of fish, and fearful that
+if he delayed his return much longer, his wife would come in search of
+him, he proceeded some distance down the bank, and concealed himself
+beneath a large clump of bushes, continuing his piscatorial labors as
+heretofore.  His precaution proved timely and prudent, for he had
+hardly ensconsed himself in his new position, when he caught a glimpse
+of Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock through the branches, and shrunk
+further out of sight.  From his secure hiding-place, the valorous
+husband watched her proceedings.  He saw her brow "throned with
+thunder," as she strode hastily forward, the blank, dismayed
+expression, as she witnessed the destruction of his favorite perch, the
+anxious haste with which she examined the shore to discover whether he
+had emerged or not, the relief that lit up her countenance as she
+learned the truth, and, at length, the first expression, so boding and
+potent in its meaning, that he lay down on the ground and dare not look
+at her again.  When he cautiously raised his head, she had disappeared,
+and with a sigh of relief, he resumed his line.
+
+The slow, weary hours wore on, and finally the sun was half-way down
+the horizon.  Hans Vanderbum's heart gave a big throb as he started on
+his return to the village.  In spite of the exciting drama that was now
+commencing, and in which he was to play such a prominent part, the most
+vivid picture that presented itself to him was his irate wife, waiting
+at the wigwam to pounce upon him, and he could not force the dire
+consequences of his temerity from his mind.
+
+Slowly and tremblingly he approached the lodge, but saw none of its
+inmates.  The profound silence filled him with an ominous misgiving.
+He paused and listened.  Not a breath was audible.  He stepped softly
+forward and cautiously peered in.  He saw Miss Prescott apparently
+asleep in one corner, and his wife trimming the fire.  Hans hesitated a
+moment, and no pen can describe or artist depict the shivering horror
+with which he stepped within the lodge.  His heart beat like a
+trip-hammer, and when his wife lifted her dark eyes upon him, he nearly
+fainted from excess of terror.  Great was his amazement, therefore,
+when, instead of rebukes and blows, she came smilingly forward and
+asked:
+
+"Has my husband been sick?"
+
+That question explained everything.  Believing him to be sick, her
+feelings were not of wrath, but of solicitude.  Hans wiped the
+perspiration from his forehead and, hardly conscious of what he was
+doing, replied:
+
+"B'lieves I didn't feel very much well--kinder empty in de stomach as
+dough I'd like to have dinner."
+
+"You shall have it at once."
+
+Now, to insure the success of Hans Vanderbum's plans, it was necessary
+that he should cook the fish, in order that he might find opportunity
+to mix the gum with it; but the wife, out of pure kindness refused to
+allow this.  He was taken all aback at this unfortunate slip in his
+programme.  By resorting again to intense thought, he hit upon an
+ingenious plan to outwit her, even at this disadvantage.  The children
+needed no commands to remain out doors.
+
+The food was nicely cooking, when Hans started up as if alarmed.
+
+"What's the matter?" inquired his wife.
+
+"I t'inks I hears some noise outside.  Hadn't you better goes out, my
+dear, good, kind Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, and see vot it is?"
+
+The obliging woman instantly darted forward, and Hans proceeded to his
+task with such trembling eagerness that there was danger of its
+failure.  First flattening the gum between his thumb and finger, he
+dropped it upon one of the fish, where it instantly dissolved like
+butter.  He was busy stirring this, when his partner entered.
+
+"Good man," said she; "kind to Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
+
+Hans Vanderbum felt as if he were the greatest monster upon earth thus
+to deceive his trusting wife, and there was a perceptible tremor in his
+voice, as he replied:
+
+"I will tends to de fish."
+
+He saw that the gum had united thoroughly with the food, and then with
+a flushed face, he resigned his place to his wife.  The dinner, or more
+properly the supper, was soon completed, when Hans concluded that he
+was too unwell to eat anything.  The squaw was somewhat surprised when
+Miss Prescott, after being awakened from a feigned sleep, turned her
+head away from the tempting food in disgust.
+
+"You sick too?" she asked.
+
+"No--no--no," shutting her eyes and turning her back upon her.
+
+"I wouldn't coax her to eat, my good, dear frow," said Hans.  "Let de
+little Dutchmen eat it; dey're hungry enough."
+
+In answer to a shrill call, Quanonshet and Madokawandock came tumbling
+in, and fell upon the food like a couple of wolves.  After two or three
+mouthfuls they stopped and smacked their lips as if there was something
+peculiar in the taste of their fish, and Hans' heart thumped as he saw
+the mother do the same.  To forestall any inquiries, he remarked that
+he had caught the fish in another portion of the stream, and perhaps
+they might taste bitter, but he guessed "dey was all right."  This
+satisfied them, and in a few minutes more there was nothing left but a
+few bones.  Thus far all went well.
+
+As the sun descended in the western sky, and the magnificent American
+twilight gathered upon the forest and river, the excited Hans Vanderbum
+could scarcely conceal his impatience and anxiety.  Never before, since
+his marriage, had he been in such a predicament, and never again, he
+hoped, would he feel the misery that was now torturing him.  Time
+always passes wearily to the watcher.  It seemed an age to him ere the
+sun slipped down behind the wilderness out of sight.  At length,
+however, the dusk of early evening enveloped the lodge, and shortly
+after Quanonshet and Madokawandock came in, and dropping down fell
+almost immediately asleep.
+
+To expedite matters, Hans Vanderbum feigned slumber, but he kept one
+eye upon the movements of his wife.  He marked her listless, absent
+air, and he could scarcely conceal his joy when she stretched herself
+in front of the door, without speaking or ordering him to lie beside
+her, as was her usual custom.  Five minutes later, she was as
+unconscious as though she were never to wake again.  To make "assurance
+doubly sure," he waited full half an hour without moving.  Then he
+raised his head, and called in a whisper to Miss Prescott:
+
+"I say dere."
+
+"Well! what is it?" she responded, rising.
+
+"You ishn't ashleep bees you?"
+
+"No, I am ready."
+
+"Well, I guesses it bees purty near times."
+
+"Are they all sound asleep--your Lily and children?"
+
+"Yaw, dey's won't wake if you pound 'em."
+
+"Would it not be best to take a look outside and see whether there is
+any danger of our being discovered?"
+
+"Yaw--I finks so."
+
+In passing out, Hans trod upon the outstretched arm of his wife, but
+her sleep was so sound that she did not awaken.  The situation of the
+lodge was such that all the Shawnees visible were upon one side of it,
+so that the chances of discovery were comparatively slight, if the
+least precaution was used.  Appearing at the entrance of the wigwam,
+without entering, he motioned for the captive to come out.  She arose,
+stepping cautiously and carefully, and when she found herself in the
+open air once more, with the cool night-wind blowing upon her fevered
+cheek, she almost fainted from excessive emotion.
+
+"Come, now, walks right behind me, and if you sees--dunder and blixen!
+dere comes an Injin!"
+
+The girl had caught a glimpse of two shadowy figures, and without
+thought, she did the wisest possible thing for her to do under the
+circumstances.  Springing back within the lodge, she reseated herself
+beyond the form of her prostrate sentinel, and waited for them to pass.
+
+"How do you do, brother?" asked one of them, in the Shawnee tongue, as
+they halted.  "How gets along our prisoner?"
+
+"Pretty good; she is in de lodge."
+
+"She is safe in the hands of Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, but I will
+look in."  The savage stepped to the entrance and merely glanced
+inside.  The darkness was so great that he saw nothing but the figure
+of the squaw before him, and he and his companion passed on.  The
+captive waited until she was sure they were beyond sight and hearing,
+and then she stepped forth again.
+
+"Let us hurry," said she, eagerly.  "There may be others near."
+
+"Yaw, but don't push me over on mine nose."
+
+"Oh! if she awakes, or we are seen!"
+
+"She won't do dat.  She shleeps till morning, and bimeby I shleeps too,
+and won't wake up afore she does."
+
+"Be careful, be careful, my good friend, and do not linger so," said
+the girl, nearly beside herself with excitement, "and let us stop
+talking."
+
+"Yaw, I bees careful!  I ain't talking.  It bees you all de time dat is
+making de noise.  I knows better dan for to make noise, when dey might
+hear.  Doesn't you fink I does?"
+
+"Yes, yes, yes."
+
+"I'm glad dat you t'inks so.  I knowed a gal once; she was a good 'eal
+like you; Annie Stanton was her name; she had a feller dat was a good
+'eal like de Lieutenant, and dey didn't t'ink I knowed much, but dey
+found dey was mistaken.  Don't you b'lieve dey did?"
+
+"Yes, yes--but you are talking all the while."
+
+"Dat ish so--I doesn't talk no more."
+
+Finally, the impression reached the brain of Hans Vanderbum that he was
+making rather more noise than was prudent, and he resolutely sealed his
+lips--so resolutely that, being compelled to breathe through his
+nostrils, Miss Prescott feared that the noise thus made was more
+dangerous than had been his indulgence in conversation.  She endeavored
+to warn him, but he firmly refused to hear, waddling ahead, his huge
+form stumbling and lumbering forward like a young elephant just
+learning to walk.  The moon being directly before them, his massive
+shoulders were clearly outlined against the sky, when the woods were
+open enough to permit an unobstructed entrance to its light.  A dozen
+yards from the wigwam, and the two were clear of the Shawnee village,
+their only danger being from any wandering Indian whom they might
+chance to meet.  They had gone perhaps a quarter of a mile, when the
+captive's heart nearly stopped beating as she saw the hand of a savage
+outlined against the sky.  As she observed that he was steadily
+approaching, she halted and was debating whether or not to dart off in
+the woods, and depend upon herself for safety, when Hans spoke:
+
+"Dat you, Oonomoo?"
+
+"Yeh--'tis me."  The quick eye of the Huron had caught a glimpse of the
+girl behind the Dutchman, and he now came up and addressed her:
+
+"Is my friend 'fraid?"
+
+"No, no; thank Heaven! is that you, my good, kind Oonomoo?" asked the
+girl, reeling forward, until sustained by the gentle grasp of the
+Indian.
+
+"Yeh--me take care of you.  Here somebody else--t'ink he know how
+better--guess like him, too."  She caught a glimpse of another form as
+the savage spoke in his jesting manner.  She needed nothing more to
+assure her of its identity.  Lieutenant Canfield came forward, and
+placing one arm around her waist, and drawing her fervently to him, he
+said:
+
+"Oh! my _dear_ Mary, I am so glad to see you again.  Are you unharmed?"
+
+"Not a hair of my head has been injured.  And how is my dear father and
+mother and sister Helen?"
+
+"Your father was perfectly well and in good spirits when I left him a
+few days since, and as he knows nothing of this calamity, there is no
+reason for believing it is any different with him.  Your mother and
+sister I think know nothing of this, although I fear their
+apprehensions must be excited."
+
+"I trust I shall soon be with them, and oh! I pray----"
+
+"I's gettin' shleepy," suddenly exclaimed Hans Vanderbum.
+
+"Take gum?"
+
+"Yaw; took much as Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
+
+"Git sleep soon--go back--don't wake up."
+
+"Yaw, I will."  And before any one could speak, Hans was lumbering
+through the bushes and woods on his way back to his lodge, fearful that
+if he delayed he would fall asleep.  It was the wish of Lieutenant
+Canfield to thank him for his kindness to his betrothed, and the
+latter, very grateful for his honest friendship, intended to assure him
+of it, but his hasty exit prevented.
+
+The gum of which Hans Vanderbum had partaken, began soon to have a
+perceptible effect.  He stumbled forward against the bushes and trees,
+blinking and careless of what he did, until he reached the door of his
+wigwam.  Here he summoned all his energies, and, stepping carefully
+over his wife, lay down beside her, and almost immediately was asleep.
+
+As might be expected, the wife was the first to awaken.  So profound
+had been her sleep that the forenoon of the next day was fully half
+gone before she opened her eyes, and then it required a few minutes to
+regain entire possession of her faculties.  Looking around, she saw the
+inanimate forms of her children, and close beside her the unconscious
+Hans Vanderbum, and, horror of horrors, the captive was gone!  She was
+now thoroughly awakened.  With a shrill scream she sprung to her feet.
+Giving her husband several violent kicks, and shouting his name, she
+ran outside to arouse the Shawnees, and set them upon the track, if it
+was not already too late.  Hans opened one eye, and, seeing how matters
+stood, he shut it again, to ruminate upon the story he should tell to
+the pressing inquiries of his friends, and, in a few minutes, he had
+prepared everything to his satisfaction.  Five minutes later he heard a
+dull thumping upon the ground, and the next minute the lodge was filled
+with Shawnees.  Sharp yells--the signals of alarm--could be heard in
+every quarter, even as far distant as the river.  All seemed centering
+toward one spot.  In answer to repeated shoutings, and kicks, and
+twitches of the hair, Hans opened his big, blue eyes, and stared around
+him with an innocent, wondering look.
+
+"Where's the girl?  Where's the pale-faced captive?" demanded several,
+including his wife.
+
+"Ober dere; (pointing to her usual resting-place; and then, discovering
+her absence) no, dunder and blixen, she isn't."
+
+"You helped her away in the night.  We saw you when the moon was up
+standing in the lodge."  His accuser was the Indian who had peered into
+the lodge the night before.
+
+"Mine Gott! dat Huron, Oonomoo, has got her!"  The name of the famous
+scout was familiar to all, and called forth a general howl of fury.
+Understanding that it was expected he should give some explanation, he
+said: "I see'd de Injin last night, and he gived me something dat he
+said I musht eat and mix wid my fish.  I done so, and it made me, and
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, and Quanonshet and Madokawandock go to
+shleep, and shust now we wakes up and de gal ain't here!"
+
+This brief, concise statement was generally believed, all knowing the
+trustful, verdant nature of the Dutchman, and there was a general
+clearing of the wigwam, for the purpose of ascertaining which direction
+the Huron had taken; but they met with no success, as the woods were so
+thoroughly trodden by numerous feet, that it was impossible to
+distinguish any particular trail.  One or two Shawnees, however, were
+not satisfied with what Hans had said, and, after making several more
+inquiries, they remarked:
+
+"Oonomoo, the Huron, is a brave Indian, but could not enter the Shawnee
+lodges unless the door was opened from within.  Our white brother----"
+
+Hans' wife sprung up like a catamount, whose young were attacked.  "You
+say my brave Hans let her go, eh?  My brave warriors, I will show you,"
+she exclaimed, springing at them in such a perfect fury that they tore
+out of the wigwam and were seen no more.
+
+"My _dear_ Hans."
+
+"My _dear, good_ Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock! de same shape all de
+way down."
+
+And the loving wife and husband embraced with all the fervor of
+youthful lovers.  And locked thus together, trusting, contented and
+happy, we take our final leave of them.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+A NEW DANGER.
+
+
+      Tis too late
+  To crush the hordes who have the power and will
+  To rob thee of thy hunting-grounds and fountains,
+  And drive thee backward to the Rocky Mountains.--EDWARD SANFORD.
+
+
+The moon was now well up in the sky, although it was still
+comparatively early in the night.  It was hardly possible that the
+escape of Miss Prescott could be discovered before morning, yet the
+Huron was too prudent not to guard against the most remote probability,
+by taking up their march at once in a direct line for the settlement.
+The eight or ten hours of unmolested travel that were before them, were
+amply sufficient to place all beyond danger, at least from the Shawnees
+who had just been left behind.  Taking the lead, as usual, he proceeded
+at a moderate walk, timing his progress to the endurance of the maiden
+with him, still keeping the impatient Cato behind.
+
+"I say, Oonomoo," called out Lieutenant Canfield, in a suppressed
+voice, "suppose Miss Prescott and myself should indulge in
+conversation, would you have any objection?"
+
+"No--don't care--talk sweet--talk love--so no one hear but gal--gal
+talk low, sweet, so no one but him hear," returned the Indian,
+pleasantly.
+
+Falling a rod or so in the rear, the Lieutenant took the willing hand
+of his betrothed, and said:
+
+"Tell me, dear Mary, of your captivity--of all that happened to you
+since they took you from your home."
+
+The girl proceeded to relate what is already known to the reader,
+adding that but for the friendship of Hans Vanderbum and Oonomoo, she
+never would have hoped to escape from her captivity.
+
+"The Dutchman is a stupid, honest-hearted fellow, whose heart is in the
+right place, and the Huron has endeared himself to hundreds of hearts
+by his self-sacrificing devotion in their hour of affliction."
+
+"What possible motive could influence him to risk his life in my
+rescue?"
+
+"His own nature.  He has been with those holy men, the Moravians, and
+he is, what is so rarely seen, a Christian Indian.  But, he has been
+thus friendly to the whites for many years.  The Shawnees inflicted
+some great injury upon him.  What it was I do not know.  I have heard
+that his father was a chief, and, while Oonomoo was still a boy, he was
+broken of his chiefdom, and both he and his wife inhumanly massacred.
+This is the secret of his deadly hostility to that tribe, and, I am
+told, that among the _scores and scores_ of scalps which grace his
+lodge, there is not one which has not been torn from the head of a
+Shawnee.  But for a year or two, he has refrained from scalping his
+foes, and he has killed none except in honorable warfare."
+
+"Has he a wife and family?"
+
+"He has a wife and son, and his lodge is deep in the forest, no one
+knows where.  Its location is so skillfully chosen that it has baffled
+all search for years.  His wife, I have been told, has been a sincere
+Christian from childhood, and her piety and faithfulness have had a
+good influence on him."
+
+"He is a noble man, and my dear father will reward him for this."
+
+"No, he will not.  Oonomoo has never accepted a reward for his services
+and never will.  Presents and mementoes have been showered upon him,
+but his proud soul scorns anything like payment for his services.  Do
+you suppose that _I_ could ever remunerate him for the happiness he has
+brought _me_?" asked the Lieutenant, pressing the hand of his beloved.
+
+"I am sure my joy is very great, too.  Oh! how my dear mother and
+sister must have agonized over this calamity."
+
+"They probably have known nothing of it."
+
+"But you say you saw the light of the fire, and you were fully as far
+off as they."
+
+"It is true, but I had not the remotest suspicion of its being your
+home.  It seems unlikely that your mother should have suspected the
+truth, as she had every reason to believe the Indians were friendly to
+your family."
+
+"They must have seen the illumination in the sky, and, knowing the
+location of our home so well, they could but have their worst
+apprehensions aroused."
+
+"If such indeed be the case, let us congratulate ourselves that we are
+so soon to undeceive them."
+
+"I am glad that father cannot possibly hear of this until he is assured
+of our safety."
+
+"I am not so sure of that.  When I left, the chances were that he might
+follow me almost immediately on a visit to the block-house at the
+settlement, and from what I heard I am pretty certain that if he has
+not already been, he soon will be appointed to the command of the
+garrison at that place.  It is not at all impossible that he may be in
+charge of it this very minute."
+
+"We will reach there to-morrow, when, as you said, their anxiety will
+be relieved, although it will be no trifling loss to father when he
+finds his house and all his possessions destroyed by the savages."
+
+"But, as nothing when weighed in the balance with his loved child."
+
+"And then the poor servants!  Oh! what an awful sight to see them
+tomahawked when praying for mercy."
+
+"And, I am told, by their only survivor, Cato there, that none implored
+so earnestly for them as did you yourself, never once asking for your
+own life, which was in such peril."
+
+"I thought that I might accomplish something for them, but it was
+useless.  Cato only escaped, and it was Providence, alone, that saved
+him."
+
+"What ye 'scussin' ob my name for?" called out the negro, who had
+caught a word or two of the last remark.
+
+"Stop noise," commanded Oonomoo, peremptorily.
+
+"Hebens, golly! ain't dem two talkin', and can't I frow in an
+obserwashun once in a while, eh?"
+
+"Dey love--talk sweet--you nigger and don't love!"
+
+"Oh, dat's de difference, am it?  Well, den, I forefwif proceeds all
+for to cease making remarks.  But before ceasing altogever, I will
+obsarve that you are a pretty smart feller, Oonymoo, and I hain't see'd
+de Shawnee Injine yet dat knows as much as your big toe.  Hencefofe I
+doesn't say noffin more;" and the negro held strict silence for a
+considerable time.
+
+Lieutenant Canfield and Miss Prescott conversed an hour or so longer,
+in tones so low that they were but a mere murmur to the Huron, and then
+as the forest grew more tangled and gloomy, their words became fewer in
+number, until the conversation gradually ceased altogether.
+
+The party were walking thus silently, when they reached a portion of
+the wood where, for a short distance, it was perfectly open, as if it
+had been totally swept over by a tornado.  In this they were about
+entering, when, brought in relief against the moon-lit sky beyond, the
+form of an Indian was seen standing as motionless as a statue.  At
+first sight, the form appeared gigantic in its proportions, but a
+second glance showed that instead of being a man it was a mere boy.  He
+stood in the attitude of listening, as if he had just caught the sound
+of the approaching company.
+
+The Huron, disdaining to draw his rifle upon such a foe, halted and
+looked steadily at him, while those in the rear, who had all discovered
+the savage, did the same, the negro's teeth chattering like a dice-box,
+as he fully believed him to be the advance-guard of an overwhelming
+force.  The boy standing thus a moment, sprung with the quickness of
+lightning to the cover of the trees.  As he did so, there was something
+about the movement which awakened the suspicion of Oonomoo, and without
+stirring, he gave utterance to a low, trilling whistle.  Instantly
+there came a similar response, and the boy appeared again to view,
+bounding forward quickly toward Oonomoo.
+
+"Niniotan."
+
+"Oonomoo."
+
+"What brings you thus far in the woods?"
+
+"_The Shawnees have discovered the home of Oonomoo!_"
+
+"And where is Fluellina?" demanded the Huron, starting as if stricken
+by a thunderbolt.
+
+"She is hid in the woods, waiting for Oonomoo."
+
+"Did she send Niniotan for him?"
+
+"She sent him this morning, and he searched the woods until now, when
+he found him in this opening."
+
+"When did Fluellina and my son leave their home on the island in the
+water?"
+
+"Last night, shortly after the moon had come above the tree-tops, they
+left in the canoe, and they went far before the morning light had
+appeared, when they dared not return."
+
+"And when saw you the Shawnees?"
+
+"Yesterday, after you had gone, a canoe-full of their warriors passed
+by the island in their canoe.  We saw them through the trees, and hid
+in the bushes until they had passed, and they searched until night for
+us."
+
+"Where is Fluellina hid?"
+
+"Close by the side of the stream which floats by the island, but many
+miles from it."
+
+"How long will it take Niniotan to guide Oonomoo there?"
+
+"Four or five hours.  The wood is open and clear from briers."
+
+"And are the Shawnees upon Fluellina's trail?"
+
+"If the eye of the Shawnee can follow the trail of the canoe, he has
+tracked us to the hiding-place."
+
+This conversation being carried on in the Huron tongue, of course the
+others failed to catch its meaning; but Lieutenant Canfield suspected,
+from the singularly hurried and excited manner of Oonomoo, that
+something unusual had occurred with him.  Never before had he seen him
+give way to his feelings, or speak in such loud, almost fierce tones.
+The soldier remained at a respectful distance, until the Huron turned
+his head and told him to approach.
+
+"Dis my son Niniotan," said he.  "He go wid us."
+
+"I am glad of his company I am sure.  Did you expect to meet him in
+this place?"
+
+"No--Fluellina, his mother, send him in big hurry to Oonomoo--been
+huntin' all day--jes' found us."
+
+"No trouble, I trust?"
+
+"Tell in de mornin'--mus' walk fas' now--don't talk much--git to
+settlement quick as can.  Take gal's hand--lead her fast."
+
+The soldier knew there must be cause for this haste of his friend, and
+acting upon the hint which he had given him to ask no further
+questions, he took the hand of Miss Prescott, and the party moved
+forward at a rapid walk.  Little did he suspect the true cause of the
+Huron's silence.  Knowing the solicitations that would be made by the
+soldier and the girl for him to leave them at once and attend to the
+safety of his wife, the noble Indian refrained from imparting the
+truth.  It was his intention to conduct his friends as far as possible
+during the night, that they might be beyond all danger, when,
+accompanied by his son, he would make all haste to his Fluellina, and
+carry her to some place beyond the reach of his inhuman foes.
+
+For fully eight hours, the little party hurried through the woods.
+Miss Prescott bore the fatigue much better than she expected.  Being
+strong, healthy, and accustomed to long rambles and sports in the open
+air, and having been so long inactive in the Shawnee village, the rapid
+walk for a long time was pleasant and exhilarating to her.  It sent the
+blood bounding through her glowing frame, and there being withal the
+spice of an unseen and unknown danger to spur her on, she was fully
+able to go twice the distance, when the Huron gave the order to halt.
+
+It was broad daylight and the sun was just rising.  They were several
+miles beyond the ruins of Captain Prescott's mansion, so that the
+settlement could be easily reached in a few hours more.  Oonomoo
+brought down a turkey with his rifle, dressed it, and had a fire
+burning with which to cook it.  This was accomplished in a short time
+under his skillful manipulations, and a hearty meal afforded to every
+one of the little company.  Lieutenant Canfield noticed that neither
+the Huron nor his son ate more than a mouthful or two, and he was now
+satisfied that the news brought by the latter was bad and
+disheartening.  He refrained, however, from referring to the subject
+again, well knowing that the Indian would tell him all that he thought
+proper, when the time arrived.
+
+They had just completed their meal, when Niniotan and Oonomoo started,
+raising their heads, as if something had caught their ears.  Listening
+a moment, the latter said:
+
+"Somebody comin'."
+
+"Hebens, golly! am it Injines?" asked Cato, looking around for some
+good place to hide.  The eyes of the soldier and Miss Prescott asked
+the same question, and the Huron replied:
+
+"Ain't Injins--walk too heavy--white men."
+
+"They must be friends then," exclaimed the girl, springing up and
+clapping her hands.
+
+"Dey're comin'--hear 'em."
+
+The dull tramp, tramp of men walking in regular file was distinctly
+audible to all, and while they listened, a clear, musical voice called
+out:
+
+"This way, boys, we've a long tramp before we reach that infernal
+Indian town."
+
+"Your father, as I live!" whispered the soldier to the girl beside him.
+The next moment, the blue uniform of an officer of the Federal army was
+distinguished through the trees, and the manly form of Captain
+Prescott, at the head of a file of a dozen men, came into full view.
+
+"Hello! what have we here?" he asked, suddenly stopping and looking at
+the company before him.  "Why there's Lieutenant Canfield as sure as I
+am alive, and if that ain't my dear little daughter yonder, I hope I
+may never lift my sword for Mad Anthony again.  And there's Oonomoo,
+the best red-man that ever pulled the trigger of a rifle, with a little
+pocket edition of himself, and grinning Cato too!  Why don't you come
+to the arms of your father, sis, and let him hug you?"
+
+This unexpected meeting with his loved daughter, when his worst fears
+were aroused for her safety, caused the revulsion of feeling in Captain
+Prescott, and his pleasantry is perhaps excusable when all the
+circumstances are considered.  The tears of joy coursed down the
+gray-headed soldier's cheeks as he pressed his cherished daughter to
+his bosom, and murmured, "God bless you!  God bless you!" while the
+hardy soldiers ranged behind him smiled, and several rubbed their eyes
+as if dust had gotten in them.
+
+"Is mother and sister well?" asked the daughter, looking up in her
+father's face.
+
+"Yes, well, but anxious enough about you."
+
+"Our house and place is destroyed forever."
+
+"Who cares, sis?  Who cares?  Haven't I you left?  Don't mention it."
+
+"But the servants!  All were killed except poor Cato there."
+
+"Ah! that is bad! that is bad!  I mourn them, poor fellows! poor
+fellows!  But I have my own darling child left! my own darling child!"
+and the overjoyed father again pressed his daughter to him.
+
+"But what am I about?" he suddenly asked, with a surprised look.  "I
+haven't spoken to the others here.  Lieutenant, allow me to
+congratulate you, sir, on this happy state of affairs.  I congratulate
+you, sir."
+
+Captain Prescott had a way of repeating his remarks, while his radiant
+face was all aglow with his hearty good-humor, that was irresistibly
+contagious in itself.  His jovial kindness won every heart, and he was
+almost idolized by his men.
+
+"A happy turn, indeed; but, Captain, I am somewhat surprised to see you
+here," said Lieutenant Canfield as he grasped the offered hand.
+
+"Ah! yes, I haven't explained that yet; but the fact is, Lieutenant,
+you hadn't been gone two hours--not two hours--when the General told me
+I was to take charge of the garrison at the settlement, where my wife
+and daughter now are.  I wasn't sorry to hear that--not sorry to hear
+that, and as you were to be Lieutenant, I didn't think it would be
+unpleasant to you either to be located so near our family--not
+unpleasant at all, eh, Lieutenant?"
+
+"Nothing, certainly, could be more agreeable to me," replied the
+gallant young fellow, blushing deeply at the looks which were turned
+upon him.
+
+"Glad to hear it! glad to hear it!  Well, sir, I started right
+off--right straight off, and tried my best to overtake you, but, bless
+me, I might as well have tried to run away from my own shadow, as to
+catch up with a young chap when he is in love.  I got to the settlement
+yesterday, toward night, and the first thing I heard was that my house
+had been burned, and my sweet little darling Mary there, either killed
+or carried off a prisoner.  I felt bad about that," added the Captain,
+wiping his eyes with his handkerchief, but smiling all the while, "yes,
+I won't deny I felt a little bad about that.  They had all seen the
+light from the settlement, and knowing the direction of my house, were
+pretty sure it was that.  But, to be certain, one of the men came out
+here yesterday, and found there was no mistake about it.  But the
+queerest part of the matter was, that all the people, the garrison
+especially, appeared to feel bad about it too--actually felt bad about
+it.  And when I asked for volunteers, they all sprung forward and
+insisted that they would go--insisted that they would go.  I picked out
+those twelve there--because they had all been in Indian fights and
+understood the country through which we would be compelled to go.  They
+are all good fellows, and perfect phenomena, if you may believe all
+they say--perfect phenomena.  You see that chap there, with the big
+mouth and crossed eyes.  Well, sir, he informs me that he has dined off
+a live Indian every morning for the last seventeen years, and is
+certain that he should pine away and die, if he should be deprived of
+his usual meal.  You see he is pretty nearly an Indian himself.  His
+hair is black as a savage's, and if he goes a few months longer without
+washing, he will have the war-paint all over his face.  That one
+standing beside him, with a nose like a hickory knot and with feet like
+flat-boats, calls himself 'half horse, half alligator, tipped with a
+wild-cat and touched with a painter.'  The rest are about the same, so
+that I have a good mind to march right into the Indian country on a
+campaign against the whole set that have been in this business--the
+whole set that have been in this business."
+
+The pleasant humor with which this sarcasm was uttered, made every man
+laugh and respect their commander the more.  They saw that while he
+rather disliked the extravagant boasting in which several of them had
+indulged, he still had great confidence in their skill and courage, as
+was shown by his selection of them for this perilous enterprise.
+
+"They are the right stuff," added the Captain.  "They ain't used to the
+drill, but they will soon understand that.  I had some trouble to keep
+them in line in the woods, as they couldn't exactly see the use, but
+they were doing first rate, when we came upon you--doing first rate.
+But, I declare, I haven't spoken to Oonomoo, there, I dare say he is at
+the bottom of this rescue.  He generally is--generally is."
+
+Stepping forward in front of the Huron, who with his son had stood
+silent and gloomy, he said, as he grasped his hand:
+
+"Oonomoo, receive the thanks of a delighted father for your kindness to
+his daughter.  Your repeated services have won you the gratitude of
+hundreds----"
+
+"Cap'n," said the Huron, speaking quickly and earnestly, "the Shawnees
+have found de lodge ob Oonomoo--his wife runnin' trough de woods--de
+Shawnees chasin' her--Oonomoo must go."
+
+"God bless me!  God bless me!" exclaimed Captain Prescott; "and here
+the noble-hearted fellow has been waiting a half-hour without saying a
+word, while my infernal tongue has been going all the time; that tongue
+will be the death of me yet.  Your wife is in danger, eh?  The ----
+Shawnees at their deviltry again here.  See here, men," said he,
+turning around, "Oonomoo's wife is in danger, and are we going to help
+her out or not, eh?  I want to know that.  Are we going to stand by and
+let him do it alone, when for twenty years he has worked night and day
+for us?"
+
+"NO!" responded every voice, in thunder tones.
+
+"I say, Captain, if I ain't counted in this muss, I'll never smile
+agin.  Freeze me to death on a stump, if I won't walk into their
+meat-houses in style, then my name ain't Tom Lannoch."
+
+"Jes' place me whar tha'll be some heads to crack, with gougin' and
+punchin' thrown in, and then count me in."
+
+"And hyer's Dick Smaddock, what----"
+
+"Order!" roared the Captain; "I'll arrange matters without any gabbing
+from you.  We are losing time.  As we are pretty near the settlement,
+and as there can be no danger between us and that, we will let the
+Lieutenant take my daughter home, while we go with Oonomoo to shoot
+Shawnees."
+
+"I must protest against that," said Lieutenant Canfield.  "If I thought
+there could possibly be any danger to Miss Mary, I would not think of
+deserting her; but surely there cannot be.  I, therefore, propose that
+Cato act as her guide, while all of us go to assist Oonomoo.  I could
+never forgive myself if I failed to requite the faithful Huron, in such
+a small degree, when the opportunity is given."
+
+The suggestion of the young soldier received the enthusiastic support
+of all; but, Captain Prescott, who could not bear the thought that his
+daughter should be placed in the least peril, selected one of his men,
+a bronzed border-ranger, who, accompanied by Cato, started at once for
+the settlement with her, which (we may as well remark here) was safely
+reached by them a few hours later.
+
+"The matter is all arranged then," said Captain Prescott, when he had
+selected the man who was to take charge of his daughter.  "We are now
+ready to follow you, Oonomoo."
+
+"Come quick, den--Oonomoo can't wait--leave his trail--all see it."
+
+As the Huron spoke, his son bounded off in the woods and dashed away
+like an arrow, while he followed him with such astonishing speed, that
+he almost instantly disappeared from sight.
+
+"God bless me! that's an original way of guiding us!" exclaimed the
+Captain, taken aback by the unexpected disappearance of the Indian.
+
+"The danger that threatens his wife is so imminent that he dare not
+wait for our tardy movements," said Lieutenant Canfield.  "He will
+leave a trail that your men can follow without the least difficulty,
+and, I trust, we may come up in time to prevent anything serious
+occurring to him and her.  His son joined him last night and brought
+the news of his misfortune to him, but the noble fellow, although his
+heart must have nearly burst within him, would not leave us until he
+was assured of your daughter's safety."
+
+"Noble chap! noble chap! he must be paid for such devotion.  Come, my
+boys, let us lose no time.  As you all understand the woods better than
+I do, I must select one of you to walk beside me and keep the trail in
+sight, while the rest of you must remember and not fall out of line.
+If a tree should stand in the way, just step around it, but don't lose
+the step.  There's nothing like discipline--nothing like discipline."
+
+The guide was selected, who took his station beside Captain Prescott,
+and the word was given and away they started in the wake of the flying
+Huron.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+CONCLUSION.
+
+
+    I leave the Huron shore
+    For emptier groves below!
+    Ye charming solitudes,
+    Ye tall ascending woods,
+  Ye glassy lakes and prattling streams.
+    Whose aspect still was sweet,
+    Whether the sun did greet,
+  Or the pale moon embrace you with her beams--
+        Adieu to all!
+    Adieu, the mountain's lofty swell,
+    Adieu, thou little verdant hill,
+  And seas, and stars, and skies, farewell!--P. FRENAU.
+
+
+Away started Niniotan like a fawn, his father following at a rate that
+kept both within a few feet of each other.  The densest portions of the
+wood seemed to offer them no impediments, as they glided like rabbits
+through them.  The boy trailed a rifle in his right hand with as much
+ease and grace as a full-grown warrior, and the speed which he kept up,
+mile after mile, seemed to have as little effect upon him as upon the
+indurated frame of his father.  The step of neither lagged, and their
+respiration was hardly quickened.  The dark eyes of Niniotan appeared
+larger, as if expanded with terror, and looked as if they were fixed
+upon some point, many leagues away in the horizon.  The habitual gloomy
+expression rested upon the face of Oonomoo, and it needed no skillful
+physiognomist to read the signs of an unusual emotion upon his swarthy
+countenance.  It was seen in the dark scowl, the glittering eye, and
+the compressed lip, although he spoke not a word until they had
+penetrated far into the forest.
+
+In something less than an hour, the swamp, in the interior of which was
+the Huron's lodge, was reached; but instead of taking the usual route
+to it, Niniotan diverged to the left, until they reached a portion of
+the creek that was less swampy in its character.  Running along its
+bank a few moments, the boy came upon a canoe, which he shoved into the
+water, and, springing into it, took his seat in front.  Oonomoo was
+scarce a second behind him.  The son pointed down-stream, and, dipping
+deep the paddle, the Huron sent the frail vessel forward at a velocity
+that was truly wonderful.  A half-mile at this rate, and a tributary of
+the creek--a brook, merely--was reached, up which the canoe shot with
+such speed, that a few minutes later it ran almost its entire length
+where the water was no more than an inch in depth.  Springing ashore,
+Niniotan darted off, closely followed by his father, until they reached
+a portion of the wood so dense that they paused.
+
+"Here was left Fluellina," said the boy, looking around at Oonomoo.
+The latter uttered his usual signal, a tremulous, thrilling whistle,
+similar to that by which he had made himself known to his child before,
+but he received no response.  Three times it was repeated with a
+considerable rest, when, like the faint echo far in the distance, came
+back the response.  The Huron was about to plunge into the thicket,
+when a sound caught his ear, and the next moment his wife was before
+him.  Neither spoke a word, until they had stood a few seconds in a
+fervent embrace, when Fluellina stepped back, and looking up in her
+husband's face, said: "The Shawnees have found our home and are now
+following me."
+
+The husband became the warrior on the instant.  His woodcraft told him
+that if his foes were searching for him and his, they would be in such
+force that he could not hope to combat with them; and the only plan,
+therefore, that offered him any safety was to fall back and meet his
+white friends at the earliest possible moment.  In reaching the creek,
+he had bent down the bushes, and broken the branches on the way so that
+his trail could be followed without difficulty.
+
+He now sped back to his canoe, which, when reached, he shoved into deep
+water, and ran a considerable distance before he deemed it best to
+enter.  Lifting Fluellina in his arms, he deposited her carefully in
+it.  Niniotan leaped after her, and the next moment they were going
+down the stream at a speed that seemed would tear the boat asunder
+every moment.  Debouching into the creek, the canoe rounded gracefully
+and went upward with undiminished velocity, until, in almost an
+incredible space, the point of embarkation was reached, when Oonomoo
+ran in and sprung ashore, followed instantly by his wife and son.
+
+The Huron had scarcely landed, when his quick ear detected a suspicious
+sound.  He glanced furtively around.  Nothing, however, was seen,
+although his apprehensions of the proximity of his foes had assumed a
+certainty.  Without pausing in the least, he instantly took the back
+trail, Fluellina being close behind him, and Niniotan bringing up the
+rear.  They had gone scarce a dozen steps when the Shawnee war-whoop
+was heard, and full a score of the red demons sprung up seemingly from
+the very ground, and plunged toward the fugitives.  Simultaneously
+several rifles were discharged, and Oonomoo, who had thrown himself in
+the rear of Fluellina upon the appearance of danger, knew by the sharp,
+needle-like twinges in different parts of his body, that he was
+severely wounded.  Flight was useless, and as he and his wife took
+shelter behind separate trees, he called to his son: "Niniotan, prove
+yourself a warrior, the son of Oonomoo, the Huron!"
+
+As quick as lightning, the youth was also sheltered, and his gun
+discharged.  A death-shriek from a howling Shawnee showed that the
+training of Oonomoo had not been thrown away.  The boy reloaded and
+waited his opportunity.
+
+The Shawnees, seeing they had driven their foe to the wall at last,
+prudently halted, as they were in no hurry to engage such a terrible
+being in a hand-to-hand contest, overwhelming as were their own odds.
+The Huron wisely held his fire, believing he could keep his enemies at
+bay much better by such means than by discharging it.  The great point
+with him was to defer the attack until the arrival of assistance, and
+he had strong hopes that he could succeed in doing it.
+
+Not Oonomoo's personal fear, but his excessive anxiety for the safety
+of Fluellina, induced him now to adopt a resort that was fatal in its
+consequences.  Knowing that Captain Prescott and his men could be at no
+great distance, he gave utterance to a loud, prolonged whoop, which he
+knew some of the rangers would recognize as a call for assistance, and
+consequently hasten to his aid.  Unfortunately, the Shawnees also
+understood the meaning of the signal, and satisfied that not a moment
+was to be lost, they boldly left their cover and advanced to the attack.
+
+The foremost of the approaching savages fell, shot through the heart by
+the rifle of young Niniotan, and almost at the same instant the one by
+his side had the ball of Oonomoo's rifle sent crashing through his
+brain.  The Huron now sprung to the side of his wife, and drawing his
+knife in his left, and his tomahawk in his right hand, he stood at bay!
+
+It was a scene worthy the inspired pencil of the artist.  The
+malignant, scowling Shawnees, steadily advancing upon the dauntless
+Huron, who, though his moccasins were soaked with the blood from his
+own wounds, stood as firm and immovable as the adamantine rock.  His
+left leg was thrown somewhat in advance of his right, as if he were
+about to spring, but in such a manner that his weight was perfectly
+balanced.  The knife was held firmly, but not as it would have been
+were he about to strike.  The tomahawk, however, was drawn back, as if
+he were only holding it a second, while he selected his victim.  His
+eyes! no imagination can conceive their fierce electric glitter as
+their burning gaze was fixed upon his merciless enemies.  Black as
+midnight, they seemed to emit palpable rays, that shot through the air
+with an irresistibly penetrating power, and not once was their awful
+power eclipsed for an instant by the closing of the eyelid.
+
+Onward came the exultant Shawnees.  There was no checking them, and
+throwing all his mighty strength in his right arm, Oonomoo hurled his
+tomahawk like a thunderbolt among them.  Striking an Indian fair
+between the eyes, it clove his skull as if it had been wax; and
+striking another on the shoulder, cut through the flesh and bone as if
+they were but the green leaves of the trees above, Fluellina sunk down
+by the feet of her husband in prayer, while he, changing his knife to
+his right hand, waited the shock of the coming avalanche!  So terrible
+did the exasperated Huron appear, that the entire party of Shawnees
+paused out of sheer horror of closing in with him.  Wounded and
+bleeding as he was, they knew that he would carry many of their number
+to the earth, before his defiant spirit could be driven out of him.
+And at scarcely a dozen feet distant, the craven, cowardly wretches
+poured a volley from their rifles upon both him and the kneeling woman
+beside him.
+
+[Illustration: So terrible did the exasperated Huron appear, that the
+entire party of Shawnees paused out of sheer horror.]
+
+Oonomoo did not leap or yell; but with his eyes still fixed upon his
+enemies, and his knife still firmly clutched in his hand, commenced
+slowly sinking backward to the earth.  The Shawnees saw it, and one of
+them sprung forward, as if to claim his scalp, but he fell howling to
+the ground, prostrated by a ball from the undaunted Niniotan who still
+maintained his place behind his tree.  His companions were in the act
+of moving forward, to avenge the deaths of hundreds of their comrades,
+when the tramp of approaching men was heard, and a clear voice rung
+out: "This way, boys!  I see the infernal copper-heads through the
+trees.  Make ready, take aim--God bless me! you fired before the orders
+were given."
+
+At the first glimpse of the Shawnees, huddled together in a rushing
+body, every one of the border men discharged his piece, without waiting
+for the command, right in among them.  The destruction was fearful and
+the panic complete.  Numbers came to the ground, writhing, dying and
+dead, while the survivors scattered howling to the woods, and were seen
+no more.
+
+Shortly after Captain Prescott and Lieutenant Canfield had started with
+their men on the trail of Oonomoo, they came upon an elderly man in the
+forest who was hunting.  He proved to be Eckman, the Moravian
+missionary, who had brought up and educated Fluellina, the wife of
+Oonomoo, and to whom she made her stated visits for religious counsel
+and encouragement.  Upon learning the object of the party, he at once
+joined them, as he felt a fatherly affection for the Huron warrior.
+Being a skillful backwoodsman, he acted as guide to the men,
+proceeding, in spite of his years, at a rate which cost them
+considerable effort to equal.  They had not gone a great distance, when
+the shout of Oonomoo was heard, and the missionary understood its
+significance.  Bounding forward, the men came upon the Shawnees at a
+full run, Captain Prescott panting and still at their head, vainly
+endeavoring to keep them in line and to make them aim and fire
+together.  The missionary and Lieutenant Canfield took in the state of
+affairs at once.  Niniotan was unhurt, and now came forward, his face
+as rigid as marble.  Swelled to nearly bursting as was his heart, he
+endeavored to obey the instructions of his father, and show himself a
+warrior, by concealing his emotion to those around him.  The man of God
+instantly ran to the prostrate Huron and his wife, the latter managing
+to maintain a sitting position with great difficulty.  He saw both were
+mortally wounded and would soon die.  Oonomoo lay flat upon his back,
+breathing heavily, while the copious pools of blood around him showed
+how numerous and severe were his wounds.  Lieutenant Canfield lifted
+his head, while the missionary supported Fluellina.  The latter opened
+her languid eyes, which instantly brightened as she recognized her
+noble friend, and said in a low, sweet voice, speaking English
+perfectly: "I am glad you have come, father.  Oonomoo and Fluellina are
+dying.  We want you to smooth the way for us to the Bright Land."
+
+"The way is already smoothed, my child, so that your feet can tread it.
+Can I do anything to relieve your pain?"
+
+"No; my body suffers, but my heart is on fire with joy.  Please attend
+to Oonomoo," said Fluellina, looking toward him.
+
+The Huron was so close to his wife, that by taking a position between
+them, the missionary was enabled to support both.  Raising their heads
+with the assistance of Lieutenant Canfield and Captain Prescott, he
+laid them upon his lap in close proximity to each other.  The men stood
+silent and affected witnesses of the scene.  Brushing the luxuriant
+hair from the face of the dying Indian, the preacher said:
+
+"Oonomoo, is there anything I can do for you?"
+
+"Where be Niniotan?"
+
+"Here," responded the boy, approaching him.
+
+"Stand where you be, and see a Christian warrior die," he commanded, in
+his native tongue.  "Where is Fluellina's hand?"
+
+The affectionate wife heard the inquiry, and instantly closed her hand
+in his.  He held it, in loving embrace.  The missionary spread a
+blanket over the body and limbs of the Huron, so as to hide his
+frightful wounds from sight.  A single stream, tiny, crimson and
+glistening, wound down from the shoulder of Fluellina, over her bare
+arm, to her waist, where it fell in rapid drops to the leaves below.
+No one of her wounds were visible, although it was evident that
+dissolution was proceeding rapidly with her.
+
+The minister, at this point, noticed that the lips of Oonomoo were
+moving.  Thinking he had some request to make, he leaned forward and
+listened.  His soul was thrilled with holy joy when he heard
+unmistakably the words of supplication.  Oonomoo was addressing the
+Great Spirit of the world, not as a craven does, at the last moment,
+when overtaken by death, but as he had often done before, with the
+assurance that his prayer was heard.  With a simplicity as touching as
+it was earnest, he spoke aloud his forgiveness of the Shawnees, saying
+that he wished not their scalps, and had not taken any for several
+years, not since the Great Spirit had sent a wonderful light in his
+soul.  For a moment more he was silent, and then opening his eyes,
+uttered the name of Niniotan.
+
+"I am here before you!" replied the boy.
+
+"Niniotan, be a Huron warrior; be as Oonomoo has been; never take the
+scalp of a foe, and kill none except in honorable warfare; live and die
+a Christian."
+
+As was his custom, when addressing his wife or boy, this exhortation
+was given in his own tongue, so that the missionary was the only one
+beside them who understood it.  Languidly shutting his eyes again,
+Oonomoo said: "Read out of Good Book."
+
+The good man was pained beyond description to find that the
+pocket-Bible, which he always carried with him, had been lost during
+his hurried approach to this spot.  But Fluellina, who had caught the
+words, said: "It is in my bosom."
+
+The missionary reached down and drew it forth, and, as he did so, all
+the men noticed the red stains upon it, while he himself felt the warm,
+fresh blood upon his hand.  Instinctively he opened the volume at the
+fifteenth chapter of Corinthians, that beautiful letter of the
+Apostle's, in which the triumphant and glorious resurrection of the
+body at the last day is pictured in the sublime language of inspiration:
+
+"'As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the
+heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
+
+"'And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the
+image of the heavenly.
+
+"'Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
+kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
+
+"'Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall
+all be changed.
+
+"'In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
+trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
+shall be changed.
+
+"'For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must
+put on immortality.
+
+"'So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this
+mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
+saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
+
+"'Oh death, where is thy sting?  Oh grave, where is thy victory?--'"
+
+The hands of Oonomoo and Fluellina, which had still remained clasped
+upon the lap of the missionary, suddenly closed with incredible force,
+and rising to the sitting position, as if assisted by an invisible arm,
+they both opened their eyes to their widest extent, and fixing them for
+a moment upon the clear sky above, sunk slowly and quietly back, dead!
+A profound stillness reigned for several minutes after it was certain
+the spirits of Oonomoo and Fluellina had departed.  Gently removing
+their heads from his lap to the ground, the missionary arose, and in so
+doing, broke the spell that was resting upon all.  Niniotan stood like
+a statue, his arms folded and his stony gaze fixed upon the senseless
+forms of his parents.  Placing his hand upon his head, the man of God
+addressed him in the tones of a father:
+
+"Let Niniotan heed the words of Oonomoo; let him grow up a Christian
+warrior, and when his spirit leaves this world, it will join his and
+Fluellina's in the happy hunting-grounds in the sky.  Niniotan, I offer
+you a home at our mission-house so long as you choose to remain.  Your
+mother was brought to me when an infant, and I have educated her in the
+fear of God.  Will you go with me?"  The boy replied in his native
+dialect: "Niniotan will never forget the words of Oonomoo.  His heart
+is warm toward the kind father of Fluellina, and he will never forget
+him.  The woods are the home of Niniotan, the green earth is his bed
+and the blue sky is his blanket.  Niniotan goes to them."
+
+[Illustration: Niniotan stood like a statue, his arms folded and his
+stony gaze fixed upon the senseless forms of his parents.]
+
+Turning his back upon his white friends, the young warrior walked away
+and soon disappeared from sight in the arches of the forest.  [He kept
+his word, living a life of usefulness as had Oonomoo, being the
+unswerving friend of the whites all through Tecumseh's war, and dying
+less than ten years since in the Indian Territory beyond the
+Mississippi, loved and respected by the whites as well as by all of his
+own kindred.]
+
+"Friends," said the missionary, "you have witnessed a scene which I
+trust will not be lost upon you.  Live and die in the simple faith of
+this untutored Indian and all will be well."
+
+"Captain," added the speaker, addressing Captain Prescott, "he has been
+a true friend to our race for years, and we must do him what kindness
+we can.  If we leave these bodies here, the Shawnees will return and
+mutilate them--"
+
+"God bless me! it shan't be done! it shan't be done!  Form a litter,
+boys, form a litter, and place them on it.  We'll bury them at the
+settlement, and build them a monument a thousand feet high--yes,
+sir--every inch of it."
+
+A few minutes later, the party, bearing among them the bodies of
+Oonomoo and Fluellina, set out for the settlement, which was reached
+just as the sun was disappearing in the west.  The lifeless forms were
+placed in the block-house for the night.  The next morning a large and
+deep grave was dug in a cool grove just back of the village, into which
+the two bodies, suitably inclosed, were lowered.  The last rites were
+performed by the good missionary, and as the sods fell upon the
+coffins, there was not a dry eye in the numerous assembly.
+
+The avowal of Captain Prescott that the faithful Huron should have a
+monument erected to his memory, was something more than the impulse of
+the moment.  Knowing the affection with which he was regarded by the
+settlers all along the frontier, he took pains to spread the
+particulars of his death, and to invite contributions for the purpose
+mentioned.  The response was far more liberal than he had, dared to
+hope, and showed the vast services of Oonomoo during his life--services
+of which none but the recipients knew anything.
+
+At this time, there was a band of border rangers in existence, known as
+the _Riflemen of the Miami_.  Oonomoo had often acted as their guide,
+and these were the first that were heard from.  Lewis Dernor, their
+leader, visited the settlement on purpose to learn the facts regarding
+his death, and to bring the gifts of himself and companions.  Then
+there was Stanton and Ferrington, and scores of others, who continued
+to pour in their contributions through the summer, until Captain
+Prescott possessed the means of erecting as magnificent a monument as
+his heart could wish.
+
+In the autumn, affairs on the frontier became so quiet and settled that
+the Captain was able to visit the East, where he gave orders for the
+marble monument, which it was promised should be sent down the river
+the next spring.  Upon the return of Captain Prescott, the wedding of
+his daughter and Lieutenant Canfield took place, and they settled down
+in the village.  The Captain did not venture again to erect his house
+in so exposed a situation, until the advancing tide of civilization
+made it a matter of safety.  A handsome edifice then rose from the
+ruins of his first residence.  General peace dawning upon the border,
+he removed his family to it, and turned farmer.  His possessions
+continually increased in value until a few years after the commencement
+of the present century, and when he died, there were few wealthier men
+in the West.
+
+During the war of 1812, Lieutenant Canfield was promoted to a
+Captaincy, and served under General Harrison until all hostilities had
+ceased.  He then retired with his family to private life, taking his
+abode upon the farm which had been left him by his father-in-law, where
+he resided until 1843, when he followed the partner of his joys and
+sorrows--the once captive of the Shawnees--to his last, long home.
+
+As the traveler passes down the Ohio river on one of its many steamers,
+his attention perhaps is attracted to a beautiful grove of oaks,
+willows and sycamores a short distance from the shore, beneath whose
+arches a tall, white marble obelisk may be discerned with some
+inscription and design upon it.  Approaching it more closely, there is
+seen engraved on the front, the figure of the Holy Bible, open, with a
+hand beneath pointing upward.  Below this, are cut the simple words:
+
+      OONOMOO,
+
+  THE FRIEND OF THE WHITE MAN.
+
+
+
+***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OONOMOO THE HURON***
+
+
+******* This file should be named 16869-8.txt or 16869-8.zip *******
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+<h1 align="center">The Project Gutenberg eBook, Oonomoo the Huron, by Edward S. Ellis</h1>
+<pre>
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at <a href = "https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre>
+<p>Title: Oonomoo the Huron</p>
+<p>Author: Edward S. Ellis</p>
+<p>Release Date: October 14, 2005  [eBook #16869]</p>
+<p>Language: English</p>
+<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p>
+<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OONOMOO THE HURON***</p>
+<br><br><center><h3>E-text prepared by Al Haines</h3></center><br><br>
+<hr class="full" noshade>
+<br>
+<br>
+<br>
+<br>
+<H1 ALIGN="center">
+OONOMOO
+</H1>
+
+<H2 ALIGN="center">
+THE HURON
+</H2>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<H4 ALIGN="center">
+BY
+</H4>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+EDWARD S. ELLIS
+</H3>
+
+<BR><BR>
+
+<h4 align="center">
+AUTHOR OF "THE TRAIL-HUNTER," "HUNTER'S CABIN," ETC.
+</h4>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<H5 ALIGN="center">
+NEW YORK
+<BR><BR>
+HURST &amp; COMPANY
+<BR><BR>
+PUBLISHERS
+</H5>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<H5 ALIGN="center">
+COPYRIGHT, 1911,
+<BR><BR>
+BY
+<BR><BR>
+HURST &amp; COMPANY.
+</H5>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<H2 ALIGN="center">
+CONTENTS.
+</H2>
+
+<BR>
+
+<CENTER>
+
+<TABLE WIDTH="80%">
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">CHAPTER</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">&nbsp;</TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">I.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap01">Hans Vanderbum</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">II.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap02">Other Characters</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">III.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap03">Oonomoo and the Shawnees</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">IV.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap04">The Young Lieutenant and Cato</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">V.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap05">The Home of the Huron</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">VI.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap06">Adventures on the Way</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">VII.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap07">The Plan for the Rescue</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">VIII.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap08">The Exploit of Hans Vanderbum</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">IX.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap09">A New Danger</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+<TR>
+<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">X.&nbsp;&nbsp;</TD>
+<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top">
+<A HREF="#chap10">Conclusion</A></TD>
+</TR>
+
+</TABLE>
+
+</CENTER>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<H2 ALIGN="center">
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
+</H2>
+
+<H3>
+<A HREF="#img-015">
+"Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, ain't you got dat cooked?"
+</A>
+</H3>
+
+<H3>
+<A HREF="#img-045">
+A girl, fifteen or sixteen years of age, seated on the ground, beside a
+squaw.
+</A>
+</H3>
+
+<H3>
+<A HREF="#img-061">
+Mary Prescott.
+</A>
+</H3>
+
+<H3>
+<A HREF="#img-085">
+"If you don't want to be killed, get up," said the young officer.
+</A>
+</H3>
+
+<H3>
+<A HREF="#img-115">
+"Niniotan, my son, is late."
+</A>
+</H3>
+
+<H3>
+<A HREF="#img-137">
+"You have saved me, and I want to grasp your hand for it."
+</A>
+</H3>
+
+<H3>
+<A HREF="#img-159">
+But Oonomoo and the Miami had whipped out their knives.
+</A>
+</H3>
+
+<H3>
+<A HREF="#img-241">
+So terrible did the exasperated Huron appear, that the entire party of
+Shawnees paused out of sheer horror.
+</A>
+</H3>
+
+<H3>
+<A HREF="#img-249">
+Niniotan stood like a statue, his arms folded and his stony gaze fixed
+upon the senseless forms of his parents.
+</A>
+</H3>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap01"></A>
+<H1 ALIGN="center">
+OONOMOO, THE HURON.
+</H1>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER I.
+</H3>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+HANS VANDERBUM.
+</H3>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P CLASS="poem">
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The mountain's sides<BR>
+Are flecked with gleams of light and spots of shade;<BR>
+Here, golden sunshine spreads in mellow rays, and there,<BR>
+Stretching across its hoary breast, deep shadows lurk.<BR>
+A stream, with many a turn, now lost to sight,<BR>
+And then, again revealed, winds through the vale,<BR>
+Shimmering in the early morning sun.<BR>
+A few white clouds float in the blue expanse,<BR>
+Their forms revealed in the clear lake beneath,<BR>
+Which bears upon its breast a bark canoe,<BR>
+Cautiously guided by a sinewy arm.<BR>
+High in the heavens, three eagles proudly poise,<BR>
+Keeping their mountain eyrie still in view,<BR>
+Although their flight has borne them far away.<BR>
+Upon the cliff which beetles o'er the pool,<BR>
+Two Indians, peering from the brink, appear,<BR>
+Clad in the gaudy dress their nature craves&mdash;<BR>
+Robes of bright blue and scarlet, but which blend<BR>
+In happy union with the landscape round.<BR>
+Near by a wigwam stands&mdash;a fire within<BR>
+Sends out a ruddy glow&mdash;and from its roof,<BR>
+Cone-shaped, a spiral wreath of smoke ascends.<BR>
+Not far away, though deeper in the woods,<BR>
+Another hut, with red-men grouped about,<BR>
+Attracts the eye, and wakens saddened thoughts<BR>
+Of that brave race who once were masters here,<BR>
+But now, like autumn leaves, are dying out.&mdash;BARRY GRAY.
+</P>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P>
+"Shtop dat noise! shtop dat noise!" vociferated Hans Vanderbum, growing
+red in the face with fury, because his repeated commands had received
+so little attention.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The scene was deep in the forests of Ohio, a short distance from the
+Miami river.  An Indian town of twenty-five or thirty lodges here
+stood, resembling a giant apiary, with its inhabitants flitting in and
+out, darting hither and thither, like so many bees.  The time was early
+in the morning of a radiant spring, when the atmosphere was still and
+charming; the dew lingered upon the grass and undergrowth; birds were
+singing in every tree; the sky glowed with the pure blue of Italy; and
+the whole wilderness in its bloom looked like a sea of emerald.
+Everything was life and exhilaration, one personage alone
+excepted&mdash;Hans Vanderbum was unhappy!
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Indian lodges differed very little from each other, being of a
+rough, substantial character, built with an eye to comfort rather than
+beauty.  One at the extreme northern edge of the village is that with
+which our story deals.  A brief description of it will serve as a
+general daguerreotype of all those wild abodes.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The wigwam was composed of skins and bark, the latter greatly
+predominating.  The shape was that of a cone.  The framework was of
+poles, the lower ends of which were placed in a sort of circle, while
+the tops were intersected, leaving a small opening, through which the
+smoke reached the clear air above.  Unsightly and repulsive as this
+might seem from the outside view, the dwelling, nevertheless, was
+water-proof and comfortable, and abundantly answered the end for which
+it was built.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+A thin vapor was ascending in a bluish spiral at the top of the lodge
+indicated.  A Shawnee squaw was occupied in preparing the morning meal,
+while her liege lord still reclined in one corner, in the vain effort
+to secure a few minutes more of slumber.  This latter personage was
+Hans Vanderbum&mdash;our friend Hans&mdash;a huge, plethoric, stolid, lazy
+Dutchman, who had "married" an Indian widow several years before.  At
+the time of her marriage this squaw had a boy some three or four years
+of age, while a second one, the son of the Dutchman, was now just large
+enough to be as mischievous as a kitten.  They were a couple of greasy,
+copper-hued little rascals, with eyes as black as midnight, and long,
+wiry hair, like that of a horse's mane.  Brimful of animal spirits,
+they were just the reverse of Hans Vanderbum, whose laziness and
+stupidity were only excelled by his indifference to the dignity and
+rights of human nature.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Hans Vanderbum lay fiat upon his back, for the atmosphere of the wigwam
+was too warm for covering, his ponderous belly rising and falling like
+a wave of the sea, and his throat giving forth that peculiar rattling
+of the glottis, which might be mistaken for suffocation.  The boys
+certainly would have been outside, basking in the genial sunshine, had
+not their mother, Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, positively denied them
+that coveted privilege.  The commands of the father might be trampled
+upon with impunity, but the young half-breeds knew better than to
+disobey their mother.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Shtop dat noise! shtop dat noise!" repeated Hans, raising his head
+without stirring his body or limbs.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+His broad face seemed all ablaze from its fiery red color, and the
+threatening fury throned upon his lowering forehead would almost have
+annihilated him who encountered it for the first time.  As it was, the
+two boys suddenly straightened their faces, and assumed an air of meek
+penitence, as if suffering the most harrowing remorse for what they had
+done; and the father, after glaring at them a moment, as if to drive in
+and clinch the impression he had made, let his head drop back with a
+dull thump upon the ground, and again closed his eyes.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The black, snaky orbs of the boys twinkled like stars through their
+overhanging hair.  Glancing first at their mother, who did not deign to
+notice them, the eldest picked up his younger brother, who was grinning
+from ear to ear with delight, and, summoning all his strength, he
+poised him over the prostrate form of his father for a moment, and then
+dropped him!  The prolonged snore which was steadily issuing from the
+throat of the sleeping parent, terminated in a sharp, explosive grunt.
+As his eyes opened, the boys scrambled away like frogs to the opposite
+side of the lodge, under the protecting care of their mother.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dunder and blixen!  You dunderin' Dutch Indians, dishturbin' your poor
+old dad dat is wearing his life out for you!  I'll pound both of you
+till you're dead!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Hans Vanderbum's system had suffered too great a shock for further
+slumber.  He rose to the sitting position, and, digging both hands into
+his head, glared at his offspring a moment, and then began his regular
+lecture.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Quanonshet, you little Dutchman, and Madokawandock, you little bigger
+Dutchman, vot does you t'ink of yourselves?  Vot does you t'ink will
+become of you, disgracing your parents in this manner?  You oughter be
+pounded to death to treat your poor old fader in this manner, who is
+working of himself away to bring you up in the way you ought for to go.
+Eh? vot do you t'ink of yourself, eh?  Vot do you t'ink of yourself?"
+demanded Hans, furiously shaking his head toward the boys at each word.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Quanonshet and Madokawandock were too confounded for reply.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Shposing your poor old fader should go crazy!!  Here he is working
+himself to skin and bone&mdash;Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, ain't you got
+dat cooked?"
+</P>
+
+<A NAME="img-015"></A>
+<CENTER>
+<IMG SRC="images/img-015.jpg" ALT="&quot;Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, ain't you got dat cooked?&quot;]" BORDER="2" WIDTH="350" HEIGHT="546">
+<H4>
+[Illustration: "Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, ain't you got dat cooked?"]
+</H4>
+</CENTER>
+
+<P>
+"No!" screamed the wife.  "You big, lazy man, get up and stir yourself!
+You don't do anything but sleep and smoke, while <I>I'm</I> working all the
+flesh off <I>my</I> bones for you!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+These forcible remarks were made in the pure Shawnee tongue, and were
+accompanied by gesticulation too pointed and significant for Hans to
+mistake the spirit in which they were given.  Although it is the
+invariable custom among the North American Indians for the husband to
+rule the wife, and impose all burdens upon her, except those of the
+hunt, and fight, such, by no means, was the case with the present
+couple.  Hans Vanderbum's body was too unwieldy for him to accompany
+the young men (or even the old men) upon their hunting expeditions; in
+short, he contributed nothing toward the support of his interesting
+family.  The first husband of Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock had been an
+Indian, with all the characteristics of his race&mdash;indolent, selfish and
+savage; and her life with him had been that of the usual servitude and
+drudgery.  Accordingly, when she ventured a second time upon the sea of
+matrimony, she naturally fell into the same routine of labor, planting
+and cultivating what little corn, beans and vegetables were raised for
+the family, and doing all the really hard work.  Hans Vanderbum
+sometimes gathered firewood, and frequently, when the weather was
+pleasant, spent hours in fishing.  He was an inveterate smoker and
+sleeper; and, beyond doubt, was perfectly content in his situation.
+Having been taken a prisoner some years before, and adopted into this
+branch of the Shawnee tribe, he was offered the hand of
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock in marriage, and accepted it at once,
+totally forgetful of his first love, which had been the beautiful
+inmate of the Hunter's Cabin.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Hans Vanderbum sat and gazed at his wife with an admiring eye, as she
+busied herself with the preparations of the morning meal.  Hoping to
+mollify her, he commenced flattering her, speaking in a low tone as if
+it were not his wish that she should hear him, but taking good care, at
+the same time, that nothing should escape her ears.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Shplendid figger, Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock has got.  No wonder
+all te braves of te Shawnee tribe should love her, and dat Hans
+Vanderbum gots her at last.  Jis' look at <I>dat</I> foot! long and flat
+like a board, and she's de same shape all de way down from her head to
+her heels.  Ishn't dat breakfast ready, my dear wife?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The wife gave a spiteful nod, and Hans Vanderbum shambled up beside
+her, where the food, consisting of meat and a few simple vegetables,
+was spread upon a rude table which had no legs.  Quanonshet and
+Madokawandock were not behind-hand in their movements, and the whole
+four fell to with such voracity, that, in a very short time, their
+hunger was satisfied.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Now, you two fellers come out doors and learn your lessons," said the
+father, lighting his pipe, and putting on a very stern and dignified
+look.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The boys tumbled over each other in their eagerness to get into the
+open air.  Hans followed them, while Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock
+busied herself about her household duties.  Quanonshet and
+Madokawandock rollicked and frisked awhile before they were "called to
+order."  After repeated commands, they approached their father, and
+standing side by side, awaited his instructions.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Hans Vanderbum had provided himself with a long pole, and stood by a
+sandy portion of ground, upon which he had no difficulty in tracing
+what letters and characters he wished.  With due preparation and
+importance he marked out the first letter of the German alphabet, and
+then, straightening himself up, demanded in a thundering tone "vot dat
+was."  His two sons looked mute and dumbfounded.  They had not the
+remotest idea in the world of its name and significance.  For over
+three months the patient father had instructed them daily in regard to
+this character, and the two together must have repeated it several
+thousand times.  But, it mattered not; neither had any conception now
+of it, and their looks showed such unmistakably to their instructor.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dunder and blixen, vot Dutch Indians!" he exclaimed, impatiently.
+Repeating its name, he again demanded "vot dat was."  This time they
+answered readily, and his eyes sparkled with pleasure.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Shmart boys," said he, approvingly.  "You learns well, now.  One dese
+days&mdash;"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Hans Vanderbum's words were cut short by the sudden sharp explosion of
+his pipe, the bowl being shattered in a hundred pieces, while nothing
+but the stem remained in his mouth.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Where's mine pipe?" he asked, looking around in the vain hope of
+descrying it somewhere upon the ground.  Quanonshet and Madokawandock
+indulged in one short scream of laughter, then instantly straightened
+their faces and looked as meek and innocent as lambs.  Gradually the
+truth began to work its way into the head of Hans.  Looking sternly at
+the two, he asked, in a threatening voice:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Which of you put dat powder in mine meerschaum, eh? which of you done
+dat, eh?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Neither answered, except by hanging their heads and looking at their
+bare feet.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I axes you once more, and dis is de last time."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Each now protested that it was not himself but the other, so that if
+there really were but one culprit, Hans had no means of determining.
+Under the circumstances, he concluded the safest plan was to believe
+both guilty.  Accordingly he made a sudden dash and commenced whacking
+them soundly with the stick he held in his hand.  They yelled, kicked,
+and screamed; and squirming themselves loose, scampered quickly away
+from their irate instructor.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dat meerschaum can't be fixed," he soliloquized, taking the bare stem
+out of his mouth and looking sorrowfully at it.  "'Cause dere ishn't
+anything to fix it mit.  It ish wonderful what mischief gets into dem
+boys; dere ain't no time when dey ain't doin' notting what dey hadn't
+not ought to&mdash;all de times just de same way, while I toils myself to
+death to educate dem and bring 'em up in de way apout which dey ought
+to go."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock being in the habit of frequently
+indulging in the use of tobacco, her husband was not deprived entirely
+of his solace.  Going into the wigwam, he unbosomed his griefs to her,
+and she kindly loaned him her own pipe.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I hopes dere ain't no powder in dat," he remarked, glancing uneasily
+into the bowl.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Nothing but tobac," replied his spouse, in her native tongue, "unless
+you've put the powder in yourself."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dunderation, I don't does dat, and blow mine eyes out my head.  Dem
+little Dutchmen is up to all kinds of such tricks, and some dese days
+dey will blow deir poor fader's brains out of his head, and den what
+will become of dem?" feelingly inquired Hans Vanderbum.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What will become of them?" repeated Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, her
+voice rising higher and higher at each word.  "Who is it that supports
+them now and takes care of them?  Who is it that does that?  Who is
+it&mdash;"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"It's you&mdash;it's you," replied her husband, seeing the mistake he had
+made.  "I doesn't do nottings&mdash;I doesn't do nottings; it's my wife, my
+good Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, dat does it all.  She's a very nice
+squaw, de same shape all de way down."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+These concessions and compliments greatly soothed the feelings of the
+incensed spouse.  She scolded her husband no more.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What you going to do, my dear frau?" he asked, in a voice as cooing
+and winning as a dove's.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Going to work, to plant the corn, to get food for you and Quanonshet
+and Madokawandock when the snow falls."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Very kind, clever woman; good frau is mine
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What are <I>you</I> going to do?" asked the wife, as the two passed out the
+wigwam.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Going to shmoke and <I>meditate</I>&mdash;meditate <I>hard</I>," replied Hans
+Vanderbum, impressively.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Can't you think as well while you're <I>fishing</I>?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I shpose I can; if my Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock t'inks so, I can."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Well, she thinks so."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The fact that his wife "thought so" was equivalent to a command with
+Hans.  He manifested no unwillingness or reluctance in obeying.
+Accordingly, he furnished himself with a hook, line and bait, and set
+out for the river.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was now getting well along in the forenoon, the sun being above the
+tree-tops.  The Shawnee Indians had left their wigwams to engage in
+their daily avocations.  The women were mostly toiling in the field,
+their pappooses hanging from the trees or leaning against their trunks.
+The older children were frolicking through the woods, or fishing or
+hunting.  A few warriors and old men still lounged about the wigwams,
+but the majority either were engaged in the hunt, or were upon the
+war-trail.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Stolid and indifferent as was the nature of Hans, it struck him that
+there was something unusual in the appearance and actions of the
+Indians.  It seemed as though some startling event had occurred from
+which they had not fully recovered.  They were uneasy and restless in
+their movements, constantly passing to and from the river.  Upon
+reaching the banks of the latter, the Dutchman found a considerable
+number already there.  They were not engaged in fishing, but lay close
+to the edge of the water, as if they expected the appearance of
+something upon its surface.  Had he been a little more observant, there
+was something else which would have attracted his attention, on his
+passage through the woods.  Fully a dozen times a peculiar sound, like
+the whistle of a bird, reached his ears, and he supposed it to be
+nothing more, although it did seem odd to him that the bird should
+follow him almost to the river bank.  Besides this, he caught a
+flitting glimpse of an Indian now and then, some distance in the woods,
+that appeared to be watching him; but Hans did not care, even if such
+were the case, and he paid no further heed to him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Reaching the river, he made his preparations with great care and
+elaboration.  He had several hooks pendent from his line, upon each of
+which he shoved the wriggling worms, spitting upon them during the
+operation, as if to make them more tractable.  To the line also was
+fastened a pebble, to make it sink.  Swinging this several times around
+his head, he let go, when it spun far out in the river, and he
+commenced cautiously following it by means of a projecting tree-trunk.
+This latter extended a dozen feet out over the surface of the water,
+and had been used as a seat a great many times by him.  Passing out to
+the extremity, he was afforded a comfortable resting-place where he
+could sit hour after hour smoking his pipe and engage in fishing.  Had
+he noticed the large branch of the tree upon which he seated himself,
+he would have hesitated before trusting the weight of his body upon it,
+but his nature was too unsuspicious to be attracted by anything trivial
+in its appearance, and he made his way out upon it, as he had done
+scores of times before.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Ensconcing himself in his seat, he gave his whole attention to his line
+and his pipe, not noticing the interested glances which the Shawnees
+along the bank bestowed upon his operations.  After the space of a few
+minutes, he felt something pull at his line, and doing the same, he
+hauled a fine plump fish out of the water, casting it upon the land.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dat is purty goot," he mused, "and I will soon got a lot more, and my
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock will feel goot too, when I takes 'em
+home.  She won't&mdash;  Dunder and Blixen!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The limb upon which he was seated suddenly broke short off, and Hans
+dropped into the river out of sight.  But such a ponderous body as his
+could not sink, and upon coming to the surface, he paddled hurriedly to
+the shore.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dem little Dutchmen, Quanonshet and Madokawandock, will be de death of
+deir old fader afore long.  Dat is deir work.  I knows it, I knows it,
+and I will pound 'em all up when I gits home."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Looking about his person, he found that one of the hooks, catching in
+his clothes, had brought the line to shore; and, as his involuntary
+bath had not really been unpleasant, he was able to continue his labor.
+But, before going out upon the tree he examined the roots to satisfy
+himself that no further mischief had been perpetrated by his hopeful
+sons.  Feeling assured upon this point, he again passed out on the
+tree, and was soon engaged in fishing as before, totally unmindful of
+the broad grins of the delighted Shawnees who had witnessed his
+discomfiture.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The fish bit readily.  In a short time he had taken enough to insure
+him a welcome reception in his own wigwam.  He was debating with
+himself whether it would not be better to return, especially as his
+pipe had been extinguished by his immersion, when a piece of bark
+floated down toward him and caught against his line.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+There certainly was nothing remarkable in this.  After freeing it of
+the obstruction, he continued fishing.  But, scarcely a minute had
+elapsed before a second and a third piece of bark, precisely like the
+first, lodged against his line, and remained there with such
+persistency that it required considerable effort upon his part to
+remove them.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Where in dunderation did dey come from?" he asked, looking inquiringly
+about him.  His first impression was that the Shawnees along the banks
+were throwing these pieces out into the river for the purpose of
+annoying him; but, on looking toward them, he could discover nothing in
+their appearance to warrant such a supposition.  He turned elsewhere
+for the cause.  Resuming his attention to his line, he found several
+other pieces passing beneath him, and he began now to feel really
+provoked at this repeated annoyance.  He was about to break out into
+some exclamation, when the appearance of these floating objects
+arrested his attention.  A glance showed him there was something meant
+more than mere mischief.  The pieces of bark were of a peculiar
+construction, roughly cut into the shape of an Indian canoe, showing
+unmistakably that they were sent down the stream for the purpose of
+arresting his notice.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dat means something," exclaimed Hans, decidedly, "and I must find out
+what it is."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+By simply looking up-stream, he could discern this fleet of miniature
+boats coming down toward him in a straight line.  In the clear sunlight
+they were visible for a great distance, and it was no difficult matter
+to determine their starting point.  Some two hundred yards above,
+another tree projected out over the water very much the same as that
+upon which Hans was seated, so similar in fact that he had often used
+it for the same purpose.  As the line of the pieces of bark pointed
+directly toward these, there was but little doubt that here they were
+launched upon the water.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"It can't be dat Quanonshet and Madokawandock is dere," mused Hans
+Vanderbum, "for to try to worry deir poor old fader.  Dey're too big
+Dutchmen to build such boats, and dey wouldn't know how to make 'em
+float under me if dey did.  No; dere's somebody out on dat tree, and
+he's doing it to make me look up at him.  I'm looking but I can't see
+notting."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+He shaded his eyes as he spoke, and looked long and searchingly at the
+tree, but for a considerable time could discover nothing unusual about
+it.  At length, however, he fancied that he saw one of the limbs sway
+gently backward and forward in a manner that could hardly be caused by
+the wind.  Gradually it began to dawn upon him that if there was any
+person upon the tree, he meant that his presence should not be
+suspected by the Shawnees along the bank.  Accordingly Hans Vanderbum
+was more circumspect in his observations.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Still watching the tree, he soon discovered something else that he
+thought was meant to attract his eye.  The water directly beneath it
+flashed and sparkled as if it was disturbed by some object.  Straining
+his gaze, he finally discerned what appeared to be a human hand swaying
+backward and forward.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dat is enough!" thought Hans Vanderbum.  "Dere's somebody dere dat
+wants to see me, and is afeard of dese oder chaps about, so I goes to
+him."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Working his way cautiously backward, he reached the land and started
+apparently to return to his wigwam.  As he did so, he looked at the
+Shawnees and was gratified to see that their suspicions had not been
+aroused by his movements.  Proceeding some distance, he hid his fish
+and line and made his way up the river, escaping the Shawnees by means
+of a long <I>détour</I>.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Reaching the stream and tree, he was somewhat taken aback by not
+finding any one at all.  Considerably perplexed, he looked about him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Can't be dat Quanonshet and Madokawandock have been fooling deir poor
+old fader again," said he.  "I'm purty sure I seen some one on the
+tree, when dem pieces of bark come swimming downstream."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+A subdued whistle reached his ear.  Looking behind him, he saw a Huron
+Indian standing a few yards away.  The eyes of both lit up as they
+encountered the gaze of each other, for they were both friends and old
+acquaintances.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ish dat you, Oonomoo?" inquired Hans Vanderbum.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yeh&mdash;me&mdash;Oonomoo," replied the Indian, pronouncing his name somewhat
+differently from the Dutchman, (and from that by which we have before
+referred to him).
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Was dat you on de tree out dere?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yeh, me&mdash;Oonomoo out dere on log."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And did you make dem pieces of bark to come swimming down by me?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yeh, me made 'em."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And shtirred de water wid yer hand and moved de limb?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yeh, Oonomoo do all dat."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I shpose you wanted to see me?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yeh, wanted to see you&mdash;want talk wid you," said the Huron, motioning
+for Hans to follow him.  The latter did not hesitate to do so, as he
+had perfect faith in his honesty, knowing much of his history.  The
+savage led the way some distance into the woods, where they were not
+likely to be seen or overheard, and then stopped and confronted his
+companion.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Where'd you come from, Oonomoo?" asked the latter.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"From fightin' de Shawnees," replied the savage, proudly.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw, I sees yer am in de war-paint.  Did you get many?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"The lodge of Oonomoo is full of the scalps of the cowardly Shawnees,
+taken many moons ago," answered the Huron, his eyes flashing fire and
+his breast heaving at the remembrance of his exploits.  This reply was
+made in the Shawnee language, as he spoke it as well as one of their
+warriors; and, as Hans also understood it, the conversation was now
+carried on in that tongue.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"When did you see Annie Stanton last?" inquired the Dutchman, showing
+considerable interest.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Several moons ago, when the sun was in the woods and the waters were
+asleep."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Is her husband, that rascally Ferrington, living?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Oonomoo replied that he was.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And is their baby, too?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yes, they have two pappooses."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dunder and blixen!" exclaimed Hans Vanderbum, and then resuming the
+English language, or rather his version of it, he added:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dat gal wanted to marry mit me once."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Why no marry den?" inquired Oonomoo, also coming back to the more
+difficult language.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"She wan't te right kind of a gal&mdash;she wan't like my
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, dat is de same shape all de way down
+from her head to her heels.  So I let dat Ferrington have her."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Huron, who understood all about that matter, indulged in a broad
+smile at this remark.  Whatever his business was, it was manifest he
+was in no hurry, else he would not have indulged in this by-play of
+words with his friend.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You doesn't t'ink de baby will dies, does you?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No&mdash;in de settlement&mdash;Shawnee can't git her now&mdash;don't live off in de
+woods like as dey did afore."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dat's lucky for her; don't t'ink dey will get her there, 'cause dey
+tried it once&mdash;dat time, you remember, when we was all in de HUNTER'S
+CABIN in de woods, and you came down de chimney, and I watched and kept
+de Shawnee off."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Huron signified that he remembered the circumstance well.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dem was great times," added Hans Vanderbum, calling up the
+recollection of them.  "I left de village one hot afternoon, and walked
+all de way t'rough de woods to get to de cabin to help dem poor folks.
+We had mighty hard times.  I catched a cold and couldn't shtop my
+dunderin' nose one night when it wanted to shneeze, and dat's de way de
+Shawnee catched me.  Twan't so bad arter all," added Hans Vanderbum,
+musingly, "'cause if it wasn't for dat I wouldn't got my
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How soon go back?" asked Oonomoo.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"To de village, do you mean?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yeh."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Any time afore noon will does, so Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock gits
+de fish for our dinner."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"One, two hours," said the Huron, looking up at the sky, "den sun git
+dere," pointing to the zenith.  "Shawnees know here?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Know me here?  Guesses not; don't care if dey does, nor dey doesn't
+care neider."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Shawnees won't come here?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No, no, Oonomoo, you needn't be afraid&mdash;"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Afraid who?" demanded the Huron, with quick fierceness.  "Oonomoo
+never run afore one&mdash;two&mdash;t'ree&mdash;dozen Shawnees.  He only runs when dey
+comes like de leaves in de woods."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dey won't come like de leaves.  If dey does, why you can leave too,
+and I t'inks you know how to use dem legs dat you've got tacked onto
+you.  I t'inks you run as fast as me."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"So I t'inks," replied the Indian, with a grin.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dere's no mistake but dem Shawnees would like to get your scalp,
+Oonomoo."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Two&mdash;t'ree&mdash;hundreds&mdash;all Shawnees like to git Oonomoo's scalp&mdash;nebber
+git him&mdash;Oonomee die in his lodge&mdash;scalp on his head," said the Huron,
+proudly.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I hopes so; hopes I will, too."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The expression of the Indian's face was changed.  It assumed a dark,
+earnest appearance.  He was done trifling, and wished to commence
+business.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"See her dis mornin'?" he asked, in short, quick tones.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"See who?" asked Hans Vanderbum, in turn, completely at a loss to
+understand him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"De gal."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"De gal?  Who you talking about&mdash;Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"De gal Shawnees got in de village."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Dutchman's blank expression showed that he did not comprehend what
+the Huron was referring to; so he added, by way of explanation:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Shawnees kill women and children&mdash;deir warriors squaws&mdash;don't fight
+men&mdash;burn houses toder day&mdash;run off wid gal&mdash;got her now in de
+village&mdash;she gal of Oonomoo's friend&mdash;Oonomoo want to get her."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+From these rather disconnected expressions, Hans Vanderbum understood
+that a war-party of Shawnees had brought in a prisoner who was a friend
+of the Huron's.  It was for the purpose of learning something regarding
+her that he had signaled the fisherman to leave his hook and line and
+come to him.  The captive having reached the village quite recently, he
+had failed to be apprised of it, so that Oonomoo learned no more than
+he already knew regarding her.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"When did dey took her?" asked Hans Vanderbum.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"When sun dere, yisterday," replied the Indian, pointing off in the
+western horizon.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Do you want to know 'bout her?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yeh."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Den I goes find out."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+So saying, Hans Vanderbum strode away through the forest in the
+direction of the Shawnee village.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap02"></A>
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER II.
+</H3>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+OTHER CHARACTERS.
+</H3>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P CLASS="poem">
+"He joys to scour the prairies wide,<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Upon the bison's trail;<BR>
+To pierce his dark and shaggy hide<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With darts that never fail.
+</P>
+
+<P CLASS="poem">
+"His is the lion's strength in war,<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In peace, the lion's rest;<BR>
+And the eagle hath not flown so far<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As his fame throughout the West."
+</P>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P>
+Upon leaving the Huron, Hans Vanderbum hurried toward the village, as
+rapidly as the peculiar structure of his body would allow.  As has been
+remarked, he was well acquainted with Oonomoo, knowing him to be a
+faithful ally of his race.  He was anxious, therefore, to show his
+friendship to the savage.  Down, too, somewhere in the huge heart of
+the plethoric Dutchman, was a kindly feeling for the distress of a
+human being, and he felt willing and anxious to befriend any hapless
+captive that had fallen into the hands of the relentless Shawnees.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+So absorbed was he in meditating, that he took no heed of his footsteps
+until he was suddenly confronted by his spouse,
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, who, flourishing a sort of hoe over his
+head, demanded, or rather screeched:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Where's your fish?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Hans Vanderbum winked very rapidly, and putting his hands up over his
+head, as if to protect it, "I forgots all about dem.  I goes right back
+and gots dem."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+He wheeled around as he spoke, receiving a resounding whack from the
+hoe, by way of a reminder, and went lumbering through the woods in
+search of his basket of fish.  He experienced little difficulty in
+finding it, and in a few moments was back again to his affectionate
+partner.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How did you get wet?" she asked, looking at his flapping garments.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dem little Dutchmen done it; dey fixed de limb and made it proke and
+let me down in de water and almost drownded.  Quanonshet and
+Madokawandock will be de death of deir poor dad."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The wife vouchsafed no reply, but jerking the fish from his hand,
+entered the wigwam for the purpose of cooking them, while Hans
+Vanderbum himself went lounging on through the village, it being his
+purpose not to seem too anxious and hurried in his effort to gain his
+news regarding the captive.  He was, despite his stupidity, not devoid
+of sagacity at times.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+He had not long to search.  In the very center of the town, his eyes
+fell upon a promiscuous crowd collected around a wigwam, gazing at
+something within.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Vot you got dere?" he demanded, in a tone of great indignation, as he
+shoved his way through the bystanders.  Those addressed made no reply,
+waiting for him to satisfy his curiosity by seeing the object for
+himself.  In the interior, he descried a young woman, or rather a girl,
+for she could scarcely have been more than fifteen or sixteen years of
+age, seated upon the ground, beside a squaw, with whom it was apparent
+she had been endeavoring to hold a conversation; but, finding it
+impossible in the ignorance of each other's language, they had ceased
+their efforts by common consent and were now sitting motionless.
+</P>
+
+<A NAME="img-045"></A>
+<CENTER>
+<IMG SRC="images/img-045.jpg" ALT="A girl, fifteen or sixteen years of age, seated upon the ground, beside a squaw.]" BORDER="2" WIDTH="336" HEIGHT="543">
+<H4>
+[Illustration: A girl, fifteen or sixteen years of age, <BR>seated upon the
+ground, beside a squaw.]
+</H4>
+</CENTER>
+
+<P>
+As Hans Vanderbum gazed curiously at her, his big heart filled with
+pity.  She was attired in the plain, homespun dress common among the
+settlers at that period, her head totally uncovered, and her long, dark
+hair falling in luxuriant masses around her shoulders.  Her hands were
+clasped and her head bowed with a meek, resigned air that reached more
+than one Shawnee heart.  Her complexion was rather light, her features
+not dazzlingly beautiful, but prepossessing, the expression which
+instantly struck the beholder being that of refinement; speaking a
+nature elevated and holy, as much above that of the beings who
+surrounded her, as would have been that of an angel had he alighted
+amid a group of mortals.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The great exertion made by Hans Vanderbum in reaching the wigwam,
+caused him to breathe so heavily as to attract the attention of the
+captive.  Catching sight of a white man, she arose quickly, and
+approaching him, said, eagerly:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh!  I'm so glad to meet one of my own color and race, for I am sure
+you must be a friend."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw, I's your friend," replied Hans Vanderbum, hardly knowing what he
+said; "and I's sorry as nobody to see you here.  How did you got here?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"They brought me, the Shawnee warriors did.  They attacked the house in
+the night, when I was alone with the servants.  They murdered them all
+except me.  They have brought myself here to perish in captivity."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw, de Shawnees ish great on <I>dat</I> business.  'Cause I shneezed dey
+cotched me once and brought me here to perish in captivity mit
+yourself," said Hans Vanderbum, in a feeling voice.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Are you a prisoner, also?" asked the captive, in considerable surprise.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw, but I <I>likes</I> it!  I's got a wife, Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock,
+dat is de same shape all de way down, and a little Dutchman,
+Madokawandock; so dey hasn't to watch, like I shpose dey will have to
+you."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Can any of these around me understand English?" asked the girl, in a
+low tone.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No; de women don't know notting about it, except my wife, and she
+ain't here; and de men know notink.  You needn't be afraid to say
+anything you pleases to me."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You could not betray me," added the girl, turning her dark, soulful
+eyes anxiously full upon him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No, no," he replied, energetically.  "Voot's your name?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Mary Prescott."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How fur does you live from here&mdash;dat is, how fur did you live?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"It must be over thirty miles, in an eastern direction, I think."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Does you know Oonomoo?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Hans Vanderbum asked the question in a lower tone, for the name was
+well known to all present.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"A Huron Indian?  Oh, yes; I know him well," replied the captive; her
+countenance lighting up.  "He was well remembered in our neighborhood,
+and was a true friend to us all.  Do you know him too?  Though I
+suppose of course you do, from your asking me the question."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw, I knows him, and he knows me too, and we both knows each oder, so
+dat we are acquainted.  Well, dat shentleman is hid off in de woods
+near here, and he has sent me in to l'arn what I cans about you."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The prisoner kept back the joyful exclamation that came to her lips,
+and said:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Tell him that I am unharmed and hopeful, and trust that while he
+interests himself in me, he will not run into danger."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Not run into danger!" repeated Hans Vanderbum; "dat is what Oonomoo
+lives on.  He'd die in a week if he wan't into danger, out of grief.
+He don't do notting else; it's what he was made for," he added, growing
+enthusiastic in speaking of the Huron.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I know he is a brave and true-hearted Indian, and is greatly esteemed
+by the Moravian missionaries.  He hesitates at no risk when his friends
+are in danger."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ef he does run risk dey don't catch him, 'cause he knows how to run
+and fight, and ish shmarter dan de Shawnees.  Where ish your parents?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"My mother and sister happened to be absent on a visit to Falsington,
+which is fifteen or twenty miles distant from our place, while father,
+who is a Captain, is doing service somewhere on the frontier, in the
+American army.  How thankful indeed I am that dear mother and Helen
+were away, for they have escaped this terrible captivity."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You washn't left all alone?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh, no; there were several servants, and I saw them tomahawked, and
+heard their piercing cries."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The captive covered her face, and her frame shook like an aspen at the
+remembrance of the dreadful scenes through which she had so recently
+passed.  It was several minutes before she recovered her self-command.
+When she did, Hans Vanderbum proceeded with his questions.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dey burnt de place, I shpose?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yes, yes; they destroyed everything."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I shpose your folks will feel bad when dey finds dese Shawnees have
+got you, won't dey?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh, yes, yes; do not speak of it."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+At this point Hans Vanderbum began to get a sort of dim, vague idea
+that his style of conversation was not exactly calculated to soothe the
+feelings of the unfortunate prisoner; so he determined, if possible, to
+make amends for it.  Patting her on the head, he said, gently:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Don't feel bad, my darling; I ish shorry for you, but I wants to ax
+you anoder question."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What is it?" queried the maid, with a wondering look.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Will you answer it?" asked Hans Vanderbum, endeavoring to put on an
+arch, quizzical expression.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"If it is in my power I instantly will.  Pray, do not hesitate to ask
+me anything you choose."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Well, den, gits ready for it.  I would shust like to know if dere
+ishn't some feller dat is in love mit you, and you is in love mit, and
+dat both ish in love mit each oder, eh?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The crimson that suffused the cheeks and mounted to the very forehead
+of the captive, answered the question of Hans Vanderbum more plainly
+than words.  Still, he insisted upon a verbal reply.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"There is no need of concealing the truth from you," she answered.  "I
+have a dear young friend&mdash;"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Who ish he?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Lieutenant Canfield, who is in service with my father," she replied.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh, den he don't know notting about it?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I am not sure of that.  Oonomoo has acted as a runner or bearer of
+messages between many of the men in the American army and their
+families, upon the frontier, and the last time I saw him he brought me
+word that Lieutenant Canfield intended shortly to visit me on furlough.
+He may have arrived immediately after the Indians burnt our place."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"A good t'ing; a good t'ing if he only has."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Why would it be a good thing?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Does he know Oonomoo?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Certainly; he has known him for several years."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Well, den, dey will come together, and dey'll fix up fings so dat dey
+will got you out of dis place afore long."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I hope so; I hope so.  Death would not be more terrible than the
+suffering I undergo here, especially at night.  Oh! will you not stay
+by me?" asked the prisoner, the tears starting to her eyes.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Hans Vanderbum gouged his fists into his own visual organs, and
+muttered something about "de dunderin' shmoke," before he could reply.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yesh, yesh, I 'tends to you.  You needn't be 'fraid.  Dey won't hurt
+you, I doesn't t'ink.  Dey jist keeps you.  May be dey burns you, but
+dat ain't sartain.  I must go to Oonomoo now, for I've been away from
+him a good long while."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Tell him I am hopeful."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ain't dere notting else to tell him?" asked Hans Vanderbum, still
+lingering.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I know of nothing else.  He certainly needs no advice from me."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Notting to send to Lieutenant Canfield, eh?" again queried Hans.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Tell Oonomoo," said the girl, looking down to the earth, "that if he
+meets Lieutenant Canfield to say the same thing to him for me, that I
+am waiting and hopeful, and have a good friend constantly by me, which
+lightens, in a great measure, the gloom of my captivity."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Who ish dat friend?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw, I tells him.  Good-by; be a good gal till I comes back.  I bees
+back burty soon."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+So saying, Hans passed out of the wigwam on his way to return to
+Oonomoo.  His prolonged conversation with Miss Prescott had attracted
+the attention of the Indians who were lingering outside, and several
+asked him its purport.  To these he invariably replied, "she didn't
+know wheder it was going for to rain or not, but she fought it would do
+one or toder."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+From his long residence among the Shawnees and his family connection
+with them, Hans Vanderbum was not suspected of disaffection.  Indeed,
+it could not properly be said that he felt thus toward them.  He would
+not willingly do anything to injure them any more than he would have
+fought against his own race.  Had he been dwelling among the whites, he
+would have befriended any hapless prisoner that might be in their power
+as he intended to befriend the poor girl with whom he had just been
+conversing.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was about noon when he reached his own wigwam.  He looked in, and
+seeing that the fish had been cooked and was ready, told his wife that
+he didn't feel very hungry and he guessed he would take a short walk
+for his health.  She, however, ordered him at once to take his place
+inside and eat his dinner.  The henpecked husband dared not refuse, and
+he was accordingly compelled to take part in the meal, while constantly
+occupied in thinking that the Huron was waiting for him; but, as
+patience is one of the cardinal virtues of the North American Indian,
+Hans was sure of finding him at the rendezvous upon his return.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Some twenty minutes later, Hans Vanderbum was at the tree, where he had
+first caught sight of Oonomoo.  It was not long before the latter came
+from his concealment, and, after exchanging words upon unimportant
+subjects, for the purpose of concealing his curiosity, he inquired in
+regard to Miss Prescott.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"She tells me to tell you dat she's dere, and is hopeful, and ain't
+hurt, and hopes you won't hurt yourself to git her away."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oonomoo won't hurt his self&mdash;Shawnee won't hurt Oonomoo&mdash;he git gal
+away too."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh, I like for to forgot.  She tells me 'bout Lieutenant Canfield de
+same as she tells you.  Will you see him?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"See him dis mornin'&mdash;waitin' in woods fur me&mdash;see him 'gin&mdash;tell what
+gal said."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I'm glad for to hear it, Oonomoo.  I shpose you'll be back this way
+ag'in one dese days."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Be back soon&mdash;have somebody with me&mdash;tell gal so&mdash;look out fur
+whistle&mdash;keep ears open&mdash;hear <I>dis</I> time."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw, I will.  I heerd you dis oder time, too; but didn't t'ink 'twas
+you.  I'll know de next time.  You going now?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Huron signified that he was, and took his departure as quietly as
+he had come.  Hans watched as the dusky figure flitted in and out among
+the trees and finally disappeared in the distance.  Then, muttering to
+himself, he returned to the village.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The day was unusually warm for the season; there was little activity in
+the Indian town.  Hans noticed that many of the Shawnees were still
+lingering along the Miami, although what object other than that of mere
+languor could induce them to remain, he could not possibly conceive.
+Reaching his own wigwam, he was confounded with joy to learn that the
+captive, Miss Prescott, was to be domiciled in it.  He could scarce
+believe it until Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock told him that she was to
+be strictly guarded, used as her slave and never to be out of her sight
+for one minute.  In case of her escape, Hans Vanderbum was to be held
+responsible for it, his life paying the forfeit.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dat is quare," he muttered.  "I guess Oonomoo can fix it, if dey
+<I>does</I> do it."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It perhaps is well to remark here, by way of explanation, that the time
+in which the incidents occurred, which we intend to relate, was a few
+years subsequent to the great victory of Anthony Wayne over the
+combined forces of the various Indian tribes in the West.  As a
+consequence of this splendid achievement and the no less splendid
+victory gained in the renowned treaty of Greenville, a long and almost
+undisturbed peace along the frontier was inaugurated, where, for years
+before, all had been strife of the most revolting kind.  But, profound
+peace and security never existed on the border until the final removal
+of the Indians beyond the Mississippi.  Isolated families, small bodies
+of men, and the lonely traveler through the forest, never were secure
+from the stealthy attacks of the red-men.  Deep in the gloom of the
+solemn wilderness, many a deadly conflict occurred between the hunter
+and the Indian.  Often the victim sunk noiselessly to the turf, and his
+bones bleached for years in these wilds, while none but his slayer knew
+of his fate.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Captain Prescott, placing great faith in the treaty of Greenville, had
+erected a fine mansion upon a tract of land received from Government.
+His residence was upon the extreme frontier.  He had misgivings when he
+removed his wife and two daughters to that wilderness home.  He
+provided a number of trusty servants for their protection in his
+absence with the army.  Circumstances transpired which prevented his
+fulfilling his promise to return home to remain, and he continued
+absent nearly three years, occasionally making a short visit, and
+returning to his duties again before he had fairly greeted his family.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+On one of these visits, Captain Prescott took, as his companion, a
+young Lieutenant named Canfield.  It so happened that this visit lasted
+several days, and a period of greater happiness to the young Lieutenant
+probably never occurred.  Mary Prescott, at that time, could not
+properly be called a woman, except in the grace and dignity of her
+character.  She inherited the rich fancy, the nervous sensibility, and
+stern will of her father, and what may seem like a contradiction, the
+gentleness and modesty of her mother.  She was the youngest child, and,
+naturally enough, the pet of the others; but, the parents were too
+sensible to spoil her by flattery or foolish indulgence.  She was of
+that age when the female mind is most susceptible to the great passion
+of our nature in its most romantic phase, when Lieutenant Canfield
+visited their house.  His frank bearing, his gentlemanly deportment,
+and, above all, the favorable reports which her father gave of his
+gallant conduct, conspired to enlist young Mary in his favor.
+</P>
+
+<A NAME="img-061"></A>
+<CENTER>
+<IMG SRC="images/img-061.jpg" ALT="Mary Prescott." BORDER="2" WIDTH="346" HEIGHT="532">
+<H4>
+[Illustration: Mary Prescott.]
+</H4>
+</CENTER>
+
+<P>
+They were scarcely thrown into each other's society before the natural,
+though sometimes tardy, results of the virtues we have mentioned were
+seen.  The tell-tale blush&mdash;the voice unconsciously lowered to the most
+thrilling softness&mdash;the timid glance&mdash;the deep-drawn sigh&mdash;the absent,
+vacant appearance when separated for a short time from each other&mdash;the
+supreme happiness when together&mdash;all were signs which escaped not the
+eyes of the sister and mother, although the matter-of-fact father
+failed to notice such trifles.  His days of courtship had become a
+fable, if they were not forgotten.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+If there were any displeasure at this state of affairs upon the part of
+her mother, it was only because she believed her daughter too young to
+entertain thoughts of marriage.  Like a wise and prudent parent,
+however, she did not seek to accomplish an impossibility&mdash;that of
+preventing what no parent yet succeeded in preventing.  Having great
+confidence in the young Lieutenant, from the representations of her
+husband, she merely resolved to be discreet with him.  Accordingly,
+when, on the day of his departure, he found courage to mention his love
+of Mary to her parents, the mother took it upon her to reply that she
+entertained no objection to his suit, but, from the youth of her
+daughter, he must not expect their consent to a union for several
+years.  At the same time she gracefully hinted that the suddenness of
+his passion might well excite suspicion that it was hardly genuine.
+Delighted beyond measure at this answer, Lieutenant Canfield added that
+he would not claim her hand until both father and mother were fully
+satisfied, and until he had proven to them that he was worthy of their
+daughter.  Thus matters stood when Captain Prescott and the Lieutenant
+took their departure.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Matters were somehow or other so arranged that the Lieutenant found
+opportunity to visit the family of Captain Prescott oftener than the
+Captain himself.  On these occasions, the mother was pleased to observe
+that while the attachment between him and her daughter became more and
+more marked, the Lieutenant always manifested the most scrupulous
+respect for the wishes of her parents, and never breathed a word to her
+that he believed could occasion the slightest objection upon their part.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Besides these visits, the lovers found ready means for exchanging their
+expressions of affection through the faithful Huron, Oonomoo, who made
+stated journeys from Captain Prescott's mansion to his post.  On these
+occasions, he went loaded with missives from one party to another,
+carrying back as many as he brought.  He was a great favorite with the
+whites, who appreciated his chivalrous faithfulness and fidelity, and
+loaded him with many expressions of their esteem.  He had the
+reputation of being the fleetest runner, the most successful scout and
+best hunter in the West.  Volumes would be required to record all the
+exploits told of him&mdash;of the marvelous number of scalps which hung in
+his lodge, and of the many hair-breadth escapes he had had.  It was
+said he had a wife and child hid somewhere in the recesses of the
+forest, to whom he made stated visits, and whom his deadly enemies, the
+Shawnees, had sought in vain for years.  He was now about thirty-five
+years of age, and had been known as a scout and friend of the whites
+for full a dozen years.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Somewhat less than two years after the first meeting of Lieutenant
+Canfield with the daughter of Captain Prescott, the wife and eldest
+daughter of the latter made a journey of pleasure to a neighboring
+settlement.  Mary would have accompanied them, had she not received an
+intimation from Oonomoo that her lover proposed to make her a visit
+about that time.  She accordingly remained at home with the servants.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Two nights afterwards, when the darkness was almost impenetrable, a
+large war-party of Shawnees suddenly attacked the place.  The negroes
+had no time for defense, and only sought their own safety in flight.
+But one, however, escaped, the rest falling beneath the merciless
+tomahawk.  Mary Prescott was carried off a prisoner.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap03"></A>
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER III.
+</H3>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+OONOMOO AND THE SHAWNEES.
+</H3>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P CLASS="poem">
+Through forty foes his path he made,<BR>
+And safely reached the forest-glade.&mdash;SCOTT.
+</P>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P>
+After parting from Hans Vanderbum, the Huron sped noiselessly through
+the woods, taking a direction that would lead him to a point on the
+river fully three hundred yards below where he had signaled the German.
+The stream making a bend there, he would thus escape the observation of
+the Shawnees along the bank, at the point where the fisherman had been
+engaged in his labors.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+So silent, yet rapid, was the motion of Oonomoo, that his figure
+flitted through the rifts in the wood like a shadow.  His head
+projected slightly forward, in the attitude of acute attention, and his
+black, restless eyes constantly flitted from one point to the other,
+scarcely resting for a second upon any single object.  In his left hand
+he trailed his long rifle, while his right rested upon the buckhorn
+handle of the knife in his belt.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+He had progressed a considerable distance thus, when the Huron's gait
+decreased very rapidly.  He was now in the vicinity of the river, where
+he had left his canoe drawn up on the bank.  It was necessary to
+reconnoiter thoroughly before venturing to approach it.  Accordingly,
+he halted.  The movement of the panther in approaching his foe was not
+more stealthy and cautious than was his.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+At length, reaching the shelter of a tree, and cautiously peering
+around, the Huron caught sight of the stern of his canoe.  One glance
+and his dark eyes flashed fire!  The Shawnees had been there!
+</P>
+
+<P>
+What sign caught the notice of Oonomoo?  What kindled the fire in his
+dark eye?  What caused one hand to close over his knife, and the other
+to grasp his rifle?  It was a sign of his enemy.  Too well the
+sagacious Huron knew that the Shawnee was lying in wait for him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The canoe, which Oonomoo left behind him, during his interview with
+Hans Vanderbum, lay precisely as it was first deposited.  Not a
+surrounding limb, shrub or leaf had, so far as he could see, been
+disturbed since he left the spot.  And yet the evidence which presented
+itself to the eyes of the Indian was as palpable and unmistakable as
+would have been the appearance of enemies themselves.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Oonomoo had carefully drawn his bark canoe up the river-bank and
+concealed it as well as the circumstances would admit.  He had then
+deposited his long Indian paddle in it, leaving the blade projecting
+over the stern.  The paddle <I>was now several inches further to one side
+than it had been left by him</I>!
+</P>
+
+<P>
+This was the entire evidence.  It was abundantly sufficient to satisfy
+the Huron.  He did not doubt for an instant.  His only uncertainty was
+in regard to the precise location of his foes.  A few minutes'
+observation satisfied him that they were not between the canoe and the
+river.  His course of action was accordingly determined.  It would have
+been the easiest matter in the world for him to have escaped by
+swimming the river; but as an opportunity for a contest of skill with
+his enemies was offered, he was too proud not to embrace it at once.
+Retreating several rods, he continued his way upstream in his usual
+cautious manner, until he had gone perhaps a furlong above his canoe,
+when he approached and entered the stream.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Miami, at this point, was so heavily wooded, that it was impossible
+to pass close under its shore without entering the water.  Once within
+this and in a stooping position, a person would be invisible to any one
+on the same bank, although he could be plainly seen from the opposite
+shore.  Oonomoo now commenced his descent of the river with the
+intention of recovering his canoe.  This was necessarily a tedious and
+prolonged operation, as a single misstep, a slip or splash of the water
+might betray him to his enemies.  But, he was equal to the task, and
+never hesitated for a moment except to listen for some sign of his
+enemies.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Shawnees, by the merest accident, had discovered the Huron's canoe
+and examined it.  Satisfied that it belonged to none of their tribe,
+and most probably had been left there by some hostile scout, they
+carefully allowed it to remain as they had found it, and endeavored to
+restore everything around to its natural position, so as not to arouse
+the suspicion of the owner upon his return.  This done, they withdrew
+and awaited with loaded rifles for his reappearance.  We have shown how
+a most trifling error in regard to the paddle placed the Huron on his
+guard.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was perhaps a half-hour after Oonomoo had commenced his descent of
+the river, that the canoe, without any perceptible jar, slid an inch or
+two down the bank.  So quietly and cautiously was this effected, that,
+had the Shawnees been looking directly at it, their suspicion would not
+have been aroused.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Some ten or fifteen minutes later, the boat moved about the same
+distance further.  The expectant Shawnees, clutching their rifles, were
+listening anxiously for some sound that might indicate the approach of
+their foe, and paid little heed to the canoe itself.  Ever and anon, it
+retreated an inch or two down the bank in the same mysterious
+manner&mdash;going short distances and so very slowly that no one but a
+thoroughly suspicious Indian would have believed there was any human
+agency connected with it.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The canoe was fully an hour and a half in moving a single foot, during
+which time the Huron managed, by the most consummate skill, to sustain
+it in such a manner that the shrubbery and undergrowth around appeared
+to occupy relatively the same position that they did before it had been
+disturbed.  The river shore was only some twenty or thirty feet
+distant, and from where Oonomoo lay, the way was almost entirely clear
+to it, so that when he chose to make any sudden dash or movement, no
+hindering cause could possibly offer itself.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+One of the Shawnees chanced to glance at the canoe.  At the same
+instant, his keen eye detected its changed position, imperceptible
+almost as it was.  With a guttural exclamation he arose and moved
+toward it, followed by his two companions.  They had taken scarcely a
+step, when they saw the boat slide swiftly forward several feet, and
+then suddenly rising to the perpendicular position, whisk off through
+the bush at a still more rapid rate.  Two twinkling moccasins, that
+looked as if they were its support, as they doubled over each other,
+fully explained to the Shawnees the cause of this singular scene.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+With a loud yell, the three dashed forward, while the Huron ran at the
+top of his speed over the slight distance that lay between him and the
+river.  Reaching the shore, he changed the canoe from his rear to his
+front, and holding it like a shield above and before him.  With one
+foot in the edge of the water, he concentrated all his strength for the
+effort and leaped far out in the stream&mdash;the canoe falling with a loud
+splash perfectly flat upon the surface.  The impetus thus given caused
+it to shoot like an arrow for a long distance, when the Huron,
+inclining his body to the left, careened it so much, that his own
+person was concealed from any who might be upon the shore, while, by
+reaching his hand over into the current, he was enabled to use it as a
+paddle, and continue his onward motion.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Oonomoo was fully aware that the delicate structure of the canoe was no
+obstruction at all against a rifle-shot.  Accordingly, while descending
+the river, he had taken precaution to insure his safety, in case of
+such an occurrence as had now transpired.  A large, rotten limb, hardly
+the length of his own body, was carried with him.  At the moment of
+lifting the canoe from the ground, the limb was placed within it, and
+thus was carried back to the edge of the river.  Lying flat upon his
+face, this limb was about the thickness of the Huron's waist, and by
+skillfully balancing the boat, it was interposed directly between him
+and his foes.  The only parts of his person which possibly could be
+struck were his feet and the arm stretched over the side of the canoe.
+The former necessarily being in the stern, it was hardly probable that
+they would be wounded.  There was such risk of the arm that Oonomoo
+drew it within the boat for a few moments.  He had scarcely done so,
+when the reports of two rifles, and the peculiar zip of the bullets as
+they cut through the side of the canoe and buried themselves in the
+rotten wood, proved how wise was the precaution he had taken.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Quick as thought, the hand of the Huron was in the water again, where,
+as he vigorously used it, it flashed like some fish at play.  The
+Shawnees, who plainly discerned the two holes their bullets had made,
+could scarcely believe their daring foe had escaped injury.  But they
+were forced to believe he was still living from the fact that the canoe
+steadily progressed across and was not carried down-stream by the
+current.  The whoop of the Shawnees had been heard by their comrades
+further down the bank.  As the canoe reached the middle of the river,
+they caught a sight of it, and readily conjectured the true state of
+the case.  In a twinkling, two of their own were launched in pursuit.
+Discovering this, Oonomoo arose to the upright position, and dipping
+his paddle deep in the water, sent his boat forward with astonishing
+swiftness.  As it lightly touched the bank, he leaped ashore and pulled
+it up after him.  Then uttering a defiant yell, he turned, and to show
+the scorn in which he held the Shawnees, walked slowly and deliberately
+into the forest.  Once fairly beyond their sight, however, his pace
+quickened, and when the sun sunk low in the western horizon, he was
+many a mile from the Miami.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap04"></A>
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER IV.
+</H3>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+THE YOUNG LIEUTENANT AND CATO.
+</H3>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P CLASS="poem">
+Suddenly rose from the South a light, as in autumn the blood-red<BR>
+Moon climbs the crystal walls of heaven, and o'er the horizon,<BR>
+Titan-like, stretches its hundred hands upon mountain and meadow,<BR>
+Seizing the rocks and the rivers and piling huge shadows together.&mdash;LONGFELLOW.
+</P>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P>
+From a long distance the conflagration had been visible, its light
+throwing a red glare far up in the sky, and revealing the huge clouds
+that swept forward like crimson avalanches, while the surrounding trees
+glowed as if their branches were burning hot.  Those nearest had their
+bark blistered and their leaves curled and scorched from the intense
+heat.  A conflagration at night, when viewed from a distance, always
+seems awful in its sublimity.  There is something calculated to inspire
+terror in the illuminated dome of the heavens and the onward sweep of
+this fearful element, when viewed in a civilized country; but it is
+only in the wilderness, away from the abode of man, that such an
+exhibition partakes of all the elements of grandeur and terror.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The solitary hunter, as he stood upon the banks of some lonely stream,
+leaned on his rifle and gazed with a beating heart at the brilliant
+redness that lit up so much of the sky.  The beasts in their lair
+turned their glowing eyeballs toward the dreadful illumination, and
+stood transfixed with fear until its light died away; while the dark
+face of the vengeful Shawnee grew darker and more terrible as he gazed
+upon this work of his own hands.  A silence, deep and profound, rested
+like a pall upon the wilderness and remained there until darkness again
+held undisputed reign.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Lieutenant Canfield had seen the glowing light from a great distance,
+when its appearance was much like that of the moon as it comes up in
+the horizon.  Little did he suspect its true nature.  It was not until
+the next morning that he encountered Oonomoo, the Huron, who related
+the particulars of the attack of the Shawnee party upon the house of
+Captain Prescott and the capture of his daughter.  Had not the
+impulsive Lieutenant thus learned of his beloved's safety from
+massacre, had he not received the assurance of an immediate attempt for
+her recapture, there is no telling to what imprudent lengths he might
+have gone in his blind devotion to the young captive.  Oonomoo remained
+with him but a short time, when he departed on his mission to the
+Shawnee village, and the lover continued on toward the estate of
+Captain Prescott.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was nearly noon when Lieutenant Canfield reached the place&mdash;now
+nothing but a mass of charred and blackened ruins.  Leaving his horse
+in the woods, he dismounted and examined the remains of the mansion and
+smaller buildings.  The ghastly corpses of the negroes still lay upon
+the ground, having been undisturbed, and with a feeling of
+heart-sickness the young soldier passed them by.  In his profession, he
+had witnessed many revolting sights, but none that affected him more
+than this.  He shuddered, as he reflected that the very barbarians who
+had wantonly inflicted his woe were the captors of the adored daughter
+of Captain Prescott, and that they had inflicted as shocking outrages
+even upon such defenseless captives as she.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Walking thus moodily forward, he was suddenly brought to a standstill
+by coming in front of an awkward, odd-looking structure, which excited
+his wonder in no small degree.  The charred remains of the logs of one
+of the buildings had been collected together and piled one above the
+other, so that they bore some resemblance to a rudely-fashioned oven.
+From the circumstances of the case, these must have been arranged in
+this manner subsequently to the visit of the Shawnees, and it was this
+fact which awakened the curiosity of the Lieutenant.  His first
+supposition was that it was the doings of the Huron.  But what reason
+could he have had for rearing such a structure?  What possible purpose
+could it serve him?
+</P>
+
+<P>
+All at once it flashed upon the Lieutenant that it was the work of the
+Shawnees themselves, and he began to view the contrivance with some
+apprehension.  This feeling was considerably strengthened when he
+either heard or fancied he heard the movement of some one within it.
+Prudence dictated that he should place a little more distance between
+it and himself.  Accordingly he began to retreat, walking backward and
+keeping his gaze fixed upon it, ready for any demonstration from his
+concealed enemies.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Suddenly something within the hollow of the structure fell with a dull
+thump that nearly lifted the Lieutenant from his feet.  At the same
+moment he heard a suppressed growl, as if made by a caged bear.  He now
+began to feel more wonder than fear.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What in the name of creation is the meaning of that concern, and what
+sort of animal is caged in it?" he muttered, staying his retreat.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Lieutenant debated whether or not to approach and examine the
+interior of the odd-looking hut.  It seemed hardly possible that any
+human being could be within, although it was certain there was some
+living object there.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"At any rate I'll stir him up," he concluded, resolutely approaching.
+The growls were now redoubled, and he really believed some four-footed
+animal was the cause of all the uproar.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"It may be the Shawnees have attempted a little pleasantry after their
+bloody work, and caged up some poor creature within those logs,"
+thought he.  "I'll let him loose if such be the case."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+He placed his hand upon the stump of a log nearest to him, when a
+thunderbolt appeared to have exploded before him.  He started back as
+though he had received an electric shock.  A perfect battery of howls
+was leveled against him, and for a moment his ears were stunned with
+the deafening uproar.  He determined, however, to solve the mystery.
+Giving the structure a push that brought it tumbling to the ground, he
+sprung back and held his rifle prepared for any foe, were he a
+four-footed or a two-footed one.  Instead of either, what was his
+amazement to see a negro, as black as midnight, emerge from the ruins,
+and cringe at his feet.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh, Mr. Injine, please don't shoot! please don't kill me!  Nice, good
+Mr. Injine, don't hurt me!  Please don't tomahawk poor Cato!  He never
+hurt an Injine in all his life.  Please don't!  Oh, don't!  don't!
+don't! boo-hoo! oo!-oo-oo!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Get up, get up, Cato, and don't make a fool of yourself," said the
+Lieutenant, recognizing in the frightened negro the favorite servant of
+Captain Prescott's family.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh, please don't hurt me!  Please don't kill poor Cato!  He never hurt
+good Injine in all his life!  Please, good, nice Mr. Injine, let me go,
+and I'll do anyt'ing you wants me to, and lubs you as long as I lib.
+Please, don't hurt poor nigger Cato," repeated the servant, fairly
+beside himself with terror.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"If you don't want to be killed, get up," said the young officer,
+sternly enough to bring Cato to his senses; but only after he had been
+assisted by what he supposed to be a ferocious Indian, ready to brain
+him, was he enabled to rise and to keep his feet.
+</P>
+
+<A NAME="img-085"></A>
+<CENTER>
+<IMG SRC="images/img-085.jpg" ALT="&quot;If you don't want to be killed, get up,&quot; said the young officer.]" BORDER="2" WIDTH="354" HEIGHT="543">
+<H4>
+[Illustration: "If you don't want to be killed, get up," said the young officer.]
+</H4>
+</CENTER>
+
+<P>
+"Don't you know me, Cato?" asked the Lieutenant, laughing heartily at
+the woe-begone appearance of the negro.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Hebens, golly! ain't you an Injine, Massa Canfield?" he asked, his
+knees still shaking with terror.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Do I look like one?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Guess you isn't, arter all," added the negro, with more assurance.
+"Hebens, golly!  <I>I ain't afeard</I>!" he suddenly exclaimed,
+straightening up proudly.  "Didn't t'ink Cato was afeard, Massa
+Canfield?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I must say that the circumstantial evidence of your cowardice is hard
+to resist."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The negro's eyes enlarged as he heard the large words of the soldier,
+and his looks showed that he had no idea of their meaning.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Doesn't t'ink I's <I>afeard</I>?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Why did you build such a looking concern as that?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Why I build dat?  To keep de rain off of me."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"It hasn't rained at all for several days."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Know dat, but, den, expect maybe 'twill.  Bes' to be ready for it when
+<I>does</I> come."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"But, as there were no evidences of a storm coming very soon, why
+should you get in there just now?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Storms out in dese parts bust berry suddent sometimes.  Oughter know
+dat, Massa Canfield."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yes, I do; but, why in the name of common sense did you set up such a
+growling when I came near your old cabin?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Did I growl at you?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yes: made as much noise as a grizzly bear could have done."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Done it jist for fun, Massa.  Hebens, golly! wanted to see if you was
+afeard, too."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"But," said the soldier, assuming a more serious air, "let the jesting
+cease.  When did you put those logs together, Cato?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dis morning, arter <I>dey</I> went away," he replied, with a shudder,
+casting a look of terror around him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And when did they&mdash;the Shawnees&mdash;go away?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Didn't stay long, Massa; come in de night, berry late&mdash;bust on de
+house all at once."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Lieutenant Canfield felt a painful interest in all that related to Mary
+Prescott.  Although the Huron had given him the principal incidents of
+the attack and massacre, he could not restrain himself from questioning
+the negro still further.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Had you no warning of their approach?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Nothing; didn't know dey war about till dey war among us."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What was the first thing you heard, Cato?  Give me the particulars so
+far as you can remember."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Hebens, golly!  I'll neber forgit <I>dat</I> night if I lib a fousand
+years.  Wal, you see I and Big Mose had just gwane to bed and blowed de
+candle out&mdash;&mdash;"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Had Miss Mary retired?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yes&mdash;she'd been gone a good while.  You see, me and Big Mose am
+generally de last niggers dat am up, specially myself.  I goes around
+for to see if de t'ings am all right about de house.  Wal, me and Mose
+had been around to see if eberyt'ing was right, and was coming back
+from de barn and got purty near de house, when Mose whispers, 'Cato, I
+see'd a man crawling on de ground back dar.  I didn't say nuffin' for
+fear ob scaring ob <I>you</I>.'  'Oh!  git out,' says I, 'you's <I>skeart</I>.'
+But I felt a little oneasy myself, 'cause I kind ob fought I heern
+somefin' when we was a little furder off.  I commenced for to walk
+fast, and Big Mose commenced for to walk fast, and afore we knowed it,
+we bofe was a canterin', and when we come aginst de door, we'd like to
+'ve busted it in, we was tearing along so fast.  We tumbled in ober
+each oder, and fastened dat door in a hurry you'd better beliebe."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Wal, we went to our room, and blowed out de candle and said our
+prayers and went to bed.  We hadn't been laying dar long, when Big Mose
+turned ober toward me, and whispers, 'I tell you, Cato, dar am Inj'ines
+about de house.  'Cause why I see'd one, and I had a dream last night
+dat a whole lot ob dem comes here in de night and killed all of us
+niggers and burnt Missis Mary!'  Hebens, golly! Massa Canfield, I begun
+to turn white about de gills when I heerd him say <I>dat</I>.  I'd been
+shibering and shaking, and now I shook like de ager.  I told Big Mose
+to be still and go to sleep, 'cause it seemed to me if I went to sleep
+when t'ings looked bad, dey would be all right agin in de mornin'.
+But, he wouldn't be still and says, 'I tell you, Cato, dar <I>am</I> Injines
+crawlin' around ob dis house dis very minute, 'cause I can hear dar
+knees and hands on de ground.'  I couldn't make Big Mose keep quiet.
+Bimeby, he says, 'Cato, let's git up and be ready for 'em, for dey're
+comin'.  I <I>knows</I> it, I ken <I>feel</I> it in my bones.  Let's wake up
+Missis Mary and de niggers and fight 'em, for dey'll be here afore
+morning, sure.'  Wal, dat nigger worrid me awful.  I told him I
+wouldn't git up, but was going to sleep, and turned ober in bed, but I
+couldn't keep my eyes shet.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Bimeby, I heard Big Mose crawling soft-like out de bed.  He was trying
+to make no noise, so he wouldn't wake me, finking I was asleep.  He
+stepped like a cat on de floor, and I listened to see what he was going
+to do.  I heerd him move around and den all was still.  'What you
+doing, Mose?' I axed.  'I'm going to say my prayers,' he said, 'and
+it's de last time too, 'cause de Injines will soon be here.'  I didn't
+try to stop him, for I felt so bad, I commenced saying mine in de bed.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Big Mose kept mumbling and crying for a long time, and I shaking more
+and more, when all at once, hebens, golly!  I see'd somefin'
+bright-like shine trough de winder, and I looked out and de barn was
+all afire.  Den dar come a yell dat nearly blowed de roof off de house.
+Big Mose gib a screech and run, and <I>bang-bang</I> went a lot ob guns all
+around us.  De Injines was dar, burnin', tomahawkin', screechin',
+shoutin', and killin' de poor niggers as fast as dey showed demselves.
+I see'd Miss Mary&mdash;&mdash;"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Did they harm her?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No!  She didn't 'pear <I>skeart</I> a bit.  She tried to keep de Injines
+from killing de poor niggers, not t'inking anyt'ing about herself."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How was it that <I>you</I> escaped?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I stayed where I was till I was nearly burnt up, when I sneaked out
+and none of 'em didn't 'pear to notice me.  I hid in de woods and
+stayed dar till mornin'."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Did you see anything more of Miss Mary?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yes, I see'd de Injines go away purty soon, and take her along.  Dey
+didn't take any ob de niggers, 'cause dey had killed 'em all but me,
+and I was already dead, but I comed to agin."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"None of Captain Prescott's family were in the house besides Mary, were
+they?" asked the Lieutenant, asking a question of which he well knew
+the answer.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Nobody else wan't dar&mdash;bress de Lord!  Missis Prescott and Helen went
+off on a visit to de settlement, t'ree, four days ago."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How was it Miss Mary remained behind?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ki-yi! you doesn't know, eh?" said Cato, grinning vastly, in total
+forgetfulness, for the moment, of his dreadful surroundings.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How should I know?  Of course, I do not."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Wal, den, Oonymoo, dat red Injine, told her as how maybe you'd be
+'long dese parts 'bout dis time, and <I>she</I> 'cluded she'd be't home when
+<I>you</I> called.  <I>Dat's</I> how she was heah!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+A thrill went through the gallant Lieutenant at this evidence of the
+affection of the fair maiden he had journeyed so far to see.  Despite
+the heart-sickness which had come over him at sight of the revolting
+scenes around, he experienced a sort of pleasure from the words of the
+negro, and felt anxious for him to say more.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How do you know, Cato, that this was the reason she remained behind?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Hebens, golly! didn't I hear her tell Missis so?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Her mother?  And what did she say?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh! she and Missis Helen kinder laughed, and showed all dar white
+teef, and dey didn't try to persuade her to go, 'cause dey <I>knowed</I> dar
+wan't no use ob tryin' to do nuffin' like <I>dat</I>.  She lubs the
+Leftenant altogeder too much.  Yah! yah!" and Cato kicked up his heels,
+hugely delighted.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Have you told me when you built this house of yours?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"T'ought I hahd.  Done dat ar workmanship dis mornin', arter all de
+Injines had gone.  T'ought dar'd be somebody 'long dis way afore long."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"There has been nothing saved," said the Lieutenant, looking around and
+speaking apparently to himself.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Noffin' but dis poor nigger, and I don't know what will become of him
+now dat he's all alone," said Cato, with a woe-begone demeanor.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Have no anxiety upon that account.  You shall be attended to.  Captain
+Prescott and all his family are living, and, depend upon it, you will
+not suffer if he can prevent it."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"But de house am gone&mdash;de horses&mdash;de corns&mdash;eberyt'ing but me."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The young soldier continued musing for a moment and then asked:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How far from here is the settlement to which Mrs. Prescott has gone?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ten, fifteen or forty miles."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Can't you tell me more precisely than that?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Somewhere atween ten and forty or fifty&mdash;dat's all I can tell."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Have you ever been there yourself?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Offin&mdash;horseback."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You know the way?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Jes' as well as did from de house to de barn."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How would you like to go there?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What! alone?" asked Cato, the old look of terror coming back to his
+countenance.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Certainly&mdash;you have been there and back you said, didn't you?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yes, but bress your soul! de Injines wan't about den."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I guess there were as many as there are this minute."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh! gracious!  I don't want to go alone.  What made ye ax me dat
+queshun?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Why, I thought this, Cato.  You see I expect Oonomoo to return to this
+place by nightfall, when I intend to accompany him to the Shawnee
+village where Miss Mary is held captive&mdash;&mdash;"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Goin' to git her?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"We hope to.  I was going to propose that you should make your way to
+the settlement and carry the news of this sad affair to Mrs. Prescott
+and her daughter, assuring her that the Huron and myself will do all we
+can to rescue Mary.  They must have seen the light, last night, and no
+doubt are dreadfully anxious to learn whether it was their mansion or
+not.  Besides, I doubt whether the Huron will be willing that you
+should accompany us."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Why won't he?  I guess Cato knows enough to take care of his self.
+Allus has done it.  Done it last night."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"We will let the matter rest until his return.  It shall be as he says."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What time 'spect him?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"In the course of a few hours.  In the meantime, there is another
+matter that must be attended to.  Do you know whether there is a spade
+or shovel lying about?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dunno; guess dar is dough.  I'll see in a minute."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Cato ran some distance to where the charred remains of another building
+were heaped together, and searching among the ruins, brought forth a
+spade with a portion of the handle still left.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What ye want to do dat ar?" he asked, as he brought it to the
+Lieutenant.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"We must bury those bodies, Cato.  It would be wrong to deny them a
+decent burial when we possess the time and means."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Cato had a mortal horror of touching any creature that was dead, but
+more than once he had wished that the corpses were placed in the
+ground, although he had not the courage to put them there.  He showed
+no reluctance now to the performance of his portion of the task.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You know how to dig, I presume?" asked the Lieutenant.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yis, I offin dug wid dis berry same spade.  Whar'd you want thar
+graves?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"One grave will answer for the four, and this spot will do as well as
+any other."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The soldier gave the proper directions, and the negro commenced his
+labor at once.  In an hour or two, he had hollowed out a grave, ready
+for the reception of the dead bodies.  He could not conceal his
+repugnance to touching them, although he did not refuse to do so.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dat ar is poor Big Mose," said he, as they took hold of a Herculean
+negro, who had been brained by the keen tomahawk.  "And he knowed the
+Injines war a-comin' a long time afore dey did.  Poor Mose," he added,
+as the big tears trickled down his cheek, "he neber will eat any more
+big suppers or come de double-shuffle or de back-action-spring by
+moonlight.  Poor feller! he had a big heel and knowed how to handle it."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The body was carefully lowered into the grave, and the others, one by
+one, were placed beside it.  It was a sight which haunted Lieutenant
+Canfield for many a night&mdash;those black, upturned corpses&mdash;awful
+evidences of the terrible passions of the Shawnees.  The earth was
+carefully deposited over them and the last sad rites performed.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The sun was now past the meridian, and the young soldier began to look
+momentarily for the appearance of the Huron.  An hour or two had
+passed, when Cato spoke:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Massa Canfield, 'tain't noways likely dat ar Injine will be along
+afore dark.  <I>Dat's</I> de time dem critters likes to travel, so what's de
+use ob our waitin' here so long.  Oder Injines <I>mought</I> be around dese
+parts and wouldn't it be a good idee to git in de woods whar dey
+wouldn't be so apt to see us?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It struck the Lieutenant that there was some sense in the advice of the
+negro; so he concluded to act upon it.  Moving away toward the wood,
+his foot struck and scattered a pile of black cinders lying near the
+ruins of the house.  Looking down, he saw something glitter.  What was
+his surprise to discover in the ashes a gold watch and chain which he
+had often seen upon the neck of Mary Prescott.  A portion of the chain
+had been melted by the intense heat, but by some singular means, the
+watch had been so well preserved that there was scarcely a blemish upon
+it.  As he picked it up, Cato exclaimed, with rolling eyes:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dat is Miss Mary's! dat is Miss Mary's!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"It couldn't have been around her neck, certainly, when it was lost."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No, she allers laid it on de stand aside her bed, and dat's de way it
+got dar.  See, dar's de legs ob de stand."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was as the negro said, and in the hope of finding some more of the
+valuables of the family, the soldier kicked the ashes and cinders
+hither and thither and searched among them for a considerable time.
+Nothing further rewarded him, however.  Placing the watch upon his own
+person, he went on, across the edge of the clearing, into the woods
+beyond.  He led his horse further into their protection, and then
+beckoned the negro to his side.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Do you feel sleepy, Cato?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No! what'd you ax that fur?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Well I do, and I am going to try to get a little sleep.  I wish you to
+keep watch of the clearing while I do."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Don't 'spect none of dem Injines will be back here?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No, but Oonomoo will probably soon be.  I want you to see him the
+minute he comes, and awaken me so that there shall be no unnecessary
+delay."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Cato promised to obey, and took his station nearer the clearing, while
+the fatigued soldier stretched himself upon the ground and was soon
+wrapped in a dreamless slumber.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Lieutenant Canfield slept until nearly sunset, and would have slept
+even longer had he not been aroused by Cato roughly shaking his
+shoulder.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Why, what's the matter?" he asked, looking up in the terror-stricken
+countenance of the negro.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Hebens, golly! <I>dey've come</I>!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Who has come? what are you talking about?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"De Injines.  Dar's forty fousand of 'em out dar in de clearing!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Considerably flurried by the husky words of his sable friend,
+Lieutenant Canfield arose and walked stealthily toward the clearing to
+satisfy himself in regard to the cause of the negro's excessive fear.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Be keerful, or dey'll see you," admonished the latter, following
+several yards behind.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Approaching as near the edge of the wood as he deemed prudent, he was
+rewarded by the sight of some six or eight Indians&mdash;undoubtedly
+Shawnees&mdash;who were examining the ruins that lay around them with
+considerable curiosity.  They were ugly-looking customers in their
+revolting war-paint and fantastic costumes, and the Lieutenant felt
+that the wisest plan he could adopt was to give them a wide berth.
+Withdrawing further into the wood, he asked the negro when he had first
+seen them.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Massa Canfield, I stood and watched out dar for two, free hours till I
+fell asleep myself and come down kerwollup on de ground.  I laid dar a
+good while afore I woke, and de fust t'ing I see'd when I looked out
+dar, war dem Injines walking round, kickin' up t'ings and makin'
+darselves at home ginerally.  You'd better beliebe I trabeled fast to
+tell you ob it."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"From which direction do you think they come?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dunno, but I finks de way dey looks dat dey come purty near from dis
+way, mighty clus to whar we's standin'; and I t'inks dey'll take de
+same route to git back agin."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Somehow or other, the Lieutenant had the same impression as the negro.
+It was so strong upon him that he resolved to change their position at
+once.  Accordingly, he proceeded to where his horse was tied, and
+unfastening, led him into the wood.  Making a <I>détour</I>, he came back
+nearly upon the opposite side of the clearing, where, if possible, the
+wood was still thicker.  Here they carefully screened themselves from
+observation and watched the Shawnees.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Hither and thither they passed, searching among the ruins for plunder,
+occasionally turning up some trifle upon which they pounced with the
+avidity of children, and examining the half-burnt remnants of chairs,
+tables and stands, etc.  Here and there they pulled the black, twisted
+nails forth, that looked like worms burnt to a cinder, and carefully
+preserved them for future use.  Every metallic substance was seized as
+a prize, and some of the wooden portions of instruments were also
+appropriated.  Thin twists of smoke still ascended from different spots
+in the clearing, and the ashes when stirred showed the red live coals
+beneath them.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yah! yah! dat feller's got sumkin' nice," said Cato, laughing heartily
+and silently at one of the Indians, who had pulled forth a long board
+with evident delight.  Turning it over, he balanced it on his shoulder
+and was walking rapidly away, when suddenly he sprung several feet in
+the air with a yell of agony, and jumped from beneath it, rubbing his
+shoulder very violently as if suffering acute pain.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yah! yah! knowed 'twould do dat.  Lower part all afire, and reckoned
+it burnt him a little."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Indian continued dancing around for several moments, not ashamed to
+show to his companions how much he suffered.  He by no means was the
+only one who was caught in this manner.  Very often, a savage would
+spring from the ground, with a sharp exclamation, as some coal pierced
+through his moccasin, and now and then another could be seen, slapping
+his fingers against his person, after he had hastily dropped some
+object.  One eager Shawnee attempted to draw a red-hot nail from a slab
+with his thumb and finger, and roasted the ends of both by the
+operation, while a second seated himself upon a board which set fire to
+the fringe of his hunting-shirt.  He did not become aware of it until a
+few minutes later, when, in walking around, the fire reached his hide.
+Placing his hand behind him, he received unmistakable evidence of its
+presence, when he set up a loud whoop and started at full speed for the
+spring, reaching which, he seated himself in it, before he felt
+entirely safe.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+These, and many other incidents, amused the Lieutenant for the time
+being, while the delight of Cato was almost uncontrollable.  He seemed
+in danger of apoplexy several times from the efforts he made to subdue
+his laughter.  But, all at once there was a sudden cessation in his
+mirth, and a visible lengthening of his visage.  Grasping the shoulder
+of the soldier, he exclaimed:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Look dar!  Look dar!  See dem!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I see nothing to alarm us."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Look dar whar we went into the clearin'.  Don't you see dem Injines
+dar?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Lieutenant Canfield did see something that alarmed him.  The whole
+eight Indians had followed the track of himself and the negro to the
+edge of the wood, where they had halted and were consulting together.
+They certainly must have noticed it before, but had probably been too
+busy to examine it particularly.  It had never once occurred to the
+white man that this evidence of his presence would tell against him,
+but he now saw the imminent peril in which he and the negro were placed.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"We must flee, Cato," said he.  "Fortunately it will soon be dark, when
+they cannot follow us."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Will we bofe git on de hoss?" asked the frightened negro.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No; it will do no good.  Let us take to the woods.  Hush!  What's
+that?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Just as they were about moving, the sharp report of a rifle came upon
+their ears, and with a loud whoop the Shawnees rushed off in a body,
+taking an easterly direction, which was different from that followed by
+the soldier and negro.  Now that all immediate danger was gone, the two
+remained behind, to learn, if possible, the cause of the mysterious
+shot and subsequent action of the Shawnees.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was not until night, when Oonomoo, the Huron, returned, that the
+cause was made known.  He had approached several hours before, and seen
+the savages in consultation, and divined the cause of it.  To divert
+them from pursuing his two friends, whom they would most certainly have
+captured, he discharged his piece among them, and then purposely showed
+himself to draw them after him.  The stratagem succeeded as well as he
+could have wished.  He easily eluded them, until they had followed him
+some distance in the woods, when he made his way back again to the
+clearing, where he rejoined the Lieutenant and the negro.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap05"></A>
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER V.
+</H3>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+THE HOME OF THE HURON.
+</H3>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P CLASS="poem">
+Tis nature's worship&mdash;felt&mdash;confessed,<BR>
+Far as the life which warms the breast!<BR>
+The sturdy savage midst his clan,<BR>
+The rudest portraiture of man,<BR>
+In trackless woods and boundless plains,<BR>
+Where everlasting wildness reigns,<BR>
+Owns the still throb&mdash;the secret start&mdash;<BR>
+The hidden impulse of the heart.&mdash;BYRON.
+</P>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P>
+The Huron, after his escape from the Shawnees, quickened his pace, as
+we have stated, and went many a mile before he changed his long,
+sidling trot into the less rapid walk.  When he did this, it was upon
+the shore of a large creek, which ran through one of the wildest and
+most desolate regions of Ohio.  In some portions the banks were nothing
+more than a continuous swamp, the creek spreading out like a lake among
+the reeds and undergrowth, through which glided the enormous
+water-snake, frightened at the apparition of a man in this lonely spot.
+The bright fish darted hither and thither, their sides flashing up in
+the sunlight like burnished silver.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The agile Indian sprung lightly from one turf of earth to another, now
+balancing himself on a rotten stump or root, now walking the length of
+some fallen tree, so decayed and water-eaten that it mashed to a pulp
+beneath his feet, and then leaping to some other precarious foothold,
+progressing rapidly all the time and with such skill that he hardly
+wetted his moccasin.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+While treading a log thus, which gave back a hollow sound, the head of
+an immense rattlesnake protruded from a hole in the tree, its tail
+giving the deadly alarm, as it continued issuing forth, as if
+determined to dispute the passage of man in this desolate place.  The
+fearless Huron scarcely halted.  While picking his way through the
+swamp he had carried his rifle lightly balanced in his left hand, and
+he now simply changed it to his right, grasping it by the muzzle, so
+that the stock was before him.  He saw the cavernous mouth of the snake
+opened to an amazing width; the thin tongue, that resembled a tiny
+stream of blood; the small, glittering eyes; the horn-like fangs, at
+the roots of which he well knew were the sacks filled almost to
+bursting with the most deadly of all poisons; the thin neck, swelling
+out until the scaly belly of the loathsome reptile was visible.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Huron continued steadily approaching the revolting thing.  He was
+scarcely a yard distant when the neck of the snake arched like a
+swan's, and the head was drawn far back to strike.  In an instant the
+stock of his rifle swept over the top of the log with the quickness of
+lightning.  There followed a sharp, cracking noise, like the explosion
+of a percussion-cap, and the head of the rattlesnake spun twenty feet
+or more out over the swamp.  It struck the branch of a tree, and,
+dropping to the water, sunk out of sight.  The headless body of the
+reptile now writhed and doubled over itself, and smote the tree in the
+most horrible agony.  Oonomoo walked quietly forward, and with his feet
+shoved it from the log.  Still twisting and interlocking, it sunk down,
+down, down into the clear spring-like waters until it could be seen on
+the gravelly bottom, where its struggles continued as he passed on.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Not affected by this occurrence, the Huron walked on as quietly as
+before, his dark, restless eye seemingly flitting over every object
+within his range of vision.  The character of the swamp continued much
+the same.  A broad sheet of water, from nearly every portion of which
+rose numerous trees, like thin, dark columns, here and there twisted
+round and round, and, seemingly, smothered by some luxuriant vine;
+others prostrate, the roots sunk out of sight, and the trunk protruding
+upward, as if a giant had used them for spears and hurled them into the
+swamp; shallow portions, where the water was but a few inches deep, and
+then others, where you could gaze down for twenty feet, as if you were
+looking through liquid air.  These were the peculiarities of this
+singular spot in the wilderness, through which the Huron was journeying.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+He must have proceeded fully a half-mile into this water wilderness,
+when he reached what might properly be termed the edge of the swamp;
+that is, the one through which he had been making his way, for there
+was still another a short distance from him.  The growth of trees
+terminated almost in a mathematical line, and a lake of water,
+something less than a quarter of a mile in width, stretched out before
+him, perfectly clear of every obstruction.  The Indian stood a long
+time, looking about in every direction.  What was unusual, there was an
+expression of the most intense anxiety upon his countenance.  Well
+might there be; for, sooner than to have a human eye (whether it was
+that of the white or red man) to witness the movements he was now about
+to make, he would have suffered death at the stake a thousand times!
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Apparently satisfied, he laid his rifle on the tree upon which he had
+been standing, and then sprung out into the deeper water, sinking like
+a stone from sight.  When he came to the surface, he brought something
+with him, which proved to be a canoe.  With this he swam to the tree,
+where he righted and turned the water from it.  A paddle was secured in
+it.  Taking his seat, the canoe went skimming like a swallow over the
+water toward the opposite swamp.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Reaching this, he shot in among the trees, avoiding them with as much
+ease and dexterity as would a bird on the wing.  Going a hundred yards
+in this manner, he arose in his canoe and looked around.  A shade of
+displeasure crossed his face, apparently of disappointment at not
+discovering some person or object for whom he was looking.  Waiting a
+moment, he placed his thumb on his mouth, and gave utterance to a low,
+tremulous whistle, an exact imitation of a bird often found in the
+American swamps.  A moment later, there came a response exactly the
+same, except that it sounded fainter and a considerable distance away.
+The moment it caught the ear of the Huron, he reseated himself and
+folded his arms in the attitude of patient waiting.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Scarce five minutes had elapsed, when the plash of another paddle was
+heard, and a second canoe made its appearance, carefully approaching
+that of the Huron.  In it was seated an Indian boy, not more than
+twelve years of age, who handled it with a skill scarcely second to
+that of his father, Oonomoo.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Niniotan, my son, is late," said the latter, sternly, as the boy came
+alongside.
+</P>
+
+<A NAME="img-115"></A>
+<CENTER>
+<IMG SRC="images/img-115.jpg" ALT="&quot;Niniotan, my son, is late.&quot;" BORDER="2" WIDTH="350" HEIGHT="536">
+<H4>
+[Illustration: "Niniotan, my son, is late."]
+</H4>
+</CENTER>
+
+<P>
+"I was chasing a deer this morning, and was carried further in the
+woods than I thought," meekly replied the boy.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Has the Moravian missionary given Niniotan two tongues that he should
+think Oonomoo speaks idle words?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Niniotan does not think so," said the son, in a humble voice of
+thrilling sweetness.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oonomoo said when the sun was over yonder tree-top he would be waiting
+for his boy Niniotan.  He waited, but Niniotan was not here."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The son of the Huron warrior bowed his head as if he had nothing to say
+to the merited rebuke.  The father took his seat in the canoe of his
+son, who carried him rapidly forward through the swamp, for perhaps a
+quarter of a mile further, when the ground became so solid that they
+landed and walked upon it.  The grass was green and luxuriant, the
+trees stood close together, and in some places the shrubbery seemed
+almost impenetrable.  But Niniotan never hesitated.  The way was
+perfectly familiar.  A rabbit could scarcely have glided through the
+wood with more dexterity than did he and his father.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Finally the two reached what appeared to be a large mound of earth,
+covered over with rank grass and brilliant flowers.  On one side was a
+perfect bank of bushes, so that the mound could not be seen until it
+was closely approached.  A Shawnee Indian might have encamped beside
+it, without once having his suspicion awakened in regard to its nature.
+This was the retreat and home of Oonomoo, the friendly Huron, where his
+wife, Fluellina, and son, Niniotan, dwelt, which was regularly visited
+by him, and where he frequently spent days, enjoying the sweets of
+home.  No living person besides these three knew of its existence.  It
+stood upon this vast island in the midst of this swamp, almost
+inaccessible to approach, and where no one would have dreamed of
+looking for the dwelling place of a human being.  The surrounding
+waters were as cold and clear as crystal, and were swarming with the
+choicest fish.  Abundance of game was upon the land, and, what might
+seem curious, considering the location of the island, its air possessed
+an extraordinary degree of salubrity.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The mound was but a mere shell, the interior of which was lined with
+luxurious furs and skins, and furnished with every convenience and
+comfort that the fancy of a warrior's wife might covet.  Within, too,
+were numerous presents, such as rifles, knives, pistols, beads and
+picture-books which had been given Oonomoo by his numerous white
+friends.  In addition there was a magnificent gold watch&mdash;a gift from a
+wealthy lady, whose life the Huron had saved several years before.
+Hearing that he had a young wife, she sent the present to her, and it
+had hung within their "wigwam" ever since.  Its use was understood, and
+it was regularly wound and attended to with great care.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Fluellina, the wife of Oonomoo, was also a Huron, who had been educated
+at one of the Moravian missionary stations in the West, and was a
+professing Christian.  She was a mild, dove-eyed creature, a number of
+years younger than her husband, whom she loved almost to adoration, and
+for whom she would not have hesitated to lay down her life at any
+moment.  She had had another child&mdash;a boy, born two years before
+Niniotan, but he had died when but six years of age, and was buried in
+the clear depths of the water which surrounded his home.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Regularly every month, Fluellina, accompanied by her son, visited a
+Moravian missionary who dwelt with his family on the site of the once
+flourishing station of Gnadenhutten, where, in 1782, was enacted one of
+the darkest episodes in American history.  It was here the infamous
+monster, Colonel Williamson, murdered the one hundred Moravian
+Indians&mdash;a crime for which it seems a just God would have smitten him
+and his followers to the earth.  Here this faithful Huron woman and her
+son received instruction in holy things from the aged missionary&mdash;a
+white man who alone knew the relation which she bore to the famous
+Huron, Oonomoo, and who never betrayed it to his dying day.  By this
+means, her regular visits were rendered safe and free from the
+annoyance of being watched&mdash;an exemption she never could have had, had
+any one else suspected the truth.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Fluellina succeeded in inducing her husband to visit this missionary on
+several occasions, when he proved an attentive listener to the aged
+disciple of God.  He took in every doctrine and subscribed to every
+truth except one&mdash;that of loving his enemies.  He believed he never
+could love the Shawnees&mdash;they who had first caused his father to be
+broken of his chiefdom, and then had murdered his mother.  He had sworn
+eternal hatred against them, and in the interior of his lodge hung such
+an incredible number of their scalps that we decline to name
+it&mdash;knowing that we should be suspected of trifling with the credulity
+of our readers.  He had never taken the scalp of a white man, and would
+promise never to harm any being except the Shawnees; but, toward them
+his feelings must be those of the deadliest enmity.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The sublime truths of the great Book of books, its glorious promises,
+and its awful mysteries, thrilled the soul of the Huron to its center,
+and many a time when wandering alone through the great, solemn forests,
+he felt his spirit expanding within him, until his eyes overflowed, and
+he, the mighty, scarred warrior, wept like a child.  The sweet
+instruction, too, of the gentle Fluellina had not been lost entirely
+upon him.  It was owing to these that for a year he had not taken the
+scalp of a Shawnee, though he had been sorely tempted and had slain
+more than one.  He could not yet bring himself to the point of letting
+them go free altogether.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+With this somewhat lengthy parenthesis, we will now return to the
+present visit of the Huron to his island home.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Oonomoo was about to pass into the interior of the lodge, when a light
+exclamation caught his ear.  As he turned his head, Fluellina came
+bounding to his arms.  However stoical and indifferent the North
+American Indian may appear in the presence of his companions or of
+white men, it is a mistake to suppose that he is wanting either in the
+ordinary affections of humanity, or in those little demonstrations of
+love so peculiar to our own race.  Deep in the woods, when alone with
+their families, they throw off restraint and are warriors no more&mdash;but
+<I>men</I>.  The little child is dandled on the knee, or sported with upon
+the grass, and the proud mother receives her share of her husband's
+caresses.  Great as may be the glory of the savage in the hunt and
+chase, his happiness in the bosom of his own family is unsurpassed by
+any other enjoyment which ever falls to his lot.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Fluellina received the embrace of her husband with a radiant
+countenance, and she seemed overflowing with joy as she looked up in
+his own glowing face.  Taking her fondly by the hand, he led her a few
+yards away, where he seated her upon a half-imbedded rock and placed
+himself beside her.  A glance at the two would have shown that there
+was no considerable difference in their ages.  The wife could not have
+been over thirty at the most, and she looked much younger, while the
+husband was perhaps thirty-five.  His square, massive chest was covered
+with scars&mdash;eloquent evidences of his bravery, for he had never
+received a wound in the back.  His face, usually so stern and
+dignified, was now softened, and the bright, metallic glitter of eye
+was changed to the sparkle of gladness.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The handsome, symmetrical arms of Fluellina were bare to the shoulder,
+and Oonomoo held one in his broad palm, closing and opening upon the
+plump flesh and delicate muscle, with as much admiration as though he
+were still her young and ardent lover.  They sat thus, gazing into each
+other's face for several moments without speaking, so full seemed their
+hearts.  Finally Oonomoo seated himself upon the ground at the feet of
+Fluellina and leaned his head over upon her lap.  This was what she
+wished, and she had maneuvered in that delicate manner peculiar to her
+sex, by which the desire of the lover is awakened without his
+suspecting the true cause.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Unfastening the bindings of his hair, she parted it carefully and drew
+her fingers slowly through and through it until it glistened like
+satin.  She did not speak, for she had no desire to disturb the languor
+which she knew it cast over her husband.  As his head drooped, she
+sustained it and gradually ceased, until he slept.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Oonomoo awoke in a short time, and reseated himself by the side of his
+wife.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Where is Niniotan?" he asked, looking around him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"He is dressing the meat of the deer which he slew this morning.  Shall
+I call him?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No, I am not yet tired of my Fluellina."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The happy wife replied by placing her warm cheek against his, and
+holding it there a moment.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oonomoo has no wounds upon him," said she, raising her head and
+looking at his breast and shoulders.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"But he has been in danger."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No scalps hang at his girdle."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"<I>And none shall ever hang there again.</I>"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Not the scalp of the Shawnee?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No," replied the Huron, in a voice as deep and solemn as a distant
+peal of thunder.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Fluellina looked at her husband a moment, with her face lit up by a
+strange expression.  Then, as she read the determination impressed upon
+his countenance, and knew the sacredness with which he regarded his
+pledged word, she sunk down on her knees, and clasping her hands,
+turned her dark, soulful eyes to heaven and uttered the one exclamation:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Great Spirit, I thank thee!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The kneeling Indian woman, her face radiant with a holy happiness, the
+stern warrior, his dark countenance lighted up as he gazed down upon
+her as if the long obscured sun had once more struggled from behind the
+clouds&mdash;these two silent figures in the green wood of their island home
+formed a picture touchingly beautiful and sublime.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Who can picture the glory that illuminated the soul of the Huron
+warrior, the divine bliss that went thrilling through his very being,
+as he uttered this vow, and felt within him the consciousness that
+never, never again would he be overcome by the temptation to tear the
+scalp from the head of his enemy, the vengeful Shawnee.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"When has Fluellina seen the Moravian missionary?" he asked, as she
+reseated herself beside him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"But a short time since.  He inquired of Oonomoo."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oonomoo will visit him soon."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Can he not go with Fluellina to-day?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"When the sun is yonder," replied the Huron, pointing to a place which
+it would reach in about half an hour, "he must go, and when the sun
+sinks in the west, he must be many miles from here."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"When will he return again?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"He cannot tell.  He goes to befriend the white man and maid who is in
+the hands of the Shawnees."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Fluellina will wait and will pray for Oonomoo and for them."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oonomoo will pray for himself, and his arm will be strong, for he
+fights none but warriors."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And Niniotan will grow up like him; he will be a brave warrior who, I
+pray, will take no scalp from the head of his foe."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What think the missionary of Niniotan?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"He finds that the blood of Oonomoo flows strong in his veins.  His eye
+burns, and his breast pants when he hears of the great deeds his father
+has performed, and he prays that he may go with him upon the war-path."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"He shall accompany him shortly.  He can aim the rifle, and his feet
+are like those of the deer.  He shall be a man whose name shall make
+the Shawnee warriors tremble in their lodges."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Shall he be a merciful warrior?" asked Fluellina, looking up in the
+face of the Huron.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Like his father, shall he be.  He shall slay none but men in rightful
+combat, and no scalp shall ever adorn his lodge.  He must drink in the
+words of the Moravian missionary."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"He does, but his heart is young.  He will be valiant and merciful, but
+he longs to emulate the deeds of Oonomoo&mdash;his father."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I will teach him to emulate what Oonomoo will do, not what he has
+done."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"He counts the scalps that hang in our lodge, and wonders why they do
+not increase.  He gazes long and often upon those which you tore years
+ago from the heads of the two chiefs, and I know he burns to gain a
+trophy for himself."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Has Fluellina the choicest food these forests can afford?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"The eye of Niniotan is sure, and his mother never wants."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"He must not wander from the island, else his young arm may be
+overpowered by the Shawnees or Miamis.  They would know he was the son
+of Oonomoo, and through the son murder the father and mother."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Fluellina loves but three&mdash;Oonomoo, Niniotan, and," she added,
+reverentially raising her eyes to heaven, "the Great Spirit who is so
+kind to her."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And Oonomoo loves him," added the Huron, in his deep, bass voice.  "In
+the hunting-grounds beyond the sun, he and Fluellina and Niniotan will
+again live together on some green island in the forest, where the
+buffalo and deer wander in bands of thousands."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And where Delaware, Mingo, Chippewa, Miami, Ottawa, Pottawatomie,
+Shawnee, Huron, and the white man shall be brothers, and war against
+each other no more."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Huron made no reply, for the words of his wife had awakened a train
+of reflection to which he had been a stranger.  The thought that all
+the Indians, every tribe that had lived since the foundation of the
+world&mdash;those who were now the most implacable enemies to each other,
+the French, English and Americans&mdash;the thought of these living together
+in the Spirit Land in perfect brotherhood and good-will, was too
+startling for him to accept until Fluellina again spoke:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"It is only the <I>good</I> Delaware, Mingo, Chippewa, Miami, Ottawa,
+Pottawatomie, Shawnee, Huron, and white man that shall live there."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was all plain now to the simple-minded Indian, and he understood and
+believed.  He sat a few moments, as if ruminating upon this new theme,
+and then said gently to his wife:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Read out of Good Book to Oonomoo."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Fluellina drew a small Bible from her bosom, one that she always
+carried with her, and opening at the Revelations, commenced to read in
+a clear, sweet and distinct voice.  The inspired grandeur, sublime
+truths and glorious descriptions of that most wonderful of all books
+thrilled her soul to its center with emotions unutterable; and she knew
+that the same effect, though perhaps in a lesser degree, was produced
+upon her husband.  The particular portion was the twenty-first chapter,
+whose meaning the Moravian missionary had frequently explained to her,
+and it was these verses in particular upon which she frequently dwelt
+with such awed rapture:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain,
+and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of
+heaven from God,
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'Having the glory of God; and her light was like unto a stone most
+precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'And had a wall, great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the
+gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of
+the twelve tribes of Israel.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'And the building of the wall of it was of jasper; and the city was
+pure gold, like unto clear glass.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all
+manner of precious stones.  The first foundation was jasper; the
+second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the
+eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the
+eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of
+one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were
+transparent glass.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'And I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb
+are the temple of it.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall
+be no night there.'"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The dim, vague glimpses afforded him from this and other portions of
+the book of the awful mysteries of the Last Day, the New Jerusalem, and
+the great white Throne, threw a spell over him which remained long
+after the words of the reader had ceased.  Full ten minutes, he sat,
+after the volume had been closed; then raising his head, said:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"The sun is getting in the western sky, and Oonomoo must depart."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The wife did not seek to detain her husband.  The wife of an Indian
+warrior never does.  She merely walked beside him, while he signaled
+for his son to approach.  He had scarce uttered the call, when Niniotan
+came bounding from the wood eager to obey the slightest wish of his
+father.  Seeing from his actions that he was about to depart, he
+lingered behind until his mother had bidden him good-by, and paused;
+then he leaped ahead, leading the way as before.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The canoe reached, Oonomoo stepped within it, and Niniotan paddled him
+out among the trees until he came to where his own canoe was moored,
+into which the Huron stepped.  As he was about to dip the paddle, he
+said: "Let Niniotan wait until Oonomoo returns, and he shall go with
+him upon the next war-path."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+No pen can picture the glowing happiness that lit up the features of
+the boy at hearing these words.  His dark eyes fairly danced, and he
+seemed unable to control his joy.  His whole frame quivered, and he
+dipped his own paddle into the water, he bent it almost to breaking.
+Without noticing him further, Oonomoo sent his canoe spinning among the
+trees, and was soon in the broad sheet of water, crossing which, he
+reached the spot where he had brought up his boat.  Stepping out upon
+the log, he secured the paddle to it, and then turning it over, filled
+it with water.  It slowly sunk until it could be seen resting upon the
+bottom, when he sprung from the tree and commenced his departure from
+the swamp in the same manner that he had entered it.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Once again in the grand old forest, with the mossy carpet beneath his
+feet, and the magnificent arches over his head, through which the
+breezes came like the cool breath of the ocean, the Huron struck into
+his peculiar rapid trot, which was continued until sunset, by which
+time he reached the clearing.  Approaching it in his usual cautious
+manner, he saw the Shawnees consulting together, and at the first
+glance understood the peril of his friends.  We have related the
+measures which he took to save them, and shown how successful they were.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap06"></A>
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER VI.
+</H3>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+ADVENTURES ON THE WAY.
+</H3>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P CLASS="poem">
+The paths which wound 'mid gorgeous trees,<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The streams whose bright lips kissed the flowers,<BR>
+The winds that swelled their harmonies,<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Through these sun-hiding bowers,<BR>
+The temple vast, the green arcade,<BR>
+The nestling vale, the grassy glade,<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dark cave and swampy lair;<BR>
+These scenes and sounds majestic, made<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;His world, his pleasures, there.&mdash;A. B. STREET.
+</P>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P>
+"You have saved our lives," exclaimed Lieutenant Canfield, as the dusky
+form of the Huron appeared beside him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ain't hurt, eh? den we go," said he, not noticing the remark.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No, neither of us is hurt."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I beliebes a bullet struck me aside de head," said Cato, removing his
+cap, and scratching his black poll.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"A bullet struck you?" repeated the Lieutenant, in astonishment.
+"Where did it hit you?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"When dat gun went off, sunkin' struck me slap right above my ear, and
+I fought I felt it flatten dar."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Fudge! you are not hurt.  But I say, Oonomoo," resumed the soldier,
+with a more determined air, "you have saved me, and I want to grasp
+your hand for it."
+</P>
+
+<A NAME="img-137"></A>
+<CENTER>
+<IMG SRC="images/img-137.jpg" ALT="&quot;You have saved me, and I want to grasp your hand for it.&quot;]" BORDER="2" WIDTH="346" HEIGHT="543">
+<H4>
+[Illustration: "You have saved me, and I want to grasp your hand for it."]
+</H4>
+</CENTER>
+
+<P>
+The Huron extended his hand, but it hung limp in that of the ardent
+young man.  It was easy to see that the iterated thanks were
+distasteful to him.  He said nothing until the jubilant Cato also made
+a spring at it as soon as it was released.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Nebber mind&mdash;nottin'&mdash;Oonomoo do nottin'."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Hebens, golly! yes, you did.  If you hadn't come jes' as you did, I'd
+had to fout de Injines all alone, single-handed, widout any feller to
+help me, and, like as not, would've got hurt."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Can't hurt Cato's head&mdash;hard," said the Huron, dropping his hand upon
+the superabundant wool of the negro, and allowing it to bound up as if
+an elastic cushion were beneath it.  "Make nice scalp&mdash;Shawnee like
+it," added the Indian, still toying with it.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"De Lord bless me!  I hopes he nebber will get it, and he nebber will
+if I can hender dem."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was now quite dark, and, to the surprise of the Lieutenant, a round,
+full, bright moon appeared above the forest.  The preceding night had
+been without a moon to light up the cloudy heavens; but there was
+scarcely a cloud visible now in the sky.  Here and there a small fleck
+floated overhead, like a handful of snow cast there by some giant,
+while not a breath of wind disturbed the tree-tops.  All was silent and
+gloomy as the tomb.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"When are we to go to the Shawnee village?" asked the Lieutenant.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Now!" replied the Huron.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Then why do you linger?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Cato go with us?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"That is just as you say, Oonomoo.  If you think it imprudent to take
+him along, he must remain behind."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You ain't agoin' to leab me here, be you?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Know de way to settlement?" asked the Huron.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No, no; I (recollecting what he had told the Lieutenant) did know de
+way once, but, I's afraid I've forgot it.  My mem'ry is gittin' poor."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You find de way&mdash;must go&mdash;can't stay wid us."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh, gorry! don't leab me among de Injines; dey will eat me up alive!"
+replied the negro, bellowing like a bull.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Canfield saw the glitter of the Huron's eyes, and taking Cato by the
+arm, said:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Let us hear no more of this, Cato, or you will arouse the anger of
+Oonomoo, and there is no telling what he may do."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"But, I's afraid to go t'rough de dark woods, dat am full of de
+Shawnees," said the negro, in pitiful accents.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"It will be no more dangerous than to go with us.  We shall probably
+find ourselves right among them before long; while, if you are
+cautious, there is little probability of your encountering them.  Go,
+Cato, and tell Mrs. Prescott and Helen what has happened, but do not
+exaggerate it.  Tell them, for me, that they can hope for the best, and
+that they shall soon hear from Oonomoo and myself."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The words of the Lieutenant had the desired effect upon the negro.
+When he saw that he had but a choice between two dangers, he prudently
+took that which seemed to be the least, replying that, "all t'ings
+'sidered, 'twould be 'bout as well to tote off to de settlement, and
+guv de news to de folks dar."  He added that he was not influenced by
+"pussonal fear, but was simply actin' on de advice ob de Leftenant."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Accordingly, Cato took his departure.  Our two friends watched him as
+he shuffled across the clearing, and finally disappeared in the shadowy
+wood beyond.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Then the Huron turned to the duty before him.  Taking a northerly
+direction, he proceeded at such a rapid walk that the young soldier was
+compelled every now and then to run a few steps to maintain his place
+beside him.  He kept up his pace for a half-hour or so, when he
+suddenly halted.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Fast walk&mdash;make breathe fast," said he, his black eye sparkling.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"It is rather rapid walking, Oonomoo, but I can stand it.  Don't stop
+on my account."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Plenty time&mdash;git dar mornin'&mdash;soon enough."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How far are we from the Shawnee village?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Two&mdash;eight&mdash;dozen miles&mdash;go in canoe part way."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"When will we rescue her from the dogs&mdash;the Shawnees?" asked the young
+Lieutenant, scarcely able to restrain his curiosity.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dunno&mdash;may be can't get her 't all."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Won't get her?" he repeated, his heart throbbing painfully.  "My God,
+Oonomoo, why do you say that?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'Cause true&mdash;hain't got her yit&mdash;may be won't&mdash;Shawnee watch
+close&mdash;t'ink Oonomoo 'bout."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"But you <I>expect</I> to rescue her, do you not?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yeh, 'spect to&mdash;do all can&mdash;ain't sartin&mdash;mustn't t'ink I am&mdash;be ready
+for her dead."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I will try to be prepared for the worst, Oonomoo, but I place great
+hopes on you."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Place hopes on Him&mdash;He do it, may be."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Never, to his dying day, did Lieutenant Canfield forget the rebuke of
+that Huron Indian.  As he uttered these words he pointed upward&mdash;a
+flood of moonlight, streaming down through the trees upon his upturned
+face, rested like a halo of glory upon his bronzed brow.  Years
+afterward, when Oonomoo had been gathered to his fathers, and
+Lieutenant Canfield was an old man, he asserted that he could hear
+those words as distinctly, and see that reverential expression as
+plainly as upon that memorable night.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You are right, Oonomoo."  said the Lieutenant, "and I feel the reproof
+you have given me.  The merciful God is the only one upon whom we can
+rely, and under Him it is upon your sagacity and skill that I depend."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dat so&mdash;we go purty soon."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+After resting a half-hour, the two moved forward at a much slower rate
+than before.  As the moon ascended, its light was so clear and
+unobstructed that in the open spots in the woods he could easily have
+read a printed page.  For a night of reconnoitering and action it
+possessed all the advantages and disadvantages of a clear day.  The
+Huron almost invariably held his peace when walking, and the young
+soldier did not attempt to disturb him upon the present occasion.  From
+his remarks, he gathered that it was his wish to reach the neighborhood
+of the Shawnee village in a few hours, and wait until daylight before
+attempting to accomplish anything.  To carry out his intentions, it was
+necessary, in the first place, to see Hans Vanderbum, and secure his
+cooperation.  Fully aware of his astonishing sleeping qualities, the
+Huron knew he might as well try to wake a dead man as to secure an
+interview with him during the night.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+An hour later the bank of the Miami was reached.  As they stood on the
+shore and looked down-stream, its clear surface, glistening brightly in
+the moonlight, could be seen as plainly as at noonday, until it
+disappeared from sight in a sweeping bend.  From their stand-point it
+resembled a lake more than a river, the woods, apparently, shutting
+down in such a manner as to hide it entirely.  Not a ripple was heard
+along the shore, and only once a zephyr hurried over its bosom,
+crinkling the surface as it passed, and rustling the tops of a few
+trees along the bank as it went on and was lost in the wood beyond.
+The great wilderness, on every hand, stretched miles and miles away,
+until it was lost afar, like a sea of gloom, in the sky.  Once a
+night-bird rushed whirring past, so startlingly close, that the
+Lieutenant felt a cold chill run over him as its wings fanned his face.
+It shot off like a bullet directly across the river, and could be
+distinguished for several minutes, its body resembling a black ball,
+until it faded out from view.  Nothing else disturbed the solemn
+stillness that held reign.  Everything wore the spirit of quietness and
+repose.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The soldier was the first to speak.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Isn't this an impressive sight, Oonomoo?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yeh&mdash;make think of Great Spirit."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"That is true.  You seem to be more than usually solemn in your
+reflections, my good friend, and I am glad to see it.  This calm
+moonlight night, the clear sky and the deep, silent wood, is enough to
+make any person thoughtful; but it must have required something more
+than ordinary to impress you thus."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Saw Fluellina to-day, Oonomoo's wife."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Lieutenant Canfield was considerably puzzled to understand how this
+could account for the peculiar frame of the Huron's mind, but he had
+too much consideration to question him further.  It was not until he
+spoke again, that he gained a clear idea of his meaning.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Fluellina Christian&mdash;got Bible&mdash;tell 'bout God&mdash;Great Spirit up
+dere&mdash;read out of it&mdash;tell Oonomoo 'bout t'ings in it&mdash;Oonomoo nebber
+take anodder scalp."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"A wise determination; such a brave man as you needs no <I>proof</I> of your
+bravery, and that good Being which your Fluellina has told you about
+will smile upon your noble conduct."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Know dat&mdash;<I>feel</I> it," added the Huron, eagerly.  He stood a moment
+longer, and then added, "Time dat we go."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You spoke of going part way in a canoe, but I do not see any for us."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Down yonder, by dat rock."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Indian pointed down the river as he spoke, and, following the
+direction of his finger, Lieutenant Canfield distinguished a large rock
+projecting some distance from the shore, but could distinguish nothing
+of the canoe of which he spoke.  Knowing, however, that it must be
+concealed somewhere in the vicinity, he remarked, as they withdrew
+again into the wood:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How is it, Oonomoo, that you have your canoe in every part of the
+country?  You must be the owner of quite a fleet."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Got two&mdash;free&mdash;twenty&mdash;more'n dat&mdash;all ober&mdash;in Big Miami&mdash;Little
+Miami&mdash;all 'long Ohio&mdash;Soty (Sciota)&mdash;Hocking&mdash;Mussygum
+(Muskingum)&mdash;'way out 'long de Wabash&mdash;hid all ober&mdash;got 'em
+eberywhere."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And I suppose you find occasion to use them all?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Use 'em all.  Out on Wabash last winter&mdash;snow deep&mdash;two days in de
+snow&mdash;paddlin' on de ribber&mdash;hab 'em hid 'long de shore&mdash;sometime lose
+'em."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How did you get them in these different places?  Carry them there
+yourself?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Made 'em&mdash;knowed want use 'em&mdash;made 'em and hid 'em."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The young soldier was about to speak, when the Huron motioned for him
+to maintain his peace.  The conversation had been carried on in so low
+tones that a third party, a rod distant, could not have overheard their
+words.  Before the Indian spoke, he had glanced around to satisfy
+himself that it was impossible for a human being to be concealed within
+that area.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Now, however, he was about to change his position, and the strictest
+silence was necessary.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The two passed down through the woods, and were just emerging again
+upon the bank, when the Huron, who was in front, suddenly started back,
+so quickly and lightly that the Lieutenant did not understand his
+movement till he saw their relative change of position.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What is the matter?" he asked, in a whisper.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'Sh!  Shawnees dere."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Where? on the rock?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Huron pointed across the river.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dere! on dat shore&mdash;may be come over."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The soldier, was much puzzled to know how his companion had made such a
+sudden discovery, when they were so far away.  As there could be no
+danger of their words being overheard, he made the inquiry.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"See'd water splash," replied Oonomoo.  "Got canoe."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Not yours?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No&mdash;deir own&mdash;come ober here, putty soon."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+His words were true.  He had hardly spoken, when a noise, as of the
+dipping of a paddle, was heard, and the next moment a canoe shot out
+from the bank and headed directly toward them.  This being the case, it
+was impossible to determine the number of savages in it, although there
+must have been several.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Would it not be best to move to prevent discovery?" asked the
+Lieutenant, as he watched the approaching Shawnees with considerable
+anxiety.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Won't land here&mdash;go 'low us."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+A moment later the head of the canoe turned down-stream.  It was then
+seen to be of considerable size.  Five savages were seated within it.
+Oonomoo bent his head, took one earnest glance at them, and then said:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ain't Shawnees&mdash;Miamis."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Friends or foes?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Jes' as bad&mdash;take scalp&mdash;kill white people&mdash;take your scalp&mdash;see you."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Lieutenant Canfield by no means felt at ease at the indifference with
+which his friend uttered these words.  It certainly was no pleasant
+prospect&mdash;that of having these bloodthirsty Miamis for such near
+neighbors, and he expressed as much to Oonomoo.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Won't come here&mdash;keep quiet&mdash;won't git hurt," replied the
+imperturbable Huron.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Considerably relieved at this assurance, he said no more, but watched
+the canoe.  To his astonishment and dismay it again changed its course,
+and headed directly toward the rock in front of them.  He looked at his
+companion, but his face was as immovable as a statue's and, determined
+not to show any childish fear, he maintained his place and said no more.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Reaching the outer end of the rock, the Miamis halted for a moment or
+two, when they turned down the river again, and landed about a hundred
+yards below where our two friends were standing.  The latter waited for
+full half an hour, when, seeing and hearing nothing more of them, the
+Huron resolved to obtain his canoe, and continue their journey down the
+river.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"But where is it?" asked the soldier, when he announced his intention.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Fastened out end of rock."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"May be the Miamis discovered it and have destroyed it."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dunno&mdash;meb' so&mdash;didn't take him 'way, dough."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Is the water very deep?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Two&mdash;t'ree&mdash;twenty feet&mdash;swim dere."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As it seemed impossible to run even the most ordinary risk, the
+Lieutenant felt no apprehension at all when he saw him walk down to the
+water without his rifle, and wade out and commence swimming.  The moon,
+as we have said, was unusually bright, and not only the dark, ball-like
+head of the Huron could be seen, floating on the surface, but, when his
+face was turned in the right direction, his black eyes and aquiline
+nose and high cheek-bones were plainly distinguishable, while his long,
+black hair, simply closed in one clasp (years before it was always
+gathered in the defiant scalp-lock), floated like a veil behind him.
+The soldier watched him until he disappeared around the corner of the
+rock, and then patiently awaited his return.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Huron was a most consummate swimmer, and moved, while in the water,
+as silently as a fish.  More from habit than anything else, as he found
+himself in the eddy made by the twisting of the river around the upper
+edge of the stone, he "backed water," and, for a moment, remained
+perfectly motionless.  The moon was in such a quarter of the sky that a
+long line of shadow was thrown out from the rock, far enough to envelop
+both Oonomoo and his canoe, lying several yards below him.  As he
+caught sight of the latter, he saw a Miami Indian seated in it,
+apparently waiting and watching for some one.  As quick as lightning
+the meaning of the singular action of the other canoe flashed upon his
+mind.  By some means which he could only conjecture, the Miamis had
+gained a knowledge of his movements.  Perhaps the discovery of his boat
+was what first awakened their suspicions.  At any rate, they had
+learned enough to satisfy themselves that a rich prize was within their
+grasp.  Leaving one of their number in the strange canoe, they had
+passed on down-stream, concealing the absence of their comrade with
+such skill, that the watchful eye of the Huron failed to detect it.
+Beyond a doubt they were lingering in the vicinity, ready to come to
+his assistance at the first signal.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The instructions of the warrior who remained behind were to shoot the
+savage at the moment of his appearance, and, in case he had a
+companion, to put out in the stream at once and call to his friends,
+who would immediately come to him.  A brief glance at the situation of
+the Miami will show that his task was one of no ordinary peril,
+especially if the returning Indian should have any apprehension of
+danger.  If he chose, the latter could swim out to the rock, and walk
+over its surface to its outer edge, when he would be directly above the
+Miami, and could brain him with his tomahawk in an instant.  As the
+physical exertion thus incurred would be greater than the simple act of
+swimming out to the canoe, it was not likely such a thing would take
+place, unless, as we have said, the suspicions of the approaching
+savage be aroused.  The probability was that the latter would take
+precisely the same course that we have seen the Huron take, that is, if
+he believed the coast clear; but as there was no certainty of this, the
+Miami was compelled to keep watch both up-stream and down-stream, and
+it was thus it happened that his back was turned to Oonomoo at the very
+moment he came around the edge of the rock.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The different methods by which the Miami could be disposed of occurred
+to the Huron with electric quickness.  To the first&mdash;that of passing
+over the rock and tomahawking him, there was one objection so important
+as to make it a fatal one.  In the bright moonlight, he would offer too
+fine a target to the other Miamis concealed along the bank.  Without
+the responsibility of his white friend's safety, Oonomoo felt it would
+be hardly short of suicide, for it would be affording his deadliest
+enemies the opportunity of capturing or killing him as they preferred.
+He had but the choice of two plans: that of pressing forward and
+engaging the Miami, or of instantly returning to the shore, and
+proceeding to the Shawnee village by land.  He chose the former.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Everything depended now upon the quickness of the Huron's movements.
+The Miami being compelled to watch both directions, it was certain he
+would turn his head in a moment, when, if Oonomoo was still in the
+water, his fate would be pretty certain.  Accordingly he shot rapidly
+forward, and was so close when he halted, that, do his utmost, he could
+not prevent his head from striking the prow of the canoe.  Slight as
+was the shock, it did not escape the notice of the Miami, who instantly
+turned his head, and approaching the prow, leaned over and looked in
+the water.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Huron had been expecting this movement, and to guard against its
+consequences, sunk quietly beneath the surface, and allowed the current
+to carry him just the length of the canoe, when he again rose, with his
+head beneath its stem.  Resting here a moment, with his nose and eyes
+just in sight, he commenced drifting down-stream, inch by inch, until
+he caught a glimpse of the Miami's head over the edge of the canoe when
+he returned to his former position under the stern and gathered his
+energies for the struggle.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Sustaining himself by his feet alone, he reached his hands upward,
+grasped the canoe in such a manner that it was firmly held on each
+side.  Holding it thus only long enough to make his hold sure, he
+pressed the stern quickly downward, and then by a sudden wrench threw
+the Miami upon his back in the water.  Letting go his hold, the Huron
+made a dash at him, and closing in the deadly embrace, the two went
+down&mdash;down&mdash;down&mdash;till their feet struck the soft bottom, when they
+shot up again like two corks.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Imminent as was the peril of Oonomoo, his greatest fear was that their
+struggles would carry them below the rock, where the moonlight would
+discover them to the Miamis on the bank.  With a skill as wonderful as
+it was rare even among his own people, he <I>regulated</I> his movements
+while submerged, in such a manner that they operated to carry both
+combatants <I>up</I>-stream, had there been no current, so that when they
+came to the surface, it was very nearly in the same spot that they had
+gone down.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+But Oonomoo and the Miami had whipped out their knives, and they raised
+them aloft at the same instant.  But neither descended.  They were
+still in the air, when the one spoke the simple word.  "Heigon!" and
+the other simultaneously with him uttered the name of "Oonomoo," and
+the hands of both dropped beside them.  Without speaking, the Miami
+grasped the edge of the rock and clambered to the surface, and beckoned
+for the Huron to follow; but the latter held back, and whispered, in
+the tongue of his companion:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Miamis on shore wait to make Oonomoo a prisoner."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oonomoo is the friend of Heigon, and the Miamis will not injure him."
+</P>
+
+<A NAME="img-159"></A>
+<CENTER>
+<IMG SRC="images/img-159.jpg" ALT="But Oonomoo and the Miami had whipped out their knives." BORDER="2" WIDTH="350" HEIGHT="539">
+<H4>
+[Illustration: But Oonomoo and the Miami had whipped out their knives.]
+</H4>
+</CENTER>
+
+<P>
+The Huron hesitated no longer, but the next moment stood beside the
+Miami on the broad mass of stone.  Heigon gave a short peculiar whoop,
+which was instantly followed by the appearance of the other canoe with
+its four inmates, who impelled it forward with great rapidity, and in
+almost a twinkling were also upon the rock.  Each held a glittering
+knife in hand, and they gazed upon their victim with exulting eyes, who
+stood firm, unmoved, and returned their glances with as proud and
+defiant an air as a king would have looked upon the vassals beneath
+him.  They were about to proceed to violence, when Heigon simply said:
+"He is my friend."  Instantly every knife was sheathed, and the
+gloating expression of the Miamis changed to one of interest and
+pleasure.  They gathered more closely around the Huron, and looked to
+their companion for some further explanation.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"When the snow was upon the ground," said he, "Heigon was hunting, and
+he became weak and feeble, like an old man, or the child that cannot
+walk.[1]  The snow came down till it covered the rocks like this, and
+Heigon grew weaker and feebler until he could walk no further, and lay
+down in the snow to die.  When he was covered over, and the Great
+Spirit was about to take him to himself, another Indian came that way.
+He was Heigon's enemy, but he lifted him to his feet and brushed the
+snow from his face and limbs and poured his fire-water down his throat.
+He dug the snow away until he came to the dry leaves, and then he
+kindled a fire to warm Heigon by.  He stayed by him all night, and in
+the morning Heigon was strong and a man again.  When he went away, he
+asked the Indian his name.  It was Oonomoo, the Huron.  He stands by
+us, and is now in our power."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The eyes of the Miamis fairly sparkled as they listened to this
+narration of their comrade, and they looked upon the far-famed Huron
+with feelings only of friendship and admiration.  He had been
+considered for years as one of the deadliest enemies of the Miamis, and
+his capture or death by them would have been an exploit that would have
+descended through tradition to the last remnant of their people.  Fully
+sensible of this, this same Huron had come upon one of their most
+distinguished warriors when he was as helpless as an infant, and could
+have been scalped by a mere child.  But the magnanimous savage had
+acted the part of a good Samaritan, feeding and warming him and sending
+him on his way in the morning, refreshed and strengthened.  Such a deed
+as this could never be forgotten, either by the recipient or those of
+his tribe to whom it became known.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+During the narrative the Huron stood with arms folded, and as
+insensible to the praises of Heigon as if he had not uttered a syllable
+since the advent of his companions.  He who appeared to be the leading
+warrior now asked:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Whither does my brother Huron wish to go?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"To the Shawnee village on the shore of the Miami."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"We journey thither, and will take our brother with us."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oonomoo goes as the enemy of the Shawnees.  He goes to save a
+pale-faced maiden who has fallen into their hands.  My Miami brothers
+go as the friends of the Shawnees."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"They go as the friends of Oonomoo, who saved one of their warriors,
+and they will carry him in their canoe."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"The feet of Oonomoo are like the deer's, and his eyes are as the
+eagle's.  He can see his path at night in the wood, and can journey
+from the rising until the setting sun without becoming weary."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"We know our brother is brave and fleet of foot.  His Miami friends
+will carry him far upon his journey, and when he wishes to go through
+the woods, they will leave him upon the shore."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Oonomoo could not decline this kind offer.  Simply to show in a small
+degree their friendship for him, the Miamis insisted upon carrying him
+in their canoe as far as he wished, landing him upon the bank whenever
+it was his desire that they should do so.  The Miamis being allies of
+the Shawnees, and on their way to join one of their war-parties, they
+could not (even on account of their peculiar relations with the Huron)
+act as their enemies in any way; consequently the Huron did not expect
+or ask their assistance.  But while they were prevented from aiding him
+in the least, in his attempt to rescue the captive, the claims which he
+had upon their gratitude were such, that he well knew they would
+carefully avoid throwing any obstacle in his way, and would act as
+neutrals throughout the affair, believing, however, that it was not
+inconsistent with such a profession to carry him even in sight of the
+Shawnee village itself.  Beyond that it would be as if these five
+Miamis were a thousand miles distant.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+All this time, it may well be supposed, that Lieutenant Canfield was no
+uninterested spectator of the interview between his Huron friend and
+the Miamis.  When they made their appearance upon the rock, he believed
+that Oonomoo had been captured.  He was about to seek his own safety in
+flight, but he was struck by the apparently good feeling of the
+conference.  Their words being in the Miami tongue, he could not
+distinguish their meaning, but from their sound, judged them to be
+friendly in their nature.  Still, there could be no certainty, and he
+was in a torment of doubt, when he was startled by hearing the Huron
+call his name.  At first he determined not to answer, thinking his
+friend had been compelled to betray him by his captors.  A moment's
+reflection, however, convinced him that such could not be the case.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Canfiel'!  Canfiel'!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What do you want, Oonomoo?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Go down bank&mdash;wait for us&mdash;Miami won't hurt."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The young soldier did as he requested, and the next moment saw the two
+canoes put out from the rock.  In the first were the four Miamis, and
+in the second Oonomoo and Heigon, the latter using the paddle.  They
+touched a point on the shore about a hundred yards down-stream, almost
+at the same moment that it was reached by the Lieutenant.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How-de-do, brudder?" asked the foremost, extending his hand.  The
+soldier exchanged similar greetings with the others, when at a signal
+the five seated themselves upon the ground, and he followed suit.  A
+pipe, the "calumet of peace," was produced and passed from mouth to
+mouth, each one smoking slowly and solemnly a few whiffs.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+This tedious ceremony occupied fully a half-hour, during which it was
+nearly impossible for the young Lieutenant to conceal his impatience.
+It seemed to him nothing but a sheer waste of time, and he wondered how
+Oonomoo could take it so composedly.  At length the last smoker had
+taken what he evidently believed the proper number of whiffs, and they
+arose and embarked again in their canoes.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+In the boat, which really belonged to the Huron, were seated himself,
+Lieutenant Canfield, and Heigon, who insisted upon using the paddle
+himself.  For a moment they glided along under the shadow of the wooded
+bank, and then, coming out on the clear, moonlit surface of the river,
+they shot downstream like swallows upon the wing.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was not quite ten miles to the Shawnee town, and, as it was now in
+the neighborhood of midnight, their destination would be easily reached
+in time.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+All went well for some four or five miles, when an exclamation from the
+canoe in advance attracted the attention of Oonomoo and the soldier.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What is it?" inquired the latter.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ugh! nudder canoe comin'&mdash;Shawnees."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Such proved to be the case.  A large war-canoe, containing over a score
+of painted warriors, was coming up the river, nearly in the center of
+the stream, while the Miamis were nearer the right bank.  When nearly
+opposite each other, the war-canoe paused while that which contained
+the four Miamis went over to it, somewhat after the manner that two
+friendly ships come to anchor in the midst of the ocean, and exchange
+congratulations and news.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+During the interview, Heigon prudently kept at a safe distance, but
+from the gesticulations and words of the Shawnees it was evident they
+were making inquiries in regard to the inmates of his boat.  The
+replies proved satisfactory, for a moment later, the canoes separated,
+and each party proceeded on his way.  Little did the Shawnees dream
+that the very foe for whom they were searching&mdash;he whose scalp was
+worth that of a hundred warriors, whose death they would have nearly
+given their own life to secure&mdash;little did they dream, we say, that
+this very man was within a few rods of them&mdash;so close that he
+recognized the features of every one of their number!
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Several miles further, and Oonomoo spoke to Heigon.  They were now in
+the vicinity of the Shawnee village, and he wished to land.  Heigon
+instantly turned the prow of his canoe toward shore, and the others,
+understanding the cause, followed.  A moment later, Lieutenant Canfield
+and the Huron stood upon <I>terra firma</I>.  They were compelled again to
+shake hands all around with their curiously-made friends, when they
+separated&mdash;the latter to go down the river as brothers to the warlike
+Shawnees, and the former to go to the same destination as their deadly
+enemies!
+</P>
+
+<P>
+</P>
+
+<P>
+[1] Meaning he became sick from some cause or other.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap07"></A>
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER VII.
+</H3>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+THE PLAN FOR THE RESCUE.
+</H3>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P CLASS="poem">
+Oft did he stoop a listening ear,<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sweep round an anxious eye,<BR>
+No bark or ax-blow could he hear,<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;No human trace descry.<BR>
+His sinuous path, by blazes, wound<BR>
+Among trunks grouped in myriads round;<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Through naked boughs, between<BR>
+Whose tangled architecture fraught<BR>
+With many a shape grotesquely wrought,<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The hemlock's spire was seen.&mdash;A. B. STREET.
+</P>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P>
+By this time, daylight was at hand.  A thin mist, rising from the
+river, was passing off through the woods; for the half-hour preceding
+the appearance of the sun, the darkness was more palpable than it had
+been at any time through the night.  The air, too, had a disagreeable
+chilliness in it, which, however little it affected the Huron, made the
+soldier, for the time being, exceedingly uncomfortable and impatient
+for the full light of day.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Shawnee village was about a mile distant, on the same bank of the
+stream with that upon which our friends found themselves.  As there was
+not the least probability of Hans Vanderbum being astir for several
+hours yet, they proceeded at a moderate walk through the wood.  One of
+the peculiar effects of this chilly morning air was to keep Lieutenant
+Canfield constantly gaping; his movements were so languid and his mind
+listless even to antipathy for conversation.  He maintained his place
+in silence beside Oonomoo.  The Indian was as watchful and keen as ever.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As the young Lieutenant was yawning, and gazing around listlessly, he
+caught a glimpse of some body, as it threw itself prostrate behind a
+clump of bushes.  He looked at the Huron and was startled to observe
+upon his countenance no indication of having noticed this singular
+occurrence.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oonomoo," he whispered, placing his hand upon his arm, "there's a
+person behind the bush, and we are in danger.  I saw him this very
+minute."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Me see'd 'em," said the Indian, walking straight toward the spot where
+he was concealed.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+This was too much for the young man.  When he reflected that, in all
+probability a rifle-barrel was leveled through those bushes, ready to
+do its deadly work, he was not ashamed to halt and allow the Huron to
+proceed alone.  But, no fear seemed to enter the head of the Indian.
+He strode straight forward, as if he had discovered something which he
+was about to pick, and, reaching the bushes, he parted and stepped
+among them.  The astonished soldier saw him stoop and lift some dark
+object, and then throw it down upon the ground again.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Lieutenant Canfield now came forward.  Great was his amazement to
+recognize, in this dark object, the negro, Cato!  He lay upon his face,
+as lax and motionless as a piece of inanimate matter.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What is the matter with him?" asked the soldier.  "Is he dead?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Scart near to def'&mdash;make b'lieve dead."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Such undoubtedly was the case.  The negro, frightened at the appearance
+of two strangers, the foremost of whom he recognized as an Indian, had
+prostrated himself behind the bushes and feigned death in the hope that
+they would pass him by unnoticed.  The Lieutenant, now that they were
+so close to the Shawnees, where so much caution and skill were
+required, felt provoked to see the negro, and had little patience with
+his fooleries.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Get up, Cato," said he, rolling him over with his foot.  "You are not
+hurt, and we don't want to see any of your nonsense."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+One of the negro's eyes partially opened, and then he commenced
+yawning, stretching and shoving his feet over the leaves, as though he
+was just awaking.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Hebens, golly! but dis nigger is sleepy," said he.  "Hello! dat you,
+Oonomoo?  And bress my soul, if dar ain't Massa Canfield," he added,
+rising to his feet.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How came you here?" asked Canfield.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Come here my pussonal self&mdash;walked and runn'd most ob de way."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"But, we sent you to the settlement.  Why did you not go?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Bress your soul, Massa Canfield, I'll bet dar's ten fousand million
+Injines in de wood, atween us and de settlement.  I tried to butt my
+way trough dem, but dar was a few too many, and I had to gub it up."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How came you to wander so far out of your way as to get here?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dunno; t'ought I'd take a near cut home, and s'pose I got here widout
+knowing anyt'ing about it.".
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Well, Oonomoo, what's to be done with him?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Take him 'long&mdash;kill him if don't do what want to."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You understand, Cato?  We don't want you with us, but, there seems no
+help for it now; so we shall have to take you.  You must follow in our
+steps, and in no case make any outcry."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The negro promised obedience, and, taking his position behind, they
+continued their journey, the Huron leading the way.  He proceeded some
+distance until he reached a dense portion of the wood, when he halted
+and turned around.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Plenty time&mdash;sleep some."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+These were pleasant words to the Lieutenant, who, in spite of his
+impatience, felt the need of sleep and rest before proceeding further.
+All stretched themselves upon the ground, where, in a few minutes, they
+were wrapped in slumber.  The negro, Cato, lay some distance from the
+other two, and was the first to awake.  Carefully raising his head and
+discovering that the dreaded Huron was still unconscious, he silently
+arose to his feet, and, retreating some distance with great care and
+caution, he suddenly turned and ran at the top of his speed.  His
+motive for so doing will soon appear.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+While our two friends are thus preparing themselves for the perilous
+duty before them, we will return to our old acquaintance, Hans
+Vanderbum, and his fair charge, in whom the reader, doubtless, feels a
+lively interest.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+      *      *      *      *      *      *
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It will be remembered that Miss Prescott was consigned to the care of
+the amiable Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, wife of Hans Vanderbum.  The
+reasons for this were several.  In the first place, the Shawnees were
+actuated in a small degree by their desire to lessen the sufferings of
+their captive.  This squaw had learned enough of the English language
+from her husband to hold almost an intelligible conversation in it;
+and; as quite an acquaintance had already been established between him
+and the maiden, she would certainly feel more at home in their company
+than among the others, who could not speak a word of her tongue.  What
+might be done with Miss Prescott in case she remained among the
+Shawnees for several years, of course it would be impossible to say;
+but it was certain they meditated no violence for the present, only
+wishing to hold her simply as a prisoner.  Was there danger of her
+escape they would not have hesitated to kill her, it being considered
+one of the greatest reproaches that can be cast in a Shawnee face to
+accuse him of having lost a prisoner.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock was too thoroughly loyal for her to be
+suspected of any disposition to aid the prisoner in escape; and
+whatever might be the wishes of Hans Vanderbum, he was too stupid and
+lazy to be taken into account.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Miss Prescott, accordingly, was installed in their lodge, where the
+first day was passed without anything of note occurring, save the
+discovery, on her part, of the total hopelessness of escape, without
+the assistance of friends.  There was but one entrance to the lodge, of
+barely sufficient width to afford the passage of Hans Vanderbum's body,
+and the sides of the wigwam were too strong and firm for her to think
+either of piercing or breaking them.  Added to this,
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock at night laid herself directly before
+this entrance, compelling Hans Vanderbum to lie down beside her, so
+that their united width was some four or five feet&mdash;rather too long a
+step to be taken by the girl without danger of awaking her jailers.
+When we add that Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock's slumbers were so light
+that the least noise awakened her, and that Miss Prescott never lay
+down to sleep without having her ankles bound together, no more need be
+said to convince the reader that the ingenuity of her captors could not
+have made her situation more secure.  Nevertheless, Hans Vanderbum
+managed to convey enough to her to keep hope alive in her breast, and
+to convince her that it would not be long before some enterprise for
+her freedom would be attempted by her friends.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+On the second morning of her captivity, Hans Vanderbum awoke at an
+unusually early hour, and the first thought that entered his mind was
+that he had an appointment with Oonomoo, the Huron; for it is a fact,
+to which all will bear witness, that, by fixing our thoughts upon any
+particular time in the night, with a determined intensity, we are sure
+to awaken at that moment.  Thus it was that he arose before his spouse;
+but his step awakened her.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What's the matter, Hans?  Are you sick?" she asked, with considerable
+solicitude.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No, my dear, good Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, I feels so goot as,
+ever, but I t'inks te mornin' air does me goot, so I goes out to got a
+little."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+No objection being interposed, he sauntered carelessly forth, taking a
+direction that would lead him to the spot where he had held the
+interview with the Huron upon the previous day.  He walked slowly, for
+it lacked considerable of the hour which had been fixed upon for the
+meeting, and, knowing the mathematical exactitude with which his friend
+kept his appointments, he had no desire to reach the spot in advance.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I doeshn't wish to hurry, so I t'inks I will rest myself here, and den
+when&mdash;&mdash;"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Hans was prevented any further utterance, by some heavy body striking
+his shoulders with such force that he was thrown forward upon his face,
+and his hat smashed over his eyes.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Mine Gott! vot made tat tree fall on me?" he exclaimed, endeavoring to
+crawl from beneath what he supposed to be the trunk of an immense oak
+which he had noticed towering above him.  This belief was further
+strengthened by a glimpse which he caught of a heavy branch upon the
+ground.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Hebens, golly! dat you, ole swill-barrel?" greeted his ears; and he
+picked his hat and himself up at the same time, to see the negro, Cato,
+lying on the ground, with his heels high up in the air.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dunder and blixen! who are you?" inquired Hans, more astonished than
+ever.  "Did you drop down out te clouds?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yah! yah! yah! what makes you fink so, old hogsit, eh?  No, sir-ee!
+I's Mr. Cato, a nigger gentleman of Mr. Capting Prescott."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The large eyes of the Dutchman grew larger as he proceeded.  "Vot makes
+you falls on mine head, eh?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I's up in de tree a-takin' ob obserwashuns, when jis' as you got down
+hyar, de limb broke, and down I comes.  Much obleege fur yer bein' so
+kind fur to stand under and breaks my fall."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And breaks mine own neck, too, eh?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Who might be you wid your big bread-basket?" inquired Cato, still
+lying upon his back and kicking up his heels.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Me?  I's Hans Vanderbum, dat pelongs to Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Cato grew sober in an instant.  He had heard Lieutenant Canfield
+mention this man's name in conversation with the Huron, and suspected
+at once that he was to perform a part in the day's work.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You're Hans Vanderbum, eh?  I've heerd Massa Canfield and Mister
+Oonymoo speak of you."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw, I'm him.  Where am dey?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ain't fur off.  I lef 'em sleepin'; and come out for to see whedder
+dar war any Injines crawlin' round in de woods, and I didn't see none
+but you, and you ain't an Injine."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The appointed hour for the meeting between Hans Vanderbum and Oonomoo
+having arrived, the Dutchman added:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"He ish to meet me 'bout dis time or leetles sooner, and, so we both
+goes togedder mit each oder, so dat we won't bees alone."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"All right; go ahead, Mr. Hansderbumvan; I'm behind you," said Cato,
+taking his favorite position in the rear.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Several hundred yards further and Hans recognized the wished-for spot.
+He had hardly reached it, when a light step was heard, and the next
+moment Lieutenant Canfield and the Huron stood in his presence.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Brudder comes in good time," said the latter, extending his hand.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw; Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock showed me de way to do dat,"
+replied Hans, shaking hands with the young Lieutenant also.  The latter
+expressed some surprise at seeing Cato present, saying that he had
+congratulated himself upon being well rid of him.  The negro explained
+his departure upon the grounds of his extreme solicitude for the safety
+of his friends.  The conversation between Hans and the Huron was now
+carried on in the Shawnee tongue.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How does matters progress with my brother?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Very good; the gal is in my wigwam."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What does she there?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock has charge of her."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"That is good."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I don't know about that, Oonomoo; I think it couldn't be much worse;
+for Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock has got a bad temper, if she is the
+same shape all the way down."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"It is good, my brother.  We will have the captive when the sun comes
+up again in the sky."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How are you going to get her?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Give Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock this drug," said the Huron, handing
+him a dark, waxy substance.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dunder! ish it pizen?" asked Hans, in English.
+"Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock will kill me deat if I pizen her."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"It will not kill her; it will only put her in a sleep from which she
+will awake after a few hours."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Quanonshet and Madokawandock will have to take it too, for they don't
+sleep any more than she does."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"There is enough for all.  To-day mix this with that which the squaw
+and Quanonshet and Madokawandock shall eat, and when it grows dark they
+will sleep and not awaken till the morrow's sun."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And what of the gal?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"When the moon rises above that tree-top yonder, cut the bonds that
+bind her, and lead her through the woods to this place.  Here Oonomoo
+will take her and conduct her to her friends in the settlement."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+From this point the Indian dialect was dropped for intelligible English.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And vot will become of me?" asked Hans Vanderbum, in considerable
+alarm.  "When Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock wakes up and finds te gal
+gone, she will t'inks I done it, and den&mdash;den&mdash;den&mdash;"  The awful
+expression of his countenance spoke more eloquently than any words, of
+the consequences of such a discovery and suspicion upon the part of his
+spouse.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Take some self when git back&mdash;go to sleep&mdash;squaw wake up first."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Hans' eyes sparkled as he took in the beauty of the scheme prepared by
+the Huron.  The arrangement was now explained to Lieutenant Canfield,
+who could but admire the sagacity and foresight of his Indian friend,
+that seemed to understand and provide against every emergency.  It was
+further explained to Hans that he was to manage to give the drug to his
+wife and children several hours before sunset, as its effects would not
+be perceptible for fully four hours, and that he was to take a small
+quantity himself about dusk, to avert the consequences of his
+philanthrophy.  Lieutenant Canfield admonished him to be cautious in
+his movements, and to take especial pains with his charge after leaving
+his lodge, in order to avoid discovery from the sleepless Shawnees.
+The situation of Hans' wigwam was fortunate indeed, as he ran little
+risk of discovery if he used ordinary discretion after leaving it.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Everything being arranged, Hans Vanderbum took his departure, and
+Oonomoo, the soldier and negro commenced the long, weary hours of
+waiting.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap08"></A>
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER VIII.
+</H3>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+THE EXPLOIT OF HANS VANDERBUM.
+</H3>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P CLASS="poem">
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;God forgive me,<BR>
+(Marry and amen!) how sound is she asleep!&mdash;ROMEO AND JULIET.
+</P>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P>
+Hans Vanderbum loitered on his way back to the village, to avoid giving
+the impression to any who might chance to see him that there was
+anything unusual upon his mind.  The precious substance handed to him
+by the Huron&mdash;a sort of gum&mdash;he wrapped in a leaf and stowed away in
+his bosom, guarding it with the most jealous care.  Upon it depended
+his hopes for the success of his cherished scheme.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+After several hours' intense thought, he decided upon his programme of
+action.  He would go fishing about the middle of the forenoon, giving
+his wife to understand that he would be back with what he had caught in
+time for dinner, so that she would rely upon him for that meal; but,
+instead of doing so, he would keep out of sight until toward night, by
+which time he rightly concluded his spouse and children would be so
+ravenously hungry that they would devour the fish without noticing any
+peculiar taste about them.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was also necessary to place Miss Prescott on her guard against
+eating them, as it would seriously inconvenience him if she should fall
+into a deadly stupor at the very time when she would most need her
+senses.  All this was not definitively provided for until a long time
+after his return to his wigwam.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The more fully to carry out his plans, Hans feigned sickness shortly
+after his return, so that Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, who really had
+a sort of affection for him, allowed him to remain inside, while she
+busied herself with the corn-planting.  This was the very opportunity
+for which Hans longed, and he lost no time in improving it.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I've see'd Oonomoo," said he, by way of introduction.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Have you, indeed?" and the countenance of Miss Prescott became radiant
+with hope.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw; see'd somebody else, too."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The deep crimson that suffused the beautiful captive's face, even to
+the very temples, showed the stolid Dutchman that it was not necessary
+for him to mention the other person's name.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw; see'd him, too."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And what did he say?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Didn't say much, only grin and laughed.  De dunderin' nigger liked to
+kill me."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Miss Prescott was dumbfounded to hear her lover spoken of in this
+manner.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Why, what do you mean, my friend?  Why do you speak of him in that
+manner?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"He jumped down out of a tree on top of mine head, and nearly mashed it
+down lower dan my shoulders.  Den he rolled round, kicked up his heels
+and laughed at me."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Of whom are you speaking?  Lieutenant Can&mdash;"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"A big nigger dat called himself Cato."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh, I thought&mdash;" and the embarrassed girl covered her face to hide her
+confusion and disappointment.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"See'd him too," said Hans, pleasantly.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Who?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Lieutenant Canfield," he whispered.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Where is he? what did he say? when shall I see him?  Oh! do not keep
+me in suspense."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"De Huron Injin, him and anoder nigger am out in de woods waitin' for
+de night to come, when I'm goin' for to take you out to dem."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"But Keeway&mdash;your wife?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock?  Yaw, she mine frow; been married
+six&mdash;seven years.  Nice name dat.  Know what
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock means?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No, I have never heard," replied Miss Prescott, thinking it best to
+humor the whims of her friend.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"It means de 'Lily dat am de Same Shape all de Way Down,' which am her.
+What you ax?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"But will your Lily allow me to depart?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dat am what I'm going for to tell you.  I'm going fishing purty soon,
+and won't be back till de arternoon.  When I come back we'll have fish
+for supper.  De Huron Injin give me something for to put in de fish,
+dat will put mine frow and de little ones to sleep, so dat dey won't
+wake up when we go out de wigwam."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And I suppose you do not wish me to eat of them?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No, for you'd get to sleep too, den I shall have to carry you."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"There is no danger of my having much appetite after what you have told
+me."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Den you won't forget.  Remembers dat&mdash;I t'inks I feels better."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Hans Vanderbum caught a glimpse of his amiable wife in the door of his
+lodge at this moment, which was the cause of the sudden change in his
+conversation.  Suiting his action to his words, he arose and said:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I t'inks I feels better, Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, and guesses I
+go fishing."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I guess you might as well."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Mine dear frow, shust gits te line and bait, while I lights mine pipe."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+His wife complied, and a few minutes later Hans Vanderbum sallied forth
+fully equipped for duty.  He did not forget to tell his partner several
+times not to prepare dinner until his return, and she also promised
+this, from some cause or other, she being in a far better humor than
+usual.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The demon of mischief seemed to possess Quanonshet and Madokawandock
+that day.  In making his way to the "fishing-grounds," he was tripped
+so often that he began to wonder what could possibly be the reason for
+it.  He stooped down to examine his path.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dat ish funny de way dat grass grows.  Dat bunch on dat side has
+growed over and met dat bunch on de oder side, and den dey've growed
+togedder in one big knot, and den I catches mine foot under and tumbles
+down.  Dat ish funny for te grass to grow dat way."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The innocent man did not once suspect that his boys had anything to do
+with this peculiar growth of the grass, although, had he looked behind
+him, he would have seen their dirty, grinning faces as they rolled upon
+the grass in ecstasies at his perplexity.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+After several more tumbles, Hans Vanderbum reached his favorite log,
+and crawled out like a huge turtle to the further extremity.  The
+exciting adventure which was before him occupied his thoughts so
+constantly that the mischievous propensities of his children never once
+entered his head, until the log suddenly snapped off at its trunk, and
+left him struggling in the water.  Reaching the land with considerable
+difficulty after this second mishap, he concluded that Quanonshet and
+Madokawandock were still living, and had lately visited that
+neighborhood.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+By noon, he had collected a goodly quantity of fish, and fearful that
+if he delayed his return much longer, his wife would come in search of
+him, he proceeded some distance down the bank, and concealed himself
+beneath a large clump of bushes, continuing his piscatorial labors as
+heretofore.  His precaution proved timely and prudent, for he had
+hardly ensconsed himself in his new position, when he caught a glimpse
+of Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock through the branches, and shrunk
+further out of sight.  From his secure hiding-place, the valorous
+husband watched her proceedings.  He saw her brow "throned with
+thunder," as she strode hastily forward, the blank, dismayed
+expression, as she witnessed the destruction of his favorite perch, the
+anxious haste with which she examined the shore to discover whether he
+had emerged or not, the relief that lit up her countenance as she
+learned the truth, and, at length, the first expression, so boding and
+potent in its meaning, that he lay down on the ground and dare not look
+at her again.  When he cautiously raised his head, she had disappeared,
+and with a sigh of relief, he resumed his line.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The slow, weary hours wore on, and finally the sun was half-way down
+the horizon.  Hans Vanderbum's heart gave a big throb as he started on
+his return to the village.  In spite of the exciting drama that was now
+commencing, and in which he was to play such a prominent part, the most
+vivid picture that presented itself to him was his irate wife, waiting
+at the wigwam to pounce upon him, and he could not force the dire
+consequences of his temerity from his mind.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Slowly and tremblingly he approached the lodge, but saw none of its
+inmates.  The profound silence filled him with an ominous misgiving.
+He paused and listened.  Not a breath was audible.  He stepped softly
+forward and cautiously peered in.  He saw Miss Prescott apparently
+asleep in one corner, and his wife trimming the fire.  Hans hesitated a
+moment, and no pen can describe or artist depict the shivering horror
+with which he stepped within the lodge.  His heart beat like a
+trip-hammer, and when his wife lifted her dark eyes upon him, he nearly
+fainted from excess of terror.  Great was his amazement, therefore,
+when, instead of rebukes and blows, she came smilingly forward and
+asked:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Has my husband been sick?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+That question explained everything.  Believing him to be sick, her
+feelings were not of wrath, but of solicitude.  Hans wiped the
+perspiration from his forehead and, hardly conscious of what he was
+doing, replied:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"B'lieves I didn't feel very much well&mdash;kinder empty in de stomach as
+dough I'd like to have dinner."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You shall have it at once."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Now, to insure the success of Hans Vanderbum's plans, it was necessary
+that he should cook the fish, in order that he might find opportunity
+to mix the gum with it; but the wife, out of pure kindness refused to
+allow this.  He was taken all aback at this unfortunate slip in his
+programme.  By resorting again to intense thought, he hit upon an
+ingenious plan to outwit her, even at this disadvantage.  The children
+needed no commands to remain out doors.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The food was nicely cooking, when Hans started up as if alarmed.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What's the matter?" inquired his wife.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I t'inks I hears some noise outside.  Hadn't you better goes out, my
+dear, good, kind Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, and see vot it is?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The obliging woman instantly darted forward, and Hans proceeded to his
+task with such trembling eagerness that there was danger of its
+failure.  First flattening the gum between his thumb and finger, he
+dropped it upon one of the fish, where it instantly dissolved like
+butter.  He was busy stirring this, when his partner entered.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Good man," said she; "kind to Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Hans Vanderbum felt as if he were the greatest monster upon earth thus
+to deceive his trusting wife, and there was a perceptible tremor in his
+voice, as he replied:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I will tends to de fish."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+He saw that the gum had united thoroughly with the food, and then with
+a flushed face, he resigned his place to his wife.  The dinner, or more
+properly the supper, was soon completed, when Hans concluded that he
+was too unwell to eat anything.  The squaw was somewhat surprised when
+Miss Prescott, after being awakened from a feigned sleep, turned her
+head away from the tempting food in disgust.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You sick too?" she asked.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No&mdash;no&mdash;no," shutting her eyes and turning her back upon her.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I wouldn't coax her to eat, my good, dear frow," said Hans.  "Let de
+little Dutchmen eat it; dey're hungry enough."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+In answer to a shrill call, Quanonshet and Madokawandock came tumbling
+in, and fell upon the food like a couple of wolves.  After two or three
+mouthfuls they stopped and smacked their lips as if there was something
+peculiar in the taste of their fish, and Hans' heart thumped as he saw
+the mother do the same.  To forestall any inquiries, he remarked that
+he had caught the fish in another portion of the stream, and perhaps
+they might taste bitter, but he guessed "dey was all right."  This
+satisfied them, and in a few minutes more there was nothing left but a
+few bones.  Thus far all went well.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As the sun descended in the western sky, and the magnificent American
+twilight gathered upon the forest and river, the excited Hans Vanderbum
+could scarcely conceal his impatience and anxiety.  Never before, since
+his marriage, had he been in such a predicament, and never again, he
+hoped, would he feel the misery that was now torturing him.  Time
+always passes wearily to the watcher.  It seemed an age to him ere the
+sun slipped down behind the wilderness out of sight.  At length,
+however, the dusk of early evening enveloped the lodge, and shortly
+after Quanonshet and Madokawandock came in, and dropping down fell
+almost immediately asleep.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+To expedite matters, Hans Vanderbum feigned slumber, but he kept one
+eye upon the movements of his wife.  He marked her listless, absent
+air, and he could scarcely conceal his joy when she stretched herself
+in front of the door, without speaking or ordering him to lie beside
+her, as was her usual custom.  Five minutes later, she was as
+unconscious as though she were never to wake again.  To make "assurance
+doubly sure," he waited full half an hour without moving.  Then he
+raised his head, and called in a whisper to Miss Prescott:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I say dere."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Well! what is it?" she responded, rising.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You ishn't ashleep bees you?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No, I am ready."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Well, I guesses it bees purty near times."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Are they all sound asleep&mdash;your Lily and children?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw, dey's won't wake if you pound 'em."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Would it not be best to take a look outside and see whether there is
+any danger of our being discovered?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw&mdash;I finks so."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+In passing out, Hans trod upon the outstretched arm of his wife, but
+her sleep was so sound that she did not awaken.  The situation of the
+lodge was such that all the Shawnees visible were upon one side of it,
+so that the chances of discovery were comparatively slight, if the
+least precaution was used.  Appearing at the entrance of the wigwam,
+without entering, he motioned for the captive to come out.  She arose,
+stepping cautiously and carefully, and when she found herself in the
+open air once more, with the cool night-wind blowing upon her fevered
+cheek, she almost fainted from excessive emotion.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Come, now, walks right behind me, and if you sees&mdash;dunder and blixen!
+dere comes an Injin!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The girl had caught a glimpse of two shadowy figures, and without
+thought, she did the wisest possible thing for her to do under the
+circumstances.  Springing back within the lodge, she reseated herself
+beyond the form of her prostrate sentinel, and waited for them to pass.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How do you do, brother?" asked one of them, in the Shawnee tongue, as
+they halted.  "How gets along our prisoner?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Pretty good; she is in de lodge."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"She is safe in the hands of Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, but I will
+look in."  The savage stepped to the entrance and merely glanced
+inside.  The darkness was so great that he saw nothing but the figure
+of the squaw before him, and he and his companion passed on.  The
+captive waited until she was sure they were beyond sight and hearing,
+and then she stepped forth again.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Let us hurry," said she, eagerly.  "There may be others near."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw, but don't push me over on mine nose."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh! if she awakes, or we are seen!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"She won't do dat.  She shleeps till morning, and bimeby I shleeps too,
+and won't wake up afore she does."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Be careful, be careful, my good friend, and do not linger so," said
+the girl, nearly beside herself with excitement, "and let us stop
+talking."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw, I bees careful!  I ain't talking.  It bees you all de time dat is
+making de noise.  I knows better dan for to make noise, when dey might
+hear.  Doesn't you fink I does?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yes, yes, yes."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I'm glad dat you t'inks so.  I knowed a gal once; she was a good 'eal
+like you; Annie Stanton was her name; she had a feller dat was a good
+'eal like de Lieutenant, and dey didn't t'ink I knowed much, but dey
+found dey was mistaken.  Don't you b'lieve dey did?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yes, yes&mdash;but you are talking all the while."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dat ish so&mdash;I doesn't talk no more."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Finally, the impression reached the brain of Hans Vanderbum that he was
+making rather more noise than was prudent, and he resolutely sealed his
+lips&mdash;so resolutely that, being compelled to breathe through his
+nostrils, Miss Prescott feared that the noise thus made was more
+dangerous than had been his indulgence in conversation.  She endeavored
+to warn him, but he firmly refused to hear, waddling ahead, his huge
+form stumbling and lumbering forward like a young elephant just
+learning to walk.  The moon being directly before them, his massive
+shoulders were clearly outlined against the sky, when the woods were
+open enough to permit an unobstructed entrance to its light.  A dozen
+yards from the wigwam, and the two were clear of the Shawnee village,
+their only danger being from any wandering Indian whom they might
+chance to meet.  They had gone perhaps a quarter of a mile, when the
+captive's heart nearly stopped beating as she saw the hand of a savage
+outlined against the sky.  As she observed that he was steadily
+approaching, she halted and was debating whether or not to dart off in
+the woods, and depend upon herself for safety, when Hans spoke:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dat you, Oonomoo?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yeh&mdash;'tis me."  The quick eye of the Huron had caught a glimpse of the
+girl behind the Dutchman, and he now came up and addressed her:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Is my friend 'fraid?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No, no; thank Heaven! is that you, my good, kind Oonomoo?" asked the
+girl, reeling forward, until sustained by the gentle grasp of the
+Indian.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yeh&mdash;me take care of you.  Here somebody else&mdash;t'ink he know how
+better&mdash;guess like him, too."  She caught a glimpse of another form as
+the savage spoke in his jesting manner.  She needed nothing more to
+assure her of its identity.  Lieutenant Canfield came forward, and
+placing one arm around her waist, and drawing her fervently to him, he
+said:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh! my <I>dear</I> Mary, I am so glad to see you again.  Are you unharmed?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Not a hair of my head has been injured.  And how is my dear father and
+mother and sister Helen?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Your father was perfectly well and in good spirits when I left him a
+few days since, and as he knows nothing of this calamity, there is no
+reason for believing it is any different with him.  Your mother and
+sister I think know nothing of this, although I fear their
+apprehensions must be excited."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I trust I shall soon be with them, and oh! I pray&mdash;&mdash;"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I's gettin' shleepy," suddenly exclaimed Hans Vanderbum.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Take gum?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw; took much as Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Git sleep soon&mdash;go back&mdash;don't wake up."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yaw, I will."  And before any one could speak, Hans was lumbering
+through the bushes and woods on his way back to his lodge, fearful that
+if he delayed he would fall asleep.  It was the wish of Lieutenant
+Canfield to thank him for his kindness to his betrothed, and the
+latter, very grateful for his honest friendship, intended to assure him
+of it, but his hasty exit prevented.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The gum of which Hans Vanderbum had partaken, began soon to have a
+perceptible effect.  He stumbled forward against the bushes and trees,
+blinking and careless of what he did, until he reached the door of his
+wigwam.  Here he summoned all his energies, and, stepping carefully
+over his wife, lay down beside her, and almost immediately was asleep.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As might be expected, the wife was the first to awaken.  So profound
+had been her sleep that the forenoon of the next day was fully half
+gone before she opened her eyes, and then it required a few minutes to
+regain entire possession of her faculties.  Looking around, she saw the
+inanimate forms of her children, and close beside her the unconscious
+Hans Vanderbum, and, horror of horrors, the captive was gone!  She was
+now thoroughly awakened.  With a shrill scream she sprung to her feet.
+Giving her husband several violent kicks, and shouting his name, she
+ran outside to arouse the Shawnees, and set them upon the track, if it
+was not already too late.  Hans opened one eye, and, seeing how matters
+stood, he shut it again, to ruminate upon the story he should tell to
+the pressing inquiries of his friends, and, in a few minutes, he had
+prepared everything to his satisfaction.  Five minutes later he heard a
+dull thumping upon the ground, and the next minute the lodge was filled
+with Shawnees.  Sharp yells&mdash;the signals of alarm&mdash;could be heard in
+every quarter, even as far distant as the river.  All seemed centering
+toward one spot.  In answer to repeated shoutings, and kicks, and
+twitches of the hair, Hans opened his big, blue eyes, and stared around
+him with an innocent, wondering look.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Where's the girl?  Where's the pale-faced captive?" demanded several,
+including his wife.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ober dere; (pointing to her usual resting-place; and then, discovering
+her absence) no, dunder and blixen, she isn't."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"You helped her away in the night.  We saw you when the moon was up
+standing in the lodge."  His accuser was the Indian who had peered into
+the lodge the night before.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Mine Gott! dat Huron, Oonomoo, has got her!"  The name of the famous
+scout was familiar to all, and called forth a general howl of fury.
+Understanding that it was expected he should give some explanation, he
+said: "I see'd de Injin last night, and he gived me something dat he
+said I musht eat and mix wid my fish.  I done so, and it made me, and
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, and Quanonshet and Madokawandock go to
+shleep, and shust now we wakes up and de gal ain't here!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+This brief, concise statement was generally believed, all knowing the
+trustful, verdant nature of the Dutchman, and there was a general
+clearing of the wigwam, for the purpose of ascertaining which direction
+the Huron had taken; but they met with no success, as the woods were so
+thoroughly trodden by numerous feet, that it was impossible to
+distinguish any particular trail.  One or two Shawnees, however, were
+not satisfied with what Hans had said, and, after making several more
+inquiries, they remarked:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oonomoo, the Huron, is a brave Indian, but could not enter the Shawnee
+lodges unless the door was opened from within.  Our white brother&mdash;&mdash;"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Hans' wife sprung up like a catamount, whose young were attacked.  "You
+say my brave Hans let her go, eh?  My brave warriors, I will show you,"
+she exclaimed, springing at them in such a perfect fury that they tore
+out of the wigwam and were seen no more.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"My <I>dear</I> Hans."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"My <I>dear, good</I> Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock! de same shape all de
+way down."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+And the loving wife and husband embraced with all the fervor of
+youthful lovers.  And locked thus together, trusting, contented and
+happy, we take our final leave of them.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap09"></A>
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER IX.
+</H3>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+A NEW DANGER.
+</H3>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P CLASS="poem">
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tis too late<BR>
+To crush the hordes who have the power and will<BR>
+To rob thee of thy hunting-grounds and fountains,<BR>
+And drive thee backward to the Rocky Mountains.&mdash;EDWARD SANFORD.
+</P>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P>
+The moon was now well up in the sky, although it was still
+comparatively early in the night.  It was hardly possible that the
+escape of Miss Prescott could be discovered before morning, yet the
+Huron was too prudent not to guard against the most remote probability,
+by taking up their march at once in a direct line for the settlement.
+The eight or ten hours of unmolested travel that were before them, were
+amply sufficient to place all beyond danger, at least from the Shawnees
+who had just been left behind.  Taking the lead, as usual, he proceeded
+at a moderate walk, timing his progress to the endurance of the maiden
+with him, still keeping the impatient Cato behind.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I say, Oonomoo," called out Lieutenant Canfield, in a suppressed
+voice, "suppose Miss Prescott and myself should indulge in
+conversation, would you have any objection?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No&mdash;don't care&mdash;talk sweet&mdash;talk love&mdash;so no one hear but gal&mdash;gal
+talk low, sweet, so no one but him hear," returned the Indian,
+pleasantly.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Falling a rod or so in the rear, the Lieutenant took the willing hand
+of his betrothed, and said:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Tell me, dear Mary, of your captivity&mdash;of all that happened to you
+since they took you from your home."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The girl proceeded to relate what is already known to the reader,
+adding that but for the friendship of Hans Vanderbum and Oonomoo, she
+never would have hoped to escape from her captivity.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"The Dutchman is a stupid, honest-hearted fellow, whose heart is in the
+right place, and the Huron has endeared himself to hundreds of hearts
+by his self-sacrificing devotion in their hour of affliction."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What possible motive could influence him to risk his life in my
+rescue?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"His own nature.  He has been with those holy men, the Moravians, and
+he is, what is so rarely seen, a Christian Indian.  But, he has been
+thus friendly to the whites for many years.  The Shawnees inflicted
+some great injury upon him.  What it was I do not know.  I have heard
+that his father was a chief, and, while Oonomoo was still a boy, he was
+broken of his chiefdom, and both he and his wife inhumanly massacred.
+This is the secret of his deadly hostility to that tribe, and, I am
+told, that among the <I>scores and scores</I> of scalps which grace his
+lodge, there is not one which has not been torn from the head of a
+Shawnee.  But for a year or two, he has refrained from scalping his
+foes, and he has killed none except in honorable warfare."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Has he a wife and family?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"He has a wife and son, and his lodge is deep in the forest, no one
+knows where.  Its location is so skillfully chosen that it has baffled
+all search for years.  His wife, I have been told, has been a sincere
+Christian from childhood, and her piety and faithfulness have had a
+good influence on him."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"He is a noble man, and my dear father will reward him for this."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No, he will not.  Oonomoo has never accepted a reward for his services
+and never will.  Presents and mementoes have been showered upon him,
+but his proud soul scorns anything like payment for his services.  Do
+you suppose that <I>I</I> could ever remunerate him for the happiness he has
+brought <I>me</I>?" asked the Lieutenant, pressing the hand of his beloved.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I am sure my joy is very great, too.  Oh! how my dear mother and
+sister must have agonized over this calamity."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"They probably have known nothing of it."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"But you say you saw the light of the fire, and you were fully as far
+off as they."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"It is true, but I had not the remotest suspicion of its being your
+home.  It seems unlikely that your mother should have suspected the
+truth, as she had every reason to believe the Indians were friendly to
+your family."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"They must have seen the illumination in the sky, and, knowing the
+location of our home so well, they could but have their worst
+apprehensions aroused."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"If such indeed be the case, let us congratulate ourselves that we are
+so soon to undeceive them."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I am glad that father cannot possibly hear of this until he is assured
+of our safety."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I am not so sure of that.  When I left, the chances were that he might
+follow me almost immediately on a visit to the block-house at the
+settlement, and from what I heard I am pretty certain that if he has
+not already been, he soon will be appointed to the command of the
+garrison at that place.  It is not at all impossible that he may be in
+charge of it this very minute."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"We will reach there to-morrow, when, as you said, their anxiety will
+be relieved, although it will be no trifling loss to father when he
+finds his house and all his possessions destroyed by the savages."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"But, as nothing when weighed in the balance with his loved child."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And then the poor servants!  Oh! what an awful sight to see them
+tomahawked when praying for mercy."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And, I am told, by their only survivor, Cato there, that none implored
+so earnestly for them as did you yourself, never once asking for your
+own life, which was in such peril."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I thought that I might accomplish something for them, but it was
+useless.  Cato only escaped, and it was Providence, alone, that saved
+him."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What ye 'scussin' ob my name for?" called out the negro, who had
+caught a word or two of the last remark.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Stop noise," commanded Oonomoo, peremptorily.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Hebens, golly! ain't dem two talkin', and can't I frow in an
+obserwashun once in a while, eh?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dey love&mdash;talk sweet&mdash;you nigger and don't love!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oh, dat's de difference, am it?  Well, den, I forefwif proceeds all
+for to cease making remarks.  But before ceasing altogever, I will
+obsarve that you are a pretty smart feller, Oonymoo, and I hain't see'd
+de Shawnee Injine yet dat knows as much as your big toe.  Hencefofe I
+doesn't say noffin more;" and the negro held strict silence for a
+considerable time.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Lieutenant Canfield and Miss Prescott conversed an hour or so longer,
+in tones so low that they were but a mere murmur to the Huron, and then
+as the forest grew more tangled and gloomy, their words became fewer in
+number, until the conversation gradually ceased altogether.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The party were walking thus silently, when they reached a portion of
+the wood where, for a short distance, it was perfectly open, as if it
+had been totally swept over by a tornado.  In this they were about
+entering, when, brought in relief against the moon-lit sky beyond, the
+form of an Indian was seen standing as motionless as a statue.  At
+first sight, the form appeared gigantic in its proportions, but a
+second glance showed that instead of being a man it was a mere boy.  He
+stood in the attitude of listening, as if he had just caught the sound
+of the approaching company.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Huron, disdaining to draw his rifle upon such a foe, halted and
+looked steadily at him, while those in the rear, who had all discovered
+the savage, did the same, the negro's teeth chattering like a dice-box,
+as he fully believed him to be the advance-guard of an overwhelming
+force.  The boy standing thus a moment, sprung with the quickness of
+lightning to the cover of the trees.  As he did so, there was something
+about the movement which awakened the suspicion of Oonomoo, and without
+stirring, he gave utterance to a low, trilling whistle.  Instantly
+there came a similar response, and the boy appeared again to view,
+bounding forward quickly toward Oonomoo.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Niniotan."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oonomoo."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"What brings you thus far in the woods?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"<I>The Shawnees have discovered the home of Oonomoo!</I>"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And where is Fluellina?" demanded the Huron, starting as if stricken
+by a thunderbolt.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"She is hid in the woods, waiting for Oonomoo."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Did she send Niniotan for him?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"She sent him this morning, and he searched the woods until now, when
+he found him in this opening."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"When did Fluellina and my son leave their home on the island in the
+water?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Last night, shortly after the moon had come above the tree-tops, they
+left in the canoe, and they went far before the morning light had
+appeared, when they dared not return."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And when saw you the Shawnees?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yesterday, after you had gone, a canoe-full of their warriors passed
+by the island in their canoe.  We saw them through the trees, and hid
+in the bushes until they had passed, and they searched until night for
+us."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Where is Fluellina hid?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Close by the side of the stream which floats by the island, but many
+miles from it."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"How long will it take Niniotan to guide Oonomoo there?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Four or five hours.  The wood is open and clear from briers."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And are the Shawnees upon Fluellina's trail?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"If the eye of the Shawnee can follow the trail of the canoe, he has
+tracked us to the hiding-place."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+This conversation being carried on in the Huron tongue, of course the
+others failed to catch its meaning; but Lieutenant Canfield suspected,
+from the singularly hurried and excited manner of Oonomoo, that
+something unusual had occurred with him.  Never before had he seen him
+give way to his feelings, or speak in such loud, almost fierce tones.
+The soldier remained at a respectful distance, until the Huron turned
+his head and told him to approach.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dis my son Niniotan," said he.  "He go wid us."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I am glad of his company I am sure.  Did you expect to meet him in
+this place?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No&mdash;Fluellina, his mother, send him in big hurry to Oonomoo&mdash;been
+huntin' all day&mdash;jes' found us."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No trouble, I trust?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Tell in de mornin'&mdash;mus' walk fas' now&mdash;don't talk much&mdash;git to
+settlement quick as can.  Take gal's hand&mdash;lead her fast."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The soldier knew there must be cause for this haste of his friend, and
+acting upon the hint which he had given him to ask no further
+questions, he took the hand of Miss Prescott, and the party moved
+forward at a rapid walk.  Little did he suspect the true cause of the
+Huron's silence.  Knowing the solicitations that would be made by the
+soldier and the girl for him to leave them at once and attend to the
+safety of his wife, the noble Indian refrained from imparting the
+truth.  It was his intention to conduct his friends as far as possible
+during the night, that they might be beyond all danger, when,
+accompanied by his son, he would make all haste to his Fluellina, and
+carry her to some place beyond the reach of his inhuman foes.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+For fully eight hours, the little party hurried through the woods.
+Miss Prescott bore the fatigue much better than she expected.  Being
+strong, healthy, and accustomed to long rambles and sports in the open
+air, and having been so long inactive in the Shawnee village, the rapid
+walk for a long time was pleasant and exhilarating to her.  It sent the
+blood bounding through her glowing frame, and there being withal the
+spice of an unseen and unknown danger to spur her on, she was fully
+able to go twice the distance, when the Huron gave the order to halt.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was broad daylight and the sun was just rising.  They were several
+miles beyond the ruins of Captain Prescott's mansion, so that the
+settlement could be easily reached in a few hours more.  Oonomoo
+brought down a turkey with his rifle, dressed it, and had a fire
+burning with which to cook it.  This was accomplished in a short time
+under his skillful manipulations, and a hearty meal afforded to every
+one of the little company.  Lieutenant Canfield noticed that neither
+the Huron nor his son ate more than a mouthful or two, and he was now
+satisfied that the news brought by the latter was bad and
+disheartening.  He refrained, however, from referring to the subject
+again, well knowing that the Indian would tell him all that he thought
+proper, when the time arrived.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+They had just completed their meal, when Niniotan and Oonomoo started,
+raising their heads, as if something had caught their ears.  Listening
+a moment, the latter said:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Somebody comin'."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Hebens, golly! am it Injines?" asked Cato, looking around for some
+good place to hide.  The eyes of the soldier and Miss Prescott asked
+the same question, and the Huron replied:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ain't Injins&mdash;walk too heavy&mdash;white men."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"They must be friends then," exclaimed the girl, springing up and
+clapping her hands.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Dey're comin'&mdash;hear 'em."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The dull tramp, tramp of men walking in regular file was distinctly
+audible to all, and while they listened, a clear, musical voice called
+out:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"This way, boys, we've a long tramp before we reach that infernal
+Indian town."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Your father, as I live!" whispered the soldier to the girl beside him.
+The next moment, the blue uniform of an officer of the Federal army was
+distinguished through the trees, and the manly form of Captain
+Prescott, at the head of a file of a dozen men, came into full view.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Hello! what have we here?" he asked, suddenly stopping and looking at
+the company before him.  "Why there's Lieutenant Canfield as sure as I
+am alive, and if that ain't my dear little daughter yonder, I hope I
+may never lift my sword for Mad Anthony again.  And there's Oonomoo,
+the best red-man that ever pulled the trigger of a rifle, with a little
+pocket edition of himself, and grinning Cato too!  Why don't you come
+to the arms of your father, sis, and let him hug you?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+This unexpected meeting with his loved daughter, when his worst fears
+were aroused for her safety, caused the revulsion of feeling in Captain
+Prescott, and his pleasantry is perhaps excusable when all the
+circumstances are considered.  The tears of joy coursed down the
+gray-headed soldier's cheeks as he pressed his cherished daughter to
+his bosom, and murmured, "God bless you!  God bless you!" while the
+hardy soldiers ranged behind him smiled, and several rubbed their eyes
+as if dust had gotten in them.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Is mother and sister well?" asked the daughter, looking up in her
+father's face.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Yes, well, but anxious enough about you."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Our house and place is destroyed forever."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Who cares, sis?  Who cares?  Haven't I you left?  Don't mention it."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"But the servants!  All were killed except poor Cato there."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ah! that is bad! that is bad!  I mourn them, poor fellows! poor
+fellows!  But I have my own darling child left! my own darling child!"
+and the overjoyed father again pressed his daughter to him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"But what am I about?" he suddenly asked, with a surprised look.  "I
+haven't spoken to the others here.  Lieutenant, allow me to
+congratulate you, sir, on this happy state of affairs.  I congratulate
+you, sir."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Captain Prescott had a way of repeating his remarks, while his radiant
+face was all aglow with his hearty good-humor, that was irresistibly
+contagious in itself.  His jovial kindness won every heart, and he was
+almost idolized by his men.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"A happy turn, indeed; but, Captain, I am somewhat surprised to see you
+here," said Lieutenant Canfield as he grasped the offered hand.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Ah! yes, I haven't explained that yet; but the fact is, Lieutenant,
+you hadn't been gone two hours&mdash;not two hours&mdash;when the General told me
+I was to take charge of the garrison at the settlement, where my wife
+and daughter now are.  I wasn't sorry to hear that&mdash;not sorry to hear
+that, and as you were to be Lieutenant, I didn't think it would be
+unpleasant to you either to be located so near our family&mdash;not
+unpleasant at all, eh, Lieutenant?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Nothing, certainly, could be more agreeable to me," replied the
+gallant young fellow, blushing deeply at the looks which were turned
+upon him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Glad to hear it! glad to hear it!  Well, sir, I started right
+off&mdash;right straight off, and tried my best to overtake you, but, bless
+me, I might as well have tried to run away from my own shadow, as to
+catch up with a young chap when he is in love.  I got to the settlement
+yesterday, toward night, and the first thing I heard was that my house
+had been burned, and my sweet little darling Mary there, either killed
+or carried off a prisoner.  I felt bad about that," added the Captain,
+wiping his eyes with his handkerchief, but smiling all the while, "yes,
+I won't deny I felt a little bad about that.  They had all seen the
+light from the settlement, and knowing the direction of my house, were
+pretty sure it was that.  But, to be certain, one of the men came out
+here yesterday, and found there was no mistake about it.  But the
+queerest part of the matter was, that all the people, the garrison
+especially, appeared to feel bad about it too&mdash;actually felt bad about
+it.  And when I asked for volunteers, they all sprung forward and
+insisted that they would go&mdash;insisted that they would go.  I picked out
+those twelve there&mdash;because they had all been in Indian fights and
+understood the country through which we would be compelled to go.  They
+are all good fellows, and perfect phenomena, if you may believe all
+they say&mdash;perfect phenomena.  You see that chap there, with the big
+mouth and crossed eyes.  Well, sir, he informs me that he has dined off
+a live Indian every morning for the last seventeen years, and is
+certain that he should pine away and die, if he should be deprived of
+his usual meal.  You see he is pretty nearly an Indian himself.  His
+hair is black as a savage's, and if he goes a few months longer without
+washing, he will have the war-paint all over his face.  That one
+standing beside him, with a nose like a hickory knot and with feet like
+flat-boats, calls himself 'half horse, half alligator, tipped with a
+wild-cat and touched with a painter.'  The rest are about the same, so
+that I have a good mind to march right into the Indian country on a
+campaign against the whole set that have been in this business&mdash;the
+whole set that have been in this business."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The pleasant humor with which this sarcasm was uttered, made every man
+laugh and respect their commander the more.  They saw that while he
+rather disliked the extravagant boasting in which several of them had
+indulged, he still had great confidence in their skill and courage, as
+was shown by his selection of them for this perilous enterprise.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"They are the right stuff," added the Captain.  "They ain't used to the
+drill, but they will soon understand that.  I had some trouble to keep
+them in line in the woods, as they couldn't exactly see the use, but
+they were doing first rate, when we came upon you&mdash;doing first rate.
+But, I declare, I haven't spoken to Oonomoo, there, I dare say he is at
+the bottom of this rescue.  He generally is&mdash;generally is."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Stepping forward in front of the Huron, who with his son had stood
+silent and gloomy, he said, as he grasped his hand:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oonomoo, receive the thanks of a delighted father for your kindness to
+his daughter.  Your repeated services have won you the gratitude of
+hundreds&mdash;&mdash;"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Cap'n," said the Huron, speaking quickly and earnestly, "the Shawnees
+have found de lodge ob Oonomoo&mdash;his wife runnin' trough de woods&mdash;de
+Shawnees chasin' her&mdash;Oonomoo must go."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"God bless me!  God bless me!" exclaimed Captain Prescott; "and here
+the noble-hearted fellow has been waiting a half-hour without saying a
+word, while my infernal tongue has been going all the time; that tongue
+will be the death of me yet.  Your wife is in danger, eh?  The &mdash;&mdash;
+Shawnees at their deviltry again here.  See here, men," said he,
+turning around, "Oonomoo's wife is in danger, and are we going to help
+her out or not, eh?  I want to know that.  Are we going to stand by and
+let him do it alone, when for twenty years he has worked night and day
+for us?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"NO!" responded every voice, in thunder tones.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I say, Captain, if I ain't counted in this muss, I'll never smile
+agin.  Freeze me to death on a stump, if I won't walk into their
+meat-houses in style, then my name ain't Tom Lannoch."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Jes' place me whar tha'll be some heads to crack, with gougin' and
+punchin' thrown in, and then count me in."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"And hyer's Dick Smaddock, what&mdash;&mdash;"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Order!" roared the Captain; "I'll arrange matters without any gabbing
+from you.  We are losing time.  As we are pretty near the settlement,
+and as there can be no danger between us and that, we will let the
+Lieutenant take my daughter home, while we go with Oonomoo to shoot
+Shawnees."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I must protest against that," said Lieutenant Canfield.  "If I thought
+there could possibly be any danger to Miss Mary, I would not think of
+deserting her; but surely there cannot be.  I, therefore, propose that
+Cato act as her guide, while all of us go to assist Oonomoo.  I could
+never forgive myself if I failed to requite the faithful Huron, in such
+a small degree, when the opportunity is given."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The suggestion of the young soldier received the enthusiastic support
+of all; but, Captain Prescott, who could not bear the thought that his
+daughter should be placed in the least peril, selected one of his men,
+a bronzed border-ranger, who, accompanied by Cato, started at once for
+the settlement with her, which (we may as well remark here) was safely
+reached by them a few hours later.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"The matter is all arranged then," said Captain Prescott, when he had
+selected the man who was to take charge of his daughter.  "We are now
+ready to follow you, Oonomoo."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Come quick, den&mdash;Oonomoo can't wait&mdash;leave his trail&mdash;all see it."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As the Huron spoke, his son bounded off in the woods and dashed away
+like an arrow, while he followed him with such astonishing speed, that
+he almost instantly disappeared from sight.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"God bless me! that's an original way of guiding us!" exclaimed the
+Captain, taken aback by the unexpected disappearance of the Indian.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"The danger that threatens his wife is so imminent that he dare not
+wait for our tardy movements," said Lieutenant Canfield.  "He will
+leave a trail that your men can follow without the least difficulty,
+and, I trust, we may come up in time to prevent anything serious
+occurring to him and her.  His son joined him last night and brought
+the news of his misfortune to him, but the noble fellow, although his
+heart must have nearly burst within him, would not leave us until he
+was assured of your daughter's safety."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Noble chap! noble chap! he must be paid for such devotion.  Come, my
+boys, let us lose no time.  As you all understand the woods better than
+I do, I must select one of you to walk beside me and keep the trail in
+sight, while the rest of you must remember and not fall out of line.
+If a tree should stand in the way, just step around it, but don't lose
+the step.  There's nothing like discipline&mdash;nothing like discipline."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The guide was selected, who took his station beside Captain Prescott,
+and the word was given and away they started in the wake of the flying
+Huron.
+</P>
+
+<BR><BR><BR>
+
+<A NAME="chap10"></A>
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CHAPTER X.
+</H3>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+CONCLUSION.
+</H3>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P CLASS="poem">
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I leave the Huron shore<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For emptier groves below!<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ye charming solitudes,<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ye tall ascending woods,<BR>
+Ye glassy lakes and prattling streams.<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Whose aspect still was sweet,<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Whether the sun did greet,<BR>
+Or the pale moon embrace you with her beams&mdash;<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Adieu to all!<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Adieu, the mountain's lofty swell,<BR>
+&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Adieu, thou little verdant hill,<BR>
+And seas, and stars, and skies, farewell!&mdash;P. FRENAU.
+</P>
+
+<BR>
+
+<P>
+Away started Niniotan like a fawn, his father following at a rate that
+kept both within a few feet of each other.  The densest portions of the
+wood seemed to offer them no impediments, as they glided like rabbits
+through them.  The boy trailed a rifle in his right hand with as much
+ease and grace as a full-grown warrior, and the speed which he kept up,
+mile after mile, seemed to have as little effect upon him as upon the
+indurated frame of his father.  The step of neither lagged, and their
+respiration was hardly quickened.  The dark eyes of Niniotan appeared
+larger, as if expanded with terror, and looked as if they were fixed
+upon some point, many leagues away in the horizon.  The habitual gloomy
+expression rested upon the face of Oonomoo, and it needed no skillful
+physiognomist to read the signs of an unusual emotion upon his swarthy
+countenance.  It was seen in the dark scowl, the glittering eye, and
+the compressed lip, although he spoke not a word until they had
+penetrated far into the forest.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+In something less than an hour, the swamp, in the interior of which was
+the Huron's lodge, was reached; but instead of taking the usual route
+to it, Niniotan diverged to the left, until they reached a portion of
+the creek that was less swampy in its character.  Running along its
+bank a few moments, the boy came upon a canoe, which he shoved into the
+water, and, springing into it, took his seat in front.  Oonomoo was
+scarce a second behind him.  The son pointed down-stream, and, dipping
+deep the paddle, the Huron sent the frail vessel forward at a velocity
+that was truly wonderful.  A half-mile at this rate, and a tributary of
+the creek&mdash;a brook, merely&mdash;was reached, up which the canoe shot with
+such speed, that a few minutes later it ran almost its entire length
+where the water was no more than an inch in depth.  Springing ashore,
+Niniotan darted off, closely followed by his father, until they reached
+a portion of the wood so dense that they paused.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Here was left Fluellina," said the boy, looking around at Oonomoo.
+The latter uttered his usual signal, a tremulous, thrilling whistle,
+similar to that by which he had made himself known to his child before,
+but he received no response.  Three times it was repeated with a
+considerable rest, when, like the faint echo far in the distance, came
+back the response.  The Huron was about to plunge into the thicket,
+when a sound caught his ear, and the next moment his wife was before
+him.  Neither spoke a word, until they had stood a few seconds in a
+fervent embrace, when Fluellina stepped back, and looking up in her
+husband's face, said: "The Shawnees have found our home and are now
+following me."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The husband became the warrior on the instant.  His woodcraft told him
+that if his foes were searching for him and his, they would be in such
+force that he could not hope to combat with them; and the only plan,
+therefore, that offered him any safety was to fall back and meet his
+white friends at the earliest possible moment.  In reaching the creek,
+he had bent down the bushes, and broken the branches on the way so that
+his trail could be followed without difficulty.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+He now sped back to his canoe, which, when reached, he shoved into deep
+water, and ran a considerable distance before he deemed it best to
+enter.  Lifting Fluellina in his arms, he deposited her carefully in
+it.  Niniotan leaped after her, and the next moment they were going
+down the stream at a speed that seemed would tear the boat asunder
+every moment.  Debouching into the creek, the canoe rounded gracefully
+and went upward with undiminished velocity, until, in almost an
+incredible space, the point of embarkation was reached, when Oonomoo
+ran in and sprung ashore, followed instantly by his wife and son.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Huron had scarcely landed, when his quick ear detected a suspicious
+sound.  He glanced furtively around.  Nothing, however, was seen,
+although his apprehensions of the proximity of his foes had assumed a
+certainty.  Without pausing in the least, he instantly took the back
+trail, Fluellina being close behind him, and Niniotan bringing up the
+rear.  They had gone scarce a dozen steps when the Shawnee war-whoop
+was heard, and full a score of the red demons sprung up seemingly from
+the very ground, and plunged toward the fugitives.  Simultaneously
+several rifles were discharged, and Oonomoo, who had thrown himself in
+the rear of Fluellina upon the appearance of danger, knew by the sharp,
+needle-like twinges in different parts of his body, that he was
+severely wounded.  Flight was useless, and as he and his wife took
+shelter behind separate trees, he called to his son: "Niniotan, prove
+yourself a warrior, the son of Oonomoo, the Huron!"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As quick as lightning, the youth was also sheltered, and his gun
+discharged.  A death-shriek from a howling Shawnee showed that the
+training of Oonomoo had not been thrown away.  The boy reloaded and
+waited his opportunity.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Shawnees, seeing they had driven their foe to the wall at last,
+prudently halted, as they were in no hurry to engage such a terrible
+being in a hand-to-hand contest, overwhelming as were their own odds.
+The Huron wisely held his fire, believing he could keep his enemies at
+bay much better by such means than by discharging it.  The great point
+with him was to defer the attack until the arrival of assistance, and
+he had strong hopes that he could succeed in doing it.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Not Oonomoo's personal fear, but his excessive anxiety for the safety
+of Fluellina, induced him now to adopt a resort that was fatal in its
+consequences.  Knowing that Captain Prescott and his men could be at no
+great distance, he gave utterance to a loud, prolonged whoop, which he
+knew some of the rangers would recognize as a call for assistance, and
+consequently hasten to his aid.  Unfortunately, the Shawnees also
+understood the meaning of the signal, and satisfied that not a moment
+was to be lost, they boldly left their cover and advanced to the attack.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The foremost of the approaching savages fell, shot through the heart by
+the rifle of young Niniotan, and almost at the same instant the one by
+his side had the ball of Oonomoo's rifle sent crashing through his
+brain.  The Huron now sprung to the side of his wife, and drawing his
+knife in his left, and his tomahawk in his right hand, he stood at bay!
+</P>
+
+<P>
+It was a scene worthy the inspired pencil of the artist.  The
+malignant, scowling Shawnees, steadily advancing upon the dauntless
+Huron, who, though his moccasins were soaked with the blood from his
+own wounds, stood as firm and immovable as the adamantine rock.  His
+left leg was thrown somewhat in advance of his right, as if he were
+about to spring, but in such a manner that his weight was perfectly
+balanced.  The knife was held firmly, but not as it would have been
+were he about to strike.  The tomahawk, however, was drawn back, as if
+he were only holding it a second, while he selected his victim.  His
+eyes! no imagination can conceive their fierce electric glitter as
+their burning gaze was fixed upon his merciless enemies.  Black as
+midnight, they seemed to emit palpable rays, that shot through the air
+with an irresistibly penetrating power, and not once was their awful
+power eclipsed for an instant by the closing of the eyelid.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Onward came the exultant Shawnees.  There was no checking them, and
+throwing all his mighty strength in his right arm, Oonomoo hurled his
+tomahawk like a thunderbolt among them.  Striking an Indian fair
+between the eyes, it clove his skull as if it had been wax; and
+striking another on the shoulder, cut through the flesh and bone as if
+they were but the green leaves of the trees above, Fluellina sunk down
+by the feet of her husband in prayer, while he, changing his knife to
+his right hand, waited the shock of the coming avalanche!  So terrible
+did the exasperated Huron appear, that the entire party of Shawnees
+paused out of sheer horror of closing in with him.  Wounded and
+bleeding as he was, they knew that he would carry many of their number
+to the earth, before his defiant spirit could be driven out of him.
+And at scarcely a dozen feet distant, the craven, cowardly wretches
+poured a volley from their rifles upon both him and the kneeling woman
+beside him.
+</P>
+
+<A NAME="img-241"></A>
+<CENTER>
+<IMG SRC="images/img-241.jpg" ALT="So terrible did the exasperated Huron appear, that the entire party of Shawnees paused out of sheer horror.]" BORDER="2" WIDTH="350" HEIGHT="560">
+<H4>
+[Illustration: So terrible did the exasperated Huron appear, <BR>that the
+entire party of Shawnees paused out of sheer horror.]
+</H4>
+</CENTER>
+
+<P>
+Oonomoo did not leap or yell; but with his eyes still fixed upon his
+enemies, and his knife still firmly clutched in his hand, commenced
+slowly sinking backward to the earth.  The Shawnees saw it, and one of
+them sprung forward, as if to claim his scalp, but he fell howling to
+the ground, prostrated by a ball from the undaunted Niniotan who still
+maintained his place behind his tree.  His companions were in the act
+of moving forward, to avenge the deaths of hundreds of their comrades,
+when the tramp of approaching men was heard, and a clear voice rung
+out: "This way, boys!  I see the infernal copper-heads through the
+trees.  Make ready, take aim&mdash;God bless me! you fired before the orders
+were given."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+At the first glimpse of the Shawnees, huddled together in a rushing
+body, every one of the border men discharged his piece, without waiting
+for the command, right in among them.  The destruction was fearful and
+the panic complete.  Numbers came to the ground, writhing, dying and
+dead, while the survivors scattered howling to the woods, and were seen
+no more.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+Shortly after Captain Prescott and Lieutenant Canfield had started with
+their men on the trail of Oonomoo, they came upon an elderly man in the
+forest who was hunting.  He proved to be Eckman, the Moravian
+missionary, who had brought up and educated Fluellina, the wife of
+Oonomoo, and to whom she made her stated visits for religious counsel
+and encouragement.  Upon learning the object of the party, he at once
+joined them, as he felt a fatherly affection for the Huron warrior.
+Being a skillful backwoodsman, he acted as guide to the men,
+proceeding, in spite of his years, at a rate which cost them
+considerable effort to equal.  They had not gone a great distance, when
+the shout of Oonomoo was heard, and the missionary understood its
+significance.  Bounding forward, the men came upon the Shawnees at a
+full run, Captain Prescott panting and still at their head, vainly
+endeavoring to keep them in line and to make them aim and fire
+together.  The missionary and Lieutenant Canfield took in the state of
+affairs at once.  Niniotan was unhurt, and now came forward, his face
+as rigid as marble.  Swelled to nearly bursting as was his heart, he
+endeavored to obey the instructions of his father, and show himself a
+warrior, by concealing his emotion to those around him.  The man of God
+instantly ran to the prostrate Huron and his wife, the latter managing
+to maintain a sitting position with great difficulty.  He saw both were
+mortally wounded and would soon die.  Oonomoo lay flat upon his back,
+breathing heavily, while the copious pools of blood around him showed
+how numerous and severe were his wounds.  Lieutenant Canfield lifted
+his head, while the missionary supported Fluellina.  The latter opened
+her languid eyes, which instantly brightened as she recognized her
+noble friend, and said in a low, sweet voice, speaking English
+perfectly: "I am glad you have come, father.  Oonomoo and Fluellina are
+dying.  We want you to smooth the way for us to the Bright Land."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"The way is already smoothed, my child, so that your feet can tread it.
+Can I do anything to relieve your pain?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"No; my body suffers, but my heart is on fire with joy.  Please attend
+to Oonomoo," said Fluellina, looking toward him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The Huron was so close to his wife, that by taking a position between
+them, the missionary was enabled to support both.  Raising their heads
+with the assistance of Lieutenant Canfield and Captain Prescott, he
+laid them upon his lap in close proximity to each other.  The men stood
+silent and affected witnesses of the scene.  Brushing the luxuriant
+hair from the face of the dying Indian, the preacher said:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Oonomoo, is there anything I can do for you?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Where be Niniotan?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Here," responded the boy, approaching him.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Stand where you be, and see a Christian warrior die," he commanded, in
+his native tongue.  "Where is Fluellina's hand?"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The affectionate wife heard the inquiry, and instantly closed her hand
+in his.  He held it, in loving embrace.  The missionary spread a
+blanket over the body and limbs of the Huron, so as to hide his
+frightful wounds from sight.  A single stream, tiny, crimson and
+glistening, wound down from the shoulder of Fluellina, over her bare
+arm, to her waist, where it fell in rapid drops to the leaves below.
+No one of her wounds were visible, although it was evident that
+dissolution was proceeding rapidly with her.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The minister, at this point, noticed that the lips of Oonomoo were
+moving.  Thinking he had some request to make, he leaned forward and
+listened.  His soul was thrilled with holy joy when he heard
+unmistakably the words of supplication.  Oonomoo was addressing the
+Great Spirit of the world, not as a craven does, at the last moment,
+when overtaken by death, but as he had often done before, with the
+assurance that his prayer was heard.  With a simplicity as touching as
+it was earnest, he spoke aloud his forgiveness of the Shawnees, saying
+that he wished not their scalps, and had not taken any for several
+years, not since the Great Spirit had sent a wonderful light in his
+soul.  For a moment more he was silent, and then opening his eyes,
+uttered the name of Niniotan.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"I am here before you!" replied the boy.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Niniotan, be a Huron warrior; be as Oonomoo has been; never take the
+scalp of a foe, and kill none except in honorable warfare; live and die
+a Christian."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As was his custom, when addressing his wife or boy, this exhortation
+was given in his own tongue, so that the missionary was the only one
+beside them who understood it.  Languidly shutting his eyes again,
+Oonomoo said: "Read out of Good Book."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The good man was pained beyond description to find that the
+pocket-Bible, which he always carried with him, had been lost during
+his hurried approach to this spot.  But Fluellina, who had caught the
+words, said: "It is in my bosom."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The missionary reached down and drew it forth, and, as he did so, all
+the men noticed the red stains upon it, while he himself felt the warm,
+fresh blood upon his hand.  Instinctively he opened the volume at the
+fifteenth chapter of Corinthians, that beautiful letter of the
+Apostle's, in which the triumphant and glorious resurrection of the
+body at the last day is pictured in the sublime language of inspiration:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the
+heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the
+image of the heavenly.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
+kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall
+all be changed.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
+trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
+shall be changed.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must
+put on immortality.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this
+mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
+saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"'Oh death, where is thy sting?  Oh grave, where is thy victory?&mdash;'"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The hands of Oonomoo and Fluellina, which had still remained clasped
+upon the lap of the missionary, suddenly closed with incredible force,
+and rising to the sitting position, as if assisted by an invisible arm,
+they both opened their eyes to their widest extent, and fixing them for
+a moment upon the clear sky above, sunk slowly and quietly back, dead!
+A profound stillness reigned for several minutes after it was certain
+the spirits of Oonomoo and Fluellina had departed.  Gently removing
+their heads from his lap to the ground, the missionary arose, and in so
+doing, broke the spell that was resting upon all.  Niniotan stood like
+a statue, his arms folded and his stony gaze fixed upon the senseless
+forms of his parents.  Placing his hand upon his head, the man of God
+addressed him in the tones of a father:
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Let Niniotan heed the words of Oonomoo; let him grow up a Christian
+warrior, and when his spirit leaves this world, it will join his and
+Fluellina's in the happy hunting-grounds in the sky.  Niniotan, I offer
+you a home at our mission-house so long as you choose to remain.  Your
+mother was brought to me when an infant, and I have educated her in the
+fear of God.  Will you go with me?"  The boy replied in his native
+dialect: "Niniotan will never forget the words of Oonomoo.  His heart
+is warm toward the kind father of Fluellina, and he will never forget
+him.  The woods are the home of Niniotan, the green earth is his bed
+and the blue sky is his blanket.  Niniotan goes to them."
+</P>
+
+<A NAME="img-249"></A>
+<CENTER>
+<IMG SRC="images/img-249.jpg" ALT="Niniotan stood like a statue, his arms folded and hi" BORDER="2" WIDTH="350" HEIGHT="553">
+<H4>
+[Illustration: Niniotan stood like a statue, his arms folded <BR>
+and his stony gaze fixed upon the senseless forms of his parents.]
+</H4>
+</CENTER>
+
+<P>
+Turning his back upon his white friends, the young warrior walked away
+and soon disappeared from sight in the arches of the forest.  [He kept
+his word, living a life of usefulness as had Oonomoo, being the
+unswerving friend of the whites all through Tecumseh's war, and dying
+less than ten years since in the Indian Territory beyond the
+Mississippi, loved and respected by the whites as well as by all of his
+own kindred.]
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Friends," said the missionary, "you have witnessed a scene which I
+trust will not be lost upon you.  Live and die in the simple faith of
+this untutored Indian and all will be well."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"Captain," added the speaker, addressing Captain Prescott, "he has been
+a true friend to our race for years, and we must do him what kindness
+we can.  If we leave these bodies here, the Shawnees will return and
+mutilate them&mdash;"
+</P>
+
+<P>
+"God bless me! it shan't be done! it shan't be done!  Form a litter,
+boys, form a litter, and place them on it.  We'll bury them at the
+settlement, and build them a monument a thousand feet high&mdash;yes,
+sir&mdash;every inch of it."
+</P>
+
+<P>
+A few minutes later, the party, bearing among them the bodies of
+Oonomoo and Fluellina, set out for the settlement, which was reached
+just as the sun was disappearing in the west.  The lifeless forms were
+placed in the block-house for the night.  The next morning a large and
+deep grave was dug in a cool grove just back of the village, into which
+the two bodies, suitably inclosed, were lowered.  The last rites were
+performed by the good missionary, and as the sods fell upon the
+coffins, there was not a dry eye in the numerous assembly.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+The avowal of Captain Prescott that the faithful Huron should have a
+monument erected to his memory, was something more than the impulse of
+the moment.  Knowing the affection with which he was regarded by the
+settlers all along the frontier, he took pains to spread the
+particulars of his death, and to invite contributions for the purpose
+mentioned.  The response was far more liberal than he had, dared to
+hope, and showed the vast services of Oonomoo during his life&mdash;services
+of which none but the recipients knew anything.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+At this time, there was a band of border rangers in existence, known as
+the <I>Riflemen of the Miami</I>.  Oonomoo had often acted as their guide,
+and these were the first that were heard from.  Lewis Dernor, their
+leader, visited the settlement on purpose to learn the facts regarding
+his death, and to bring the gifts of himself and companions.  Then
+there was Stanton and Ferrington, and scores of others, who continued
+to pour in their contributions through the summer, until Captain
+Prescott possessed the means of erecting as magnificent a monument as
+his heart could wish.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+In the autumn, affairs on the frontier became so quiet and settled that
+the Captain was able to visit the East, where he gave orders for the
+marble monument, which it was promised should be sent down the river
+the next spring.  Upon the return of Captain Prescott, the wedding of
+his daughter and Lieutenant Canfield took place, and they settled down
+in the village.  The Captain did not venture again to erect his house
+in so exposed a situation, until the advancing tide of civilization
+made it a matter of safety.  A handsome edifice then rose from the
+ruins of his first residence.  General peace dawning upon the border,
+he removed his family to it, and turned farmer.  His possessions
+continually increased in value until a few years after the commencement
+of the present century, and when he died, there were few wealthier men
+in the West.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+During the war of 1812, Lieutenant Canfield was promoted to a
+Captaincy, and served under General Harrison until all hostilities had
+ceased.  He then retired with his family to private life, taking his
+abode upon the farm which had been left him by his father-in-law, where
+he resided until 1843, when he followed the partner of his joys and
+sorrows&mdash;the once captive of the Shawnees&mdash;to his last, long home.
+</P>
+
+<P>
+As the traveler passes down the Ohio river on one of its many steamers,
+his attention perhaps is attracted to a beautiful grove of oaks,
+willows and sycamores a short distance from the shore, beneath whose
+arches a tall, white marble obelisk may be discerned with some
+inscription and design upon it.  Approaching it more closely, there is
+seen engraved on the front, the figure of the Holy Bible, open, with a
+hand beneath pointing upward.  Below this, are cut the simple words:
+</P>
+
+<H3 ALIGN="center">
+OONOMOO,
+<BR><BR>
+THE FRIEND OF THE WHITE MAN.
+</H3>
+
+<BR><BR><BR><BR>
+
+<hr class="full" noshade>
+<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OONOMOO THE HURON***</p>
+<p>******* This file should be named 16869-h.txt or 16869-h.zip *******</p>
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+The Project Gutenberg eBook, Oonomoo the Huron, by Edward S. Ellis
+
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+
+
+
+Title: Oonomoo the Huron
+
+
+Author: Edward S. Ellis
+
+
+
+Release Date: October 14, 2005  [eBook #16869]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
+
+
+***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OONOMOO THE HURON***
+
+
+E-text prepared by Al Haines
+
+
+
+Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
+      file which includes the original illustrations.
+      See 16869-h.htm or 16869-h.zip:
+      (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/8/6/16869/16869-h/16869-h.htm)
+      or
+      (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/8/6/16869/16869-h.zip)
+
+
+
+
+
+OONOMOO THE HURON
+
+by
+
+EDWARD S. ELLIS
+
+Author of "The Trail-Hunter," "Hunter's Cabin," etc.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+New York
+Hurst & Company
+Publishers
+Copyright, 1911, by Hurst & Company.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+CHAPTER
+
+    I.  Hans Vanderbum
+   II.  Other Characters
+  III.  Oonomoo and the Shawnees
+   IV.  The Young Lieutenant and Cato
+    V.  The Home of the Huron
+   VI.  Adventures on the Way
+  VII.  The Plan for the Rescue
+ VIII.  The Exploit of Hans Vanderbum
+   IX.  A New Danger
+    X.  Conclusion
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
+
+
+"Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, ain't you got dat cooked?"
+
+A girl, fifteen or sixteen years of age, seated on the ground, beside a
+squaw.
+
+Mary Prescott.
+
+"If you don't want to be killed, get up," said the young officer.
+
+"Niniotan, my son, is late."
+
+"You have saved me, and I want to grasp your hand for it."
+
+But Oonomoo and the Miami had whipped out their knives.
+
+So terrible did the exasperated Huron appear, that the entire party of
+Shawnees paused out of sheer horror.
+
+Niniotan stood like a statue, his arms folded and his stony gaze fixed
+upon the senseless forms of his parents.
+
+
+
+
+OONOMOO, THE HURON.
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+HANS VANDERBUM.
+
+
+        The mountain's sides
+  Are flecked with gleams of light and spots of shade;
+  Here, golden sunshine spreads in mellow rays, and there,
+  Stretching across its hoary breast, deep shadows lurk.
+  A stream, with many a turn, now lost to sight,
+  And then, again revealed, winds through the vale,
+  Shimmering in the early morning sun.
+  A few white clouds float in the blue expanse,
+  Their forms revealed in the clear lake beneath,
+  Which bears upon its breast a bark canoe,
+  Cautiously guided by a sinewy arm.
+  High in the heavens, three eagles proudly poise,
+  Keeping their mountain eyrie still in view,
+  Although their flight has borne them far away.
+  Upon the cliff which beetles o'er the pool,
+  Two Indians, peering from the brink, appear,
+  Clad in the gaudy dress their nature craves--
+  Robes of bright blue and scarlet, but which blend
+  In happy union with the landscape round.
+  Near by a wigwam stands--a fire within
+  Sends out a ruddy glow--and from its roof,
+  Cone-shaped, a spiral wreath of smoke ascends.
+  Not far away, though deeper in the woods,
+  Another hut, with red-men grouped about,
+  Attracts the eye, and wakens saddened thoughts
+  Of that brave race who once were masters here,
+  But now, like autumn leaves, are dying out.--BARRY GRAY.
+
+
+"Shtop dat noise! shtop dat noise!" vociferated Hans Vanderbum, growing
+red in the face with fury, because his repeated commands had received
+so little attention.
+
+The scene was deep in the forests of Ohio, a short distance from the
+Miami river.  An Indian town of twenty-five or thirty lodges here
+stood, resembling a giant apiary, with its inhabitants flitting in and
+out, darting hither and thither, like so many bees.  The time was early
+in the morning of a radiant spring, when the atmosphere was still and
+charming; the dew lingered upon the grass and undergrowth; birds were
+singing in every tree; the sky glowed with the pure blue of Italy; and
+the whole wilderness in its bloom looked like a sea of emerald.
+Everything was life and exhilaration, one personage alone
+excepted--Hans Vanderbum was unhappy!
+
+The Indian lodges differed very little from each other, being of a
+rough, substantial character, built with an eye to comfort rather than
+beauty.  One at the extreme northern edge of the village is that with
+which our story deals.  A brief description of it will serve as a
+general daguerreotype of all those wild abodes.
+
+The wigwam was composed of skins and bark, the latter greatly
+predominating.  The shape was that of a cone.  The framework was of
+poles, the lower ends of which were placed in a sort of circle, while
+the tops were intersected, leaving a small opening, through which the
+smoke reached the clear air above.  Unsightly and repulsive as this
+might seem from the outside view, the dwelling, nevertheless, was
+water-proof and comfortable, and abundantly answered the end for which
+it was built.
+
+A thin vapor was ascending in a bluish spiral at the top of the lodge
+indicated.  A Shawnee squaw was occupied in preparing the morning meal,
+while her liege lord still reclined in one corner, in the vain effort
+to secure a few minutes more of slumber.  This latter personage was
+Hans Vanderbum--our friend Hans--a huge, plethoric, stolid, lazy
+Dutchman, who had "married" an Indian widow several years before.  At
+the time of her marriage this squaw had a boy some three or four years
+of age, while a second one, the son of the Dutchman, was now just large
+enough to be as mischievous as a kitten.  They were a couple of greasy,
+copper-hued little rascals, with eyes as black as midnight, and long,
+wiry hair, like that of a horse's mane.  Brimful of animal spirits,
+they were just the reverse of Hans Vanderbum, whose laziness and
+stupidity were only excelled by his indifference to the dignity and
+rights of human nature.
+
+Hans Vanderbum lay fiat upon his back, for the atmosphere of the wigwam
+was too warm for covering, his ponderous belly rising and falling like
+a wave of the sea, and his throat giving forth that peculiar rattling
+of the glottis, which might be mistaken for suffocation.  The boys
+certainly would have been outside, basking in the genial sunshine, had
+not their mother, Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, positively denied them
+that coveted privilege.  The commands of the father might be trampled
+upon with impunity, but the young half-breeds knew better than to
+disobey their mother.
+
+"Shtop dat noise! shtop dat noise!" repeated Hans, raising his head
+without stirring his body or limbs.
+
+His broad face seemed all ablaze from its fiery red color, and the
+threatening fury throned upon his lowering forehead would almost have
+annihilated him who encountered it for the first time.  As it was, the
+two boys suddenly straightened their faces, and assumed an air of meek
+penitence, as if suffering the most harrowing remorse for what they had
+done; and the father, after glaring at them a moment, as if to drive in
+and clinch the impression he had made, let his head drop back with a
+dull thump upon the ground, and again closed his eyes.
+
+The black, snaky orbs of the boys twinkled like stars through their
+overhanging hair.  Glancing first at their mother, who did not deign to
+notice them, the eldest picked up his younger brother, who was grinning
+from ear to ear with delight, and, summoning all his strength, he
+poised him over the prostrate form of his father for a moment, and then
+dropped him!  The prolonged snore which was steadily issuing from the
+throat of the sleeping parent, terminated in a sharp, explosive grunt.
+As his eyes opened, the boys scrambled away like frogs to the opposite
+side of the lodge, under the protecting care of their mother.
+
+"Dunder and blixen!  You dunderin' Dutch Indians, dishturbin' your poor
+old dad dat is wearing his life out for you!  I'll pound both of you
+till you're dead!"
+
+Hans Vanderbum's system had suffered too great a shock for further
+slumber.  He rose to the sitting position, and, digging both hands into
+his head, glared at his offspring a moment, and then began his regular
+lecture.
+
+"Quanonshet, you little Dutchman, and Madokawandock, you little bigger
+Dutchman, vot does you t'ink of yourselves?  Vot does you t'ink will
+become of you, disgracing your parents in this manner?  You oughter be
+pounded to death to treat your poor old fader in this manner, who is
+working of himself away to bring you up in the way you ought for to go.
+Eh? vot do you t'ink of yourself, eh?  Vot do you t'ink of yourself?"
+demanded Hans, furiously shaking his head toward the boys at each word.
+
+Quanonshet and Madokawandock were too confounded for reply.
+
+"Shposing your poor old fader should go crazy!!  Here he is working
+himself to skin and bone--Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, ain't you got
+dat cooked?"
+
+[Illustration: "Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, ain't you got dat
+cooked?"]
+
+"No!" screamed the wife.  "You big, lazy man, get up and stir yourself!
+You don't do anything but sleep and smoke, while _I'm_ working all the
+flesh off _my_ bones for you!"
+
+These forcible remarks were made in the pure Shawnee tongue, and were
+accompanied by gesticulation too pointed and significant for Hans to
+mistake the spirit in which they were given.  Although it is the
+invariable custom among the North American Indians for the husband to
+rule the wife, and impose all burdens upon her, except those of the
+hunt, and fight, such, by no means, was the case with the present
+couple.  Hans Vanderbum's body was too unwieldy for him to accompany
+the young men (or even the old men) upon their hunting expeditions; in
+short, he contributed nothing toward the support of his interesting
+family.  The first husband of Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock had been an
+Indian, with all the characteristics of his race--indolent, selfish and
+savage; and her life with him had been that of the usual servitude and
+drudgery.  Accordingly, when she ventured a second time upon the sea of
+matrimony, she naturally fell into the same routine of labor, planting
+and cultivating what little corn, beans and vegetables were raised for
+the family, and doing all the really hard work.  Hans Vanderbum
+sometimes gathered firewood, and frequently, when the weather was
+pleasant, spent hours in fishing.  He was an inveterate smoker and
+sleeper; and, beyond doubt, was perfectly content in his situation.
+Having been taken a prisoner some years before, and adopted into this
+branch of the Shawnee tribe, he was offered the hand of
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock in marriage, and accepted it at once,
+totally forgetful of his first love, which had been the beautiful
+inmate of the Hunter's Cabin.
+
+Hans Vanderbum sat and gazed at his wife with an admiring eye, as she
+busied herself with the preparations of the morning meal.  Hoping to
+mollify her, he commenced flattering her, speaking in a low tone as if
+it were not his wish that she should hear him, but taking good care, at
+the same time, that nothing should escape her ears.
+
+"Shplendid figger, Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock has got.  No wonder
+all te braves of te Shawnee tribe should love her, and dat Hans
+Vanderbum gots her at last.  Jis' look at _dat_ foot! long and flat
+like a board, and she's de same shape all de way down from her head to
+her heels.  Ishn't dat breakfast ready, my dear wife?"
+
+The wife gave a spiteful nod, and Hans Vanderbum shambled up beside
+her, where the food, consisting of meat and a few simple vegetables,
+was spread upon a rude table which had no legs.  Quanonshet and
+Madokawandock were not behind-hand in their movements, and the whole
+four fell to with such voracity, that, in a very short time, their
+hunger was satisfied.
+
+"Now, you two fellers come out doors and learn your lessons," said the
+father, lighting his pipe, and putting on a very stern and dignified
+look.
+
+The boys tumbled over each other in their eagerness to get into the
+open air.  Hans followed them, while Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock
+busied herself about her household duties.  Quanonshet and
+Madokawandock rollicked and frisked awhile before they were "called to
+order."  After repeated commands, they approached their father, and
+standing side by side, awaited his instructions.
+
+Hans Vanderbum had provided himself with a long pole, and stood by a
+sandy portion of ground, upon which he had no difficulty in tracing
+what letters and characters he wished.  With due preparation and
+importance he marked out the first letter of the German alphabet, and
+then, straightening himself up, demanded in a thundering tone "vot dat
+was."  His two sons looked mute and dumbfounded.  They had not the
+remotest idea in the world of its name and significance.  For over
+three months the patient father had instructed them daily in regard to
+this character, and the two together must have repeated it several
+thousand times.  But, it mattered not; neither had any conception now
+of it, and their looks showed such unmistakably to their instructor.
+
+"Dunder and blixen, vot Dutch Indians!" he exclaimed, impatiently.
+Repeating its name, he again demanded "vot dat was."  This time they
+answered readily, and his eyes sparkled with pleasure.
+
+"Shmart boys," said he, approvingly.  "You learns well, now.  One dese
+days--"
+
+Hans Vanderbum's words were cut short by the sudden sharp explosion of
+his pipe, the bowl being shattered in a hundred pieces, while nothing
+but the stem remained in his mouth.
+
+"Where's mine pipe?" he asked, looking around in the vain hope of
+descrying it somewhere upon the ground.  Quanonshet and Madokawandock
+indulged in one short scream of laughter, then instantly straightened
+their faces and looked as meek and innocent as lambs.  Gradually the
+truth began to work its way into the head of Hans.  Looking sternly at
+the two, he asked, in a threatening voice:
+
+"Which of you put dat powder in mine meerschaum, eh? which of you done
+dat, eh?"
+
+Neither answered, except by hanging their heads and looking at their
+bare feet.
+
+"I axes you once more, and dis is de last time."
+
+Each now protested that it was not himself but the other, so that if
+there really were but one culprit, Hans had no means of determining.
+Under the circumstances, he concluded the safest plan was to believe
+both guilty.  Accordingly he made a sudden dash and commenced whacking
+them soundly with the stick he held in his hand.  They yelled, kicked,
+and screamed; and squirming themselves loose, scampered quickly away
+from their irate instructor.
+
+"Dat meerschaum can't be fixed," he soliloquized, taking the bare stem
+out of his mouth and looking sorrowfully at it.  "'Cause dere ishn't
+anything to fix it mit.  It ish wonderful what mischief gets into dem
+boys; dere ain't no time when dey ain't doin' notting what dey hadn't
+not ought to--all de times just de same way, while I toils myself to
+death to educate dem and bring 'em up in de way apout which dey ought
+to go."
+
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock being in the habit of frequently
+indulging in the use of tobacco, her husband was not deprived entirely
+of his solace.  Going into the wigwam, he unbosomed his griefs to her,
+and she kindly loaned him her own pipe.
+
+"I hopes dere ain't no powder in dat," he remarked, glancing uneasily
+into the bowl.
+
+"Nothing but tobac," replied his spouse, in her native tongue, "unless
+you've put the powder in yourself."
+
+"Dunderation, I don't does dat, and blow mine eyes out my head.  Dem
+little Dutchmen is up to all kinds of such tricks, and some dese days
+dey will blow deir poor fader's brains out of his head, and den what
+will become of dem?" feelingly inquired Hans Vanderbum.
+
+"What will become of them?" repeated Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, her
+voice rising higher and higher at each word.  "Who is it that supports
+them now and takes care of them?  Who is it that does that?  Who is
+it--"
+
+"It's you--it's you," replied her husband, seeing the mistake he had
+made.  "I doesn't do nottings--I doesn't do nottings; it's my wife, my
+good Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, dat does it all.  She's a very nice
+squaw, de same shape all de way down."
+
+These concessions and compliments greatly soothed the feelings of the
+incensed spouse.  She scolded her husband no more.
+
+"What you going to do, my dear frau?" he asked, in a voice as cooing
+and winning as a dove's.
+
+"Going to work, to plant the corn, to get food for you and Quanonshet
+and Madokawandock when the snow falls."
+
+"Very kind, clever woman; good frau is mine
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
+
+"What are _you_ going to do?" asked the wife, as the two passed out the
+wigwam.
+
+"Going to shmoke and _meditate_--meditate _hard_," replied Hans
+Vanderbum, impressively.
+
+"Can't you think as well while you're _fishing_?"
+
+"I shpose I can; if my Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock t'inks so, I can."
+
+"Well, she thinks so."
+
+The fact that his wife "thought so" was equivalent to a command with
+Hans.  He manifested no unwillingness or reluctance in obeying.
+Accordingly, he furnished himself with a hook, line and bait, and set
+out for the river.
+
+It was now getting well along in the forenoon, the sun being above the
+tree-tops.  The Shawnee Indians had left their wigwams to engage in
+their daily avocations.  The women were mostly toiling in the field,
+their pappooses hanging from the trees or leaning against their trunks.
+The older children were frolicking through the woods, or fishing or
+hunting.  A few warriors and old men still lounged about the wigwams,
+but the majority either were engaged in the hunt, or were upon the
+war-trail.
+
+Stolid and indifferent as was the nature of Hans, it struck him that
+there was something unusual in the appearance and actions of the
+Indians.  It seemed as though some startling event had occurred from
+which they had not fully recovered.  They were uneasy and restless in
+their movements, constantly passing to and from the river.  Upon
+reaching the banks of the latter, the Dutchman found a considerable
+number already there.  They were not engaged in fishing, but lay close
+to the edge of the water, as if they expected the appearance of
+something upon its surface.  Had he been a little more observant, there
+was something else which would have attracted his attention, on his
+passage through the woods.  Fully a dozen times a peculiar sound, like
+the whistle of a bird, reached his ears, and he supposed it to be
+nothing more, although it did seem odd to him that the bird should
+follow him almost to the river bank.  Besides this, he caught a
+flitting glimpse of an Indian now and then, some distance in the woods,
+that appeared to be watching him; but Hans did not care, even if such
+were the case, and he paid no further heed to him.
+
+Reaching the river, he made his preparations with great care and
+elaboration.  He had several hooks pendent from his line, upon each of
+which he shoved the wriggling worms, spitting upon them during the
+operation, as if to make them more tractable.  To the line also was
+fastened a pebble, to make it sink.  Swinging this several times around
+his head, he let go, when it spun far out in the river, and he
+commenced cautiously following it by means of a projecting tree-trunk.
+This latter extended a dozen feet out over the surface of the water,
+and had been used as a seat a great many times by him.  Passing out to
+the extremity, he was afforded a comfortable resting-place where he
+could sit hour after hour smoking his pipe and engage in fishing.  Had
+he noticed the large branch of the tree upon which he seated himself,
+he would have hesitated before trusting the weight of his body upon it,
+but his nature was too unsuspicious to be attracted by anything trivial
+in its appearance, and he made his way out upon it, as he had done
+scores of times before.
+
+Ensconcing himself in his seat, he gave his whole attention to his line
+and his pipe, not noticing the interested glances which the Shawnees
+along the bank bestowed upon his operations.  After the space of a few
+minutes, he felt something pull at his line, and doing the same, he
+hauled a fine plump fish out of the water, casting it upon the land.
+
+"Dat is purty goot," he mused, "and I will soon got a lot more, and my
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock will feel goot too, when I takes 'em
+home.  She won't--  Dunder and Blixen!"
+
+The limb upon which he was seated suddenly broke short off, and Hans
+dropped into the river out of sight.  But such a ponderous body as his
+could not sink, and upon coming to the surface, he paddled hurriedly to
+the shore.
+
+"Dem little Dutchmen, Quanonshet and Madokawandock, will be de death of
+deir old fader afore long.  Dat is deir work.  I knows it, I knows it,
+and I will pound 'em all up when I gits home."
+
+Looking about his person, he found that one of the hooks, catching in
+his clothes, had brought the line to shore; and, as his involuntary
+bath had not really been unpleasant, he was able to continue his labor.
+But, before going out upon the tree he examined the roots to satisfy
+himself that no further mischief had been perpetrated by his hopeful
+sons.  Feeling assured upon this point, he again passed out on the
+tree, and was soon engaged in fishing as before, totally unmindful of
+the broad grins of the delighted Shawnees who had witnessed his
+discomfiture.
+
+The fish bit readily.  In a short time he had taken enough to insure
+him a welcome reception in his own wigwam.  He was debating with
+himself whether it would not be better to return, especially as his
+pipe had been extinguished by his immersion, when a piece of bark
+floated down toward him and caught against his line.
+
+There certainly was nothing remarkable in this.  After freeing it of
+the obstruction, he continued fishing.  But, scarcely a minute had
+elapsed before a second and a third piece of bark, precisely like the
+first, lodged against his line, and remained there with such
+persistency that it required considerable effort upon his part to
+remove them.
+
+"Where in dunderation did dey come from?" he asked, looking inquiringly
+about him.  His first impression was that the Shawnees along the banks
+were throwing these pieces out into the river for the purpose of
+annoying him; but, on looking toward them, he could discover nothing in
+their appearance to warrant such a supposition.  He turned elsewhere
+for the cause.  Resuming his attention to his line, he found several
+other pieces passing beneath him, and he began now to feel really
+provoked at this repeated annoyance.  He was about to break out into
+some exclamation, when the appearance of these floating objects
+arrested his attention.  A glance showed him there was something meant
+more than mere mischief.  The pieces of bark were of a peculiar
+construction, roughly cut into the shape of an Indian canoe, showing
+unmistakably that they were sent down the stream for the purpose of
+arresting his notice.
+
+"Dat means something," exclaimed Hans, decidedly, "and I must find out
+what it is."
+
+By simply looking up-stream, he could discern this fleet of miniature
+boats coming down toward him in a straight line.  In the clear sunlight
+they were visible for a great distance, and it was no difficult matter
+to determine their starting point.  Some two hundred yards above,
+another tree projected out over the water very much the same as that
+upon which Hans was seated, so similar in fact that he had often used
+it for the same purpose.  As the line of the pieces of bark pointed
+directly toward these, there was but little doubt that here they were
+launched upon the water.
+
+"It can't be dat Quanonshet and Madokawandock is dere," mused Hans
+Vanderbum, "for to try to worry deir poor old fader.  Dey're too big
+Dutchmen to build such boats, and dey wouldn't know how to make 'em
+float under me if dey did.  No; dere's somebody out on dat tree, and
+he's doing it to make me look up at him.  I'm looking but I can't see
+notting."
+
+He shaded his eyes as he spoke, and looked long and searchingly at the
+tree, but for a considerable time could discover nothing unusual about
+it.  At length, however, he fancied that he saw one of the limbs sway
+gently backward and forward in a manner that could hardly be caused by
+the wind.  Gradually it began to dawn upon him that if there was any
+person upon the tree, he meant that his presence should not be
+suspected by the Shawnees along the bank.  Accordingly Hans Vanderbum
+was more circumspect in his observations.
+
+Still watching the tree, he soon discovered something else that he
+thought was meant to attract his eye.  The water directly beneath it
+flashed and sparkled as if it was disturbed by some object.  Straining
+his gaze, he finally discerned what appeared to be a human hand swaying
+backward and forward.
+
+"Dat is enough!" thought Hans Vanderbum.  "Dere's somebody dere dat
+wants to see me, and is afeard of dese oder chaps about, so I goes to
+him."
+
+Working his way cautiously backward, he reached the land and started
+apparently to return to his wigwam.  As he did so, he looked at the
+Shawnees and was gratified to see that their suspicions had not been
+aroused by his movements.  Proceeding some distance, he hid his fish
+and line and made his way up the river, escaping the Shawnees by means
+of a long _detour_.
+
+Reaching the stream and tree, he was somewhat taken aback by not
+finding any one at all.  Considerably perplexed, he looked about him.
+
+"Can't be dat Quanonshet and Madokawandock have been fooling deir poor
+old fader again," said he.  "I'm purty sure I seen some one on the
+tree, when dem pieces of bark come swimming downstream."
+
+A subdued whistle reached his ear.  Looking behind him, he saw a Huron
+Indian standing a few yards away.  The eyes of both lit up as they
+encountered the gaze of each other, for they were both friends and old
+acquaintances.
+
+"Ish dat you, Oonomoo?" inquired Hans Vanderbum.
+
+"Yeh--me--Oonomoo," replied the Indian, pronouncing his name somewhat
+differently from the Dutchman, (and from that by which we have before
+referred to him).
+
+"Was dat you on de tree out dere?"
+
+"Yeh, me--Oonomoo out dere on log."
+
+"And did you make dem pieces of bark to come swimming down by me?"
+
+"Yeh, me made 'em."
+
+"And shtirred de water wid yer hand and moved de limb?"
+
+"Yeh, Oonomoo do all dat."
+
+"I shpose you wanted to see me?"
+
+"Yeh, wanted to see you--want talk wid you," said the Huron, motioning
+for Hans to follow him.  The latter did not hesitate to do so, as he
+had perfect faith in his honesty, knowing much of his history.  The
+savage led the way some distance into the woods, where they were not
+likely to be seen or overheard, and then stopped and confronted his
+companion.
+
+"Where'd you come from, Oonomoo?" asked the latter.
+
+"From fightin' de Shawnees," replied the savage, proudly.
+
+"Yaw, I sees yer am in de war-paint.  Did you get many?"
+
+"The lodge of Oonomoo is full of the scalps of the cowardly Shawnees,
+taken many moons ago," answered the Huron, his eyes flashing fire and
+his breast heaving at the remembrance of his exploits.  This reply was
+made in the Shawnee language, as he spoke it as well as one of their
+warriors; and, as Hans also understood it, the conversation was now
+carried on in that tongue.
+
+"When did you see Annie Stanton last?" inquired the Dutchman, showing
+considerable interest.
+
+"Several moons ago, when the sun was in the woods and the waters were
+asleep."
+
+"Is her husband, that rascally Ferrington, living?"
+
+Oonomoo replied that he was.
+
+"And is their baby, too?"
+
+"Yes, they have two pappooses."
+
+"Dunder and blixen!" exclaimed Hans Vanderbum, and then resuming the
+English language, or rather his version of it, he added:
+
+"Dat gal wanted to marry mit me once."
+
+"Why no marry den?" inquired Oonomoo, also coming back to the more
+difficult language.
+
+"She wan't te right kind of a gal--she wan't like my
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, dat is de same shape all de way down
+from her head to her heels.  So I let dat Ferrington have her."
+
+The Huron, who understood all about that matter, indulged in a broad
+smile at this remark.  Whatever his business was, it was manifest he
+was in no hurry, else he would not have indulged in this by-play of
+words with his friend.
+
+"You doesn't t'ink de baby will dies, does you?"
+
+"No--in de settlement--Shawnee can't git her now--don't live off in de
+woods like as dey did afore."
+
+"Dat's lucky for her; don't t'ink dey will get her there, 'cause dey
+tried it once--dat time, you remember, when we was all in de HUNTER'S
+CABIN in de woods, and you came down de chimney, and I watched and kept
+de Shawnee off."
+
+The Huron signified that he remembered the circumstance well.
+
+"Dem was great times," added Hans Vanderbum, calling up the
+recollection of them.  "I left de village one hot afternoon, and walked
+all de way t'rough de woods to get to de cabin to help dem poor folks.
+We had mighty hard times.  I catched a cold and couldn't shtop my
+dunderin' nose one night when it wanted to shneeze, and dat's de way de
+Shawnee catched me.  Twan't so bad arter all," added Hans Vanderbum,
+musingly, "'cause if it wasn't for dat I wouldn't got my
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
+
+"How soon go back?" asked Oonomoo.
+
+"To de village, do you mean?"
+
+"Yeh."
+
+"Any time afore noon will does, so Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock gits
+de fish for our dinner."
+
+"One, two hours," said the Huron, looking up at the sky, "den sun git
+dere," pointing to the zenith.  "Shawnees know here?"
+
+"Know me here?  Guesses not; don't care if dey does, nor dey doesn't
+care neider."
+
+"Shawnees won't come here?"
+
+"No, no, Oonomoo, you needn't be afraid--"
+
+"Afraid who?" demanded the Huron, with quick fierceness.  "Oonomoo
+never run afore one--two--t'ree--dozen Shawnees.  He only runs when dey
+comes like de leaves in de woods."
+
+"Dey won't come like de leaves.  If dey does, why you can leave too,
+and I t'inks you know how to use dem legs dat you've got tacked onto
+you.  I t'inks you run as fast as me."
+
+"So I t'inks," replied the Indian, with a grin.
+
+"Dere's no mistake but dem Shawnees would like to get your scalp,
+Oonomoo."
+
+"Two--t'ree--hundreds--all Shawnees like to git Oonomoo's scalp--nebber
+git him--Oonomee die in his lodge--scalp on his head," said the Huron,
+proudly.
+
+"I hopes so; hopes I will, too."
+
+The expression of the Indian's face was changed.  It assumed a dark,
+earnest appearance.  He was done trifling, and wished to commence
+business.
+
+"See her dis mornin'?" he asked, in short, quick tones.
+
+"See who?" asked Hans Vanderbum, in turn, completely at a loss to
+understand him.
+
+"De gal."
+
+"De gal?  Who you talking about--Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock?"
+
+"De gal Shawnees got in de village."
+
+The Dutchman's blank expression showed that he did not comprehend what
+the Huron was referring to; so he added, by way of explanation:
+
+"Shawnees kill women and children--deir warriors squaws--don't fight
+men--burn houses toder day--run off wid gal--got her now in de
+village--she gal of Oonomoo's friend--Oonomoo want to get her."
+
+From these rather disconnected expressions, Hans Vanderbum understood
+that a war-party of Shawnees had brought in a prisoner who was a friend
+of the Huron's.  It was for the purpose of learning something regarding
+her that he had signaled the fisherman to leave his hook and line and
+come to him.  The captive having reached the village quite recently, he
+had failed to be apprised of it, so that Oonomoo learned no more than
+he already knew regarding her.
+
+"When did dey took her?" asked Hans Vanderbum.
+
+"When sun dere, yisterday," replied the Indian, pointing off in the
+western horizon.
+
+"Do you want to know 'bout her?"
+
+"Yeh."
+
+"Den I goes find out."
+
+So saying, Hans Vanderbum strode away through the forest in the
+direction of the Shawnee village.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+OTHER CHARACTERS.
+
+
+  "He joys to scour the prairies wide,
+    Upon the bison's trail;
+  To pierce his dark and shaggy hide
+    With darts that never fail.
+
+  "His is the lion's strength in war,
+    In peace, the lion's rest;
+  And the eagle hath not flown so far
+    As his fame throughout the West."
+
+
+Upon leaving the Huron, Hans Vanderbum hurried toward the village, as
+rapidly as the peculiar structure of his body would allow.  As has been
+remarked, he was well acquainted with Oonomoo, knowing him to be a
+faithful ally of his race.  He was anxious, therefore, to show his
+friendship to the savage.  Down, too, somewhere in the huge heart of
+the plethoric Dutchman, was a kindly feeling for the distress of a
+human being, and he felt willing and anxious to befriend any hapless
+captive that had fallen into the hands of the relentless Shawnees.
+
+So absorbed was he in meditating, that he took no heed of
+his footsteps until he was suddenly confronted by his spouse,
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, who, flourishing a sort of hoe over his
+head, demanded, or rather screeched:
+
+"Where's your fish?"
+
+Hans Vanderbum winked very rapidly, and putting his hands up over his
+head, as if to protect it, "I forgots all about dem.  I goes right back
+and gots dem."
+
+He wheeled around as he spoke, receiving a resounding whack from the
+hoe, by way of a reminder, and went lumbering through the woods in
+search of his basket of fish.  He experienced little difficulty in
+finding it, and in a few moments was back again to his affectionate
+partner.
+
+"How did you get wet?" she asked, looking at his flapping garments.
+
+"Dem little Dutchmen done it; dey fixed de limb and made it proke and
+let me down in de water and almost drownded.  Quanonshet and
+Madokawandock will be de death of deir poor dad."
+
+The wife vouchsafed no reply, but jerking the fish from his hand,
+entered the wigwam for the purpose of cooking them, while Hans
+Vanderbum himself went lounging on through the village, it being his
+purpose not to seem too anxious and hurried in his effort to gain his
+news regarding the captive.  He was, despite his stupidity, not devoid
+of sagacity at times.
+
+He had not long to search.  In the very center of the town, his eyes
+fell upon a promiscuous crowd collected around a wigwam, gazing at
+something within.
+
+"Vot you got dere?" he demanded, in a tone of great indignation, as he
+shoved his way through the bystanders.  Those addressed made no reply,
+waiting for him to satisfy his curiosity by seeing the object for
+himself.  In the interior, he descried a young woman, or rather a girl,
+for she could scarcely have been more than fifteen or sixteen years of
+age, seated upon the ground, beside a squaw, with whom it was apparent
+she had been endeavoring to hold a conversation; but, finding it
+impossible in the ignorance of each other's language, they had ceased
+their efforts by common consent and were now sitting motionless.
+
+[Illustration: A girl, fifteen or sixteen years of age, seated upon the
+ground, beside a squaw.]
+
+As Hans Vanderbum gazed curiously at her, his big heart filled with
+pity.  She was attired in the plain, homespun dress common among the
+settlers at that period, her head totally uncovered, and her long, dark
+hair falling in luxuriant masses around her shoulders.  Her hands were
+clasped and her head bowed with a meek, resigned air that reached more
+than one Shawnee heart.  Her complexion was rather light, her features
+not dazzlingly beautiful, but prepossessing, the expression which
+instantly struck the beholder being that of refinement; speaking a
+nature elevated and holy, as much above that of the beings who
+surrounded her, as would have been that of an angel had he alighted
+amid a group of mortals.
+
+The great exertion made by Hans Vanderbum in reaching the wigwam,
+caused him to breathe so heavily as to attract the attention of the
+captive.  Catching sight of a white man, she arose quickly, and
+approaching him, said, eagerly:
+
+"Oh!  I'm so glad to meet one of my own color and race, for I am sure
+you must be a friend."
+
+"Yaw, I's your friend," replied Hans Vanderbum, hardly knowing what he
+said; "and I's sorry as nobody to see you here.  How did you got here?"
+
+"They brought me, the Shawnee warriors did.  They attacked the house in
+the night, when I was alone with the servants.  They murdered them all
+except me.  They have brought myself here to perish in captivity."
+
+"Yaw, de Shawnees ish great on _dat_ business.  'Cause I shneezed dey
+cotched me once and brought me here to perish in captivity mit
+yourself," said Hans Vanderbum, in a feeling voice.
+
+"Are you a prisoner, also?" asked the captive, in considerable surprise.
+
+"Yaw, but I _likes_ it!  I's got a wife, Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock,
+dat is de same shape all de way down, and a little Dutchman,
+Madokawandock; so dey hasn't to watch, like I shpose dey will have to
+you."
+
+"Can any of these around me understand English?" asked the girl, in a
+low tone.
+
+"No; de women don't know notting about it, except my wife, and she
+ain't here; and de men know notink.  You needn't be afraid to say
+anything you pleases to me."
+
+"You could not betray me," added the girl, turning her dark, soulful
+eyes anxiously full upon him.
+
+"No, no," he replied, energetically.  "Voot's your name?"
+
+"Mary Prescott."
+
+"How fur does you live from here--dat is, how fur did you live?"
+
+"It must be over thirty miles, in an eastern direction, I think."
+
+"Does you know Oonomoo?"
+
+Hans Vanderbum asked the question in a lower tone, for the name was
+well known to all present.
+
+"A Huron Indian?  Oh, yes; I know him well," replied the captive; her
+countenance lighting up.  "He was well remembered in our neighborhood,
+and was a true friend to us all.  Do you know him too?  Though I
+suppose of course you do, from your asking me the question."
+
+"Yaw, I knows him, and he knows me too, and we both knows each oder, so
+dat we are acquainted.  Well, dat shentleman is hid off in de woods
+near here, and he has sent me in to l'arn what I cans about you."
+
+The prisoner kept back the joyful exclamation that came to her lips,
+and said:
+
+"Tell him that I am unharmed and hopeful, and trust that while he
+interests himself in me, he will not run into danger."
+
+"Not run into danger!" repeated Hans Vanderbum; "dat is what Oonomoo
+lives on.  He'd die in a week if he wan't into danger, out of grief.
+He don't do notting else; it's what he was made for," he added, growing
+enthusiastic in speaking of the Huron.
+
+"I know he is a brave and true-hearted Indian, and is greatly esteemed
+by the Moravian missionaries.  He hesitates at no risk when his friends
+are in danger."
+
+"Ef he does run risk dey don't catch him, 'cause he knows how to run
+and fight, and ish shmarter dan de Shawnees.  Where ish your parents?"
+
+"My mother and sister happened to be absent on a visit to Falsington,
+which is fifteen or twenty miles distant from our place, while father,
+who is a Captain, is doing service somewhere on the frontier, in the
+American army.  How thankful indeed I am that dear mother and Helen
+were away, for they have escaped this terrible captivity."
+
+"You washn't left all alone?"
+
+"Oh, no; there were several servants, and I saw them tomahawked, and
+heard their piercing cries."
+
+The captive covered her face, and her frame shook like an aspen at the
+remembrance of the dreadful scenes through which she had so recently
+passed.  It was several minutes before she recovered her self-command.
+When she did, Hans Vanderbum proceeded with his questions.
+
+"Dey burnt de place, I shpose?"
+
+"Yes, yes; they destroyed everything."
+
+"I shpose your folks will feel bad when dey finds dese Shawnees have
+got you, won't dey?"
+
+"Oh, yes, yes; do not speak of it."
+
+At this point Hans Vanderbum began to get a sort of dim, vague idea
+that his style of conversation was not exactly calculated to soothe the
+feelings of the unfortunate prisoner; so he determined, if possible, to
+make amends for it.  Patting her on the head, he said, gently:
+
+"Don't feel bad, my darling; I ish shorry for you, but I wants to ax
+you anoder question."
+
+"What is it?" queried the maid, with a wondering look.
+
+"Will you answer it?" asked Hans Vanderbum, endeavoring to put on an
+arch, quizzical expression.
+
+"If it is in my power I instantly will.  Pray, do not hesitate to ask
+me anything you choose."
+
+"Well, den, gits ready for it.  I would shust like to know if dere
+ishn't some feller dat is in love mit you, and you is in love mit, and
+dat both ish in love mit each oder, eh?"
+
+The crimson that suffused the cheeks and mounted to the very forehead
+of the captive, answered the question of Hans Vanderbum more plainly
+than words.  Still, he insisted upon a verbal reply.
+
+"There is no need of concealing the truth from you," she answered.  "I
+have a dear young friend--"
+
+"Who ish he?"
+
+"Lieutenant Canfield, who is in service with my father," she replied.
+
+"Oh, den he don't know notting about it?"
+
+"I am not sure of that.  Oonomoo has acted as a runner or bearer of
+messages between many of the men in the American army and their
+families, upon the frontier, and the last time I saw him he brought me
+word that Lieutenant Canfield intended shortly to visit me on furlough.
+He may have arrived immediately after the Indians burnt our place."
+
+"A good t'ing; a good t'ing if he only has."
+
+"Why would it be a good thing?"
+
+"Does he know Oonomoo?"
+
+"Certainly; he has known him for several years."
+
+"Well, den, dey will come together, and dey'll fix up fings so dat dey
+will got you out of dis place afore long."
+
+"I hope so; I hope so.  Death would not be more terrible than the
+suffering I undergo here, especially at night.  Oh! will you not stay
+by me?" asked the prisoner, the tears starting to her eyes.
+
+Hans Vanderbum gouged his fists into his own visual organs, and
+muttered something about "de dunderin' shmoke," before he could reply.
+
+"Yesh, yesh, I 'tends to you.  You needn't be 'fraid.  Dey won't hurt
+you, I doesn't t'ink.  Dey jist keeps you.  May be dey burns you, but
+dat ain't sartain.  I must go to Oonomoo now, for I've been away from
+him a good long while."
+
+"Tell him I am hopeful."
+
+"Ain't dere notting else to tell him?" asked Hans Vanderbum, still
+lingering.
+
+"I know of nothing else.  He certainly needs no advice from me."
+
+"Notting to send to Lieutenant Canfield, eh?" again queried Hans.
+
+"Tell Oonomoo," said the girl, looking down to the earth, "that if he
+meets Lieutenant Canfield to say the same thing to him for me, that I
+am waiting and hopeful, and have a good friend constantly by me, which
+lightens, in a great measure, the gloom of my captivity."
+
+"Who ish dat friend?"
+
+"You."
+
+"Yaw, I tells him.  Good-by; be a good gal till I comes back.  I bees
+back burty soon."
+
+So saying, Hans passed out of the wigwam on his way to return to
+Oonomoo.  His prolonged conversation with Miss Prescott had attracted
+the attention of the Indians who were lingering outside, and several
+asked him its purport.  To these he invariably replied, "she didn't
+know wheder it was going for to rain or not, but she fought it would do
+one or toder."
+
+From his long residence among the Shawnees and his family connection
+with them, Hans Vanderbum was not suspected of disaffection.  Indeed,
+it could not properly be said that he felt thus toward them.  He would
+not willingly do anything to injure them any more than he would have
+fought against his own race.  Had he been dwelling among the whites, he
+would have befriended any hapless prisoner that might be in their power
+as he intended to befriend the poor girl with whom he had just been
+conversing.
+
+It was about noon when he reached his own wigwam.  He looked in, and
+seeing that the fish had been cooked and was ready, told his wife that
+he didn't feel very hungry and he guessed he would take a short walk
+for his health.  She, however, ordered him at once to take his place
+inside and eat his dinner.  The henpecked husband dared not refuse, and
+he was accordingly compelled to take part in the meal, while constantly
+occupied in thinking that the Huron was waiting for him; but, as
+patience is one of the cardinal virtues of the North American Indian,
+Hans was sure of finding him at the rendezvous upon his return.
+
+Some twenty minutes later, Hans Vanderbum was at the tree, where he had
+first caught sight of Oonomoo.  It was not long before the latter came
+from his concealment, and, after exchanging words upon unimportant
+subjects, for the purpose of concealing his curiosity, he inquired in
+regard to Miss Prescott.
+
+"She tells me to tell you dat she's dere, and is hopeful, and ain't
+hurt, and hopes you won't hurt yourself to git her away."
+
+"Oonomoo won't hurt his self--Shawnee won't hurt Oonomoo--he git gal
+away too."
+
+"Oh, I like for to forgot.  She tells me 'bout Lieutenant Canfield de
+same as she tells you.  Will you see him?"
+
+"See him dis mornin'--waitin' in woods fur me--see him 'gin--tell what
+gal said."
+
+"I'm glad for to hear it, Oonomoo.  I shpose you'll be back this way
+ag'in one dese days."
+
+"Be back soon--have somebody with me--tell gal so--look out fur
+whistle--keep ears open--hear _dis_ time."
+
+"Yaw, I will.  I heerd you dis oder time, too; but didn't t'ink 'twas
+you.  I'll know de next time.  You going now?"
+
+The Huron signified that he was, and took his departure as quietly as
+he had come.  Hans watched as the dusky figure flitted in and out among
+the trees and finally disappeared in the distance.  Then, muttering to
+himself, he returned to the village.
+
+The day was unusually warm for the season; there was little activity in
+the Indian town.  Hans noticed that many of the Shawnees were still
+lingering along the Miami, although what object other than that of mere
+languor could induce them to remain, he could not possibly conceive.
+Reaching his own wigwam, he was confounded with joy to learn that the
+captive, Miss Prescott, was to be domiciled in it.  He could scarce
+believe it until Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock told him that she was to
+be strictly guarded, used as her slave and never to be out of her sight
+for one minute.  In case of her escape, Hans Vanderbum was to be held
+responsible for it, his life paying the forfeit.
+
+"Dat is quare," he muttered.  "I guess Oonomoo can fix it, if dey
+_does_ do it."
+
+It perhaps is well to remark here, by way of explanation, that the time
+in which the incidents occurred, which we intend to relate, was a few
+years subsequent to the great victory of Anthony Wayne over the
+combined forces of the various Indian tribes in the West.  As a
+consequence of this splendid achievement and the no less splendid
+victory gained in the renowned treaty of Greenville, a long and almost
+undisturbed peace along the frontier was inaugurated, where, for years
+before, all had been strife of the most revolting kind.  But, profound
+peace and security never existed on the border until the final removal
+of the Indians beyond the Mississippi.  Isolated families, small bodies
+of men, and the lonely traveler through the forest, never were secure
+from the stealthy attacks of the red-men.  Deep in the gloom of the
+solemn wilderness, many a deadly conflict occurred between the hunter
+and the Indian.  Often the victim sunk noiselessly to the turf, and his
+bones bleached for years in these wilds, while none but his slayer knew
+of his fate.
+
+Captain Prescott, placing great faith in the treaty of Greenville, had
+erected a fine mansion upon a tract of land received from Government.
+His residence was upon the extreme frontier.  He had misgivings when he
+removed his wife and two daughters to that wilderness home.  He
+provided a number of trusty servants for their protection in his
+absence with the army.  Circumstances transpired which prevented his
+fulfilling his promise to return home to remain, and he continued
+absent nearly three years, occasionally making a short visit, and
+returning to his duties again before he had fairly greeted his family.
+
+On one of these visits, Captain Prescott took, as his companion, a
+young Lieutenant named Canfield.  It so happened that this visit lasted
+several days, and a period of greater happiness to the young Lieutenant
+probably never occurred.  Mary Prescott, at that time, could not
+properly be called a woman, except in the grace and dignity of her
+character.  She inherited the rich fancy, the nervous sensibility, and
+stern will of her father, and what may seem like a contradiction, the
+gentleness and modesty of her mother.  She was the youngest child, and,
+naturally enough, the pet of the others; but, the parents were too
+sensible to spoil her by flattery or foolish indulgence.  She was of
+that age when the female mind is most susceptible to the great passion
+of our nature in its most romantic phase, when Lieutenant Canfield
+visited their house.  His frank bearing, his gentlemanly deportment,
+and, above all, the favorable reports which her father gave of his
+gallant conduct, conspired to enlist young Mary in his favor.
+
+[Illustration: Mary Prescott.]
+
+They were scarcely thrown into each other's society before the natural,
+though sometimes tardy, results of the virtues we have mentioned were
+seen.  The tell-tale blush--the voice unconsciously lowered to the most
+thrilling softness--the timid glance--the deep-drawn sigh--the absent,
+vacant appearance when separated for a short time from each other--the
+supreme happiness when together--all were signs which escaped not the
+eyes of the sister and mother, although the matter-of-fact father
+failed to notice such trifles.  His days of courtship had become a
+fable, if they were not forgotten.
+
+If there were any displeasure at this state of affairs upon the part of
+her mother, it was only because she believed her daughter too young to
+entertain thoughts of marriage.  Like a wise and prudent parent,
+however, she did not seek to accomplish an impossibility--that of
+preventing what no parent yet succeeded in preventing.  Having great
+confidence in the young Lieutenant, from the representations of her
+husband, she merely resolved to be discreet with him.  Accordingly,
+when, on the day of his departure, he found courage to mention his love
+of Mary to her parents, the mother took it upon her to reply that she
+entertained no objection to his suit, but, from the youth of her
+daughter, he must not expect their consent to a union for several
+years.  At the same time she gracefully hinted that the suddenness of
+his passion might well excite suspicion that it was hardly genuine.
+Delighted beyond measure at this answer, Lieutenant Canfield added that
+he would not claim her hand until both father and mother were fully
+satisfied, and until he had proven to them that he was worthy of their
+daughter.  Thus matters stood when Captain Prescott and the Lieutenant
+took their departure.
+
+Matters were somehow or other so arranged that the Lieutenant found
+opportunity to visit the family of Captain Prescott oftener than the
+Captain himself.  On these occasions, the mother was pleased to observe
+that while the attachment between him and her daughter became more and
+more marked, the Lieutenant always manifested the most scrupulous
+respect for the wishes of her parents, and never breathed a word to her
+that he believed could occasion the slightest objection upon their part.
+
+Besides these visits, the lovers found ready means for exchanging their
+expressions of affection through the faithful Huron, Oonomoo, who made
+stated journeys from Captain Prescott's mansion to his post.  On these
+occasions, he went loaded with missives from one party to another,
+carrying back as many as he brought.  He was a great favorite with the
+whites, who appreciated his chivalrous faithfulness and fidelity, and
+loaded him with many expressions of their esteem.  He had the
+reputation of being the fleetest runner, the most successful scout and
+best hunter in the West.  Volumes would be required to record all the
+exploits told of him--of the marvelous number of scalps which hung in
+his lodge, and of the many hair-breadth escapes he had had.  It was
+said he had a wife and child hid somewhere in the recesses of the
+forest, to whom he made stated visits, and whom his deadly enemies, the
+Shawnees, had sought in vain for years.  He was now about thirty-five
+years of age, and had been known as a scout and friend of the whites
+for full a dozen years.
+
+Somewhat less than two years after the first meeting of Lieutenant
+Canfield with the daughter of Captain Prescott, the wife and eldest
+daughter of the latter made a journey of pleasure to a neighboring
+settlement.  Mary would have accompanied them, had she not received an
+intimation from Oonomoo that her lover proposed to make her a visit
+about that time.  She accordingly remained at home with the servants.
+
+Two nights afterwards, when the darkness was almost impenetrable, a
+large war-party of Shawnees suddenly attacked the place.  The negroes
+had no time for defense, and only sought their own safety in flight.
+But one, however, escaped, the rest falling beneath the merciless
+tomahawk.  Mary Prescott was carried off a prisoner.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+OONOMOO AND THE SHAWNEES.
+
+
+  Through forty foes his path he made,
+  And safely reached the forest-glade.--SCOTT.
+
+
+After parting from Hans Vanderbum, the Huron sped noiselessly through
+the woods, taking a direction that would lead him to a point on the
+river fully three hundred yards below where he had signaled the German.
+The stream making a bend there, he would thus escape the observation of
+the Shawnees along the bank, at the point where the fisherman had been
+engaged in his labors.
+
+So silent, yet rapid, was the motion of Oonomoo, that his figure
+flitted through the rifts in the wood like a shadow.  His head
+projected slightly forward, in the attitude of acute attention, and his
+black, restless eyes constantly flitted from one point to the other,
+scarcely resting for a second upon any single object.  In his left hand
+he trailed his long rifle, while his right rested upon the buckhorn
+handle of the knife in his belt.
+
+He had progressed a considerable distance thus, when the Huron's gait
+decreased very rapidly.  He was now in the vicinity of the river, where
+he had left his canoe drawn up on the bank.  It was necessary to
+reconnoiter thoroughly before venturing to approach it.  Accordingly,
+he halted.  The movement of the panther in approaching his foe was not
+more stealthy and cautious than was his.
+
+At length, reaching the shelter of a tree, and cautiously peering
+around, the Huron caught sight of the stern of his canoe.  One glance
+and his dark eyes flashed fire!  The Shawnees had been there!
+
+What sign caught the notice of Oonomoo?  What kindled the fire in his
+dark eye?  What caused one hand to close over his knife, and the other
+to grasp his rifle?  It was a sign of his enemy.  Too well the
+sagacious Huron knew that the Shawnee was lying in wait for him.
+
+The canoe, which Oonomoo left behind him, during his interview with
+Hans Vanderbum, lay precisely as it was first deposited.  Not a
+surrounding limb, shrub or leaf had, so far as he could see, been
+disturbed since he left the spot.  And yet the evidence which presented
+itself to the eyes of the Indian was as palpable and unmistakable as
+would have been the appearance of enemies themselves.
+
+Oonomoo had carefully drawn his bark canoe up the river-bank and
+concealed it as well as the circumstances would admit.  He had then
+deposited his long Indian paddle in it, leaving the blade projecting
+over the stern.  The paddle _was now several inches further to one side
+than it had been left by him_!
+
+This was the entire evidence.  It was abundantly sufficient to satisfy
+the Huron.  He did not doubt for an instant.  His only uncertainty was
+in regard to the precise location of his foes.  A few minutes'
+observation satisfied him that they were not between the canoe and the
+river.  His course of action was accordingly determined.  It would have
+been the easiest matter in the world for him to have escaped by
+swimming the river; but as an opportunity for a contest of skill with
+his enemies was offered, he was too proud not to embrace it at once.
+Retreating several rods, he continued his way upstream in his usual
+cautious manner, until he had gone perhaps a furlong above his canoe,
+when he approached and entered the stream.
+
+The Miami, at this point, was so heavily wooded, that it was impossible
+to pass close under its shore without entering the water.  Once within
+this and in a stooping position, a person would be invisible to any one
+on the same bank, although he could be plainly seen from the opposite
+shore.  Oonomoo now commenced his descent of the river with the
+intention of recovering his canoe.  This was necessarily a tedious and
+prolonged operation, as a single misstep, a slip or splash of the water
+might betray him to his enemies.  But, he was equal to the task, and
+never hesitated for a moment except to listen for some sign of his
+enemies.
+
+The Shawnees, by the merest accident, had discovered the Huron's canoe
+and examined it.  Satisfied that it belonged to none of their tribe,
+and most probably had been left there by some hostile scout, they
+carefully allowed it to remain as they had found it, and endeavored to
+restore everything around to its natural position, so as not to arouse
+the suspicion of the owner upon his return.  This done, they withdrew
+and awaited with loaded rifles for his reappearance.  We have shown how
+a most trifling error in regard to the paddle placed the Huron on his
+guard.
+
+It was perhaps a half-hour after Oonomoo had commenced his descent of
+the river, that the canoe, without any perceptible jar, slid an inch or
+two down the bank.  So quietly and cautiously was this effected, that,
+had the Shawnees been looking directly at it, their suspicion would not
+have been aroused.
+
+Some ten or fifteen minutes later, the boat moved about the same
+distance further.  The expectant Shawnees, clutching their rifles, were
+listening anxiously for some sound that might indicate the approach of
+their foe, and paid little heed to the canoe itself.  Ever and anon, it
+retreated an inch or two down the bank in the same mysterious
+manner--going short distances and so very slowly that no one but a
+thoroughly suspicious Indian would have believed there was any human
+agency connected with it.
+
+The canoe was fully an hour and a half in moving a single foot, during
+which time the Huron managed, by the most consummate skill, to sustain
+it in such a manner that the shrubbery and undergrowth around appeared
+to occupy relatively the same position that they did before it had been
+disturbed.  The river shore was only some twenty or thirty feet
+distant, and from where Oonomoo lay, the way was almost entirely clear
+to it, so that when he chose to make any sudden dash or movement, no
+hindering cause could possibly offer itself.
+
+One of the Shawnees chanced to glance at the canoe.  At the same
+instant, his keen eye detected its changed position, imperceptible
+almost as it was.  With a guttural exclamation he arose and moved
+toward it, followed by his two companions.  They had taken scarcely a
+step, when they saw the boat slide swiftly forward several feet, and
+then suddenly rising to the perpendicular position, whisk off through
+the bush at a still more rapid rate.  Two twinkling moccasins, that
+looked as if they were its support, as they doubled over each other,
+fully explained to the Shawnees the cause of this singular scene.
+
+With a loud yell, the three dashed forward, while the Huron ran at the
+top of his speed over the slight distance that lay between him and the
+river.  Reaching the shore, he changed the canoe from his rear to his
+front, and holding it like a shield above and before him.  With one
+foot in the edge of the water, he concentrated all his strength for the
+effort and leaped far out in the stream--the canoe falling with a loud
+splash perfectly flat upon the surface.  The impetus thus given caused
+it to shoot like an arrow for a long distance, when the Huron,
+inclining his body to the left, careened it so much, that his own
+person was concealed from any who might be upon the shore, while, by
+reaching his hand over into the current, he was enabled to use it as a
+paddle, and continue his onward motion.
+
+Oonomoo was fully aware that the delicate structure of the canoe was no
+obstruction at all against a rifle-shot.  Accordingly, while descending
+the river, he had taken precaution to insure his safety, in case of
+such an occurrence as had now transpired.  A large, rotten limb, hardly
+the length of his own body, was carried with him.  At the moment of
+lifting the canoe from the ground, the limb was placed within it, and
+thus was carried back to the edge of the river.  Lying flat upon his
+face, this limb was about the thickness of the Huron's waist, and by
+skillfully balancing the boat, it was interposed directly between him
+and his foes.  The only parts of his person which possibly could be
+struck were his feet and the arm stretched over the side of the canoe.
+The former necessarily being in the stern, it was hardly probable that
+they would be wounded.  There was such risk of the arm that Oonomoo
+drew it within the boat for a few moments.  He had scarcely done so,
+when the reports of two rifles, and the peculiar zip of the bullets as
+they cut through the side of the canoe and buried themselves in the
+rotten wood, proved how wise was the precaution he had taken.
+
+Quick as thought, the hand of the Huron was in the water again, where,
+as he vigorously used it, it flashed like some fish at play.  The
+Shawnees, who plainly discerned the two holes their bullets had made,
+could scarcely believe their daring foe had escaped injury.  But they
+were forced to believe he was still living from the fact that the canoe
+steadily progressed across and was not carried down-stream by the
+current.  The whoop of the Shawnees had been heard by their comrades
+further down the bank.  As the canoe reached the middle of the river,
+they caught a sight of it, and readily conjectured the true state of
+the case.  In a twinkling, two of their own were launched in pursuit.
+Discovering this, Oonomoo arose to the upright position, and dipping
+his paddle deep in the water, sent his boat forward with astonishing
+swiftness.  As it lightly touched the bank, he leaped ashore and pulled
+it up after him.  Then uttering a defiant yell, he turned, and to show
+the scorn in which he held the Shawnees, walked slowly and deliberately
+into the forest.  Once fairly beyond their sight, however, his pace
+quickened, and when the sun sunk low in the western horizon, he was
+many a mile from the Miami.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+THE YOUNG LIEUTENANT AND CATO.
+
+
+  Suddenly rose from the South a light, as in autumn the blood-red
+  Moon climbs the crystal walls of heaven, and o'er the horizon,
+  Titan-like, stretches its hundred hands upon mountain and meadow,
+  Seizing the rocks and the rivers and piling huge shadows together.
+          --LONGFELLOW.
+
+
+From a long distance the conflagration had been visible, its light
+throwing a red glare far up in the sky, and revealing the huge clouds
+that swept forward like crimson avalanches, while the surrounding trees
+glowed as if their branches were burning hot.  Those nearest had their
+bark blistered and their leaves curled and scorched from the intense
+heat.  A conflagration at night, when viewed from a distance, always
+seems awful in its sublimity.  There is something calculated to inspire
+terror in the illuminated dome of the heavens and the onward sweep of
+this fearful element, when viewed in a civilized country; but it is
+only in the wilderness, away from the abode of man, that such an
+exhibition partakes of all the elements of grandeur and terror.
+
+The solitary hunter, as he stood upon the banks of some lonely stream,
+leaned on his rifle and gazed with a beating heart at the brilliant
+redness that lit up so much of the sky.  The beasts in their lair
+turned their glowing eyeballs toward the dreadful illumination, and
+stood transfixed with fear until its light died away; while the dark
+face of the vengeful Shawnee grew darker and more terrible as he gazed
+upon this work of his own hands.  A silence, deep and profound, rested
+like a pall upon the wilderness and remained there until darkness again
+held undisputed reign.
+
+Lieutenant Canfield had seen the glowing light from a great distance,
+when its appearance was much like that of the moon as it comes up in
+the horizon.  Little did he suspect its true nature.  It was not until
+the next morning that he encountered Oonomoo, the Huron, who related
+the particulars of the attack of the Shawnee party upon the house of
+Captain Prescott and the capture of his daughter.  Had not the
+impulsive Lieutenant thus learned of his beloved's safety from
+massacre, had he not received the assurance of an immediate attempt for
+her recapture, there is no telling to what imprudent lengths he might
+have gone in his blind devotion to the young captive.  Oonomoo remained
+with him but a short time, when he departed on his mission to the
+Shawnee village, and the lover continued on toward the estate of
+Captain Prescott.
+
+It was nearly noon when Lieutenant Canfield reached the place--now
+nothing but a mass of charred and blackened ruins.  Leaving his horse
+in the woods, he dismounted and examined the remains of the mansion and
+smaller buildings.  The ghastly corpses of the negroes still lay upon
+the ground, having been undisturbed, and with a feeling of
+heart-sickness the young soldier passed them by.  In his profession, he
+had witnessed many revolting sights, but none that affected him more
+than this.  He shuddered, as he reflected that the very barbarians who
+had wantonly inflicted his woe were the captors of the adored daughter
+of Captain Prescott, and that they had inflicted as shocking outrages
+even upon such defenseless captives as she.
+
+Walking thus moodily forward, he was suddenly brought to a standstill
+by coming in front of an awkward, odd-looking structure, which excited
+his wonder in no small degree.  The charred remains of the logs of one
+of the buildings had been collected together and piled one above the
+other, so that they bore some resemblance to a rudely-fashioned oven.
+From the circumstances of the case, these must have been arranged in
+this manner subsequently to the visit of the Shawnees, and it was this
+fact which awakened the curiosity of the Lieutenant.  His first
+supposition was that it was the doings of the Huron.  But what reason
+could he have had for rearing such a structure?  What possible purpose
+could it serve him?
+
+All at once it flashed upon the Lieutenant that it was the work of the
+Shawnees themselves, and he began to view the contrivance with some
+apprehension.  This feeling was considerably strengthened when he
+either heard or fancied he heard the movement of some one within it.
+Prudence dictated that he should place a little more distance between
+it and himself.  Accordingly he began to retreat, walking backward and
+keeping his gaze fixed upon it, ready for any demonstration from his
+concealed enemies.
+
+Suddenly something within the hollow of the structure fell with a dull
+thump that nearly lifted the Lieutenant from his feet.  At the same
+moment he heard a suppressed growl, as if made by a caged bear.  He now
+began to feel more wonder than fear.
+
+"What in the name of creation is the meaning of that concern, and what
+sort of animal is caged in it?" he muttered, staying his retreat.
+
+The Lieutenant debated whether or not to approach and examine the
+interior of the odd-looking hut.  It seemed hardly possible that any
+human being could be within, although it was certain there was some
+living object there.
+
+"At any rate I'll stir him up," he concluded, resolutely approaching.
+The growls were now redoubled, and he really believed some four-footed
+animal was the cause of all the uproar.
+
+"It may be the Shawnees have attempted a little pleasantry after their
+bloody work, and caged up some poor creature within those logs,"
+thought he.  "I'll let him loose if such be the case."
+
+He placed his hand upon the stump of a log nearest to him, when a
+thunderbolt appeared to have exploded before him.  He started back as
+though he had received an electric shock.  A perfect battery of howls
+was leveled against him, and for a moment his ears were stunned with
+the deafening uproar.  He determined, however, to solve the mystery.
+Giving the structure a push that brought it tumbling to the ground, he
+sprung back and held his rifle prepared for any foe, were he a
+four-footed or a two-footed one.  Instead of either, what was his
+amazement to see a negro, as black as midnight, emerge from the ruins,
+and cringe at his feet.
+
+"Oh, Mr. Injine, please don't shoot! please don't kill me!  Nice, good
+Mr. Injine, don't hurt me!  Please don't tomahawk poor Cato!  He never
+hurt an Injine in all his life.  Please don't!  Oh, don't!  don't!
+don't! boo-hoo! oo!-oo-oo!"
+
+"Get up, get up, Cato, and don't make a fool of yourself," said the
+Lieutenant, recognizing in the frightened negro the favorite servant of
+Captain Prescott's family.
+
+"Oh, please don't hurt me!  Please don't kill poor Cato!  He never hurt
+good Injine in all his life!  Please, good, nice Mr. Injine, let me go,
+and I'll do anyt'ing you wants me to, and lubs you as long as I lib.
+Please, don't hurt poor nigger Cato," repeated the servant, fairly
+beside himself with terror.
+
+"If you don't want to be killed, get up," said the young officer,
+sternly enough to bring Cato to his senses; but only after he had been
+assisted by what he supposed to be a ferocious Indian, ready to brain
+him, was he enabled to rise and to keep his feet.
+
+[Illustration: "If you don't want to be killed, get up," said the young
+officer.]
+
+"Don't you know me, Cato?" asked the Lieutenant, laughing heartily at
+the woe-begone appearance of the negro.
+
+"Hebens, golly! ain't you an Injine, Massa Canfield?" he asked, his
+knees still shaking with terror.
+
+"Do I look like one?"
+
+"Guess you isn't, arter all," added the negro, with more assurance.
+"Hebens, golly!  _I ain't afeard_!" he suddenly exclaimed,
+straightening up proudly.  "Didn't t'ink Cato was afeard, Massa
+Canfield?"
+
+"I must say that the circumstantial evidence of your cowardice is hard
+to resist."
+
+The negro's eyes enlarged as he heard the large words of the soldier,
+and his looks showed that he had no idea of their meaning.
+
+"Doesn't t'ink I's _afeard_?"
+
+"Why did you build such a looking concern as that?"
+
+"Why I build dat?  To keep de rain off of me."
+
+"It hasn't rained at all for several days."
+
+"Know dat, but, den, expect maybe 'twill.  Bes' to be ready for it when
+_does_ come."
+
+"But, as there were no evidences of a storm coming very soon, why
+should you get in there just now?"
+
+"Storms out in dese parts bust berry suddent sometimes.  Oughter know
+dat, Massa Canfield."
+
+"Yes, I do; but, why in the name of common sense did you set up such a
+growling when I came near your old cabin?"
+
+"Did I growl at you?"
+
+"Yes: made as much noise as a grizzly bear could have done."
+
+"Done it jist for fun, Massa.  Hebens, golly! wanted to see if you was
+afeard, too."
+
+"But," said the soldier, assuming a more serious air, "let the jesting
+cease.  When did you put those logs together, Cato?"
+
+"Dis morning, arter _dey_ went away," he replied, with a shudder,
+casting a look of terror around him.
+
+"And when did they--the Shawnees--go away?"
+
+"Didn't stay long, Massa; come in de night, berry late--bust on de
+house all at once."
+
+Lieutenant Canfield felt a painful interest in all that related to Mary
+Prescott.  Although the Huron had given him the principal incidents of
+the attack and massacre, he could not restrain himself from questioning
+the negro still further.
+
+"Had you no warning of their approach?"
+
+"Nothing; didn't know dey war about till dey war among us."
+
+"What was the first thing you heard, Cato?  Give me the particulars so
+far as you can remember."
+
+"Hebens, golly!  I'll neber forgit _dat_ night if I lib a fousand
+years.  Wal, you see I and Big Mose had just gwane to bed and blowed de
+candle out----"
+
+"Had Miss Mary retired?"
+
+"Yes--she'd been gone a good while.  You see, me and Big Mose am
+generally de last niggers dat am up, specially myself.  I goes around
+for to see if de t'ings am all right about de house.  Wal, me and Mose
+had been around to see if eberyt'ing was right, and was coming back
+from de barn and got purty near de house, when Mose whispers, 'Cato, I
+see'd a man crawling on de ground back dar.  I didn't say nuffin' for
+fear ob scaring ob _you_.'  'Oh!  git out,' says I, 'you's _skeart_.'
+But I felt a little oneasy myself, 'cause I kind ob fought I heern
+somefin' when we was a little furder off.  I commenced for to walk
+fast, and Big Mose commenced for to walk fast, and afore we knowed it,
+we bofe was a canterin', and when we come aginst de door, we'd like to
+'ve busted it in, we was tearing along so fast.  We tumbled in ober
+each oder, and fastened dat door in a hurry you'd better beliebe."
+
+"Wal, we went to our room, and blowed out de candle and said our
+prayers and went to bed.  We hadn't been laying dar long, when Big Mose
+turned ober toward me, and whispers, 'I tell you, Cato, dar am Inj'ines
+about de house.  'Cause why I see'd one, and I had a dream last night
+dat a whole lot ob dem comes here in de night and killed all of us
+niggers and burnt Missis Mary!'  Hebens, golly! Massa Canfield, I begun
+to turn white about de gills when I heerd him say _dat_.  I'd been
+shibering and shaking, and now I shook like de ager.  I told Big Mose
+to be still and go to sleep, 'cause it seemed to me if I went to sleep
+when t'ings looked bad, dey would be all right agin in de mornin'.
+But, he wouldn't be still and says, 'I tell you, Cato, dar _am_ Injines
+crawlin' around ob dis house dis very minute, 'cause I can hear dar
+knees and hands on de ground.'  I couldn't make Big Mose keep quiet.
+Bimeby, he says, 'Cato, let's git up and be ready for 'em, for dey're
+comin'.  I _knows_ it, I ken _feel_ it in my bones.  Let's wake up
+Missis Mary and de niggers and fight 'em, for dey'll be here afore
+morning, sure.'  Wal, dat nigger worrid me awful.  I told him I
+wouldn't git up, but was going to sleep, and turned ober in bed, but I
+couldn't keep my eyes shet.
+
+"Bimeby, I heard Big Mose crawling soft-like out de bed.  He was trying
+to make no noise, so he wouldn't wake me, finking I was asleep.  He
+stepped like a cat on de floor, and I listened to see what he was going
+to do.  I heerd him move around and den all was still.  'What you
+doing, Mose?' I axed.  'I'm going to say my prayers,' he said, 'and
+it's de last time too, 'cause de Injines will soon be here.'  I didn't
+try to stop him, for I felt so bad, I commenced saying mine in de bed.
+
+"Big Mose kept mumbling and crying for a long time, and I shaking more
+and more, when all at once, hebens, golly!  I see'd somefin'
+bright-like shine trough de winder, and I looked out and de barn was
+all afire.  Den dar come a yell dat nearly blowed de roof off de house.
+Big Mose gib a screech and run, and _bang-bang_ went a lot ob guns all
+around us.  De Injines was dar, burnin', tomahawkin', screechin',
+shoutin', and killin' de poor niggers as fast as dey showed demselves.
+I see'd Miss Mary----"
+
+"Did they harm her?"
+
+"No!  She didn't 'pear _skeart_ a bit.  She tried to keep de Injines
+from killing de poor niggers, not t'inking anyt'ing about herself."
+
+"How was it that _you_ escaped?"
+
+"I stayed where I was till I was nearly burnt up, when I sneaked out
+and none of 'em didn't 'pear to notice me.  I hid in de woods and
+stayed dar till mornin'."
+
+"Did you see anything more of Miss Mary?"
+
+"Yes, I see'd de Injines go away purty soon, and take her along.  Dey
+didn't take any ob de niggers, 'cause dey had killed 'em all but me,
+and I was already dead, but I comed to agin."
+
+"None of Captain Prescott's family were in the house besides Mary, were
+they?" asked the Lieutenant, asking a question of which he well knew
+the answer.
+
+"Nobody else wan't dar--bress de Lord!  Missis Prescott and Helen went
+off on a visit to de settlement, t'ree, four days ago."
+
+"How was it Miss Mary remained behind?"
+
+"Ki-yi! you doesn't know, eh?" said Cato, grinning vastly, in total
+forgetfulness, for the moment, of his dreadful surroundings.
+
+"How should I know?  Of course, I do not."
+
+"Wal, den, Oonymoo, dat red Injine, told her as how maybe you'd be
+'long dese parts 'bout dis time, and _she_ 'cluded she'd be't home when
+_you_ called.  _Dat's_ how she was heah!"
+
+A thrill went through the gallant Lieutenant at this evidence of the
+affection of the fair maiden he had journeyed so far to see.  Despite
+the heart-sickness which had come over him at sight of the revolting
+scenes around, he experienced a sort of pleasure from the words of the
+negro, and felt anxious for him to say more.
+
+"How do you know, Cato, that this was the reason she remained behind?"
+
+"Hebens, golly! didn't I hear her tell Missis so?"
+
+"Her mother?  And what did she say?"
+
+"Oh! she and Missis Helen kinder laughed, and showed all dar white
+teef, and dey didn't try to persuade her to go, 'cause dey _knowed_ dar
+wan't no use ob tryin' to do nuffin' like _dat_.  She lubs the
+Leftenant altogeder too much.  Yah! yah!" and Cato kicked up his heels,
+hugely delighted.
+
+"Have you told me when you built this house of yours?"
+
+"T'ought I hahd.  Done dat ar workmanship dis mornin', arter all de
+Injines had gone.  T'ought dar'd be somebody 'long dis way afore long."
+
+"There has been nothing saved," said the Lieutenant, looking around and
+speaking apparently to himself.
+
+"Noffin' but dis poor nigger, and I don't know what will become of him
+now dat he's all alone," said Cato, with a woe-begone demeanor.
+
+"Have no anxiety upon that account.  You shall be attended to.  Captain
+Prescott and all his family are living, and, depend upon it, you will
+not suffer if he can prevent it."
+
+"But de house am gone--de horses--de corns--eberyt'ing but me."
+
+The young soldier continued musing for a moment and then asked:
+
+"How far from here is the settlement to which Mrs. Prescott has gone?"
+
+"Ten, fifteen or forty miles."
+
+"Can't you tell me more precisely than that?"
+
+"Somewhere atween ten and forty or fifty--dat's all I can tell."
+
+"Have you ever been there yourself?"
+
+"Offin--horseback."
+
+"You know the way?"
+
+"Jes' as well as did from de house to de barn."
+
+"How would you like to go there?"
+
+"What! alone?" asked Cato, the old look of terror coming back to his
+countenance.
+
+"Certainly--you have been there and back you said, didn't you?"
+
+"Yes, but bress your soul! de Injines wan't about den."
+
+"I guess there were as many as there are this minute."
+
+"Oh! gracious!  I don't want to go alone.  What made ye ax me dat
+queshun?"
+
+"Why, I thought this, Cato.  You see I expect Oonomoo to return to this
+place by nightfall, when I intend to accompany him to the Shawnee
+village where Miss Mary is held captive----"
+
+"Goin' to git her?"
+
+"We hope to.  I was going to propose that you should make your way to
+the settlement and carry the news of this sad affair to Mrs. Prescott
+and her daughter, assuring her that the Huron and myself will do all we
+can to rescue Mary.  They must have seen the light, last night, and no
+doubt are dreadfully anxious to learn whether it was their mansion or
+not.  Besides, I doubt whether the Huron will be willing that you
+should accompany us."
+
+"Why won't he?  I guess Cato knows enough to take care of his self.
+Allus has done it.  Done it last night."
+
+"We will let the matter rest until his return.  It shall be as he says."
+
+"What time 'spect him?"
+
+"In the course of a few hours.  In the meantime, there is another
+matter that must be attended to.  Do you know whether there is a spade
+or shovel lying about?"
+
+"Dunno; guess dar is dough.  I'll see in a minute."
+
+Cato ran some distance to where the charred remains of another building
+were heaped together, and searching among the ruins, brought forth a
+spade with a portion of the handle still left.
+
+"What ye want to do dat ar?" he asked, as he brought it to the
+Lieutenant.
+
+"We must bury those bodies, Cato.  It would be wrong to deny them a
+decent burial when we possess the time and means."
+
+Cato had a mortal horror of touching any creature that was dead, but
+more than once he had wished that the corpses were placed in the
+ground, although he had not the courage to put them there.  He showed
+no reluctance now to the performance of his portion of the task.
+
+"You know how to dig, I presume?" asked the Lieutenant.
+
+"Yis, I offin dug wid dis berry same spade.  Whar'd you want thar
+graves?"
+
+"One grave will answer for the four, and this spot will do as well as
+any other."
+
+The soldier gave the proper directions, and the negro commenced his
+labor at once.  In an hour or two, he had hollowed out a grave, ready
+for the reception of the dead bodies.  He could not conceal his
+repugnance to touching them, although he did not refuse to do so.
+
+"Dat ar is poor Big Mose," said he, as they took hold of a Herculean
+negro, who had been brained by the keen tomahawk.  "And he knowed the
+Injines war a-comin' a long time afore dey did.  Poor Mose," he added,
+as the big tears trickled down his cheek, "he neber will eat any more
+big suppers or come de double-shuffle or de back-action-spring by
+moonlight.  Poor feller! he had a big heel and knowed how to handle it."
+
+The body was carefully lowered into the grave, and the others, one by
+one, were placed beside it.  It was a sight which haunted Lieutenant
+Canfield for many a night--those black, upturned corpses--awful
+evidences of the terrible passions of the Shawnees.  The earth was
+carefully deposited over them and the last sad rites performed.
+
+The sun was now past the meridian, and the young soldier began to look
+momentarily for the appearance of the Huron.  An hour or two had
+passed, when Cato spoke:
+
+"Massa Canfield, 'tain't noways likely dat ar Injine will be along
+afore dark.  _Dat's_ de time dem critters likes to travel, so what's de
+use ob our waitin' here so long.  Oder Injines _mought_ be around dese
+parts and wouldn't it be a good idee to git in de woods whar dey
+wouldn't be so apt to see us?"
+
+It struck the Lieutenant that there was some sense in the advice of the
+negro; so he concluded to act upon it.  Moving away toward the wood,
+his foot struck and scattered a pile of black cinders lying near the
+ruins of the house.  Looking down, he saw something glitter.  What was
+his surprise to discover in the ashes a gold watch and chain which he
+had often seen upon the neck of Mary Prescott.  A portion of the chain
+had been melted by the intense heat, but by some singular means, the
+watch had been so well preserved that there was scarcely a blemish upon
+it.  As he picked it up, Cato exclaimed, with rolling eyes:
+
+"Dat is Miss Mary's! dat is Miss Mary's!"
+
+"It couldn't have been around her neck, certainly, when it was lost."
+
+"No, she allers laid it on de stand aside her bed, and dat's de way it
+got dar.  See, dar's de legs ob de stand."
+
+It was as the negro said, and in the hope of finding some more of the
+valuables of the family, the soldier kicked the ashes and cinders
+hither and thither and searched among them for a considerable time.
+Nothing further rewarded him, however.  Placing the watch upon his own
+person, he went on, across the edge of the clearing, into the woods
+beyond.  He led his horse further into their protection, and then
+beckoned the negro to his side.
+
+"Do you feel sleepy, Cato?"
+
+"No! what'd you ax that fur?"
+
+"Well I do, and I am going to try to get a little sleep.  I wish you to
+keep watch of the clearing while I do."
+
+"Don't 'spect none of dem Injines will be back here?"
+
+"No, but Oonomoo will probably soon be.  I want you to see him the
+minute he comes, and awaken me so that there shall be no unnecessary
+delay."
+
+Cato promised to obey, and took his station nearer the clearing, while
+the fatigued soldier stretched himself upon the ground and was soon
+wrapped in a dreamless slumber.
+
+Lieutenant Canfield slept until nearly sunset, and would have slept
+even longer had he not been aroused by Cato roughly shaking his
+shoulder.
+
+"Why, what's the matter?" he asked, looking up in the terror-stricken
+countenance of the negro.
+
+"Hebens, golly! _dey've come_!"
+
+"Who has come? what are you talking about?"
+
+"De Injines.  Dar's forty fousand of 'em out dar in de clearing!"
+
+Considerably flurried by the husky words of his sable friend,
+Lieutenant Canfield arose and walked stealthily toward the clearing to
+satisfy himself in regard to the cause of the negro's excessive fear.
+
+"Be keerful, or dey'll see you," admonished the latter, following
+several yards behind.
+
+Approaching as near the edge of the wood as he deemed prudent, he was
+rewarded by the sight of some six or eight Indians--undoubtedly
+Shawnees--who were examining the ruins that lay around them with
+considerable curiosity.  They were ugly-looking customers in their
+revolting war-paint and fantastic costumes, and the Lieutenant felt
+that the wisest plan he could adopt was to give them a wide berth.
+Withdrawing further into the wood, he asked the negro when he had first
+seen them.
+
+"Massa Canfield, I stood and watched out dar for two, free hours till I
+fell asleep myself and come down kerwollup on de ground.  I laid dar a
+good while afore I woke, and de fust t'ing I see'd when I looked out
+dar, war dem Injines walking round, kickin' up t'ings and makin'
+darselves at home ginerally.  You'd better beliebe I trabeled fast to
+tell you ob it."
+
+"From which direction do you think they come?"
+
+"Dunno, but I finks de way dey looks dat dey come purty near from dis
+way, mighty clus to whar we's standin'; and I t'inks dey'll take de
+same route to git back agin."
+
+Somehow or other, the Lieutenant had the same impression as the negro.
+It was so strong upon him that he resolved to change their position at
+once.  Accordingly, he proceeded to where his horse was tied, and
+unfastening, led him into the wood.  Making a _detour_, he came back
+nearly upon the opposite side of the clearing, where, if possible, the
+wood was still thicker.  Here they carefully screened themselves from
+observation and watched the Shawnees.
+
+Hither and thither they passed, searching among the ruins for plunder,
+occasionally turning up some trifle upon which they pounced with the
+avidity of children, and examining the half-burnt remnants of chairs,
+tables and stands, etc.  Here and there they pulled the black, twisted
+nails forth, that looked like worms burnt to a cinder, and carefully
+preserved them for future use.  Every metallic substance was seized as
+a prize, and some of the wooden portions of instruments were also
+appropriated.  Thin twists of smoke still ascended from different spots
+in the clearing, and the ashes when stirred showed the red live coals
+beneath them.
+
+"Yah! yah! dat feller's got sumkin' nice," said Cato, laughing heartily
+and silently at one of the Indians, who had pulled forth a long board
+with evident delight.  Turning it over, he balanced it on his shoulder
+and was walking rapidly away, when suddenly he sprung several feet in
+the air with a yell of agony, and jumped from beneath it, rubbing his
+shoulder very violently as if suffering acute pain.
+
+"Yah! yah! knowed 'twould do dat.  Lower part all afire, and reckoned
+it burnt him a little."
+
+The Indian continued dancing around for several moments, not ashamed to
+show to his companions how much he suffered.  He by no means was the
+only one who was caught in this manner.  Very often, a savage would
+spring from the ground, with a sharp exclamation, as some coal pierced
+through his moccasin, and now and then another could be seen, slapping
+his fingers against his person, after he had hastily dropped some
+object.  One eager Shawnee attempted to draw a red-hot nail from a slab
+with his thumb and finger, and roasted the ends of both by the
+operation, while a second seated himself upon a board which set fire to
+the fringe of his hunting-shirt.  He did not become aware of it until a
+few minutes later, when, in walking around, the fire reached his hide.
+Placing his hand behind him, he received unmistakable evidence of its
+presence, when he set up a loud whoop and started at full speed for the
+spring, reaching which, he seated himself in it, before he felt
+entirely safe.
+
+These, and many other incidents, amused the Lieutenant for the time
+being, while the delight of Cato was almost uncontrollable.  He seemed
+in danger of apoplexy several times from the efforts he made to subdue
+his laughter.  But, all at once there was a sudden cessation in his
+mirth, and a visible lengthening of his visage.  Grasping the shoulder
+of the soldier, he exclaimed:
+
+"Look dar!  Look dar!  See dem!"
+
+"I see nothing to alarm us."
+
+"Look dar whar we went into the clearin'.  Don't you see dem Injines
+dar?"
+
+Lieutenant Canfield did see something that alarmed him.  The whole
+eight Indians had followed the track of himself and the negro to the
+edge of the wood, where they had halted and were consulting together.
+They certainly must have noticed it before, but had probably been too
+busy to examine it particularly.  It had never once occurred to the
+white man that this evidence of his presence would tell against him,
+but he now saw the imminent peril in which he and the negro were placed.
+
+"We must flee, Cato," said he.  "Fortunately it will soon be dark, when
+they cannot follow us."
+
+"Will we bofe git on de hoss?" asked the frightened negro.
+
+"No; it will do no good.  Let us take to the woods.  Hush!  What's
+that?"
+
+Just as they were about moving, the sharp report of a rifle came upon
+their ears, and with a loud whoop the Shawnees rushed off in a body,
+taking an easterly direction, which was different from that followed by
+the soldier and negro.  Now that all immediate danger was gone, the two
+remained behind, to learn, if possible, the cause of the mysterious
+shot and subsequent action of the Shawnees.
+
+It was not until night, when Oonomoo, the Huron, returned, that the
+cause was made known.  He had approached several hours before, and seen
+the savages in consultation, and divined the cause of it.  To divert
+them from pursuing his two friends, whom they would most certainly have
+captured, he discharged his piece among them, and then purposely showed
+himself to draw them after him.  The stratagem succeeded as well as he
+could have wished.  He easily eluded them, until they had followed him
+some distance in the woods, when he made his way back again to the
+clearing, where he rejoined the Lieutenant and the negro.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+THE HOME OF THE HURON.
+
+
+  Tis nature's worship--felt--confessed,
+  Far as the life which warms the breast!
+  The sturdy savage midst his clan,
+  The rudest portraiture of man,
+  In trackless woods and boundless plains,
+  Where everlasting wildness reigns,
+  Owns the still throb--the secret start--
+  The hidden impulse of the heart.--BYRON.
+
+
+The Huron, after his escape from the Shawnees, quickened his pace, as
+we have stated, and went many a mile before he changed his long,
+sidling trot into the less rapid walk.  When he did this, it was upon
+the shore of a large creek, which ran through one of the wildest and
+most desolate regions of Ohio.  In some portions the banks were nothing
+more than a continuous swamp, the creek spreading out like a lake among
+the reeds and undergrowth, through which glided the enormous
+water-snake, frightened at the apparition of a man in this lonely spot.
+The bright fish darted hither and thither, their sides flashing up in
+the sunlight like burnished silver.
+
+The agile Indian sprung lightly from one turf of earth to another, now
+balancing himself on a rotten stump or root, now walking the length of
+some fallen tree, so decayed and water-eaten that it mashed to a pulp
+beneath his feet, and then leaping to some other precarious foothold,
+progressing rapidly all the time and with such skill that he hardly
+wetted his moccasin.
+
+While treading a log thus, which gave back a hollow sound, the head of
+an immense rattlesnake protruded from a hole in the tree, its tail
+giving the deadly alarm, as it continued issuing forth, as if
+determined to dispute the passage of man in this desolate place.  The
+fearless Huron scarcely halted.  While picking his way through the
+swamp he had carried his rifle lightly balanced in his left hand, and
+he now simply changed it to his right, grasping it by the muzzle, so
+that the stock was before him.  He saw the cavernous mouth of the snake
+opened to an amazing width; the thin tongue, that resembled a tiny
+stream of blood; the small, glittering eyes; the horn-like fangs, at
+the roots of which he well knew were the sacks filled almost to
+bursting with the most deadly of all poisons; the thin neck, swelling
+out until the scaly belly of the loathsome reptile was visible.
+
+The Huron continued steadily approaching the revolting thing.  He was
+scarcely a yard distant when the neck of the snake arched like a
+swan's, and the head was drawn far back to strike.  In an instant the
+stock of his rifle swept over the top of the log with the quickness of
+lightning.  There followed a sharp, cracking noise, like the explosion
+of a percussion-cap, and the head of the rattlesnake spun twenty feet
+or more out over the swamp.  It struck the branch of a tree, and,
+dropping to the water, sunk out of sight.  The headless body of the
+reptile now writhed and doubled over itself, and smote the tree in the
+most horrible agony.  Oonomoo walked quietly forward, and with his feet
+shoved it from the log.  Still twisting and interlocking, it sunk down,
+down, down into the clear spring-like waters until it could be seen on
+the gravelly bottom, where its struggles continued as he passed on.
+
+Not affected by this occurrence, the Huron walked on as quietly as
+before, his dark, restless eye seemingly flitting over every object
+within his range of vision.  The character of the swamp continued much
+the same.  A broad sheet of water, from nearly every portion of which
+rose numerous trees, like thin, dark columns, here and there twisted
+round and round, and, seemingly, smothered by some luxuriant vine;
+others prostrate, the roots sunk out of sight, and the trunk protruding
+upward, as if a giant had used them for spears and hurled them into the
+swamp; shallow portions, where the water was but a few inches deep, and
+then others, where you could gaze down for twenty feet, as if you were
+looking through liquid air.  These were the peculiarities of this
+singular spot in the wilderness, through which the Huron was journeying.
+
+He must have proceeded fully a half-mile into this water wilderness,
+when he reached what might properly be termed the edge of the swamp;
+that is, the one through which he had been making his way, for there
+was still another a short distance from him.  The growth of trees
+terminated almost in a mathematical line, and a lake of water,
+something less than a quarter of a mile in width, stretched out before
+him, perfectly clear of every obstruction.  The Indian stood a long
+time, looking about in every direction.  What was unusual, there was an
+expression of the most intense anxiety upon his countenance.  Well
+might there be; for, sooner than to have a human eye (whether it was
+that of the white or red man) to witness the movements he was now about
+to make, he would have suffered death at the stake a thousand times!
+
+Apparently satisfied, he laid his rifle on the tree upon which he had
+been standing, and then sprung out into the deeper water, sinking like
+a stone from sight.  When he came to the surface, he brought something
+with him, which proved to be a canoe.  With this he swam to the tree,
+where he righted and turned the water from it.  A paddle was secured in
+it.  Taking his seat, the canoe went skimming like a swallow over the
+water toward the opposite swamp.
+
+Reaching this, he shot in among the trees, avoiding them with as much
+ease and dexterity as would a bird on the wing.  Going a hundred yards
+in this manner, he arose in his canoe and looked around.  A shade of
+displeasure crossed his face, apparently of disappointment at not
+discovering some person or object for whom he was looking.  Waiting a
+moment, he placed his thumb on his mouth, and gave utterance to a low,
+tremulous whistle, an exact imitation of a bird often found in the
+American swamps.  A moment later, there came a response exactly the
+same, except that it sounded fainter and a considerable distance away.
+The moment it caught the ear of the Huron, he reseated himself and
+folded his arms in the attitude of patient waiting.
+
+Scarce five minutes had elapsed, when the plash of another paddle was
+heard, and a second canoe made its appearance, carefully approaching
+that of the Huron.  In it was seated an Indian boy, not more than
+twelve years of age, who handled it with a skill scarcely second to
+that of his father, Oonomoo.
+
+"Niniotan, my son, is late," said the latter, sternly, as the boy came
+alongside.
+
+[Illustration: "Niniotan, my son, is late."]
+
+"I was chasing a deer this morning, and was carried further in the
+woods than I thought," meekly replied the boy.
+
+"Has the Moravian missionary given Niniotan two tongues that he should
+think Oonomoo speaks idle words?"
+
+"Niniotan does not think so," said the son, in a humble voice of
+thrilling sweetness.
+
+"Oonomoo said when the sun was over yonder tree-top he would be waiting
+for his boy Niniotan.  He waited, but Niniotan was not here."
+
+The son of the Huron warrior bowed his head as if he had nothing to say
+to the merited rebuke.  The father took his seat in the canoe of his
+son, who carried him rapidly forward through the swamp, for perhaps a
+quarter of a mile further, when the ground became so solid that they
+landed and walked upon it.  The grass was green and luxuriant, the
+trees stood close together, and in some places the shrubbery seemed
+almost impenetrable.  But Niniotan never hesitated.  The way was
+perfectly familiar.  A rabbit could scarcely have glided through the
+wood with more dexterity than did he and his father.
+
+Finally the two reached what appeared to be a large mound of earth,
+covered over with rank grass and brilliant flowers.  On one side was a
+perfect bank of bushes, so that the mound could not be seen until it
+was closely approached.  A Shawnee Indian might have encamped beside
+it, without once having his suspicion awakened in regard to its nature.
+This was the retreat and home of Oonomoo, the friendly Huron, where his
+wife, Fluellina, and son, Niniotan, dwelt, which was regularly visited
+by him, and where he frequently spent days, enjoying the sweets of
+home.  No living person besides these three knew of its existence.  It
+stood upon this vast island in the midst of this swamp, almost
+inaccessible to approach, and where no one would have dreamed of
+looking for the dwelling place of a human being.  The surrounding
+waters were as cold and clear as crystal, and were swarming with the
+choicest fish.  Abundance of game was upon the land, and, what might
+seem curious, considering the location of the island, its air possessed
+an extraordinary degree of salubrity.
+
+The mound was but a mere shell, the interior of which was lined with
+luxurious furs and skins, and furnished with every convenience and
+comfort that the fancy of a warrior's wife might covet.  Within, too,
+were numerous presents, such as rifles, knives, pistols, beads and
+picture-books which had been given Oonomoo by his numerous white
+friends.  In addition there was a magnificent gold watch--a gift from a
+wealthy lady, whose life the Huron had saved several years before.
+Hearing that he had a young wife, she sent the present to her, and it
+had hung within their "wigwam" ever since.  Its use was understood, and
+it was regularly wound and attended to with great care.
+
+Fluellina, the wife of Oonomoo, was also a Huron, who had been educated
+at one of the Moravian missionary stations in the West, and was a
+professing Christian.  She was a mild, dove-eyed creature, a number of
+years younger than her husband, whom she loved almost to adoration, and
+for whom she would not have hesitated to lay down her life at any
+moment.  She had had another child--a boy, born two years before
+Niniotan, but he had died when but six years of age, and was buried in
+the clear depths of the water which surrounded his home.
+
+Regularly every month, Fluellina, accompanied by her son, visited a
+Moravian missionary who dwelt with his family on the site of the once
+flourishing station of Gnadenhutten, where, in 1782, was enacted one of
+the darkest episodes in American history.  It was here the infamous
+monster, Colonel Williamson, murdered the one hundred Moravian
+Indians--a crime for which it seems a just God would have smitten him
+and his followers to the earth.  Here this faithful Huron woman and her
+son received instruction in holy things from the aged missionary--a
+white man who alone knew the relation which she bore to the famous
+Huron, Oonomoo, and who never betrayed it to his dying day.  By this
+means, her regular visits were rendered safe and free from the
+annoyance of being watched--an exemption she never could have had, had
+any one else suspected the truth.
+
+Fluellina succeeded in inducing her husband to visit this missionary on
+several occasions, when he proved an attentive listener to the aged
+disciple of God.  He took in every doctrine and subscribed to every
+truth except one--that of loving his enemies.  He believed he never
+could love the Shawnees--they who had first caused his father to be
+broken of his chiefdom, and then had murdered his mother.  He had sworn
+eternal hatred against them, and in the interior of his lodge hung such
+an incredible number of their scalps that we decline to name
+it--knowing that we should be suspected of trifling with the credulity
+of our readers.  He had never taken the scalp of a white man, and would
+promise never to harm any being except the Shawnees; but, toward them
+his feelings must be those of the deadliest enmity.
+
+The sublime truths of the great Book of books, its glorious promises,
+and its awful mysteries, thrilled the soul of the Huron to its center,
+and many a time when wandering alone through the great, solemn forests,
+he felt his spirit expanding within him, until his eyes overflowed, and
+he, the mighty, scarred warrior, wept like a child.  The sweet
+instruction, too, of the gentle Fluellina had not been lost entirely
+upon him.  It was owing to these that for a year he had not taken the
+scalp of a Shawnee, though he had been sorely tempted and had slain
+more than one.  He could not yet bring himself to the point of letting
+them go free altogether.
+
+With this somewhat lengthy parenthesis, we will now return to the
+present visit of the Huron to his island home.
+
+Oonomoo was about to pass into the interior of the lodge, when a light
+exclamation caught his ear.  As he turned his head, Fluellina came
+bounding to his arms.  However stoical and indifferent the North
+American Indian may appear in the presence of his companions or of
+white men, it is a mistake to suppose that he is wanting either in the
+ordinary affections of humanity, or in those little demonstrations of
+love so peculiar to our own race.  Deep in the woods, when alone with
+their families, they throw off restraint and are warriors no more--but
+_men_.  The little child is dandled on the knee, or sported with upon
+the grass, and the proud mother receives her share of her husband's
+caresses.  Great as may be the glory of the savage in the hunt and
+chase, his happiness in the bosom of his own family is unsurpassed by
+any other enjoyment which ever falls to his lot.
+
+Fluellina received the embrace of her husband with a radiant
+countenance, and she seemed overflowing with joy as she looked up in
+his own glowing face.  Taking her fondly by the hand, he led her a few
+yards away, where he seated her upon a half-imbedded rock and placed
+himself beside her.  A glance at the two would have shown that there
+was no considerable difference in their ages.  The wife could not have
+been over thirty at the most, and she looked much younger, while the
+husband was perhaps thirty-five.  His square, massive chest was covered
+with scars--eloquent evidences of his bravery, for he had never
+received a wound in the back.  His face, usually so stern and
+dignified, was now softened, and the bright, metallic glitter of eye
+was changed to the sparkle of gladness.
+
+The handsome, symmetrical arms of Fluellina were bare to the shoulder,
+and Oonomoo held one in his broad palm, closing and opening upon the
+plump flesh and delicate muscle, with as much admiration as though he
+were still her young and ardent lover.  They sat thus, gazing into each
+other's face for several moments without speaking, so full seemed their
+hearts.  Finally Oonomoo seated himself upon the ground at the feet of
+Fluellina and leaned his head over upon her lap.  This was what she
+wished, and she had maneuvered in that delicate manner peculiar to her
+sex, by which the desire of the lover is awakened without his
+suspecting the true cause.
+
+Unfastening the bindings of his hair, she parted it carefully and drew
+her fingers slowly through and through it until it glistened like
+satin.  She did not speak, for she had no desire to disturb the languor
+which she knew it cast over her husband.  As his head drooped, she
+sustained it and gradually ceased, until he slept.
+
+Oonomoo awoke in a short time, and reseated himself by the side of his
+wife.
+
+"Where is Niniotan?" he asked, looking around him.
+
+"He is dressing the meat of the deer which he slew this morning.  Shall
+I call him?"
+
+"No, I am not yet tired of my Fluellina."
+
+The happy wife replied by placing her warm cheek against his, and
+holding it there a moment.
+
+"Oonomoo has no wounds upon him," said she, raising her head and
+looking at his breast and shoulders.
+
+"But he has been in danger."
+
+"No scalps hang at his girdle."
+
+"_And none shall ever hang there again._"
+
+"Not the scalp of the Shawnee?"
+
+"No," replied the Huron, in a voice as deep and solemn as a distant
+peal of thunder.
+
+Fluellina looked at her husband a moment, with her face lit up by a
+strange expression.  Then, as she read the determination impressed upon
+his countenance, and knew the sacredness with which he regarded his
+pledged word, she sunk down on her knees, and clasping her hands,
+turned her dark, soulful eyes to heaven and uttered the one exclamation:
+
+"Great Spirit, I thank thee!"
+
+The kneeling Indian woman, her face radiant with a holy happiness, the
+stern warrior, his dark countenance lighted up as he gazed down upon
+her as if the long obscured sun had once more struggled from behind the
+clouds--these two silent figures in the green wood of their island home
+formed a picture touchingly beautiful and sublime.
+
+Who can picture the glory that illuminated the soul of the Huron
+warrior, the divine bliss that went thrilling through his very being,
+as he uttered this vow, and felt within him the consciousness that
+never, never again would he be overcome by the temptation to tear the
+scalp from the head of his enemy, the vengeful Shawnee.
+
+"When has Fluellina seen the Moravian missionary?" he asked, as she
+reseated herself beside him.
+
+"But a short time since.  He inquired of Oonomoo."
+
+"Oonomoo will visit him soon."
+
+"Can he not go with Fluellina to-day?"
+
+"When the sun is yonder," replied the Huron, pointing to a place which
+it would reach in about half an hour, "he must go, and when the sun
+sinks in the west, he must be many miles from here."
+
+"When will he return again?"
+
+"He cannot tell.  He goes to befriend the white man and maid who is in
+the hands of the Shawnees."
+
+"Fluellina will wait and will pray for Oonomoo and for them."
+
+"Oonomoo will pray for himself, and his arm will be strong, for he
+fights none but warriors."
+
+"And Niniotan will grow up like him; he will be a brave warrior who, I
+pray, will take no scalp from the head of his foe."
+
+"What think the missionary of Niniotan?"
+
+"He finds that the blood of Oonomoo flows strong in his veins.  His eye
+burns, and his breast pants when he hears of the great deeds his father
+has performed, and he prays that he may go with him upon the war-path."
+
+"He shall accompany him shortly.  He can aim the rifle, and his feet
+are like those of the deer.  He shall be a man whose name shall make
+the Shawnee warriors tremble in their lodges."
+
+"Shall he be a merciful warrior?" asked Fluellina, looking up in the
+face of the Huron.
+
+"Like his father, shall he be.  He shall slay none but men in rightful
+combat, and no scalp shall ever adorn his lodge.  He must drink in the
+words of the Moravian missionary."
+
+"He does, but his heart is young.  He will be valiant and merciful, but
+he longs to emulate the deeds of Oonomoo--his father."
+
+"I will teach him to emulate what Oonomoo will do, not what he has
+done."
+
+"He counts the scalps that hang in our lodge, and wonders why they do
+not increase.  He gazes long and often upon those which you tore years
+ago from the heads of the two chiefs, and I know he burns to gain a
+trophy for himself."
+
+"Has Fluellina the choicest food these forests can afford?"
+
+"The eye of Niniotan is sure, and his mother never wants."
+
+"He must not wander from the island, else his young arm may be
+overpowered by the Shawnees or Miamis.  They would know he was the son
+of Oonomoo, and through the son murder the father and mother."
+
+"Fluellina loves but three--Oonomoo, Niniotan, and," she added,
+reverentially raising her eyes to heaven, "the Great Spirit who is so
+kind to her."
+
+"And Oonomoo loves him," added the Huron, in his deep, bass voice.  "In
+the hunting-grounds beyond the sun, he and Fluellina and Niniotan will
+again live together on some green island in the forest, where the
+buffalo and deer wander in bands of thousands."
+
+"And where Delaware, Mingo, Chippewa, Miami, Ottawa, Pottawatomie,
+Shawnee, Huron, and the white man shall be brothers, and war against
+each other no more."
+
+The Huron made no reply, for the words of his wife had awakened a train
+of reflection to which he had been a stranger.  The thought that all
+the Indians, every tribe that had lived since the foundation of the
+world--those who were now the most implacable enemies to each other,
+the French, English and Americans--the thought of these living together
+in the Spirit Land in perfect brotherhood and good-will, was too
+startling for him to accept until Fluellina again spoke:
+
+"It is only the _good_ Delaware, Mingo, Chippewa, Miami, Ottawa,
+Pottawatomie, Shawnee, Huron, and white man that shall live there."
+
+It was all plain now to the simple-minded Indian, and he understood and
+believed.  He sat a few moments, as if ruminating upon this new theme,
+and then said gently to his wife:
+
+"Read out of Good Book to Oonomoo."
+
+Fluellina drew a small Bible from her bosom, one that she always
+carried with her, and opening at the Revelations, commenced to read in
+a clear, sweet and distinct voice.  The inspired grandeur, sublime
+truths and glorious descriptions of that most wonderful of all books
+thrilled her soul to its center with emotions unutterable; and she knew
+that the same effect, though perhaps in a lesser degree, was produced
+upon her husband.  The particular portion was the twenty-first chapter,
+whose meaning the Moravian missionary had frequently explained to her,
+and it was these verses in particular upon which she frequently dwelt
+with such awed rapture:
+
+"'And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain,
+and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of
+heaven from God,
+
+"'Having the glory of God; and her light was like unto a stone most
+precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
+
+"'And had a wall, great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the
+gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of
+the twelve tribes of Israel.
+
+"'And the building of the wall of it was of jasper; and the city was
+pure gold, like unto clear glass.
+
+"'And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all
+manner of precious stones.  The first foundation was jasper; the
+second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
+
+"'The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the
+eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the
+eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.
+
+"'And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of
+one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were
+transparent glass.
+
+"'And I saw no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb
+are the temple of it.
+
+"'And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall
+be no night there.'"
+
+The dim, vague glimpses afforded him from this and other portions of
+the book of the awful mysteries of the Last Day, the New Jerusalem, and
+the great white Throne, threw a spell over him which remained long
+after the words of the reader had ceased.  Full ten minutes, he sat,
+after the volume had been closed; then raising his head, said:
+
+"The sun is getting in the western sky, and Oonomoo must depart."
+
+The wife did not seek to detain her husband.  The wife of an Indian
+warrior never does.  She merely walked beside him, while he signaled
+for his son to approach.  He had scarce uttered the call, when Niniotan
+came bounding from the wood eager to obey the slightest wish of his
+father.  Seeing from his actions that he was about to depart, he
+lingered behind until his mother had bidden him good-by, and paused;
+then he leaped ahead, leading the way as before.
+
+The canoe reached, Oonomoo stepped within it, and Niniotan paddled him
+out among the trees until he came to where his own canoe was moored,
+into which the Huron stepped.  As he was about to dip the paddle, he
+said: "Let Niniotan wait until Oonomoo returns, and he shall go with
+him upon the next war-path."
+
+No pen can picture the glowing happiness that lit up the features of
+the boy at hearing these words.  His dark eyes fairly danced, and he
+seemed unable to control his joy.  His whole frame quivered, and he
+dipped his own paddle into the water, he bent it almost to breaking.
+Without noticing him further, Oonomoo sent his canoe spinning among the
+trees, and was soon in the broad sheet of water, crossing which, he
+reached the spot where he had brought up his boat.  Stepping out upon
+the log, he secured the paddle to it, and then turning it over, filled
+it with water.  It slowly sunk until it could be seen resting upon the
+bottom, when he sprung from the tree and commenced his departure from
+the swamp in the same manner that he had entered it.
+
+Once again in the grand old forest, with the mossy carpet beneath his
+feet, and the magnificent arches over his head, through which the
+breezes came like the cool breath of the ocean, the Huron struck into
+his peculiar rapid trot, which was continued until sunset, by which
+time he reached the clearing.  Approaching it in his usual cautious
+manner, he saw the Shawnees consulting together, and at the first
+glance understood the peril of his friends.  We have related the
+measures which he took to save them, and shown how successful they were.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+ADVENTURES ON THE WAY.
+
+
+  The paths which wound 'mid gorgeous trees,
+    The streams whose bright lips kissed the flowers,
+  The winds that swelled their harmonies,
+    Through these sun-hiding bowers,
+  The temple vast, the green arcade,
+  The nestling vale, the grassy glade,
+    Dark cave and swampy lair;
+  These scenes and sounds majestic, made
+    His world, his pleasures, there.--A. B. STREET.
+
+
+"You have saved our lives," exclaimed Lieutenant Canfield, as the dusky
+form of the Huron appeared beside him.
+
+"Ain't hurt, eh? den we go," said he, not noticing the remark.
+
+"No, neither of us is hurt."
+
+"I beliebes a bullet struck me aside de head," said Cato, removing his
+cap, and scratching his black poll.
+
+"A bullet struck you?" repeated the Lieutenant, in astonishment.
+"Where did it hit you?"
+
+"When dat gun went off, sunkin' struck me slap right above my ear, and
+I fought I felt it flatten dar."
+
+"Fudge! you are not hurt.  But I say, Oonomoo," resumed the soldier,
+with a more determined air, "you have saved me, and I want to grasp
+your hand for it."
+
+[Illustration: "You have saved me, and I want to grasp your hand for
+it."]
+
+The Huron extended his hand, but it hung limp in that of the ardent
+young man.  It was easy to see that the iterated thanks were
+distasteful to him.  He said nothing until the jubilant Cato also made
+a spring at it as soon as it was released.
+
+"Nebber mind--nottin'--Oonomoo do nottin'."
+
+"Hebens, golly! yes, you did.  If you hadn't come jes' as you did, I'd
+had to fout de Injines all alone, single-handed, widout any feller to
+help me, and, like as not, would've got hurt."
+
+"Can't hurt Cato's head--hard," said the Huron, dropping his hand upon
+the superabundant wool of the negro, and allowing it to bound up as if
+an elastic cushion were beneath it.  "Make nice scalp--Shawnee like
+it," added the Indian, still toying with it.
+
+"De Lord bless me!  I hopes he nebber will get it, and he nebber will
+if I can hender dem."
+
+It was now quite dark, and, to the surprise of the Lieutenant, a round,
+full, bright moon appeared above the forest.  The preceding night had
+been without a moon to light up the cloudy heavens; but there was
+scarcely a cloud visible now in the sky.  Here and there a small fleck
+floated overhead, like a handful of snow cast there by some giant,
+while not a breath of wind disturbed the tree-tops.  All was silent and
+gloomy as the tomb.
+
+"When are we to go to the Shawnee village?" asked the Lieutenant.
+
+"Now!" replied the Huron.
+
+"Then why do you linger?"
+
+"Cato go with us?"
+
+"That is just as you say, Oonomoo.  If you think it imprudent to take
+him along, he must remain behind."
+
+"You ain't agoin' to leab me here, be you?"
+
+"Know de way to settlement?" asked the Huron.
+
+"No, no; I (recollecting what he had told the Lieutenant) did know de
+way once, but, I's afraid I've forgot it.  My mem'ry is gittin' poor."
+
+"You find de way--must go--can't stay wid us."
+
+"Oh, gorry! don't leab me among de Injines; dey will eat me up alive!"
+replied the negro, bellowing like a bull.
+
+Canfield saw the glitter of the Huron's eyes, and taking Cato by the
+arm, said:
+
+"Let us hear no more of this, Cato, or you will arouse the anger of
+Oonomoo, and there is no telling what he may do."
+
+"But, I's afraid to go t'rough de dark woods, dat am full of de
+Shawnees," said the negro, in pitiful accents.
+
+"It will be no more dangerous than to go with us.  We shall probably
+find ourselves right among them before long; while, if you are
+cautious, there is little probability of your encountering them.  Go,
+Cato, and tell Mrs. Prescott and Helen what has happened, but do not
+exaggerate it.  Tell them, for me, that they can hope for the best, and
+that they shall soon hear from Oonomoo and myself."
+
+The words of the Lieutenant had the desired effect upon the negro.
+When he saw that he had but a choice between two dangers, he prudently
+took that which seemed to be the least, replying that, "all t'ings
+'sidered, 'twould be 'bout as well to tote off to de settlement, and
+guv de news to de folks dar."  He added that he was not influenced by
+"pussonal fear, but was simply actin' on de advice ob de Leftenant."
+
+Accordingly, Cato took his departure.  Our two friends watched him as
+he shuffled across the clearing, and finally disappeared in the shadowy
+wood beyond.
+
+Then the Huron turned to the duty before him.  Taking a northerly
+direction, he proceeded at such a rapid walk that the young soldier was
+compelled every now and then to run a few steps to maintain his place
+beside him.  He kept up his pace for a half-hour or so, when he
+suddenly halted.
+
+"Fast walk--make breathe fast," said he, his black eye sparkling.
+
+"It is rather rapid walking, Oonomoo, but I can stand it.  Don't stop
+on my account."
+
+"Plenty time--git dar mornin'--soon enough."
+
+"How far are we from the Shawnee village?"
+
+"Two--eight--dozen miles--go in canoe part way."
+
+"When will we rescue her from the dogs--the Shawnees?" asked the young
+Lieutenant, scarcely able to restrain his curiosity.
+
+"Dunno--may be can't get her 't all."
+
+"Won't get her?" he repeated, his heart throbbing painfully.  "My God,
+Oonomoo, why do you say that?"
+
+"'Cause true--hain't got her yit--may be won't--Shawnee watch
+close--t'ink Oonomoo 'bout."
+
+"But you _expect_ to rescue her, do you not?"
+
+"Yeh, 'spect to--do all can--ain't sartin--mustn't t'ink I am--be ready
+for her dead."
+
+"I will try to be prepared for the worst, Oonomoo, but I place great
+hopes on you."
+
+"Place hopes on Him--He do it, may be."
+
+Never, to his dying day, did Lieutenant Canfield forget the rebuke of
+that Huron Indian.  As he uttered these words he pointed upward--a
+flood of moonlight, streaming down through the trees upon his upturned
+face, rested like a halo of glory upon his bronzed brow.  Years
+afterward, when Oonomoo had been gathered to his fathers, and
+Lieutenant Canfield was an old man, he asserted that he could hear
+those words as distinctly, and see that reverential expression as
+plainly as upon that memorable night.
+
+"You are right, Oonomoo."  said the Lieutenant, "and I feel the reproof
+you have given me.  The merciful God is the only one upon whom we can
+rely, and under Him it is upon your sagacity and skill that I depend."
+
+"Dat so--we go purty soon."
+
+After resting a half-hour, the two moved forward at a much slower rate
+than before.  As the moon ascended, its light was so clear and
+unobstructed that in the open spots in the woods he could easily have
+read a printed page.  For a night of reconnoitering and action it
+possessed all the advantages and disadvantages of a clear day.  The
+Huron almost invariably held his peace when walking, and the young
+soldier did not attempt to disturb him upon the present occasion.  From
+his remarks, he gathered that it was his wish to reach the neighborhood
+of the Shawnee village in a few hours, and wait until daylight before
+attempting to accomplish anything.  To carry out his intentions, it was
+necessary, in the first place, to see Hans Vanderbum, and secure his
+cooperation.  Fully aware of his astonishing sleeping qualities, the
+Huron knew he might as well try to wake a dead man as to secure an
+interview with him during the night.
+
+An hour later the bank of the Miami was reached.  As they stood on the
+shore and looked down-stream, its clear surface, glistening brightly in
+the moonlight, could be seen as plainly as at noonday, until it
+disappeared from sight in a sweeping bend.  From their stand-point it
+resembled a lake more than a river, the woods, apparently, shutting
+down in such a manner as to hide it entirely.  Not a ripple was heard
+along the shore, and only once a zephyr hurried over its bosom,
+crinkling the surface as it passed, and rustling the tops of a few
+trees along the bank as it went on and was lost in the wood beyond.
+The great wilderness, on every hand, stretched miles and miles away,
+until it was lost afar, like a sea of gloom, in the sky.  Once a
+night-bird rushed whirring past, so startlingly close, that the
+Lieutenant felt a cold chill run over him as its wings fanned his face.
+It shot off like a bullet directly across the river, and could be
+distinguished for several minutes, its body resembling a black ball,
+until it faded out from view.  Nothing else disturbed the solemn
+stillness that held reign.  Everything wore the spirit of quietness and
+repose.
+
+The soldier was the first to speak.
+
+"Isn't this an impressive sight, Oonomoo?"
+
+"Yeh--make think of Great Spirit."
+
+"That is true.  You seem to be more than usually solemn in your
+reflections, my good friend, and I am glad to see it.  This calm
+moonlight night, the clear sky and the deep, silent wood, is enough to
+make any person thoughtful; but it must have required something more
+than ordinary to impress you thus."
+
+"Saw Fluellina to-day, Oonomoo's wife."
+
+Lieutenant Canfield was considerably puzzled to understand how this
+could account for the peculiar frame of the Huron's mind, but he had
+too much consideration to question him further.  It was not until he
+spoke again, that he gained a clear idea of his meaning.
+
+"Fluellina Christian--got Bible--tell 'bout God--Great Spirit up
+dere--read out of it--tell Oonomoo 'bout t'ings in it--Oonomoo nebber
+take anodder scalp."
+
+"A wise determination; such a brave man as you needs no _proof_ of your
+bravery, and that good Being which your Fluellina has told you about
+will smile upon your noble conduct."
+
+"Know dat--_feel_ it," added the Huron, eagerly.  He stood a moment
+longer, and then added, "Time dat we go."
+
+"You spoke of going part way in a canoe, but I do not see any for us."
+
+"Down yonder, by dat rock."
+
+The Indian pointed down the river as he spoke, and, following the
+direction of his finger, Lieutenant Canfield distinguished a large rock
+projecting some distance from the shore, but could distinguish nothing
+of the canoe of which he spoke.  Knowing, however, that it must be
+concealed somewhere in the vicinity, he remarked, as they withdrew
+again into the wood:
+
+"How is it, Oonomoo, that you have your canoe in every part of the
+country?  You must be the owner of quite a fleet."
+
+"Got two--free--twenty--more'n dat--all ober--in Big Miami--Little
+Miami--all 'long Ohio--Soty (Sciota)--Hocking--Mussygum
+(Muskingum)--'way out 'long de Wabash--hid all ober--got 'em
+eberywhere."
+
+"And I suppose you find occasion to use them all?"
+
+"Use 'em all.  Out on Wabash last winter--snow deep--two days in de
+snow--paddlin' on de ribber--hab 'em hid 'long de shore--sometime lose
+'em."
+
+"How did you get them in these different places?  Carry them there
+yourself?"
+
+"Made 'em--knowed want use 'em--made 'em and hid 'em."
+
+The young soldier was about to speak, when the Huron motioned for him
+to maintain his peace.  The conversation had been carried on in so low
+tones that a third party, a rod distant, could not have overheard their
+words.  Before the Indian spoke, he had glanced around to satisfy
+himself that it was impossible for a human being to be concealed within
+that area.
+
+Now, however, he was about to change his position, and the strictest
+silence was necessary.
+
+The two passed down through the woods, and were just emerging again
+upon the bank, when the Huron, who was in front, suddenly started back,
+so quickly and lightly that the Lieutenant did not understand his
+movement till he saw their relative change of position.
+
+"What is the matter?" he asked, in a whisper.
+
+"'Sh!  Shawnees dere."
+
+"Where? on the rock?"
+
+The Huron pointed across the river.
+
+"Dere! on dat shore--may be come over."
+
+The soldier, was much puzzled to know how his companion had made such a
+sudden discovery, when they were so far away.  As there could be no
+danger of their words being overheard, he made the inquiry.
+
+"See'd water splash," replied Oonomoo.  "Got canoe."
+
+"Not yours?"
+
+"No--deir own--come ober here, putty soon."
+
+His words were true.  He had hardly spoken, when a noise, as of the
+dipping of a paddle, was heard, and the next moment a canoe shot out
+from the bank and headed directly toward them.  This being the case, it
+was impossible to determine the number of savages in it, although there
+must have been several.
+
+"Would it not be best to move to prevent discovery?" asked the
+Lieutenant, as he watched the approaching Shawnees with considerable
+anxiety.
+
+"Won't land here--go 'low us."
+
+A moment later the head of the canoe turned down-stream.  It was then
+seen to be of considerable size.  Five savages were seated within it.
+Oonomoo bent his head, took one earnest glance at them, and then said:
+
+"Ain't Shawnees--Miamis."
+
+"Friends or foes?"
+
+"Jes' as bad--take scalp--kill white people--take your scalp--see you."
+
+Lieutenant Canfield by no means felt at ease at the indifference with
+which his friend uttered these words.  It certainly was no pleasant
+prospect--that of having these bloodthirsty Miamis for such near
+neighbors, and he expressed as much to Oonomoo.
+
+"Won't come here--keep quiet--won't git hurt," replied the
+imperturbable Huron.
+
+Considerably relieved at this assurance, he said no more, but watched
+the canoe.  To his astonishment and dismay it again changed its course,
+and headed directly toward the rock in front of them.  He looked at his
+companion, but his face was as immovable as a statue's and, determined
+not to show any childish fear, he maintained his place and said no more.
+
+Reaching the outer end of the rock, the Miamis halted for a moment or
+two, when they turned down the river again, and landed about a hundred
+yards below where our two friends were standing.  The latter waited for
+full half an hour, when, seeing and hearing nothing more of them, the
+Huron resolved to obtain his canoe, and continue their journey down the
+river.
+
+"But where is it?" asked the soldier, when he announced his intention.
+
+"Fastened out end of rock."
+
+"May be the Miamis discovered it and have destroyed it."
+
+"Dunno--meb' so--didn't take him 'way, dough."
+
+"Is the water very deep?"
+
+"Two--t'ree--twenty feet--swim dere."
+
+As it seemed impossible to run even the most ordinary risk, the
+Lieutenant felt no apprehension at all when he saw him walk down to the
+water without his rifle, and wade out and commence swimming.  The moon,
+as we have said, was unusually bright, and not only the dark, ball-like
+head of the Huron could be seen, floating on the surface, but, when his
+face was turned in the right direction, his black eyes and aquiline
+nose and high cheek-bones were plainly distinguishable, while his long,
+black hair, simply closed in one clasp (years before it was always
+gathered in the defiant scalp-lock), floated like a veil behind him.
+The soldier watched him until he disappeared around the corner of the
+rock, and then patiently awaited his return.
+
+The Huron was a most consummate swimmer, and moved, while in the water,
+as silently as a fish.  More from habit than anything else, as he found
+himself in the eddy made by the twisting of the river around the upper
+edge of the stone, he "backed water," and, for a moment, remained
+perfectly motionless.  The moon was in such a quarter of the sky that a
+long line of shadow was thrown out from the rock, far enough to envelop
+both Oonomoo and his canoe, lying several yards below him.  As he
+caught sight of the latter, he saw a Miami Indian seated in it,
+apparently waiting and watching for some one.  As quick as lightning
+the meaning of the singular action of the other canoe flashed upon his
+mind.  By some means which he could only conjecture, the Miamis had
+gained a knowledge of his movements.  Perhaps the discovery of his boat
+was what first awakened their suspicions.  At any rate, they had
+learned enough to satisfy themselves that a rich prize was within their
+grasp.  Leaving one of their number in the strange canoe, they had
+passed on down-stream, concealing the absence of their comrade with
+such skill, that the watchful eye of the Huron failed to detect it.
+Beyond a doubt they were lingering in the vicinity, ready to come to
+his assistance at the first signal.
+
+The instructions of the warrior who remained behind were to shoot the
+savage at the moment of his appearance, and, in case he had a
+companion, to put out in the stream at once and call to his friends,
+who would immediately come to him.  A brief glance at the situation of
+the Miami will show that his task was one of no ordinary peril,
+especially if the returning Indian should have any apprehension of
+danger.  If he chose, the latter could swim out to the rock, and walk
+over its surface to its outer edge, when he would be directly above the
+Miami, and could brain him with his tomahawk in an instant.  As the
+physical exertion thus incurred would be greater than the simple act of
+swimming out to the canoe, it was not likely such a thing would take
+place, unless, as we have said, the suspicions of the approaching
+savage be aroused.  The probability was that the latter would take
+precisely the same course that we have seen the Huron take, that is, if
+he believed the coast clear; but as there was no certainty of this, the
+Miami was compelled to keep watch both up-stream and down-stream, and
+it was thus it happened that his back was turned to Oonomoo at the very
+moment he came around the edge of the rock.
+
+The different methods by which the Miami could be disposed of occurred
+to the Huron with electric quickness.  To the first--that of passing
+over the rock and tomahawking him, there was one objection so important
+as to make it a fatal one.  In the bright moonlight, he would offer too
+fine a target to the other Miamis concealed along the bank.  Without
+the responsibility of his white friend's safety, Oonomoo felt it would
+be hardly short of suicide, for it would be affording his deadliest
+enemies the opportunity of capturing or killing him as they preferred.
+He had but the choice of two plans: that of pressing forward and
+engaging the Miami, or of instantly returning to the shore, and
+proceeding to the Shawnee village by land.  He chose the former.
+
+Everything depended now upon the quickness of the Huron's movements.
+The Miami being compelled to watch both directions, it was certain he
+would turn his head in a moment, when, if Oonomoo was still in the
+water, his fate would be pretty certain.  Accordingly he shot rapidly
+forward, and was so close when he halted, that, do his utmost, he could
+not prevent his head from striking the prow of the canoe.  Slight as
+was the shock, it did not escape the notice of the Miami, who instantly
+turned his head, and approaching the prow, leaned over and looked in
+the water.
+
+The Huron had been expecting this movement, and to guard against its
+consequences, sunk quietly beneath the surface, and allowed the current
+to carry him just the length of the canoe, when he again rose, with his
+head beneath its stem.  Resting here a moment, with his nose and eyes
+just in sight, he commenced drifting down-stream, inch by inch, until
+he caught a glimpse of the Miami's head over the edge of the canoe when
+he returned to his former position under the stern and gathered his
+energies for the struggle.
+
+Sustaining himself by his feet alone, he reached his hands upward,
+grasped the canoe in such a manner that it was firmly held on each
+side.  Holding it thus only long enough to make his hold sure, he
+pressed the stern quickly downward, and then by a sudden wrench threw
+the Miami upon his back in the water.  Letting go his hold, the Huron
+made a dash at him, and closing in the deadly embrace, the two went
+down--down--down--till their feet struck the soft bottom, when they
+shot up again like two corks.
+
+Imminent as was the peril of Oonomoo, his greatest fear was that their
+struggles would carry them below the rock, where the moonlight would
+discover them to the Miamis on the bank.  With a skill as wonderful as
+it was rare even among his own people, he _regulated_ his movements
+while submerged, in such a manner that they operated to carry both
+combatants _up_-stream, had there been no current, so that when they
+came to the surface, it was very nearly in the same spot that they had
+gone down.
+
+But Oonomoo and the Miami had whipped out their knives, and they raised
+them aloft at the same instant.  But neither descended.  They were
+still in the air, when the one spoke the simple word.  "Heigon!" and
+the other simultaneously with him uttered the name of "Oonomoo," and
+the hands of both dropped beside them.  Without speaking, the Miami
+grasped the edge of the rock and clambered to the surface, and beckoned
+for the Huron to follow; but the latter held back, and whispered, in
+the tongue of his companion:
+
+"Miamis on shore wait to make Oonomoo a prisoner."
+
+"Oonomoo is the friend of Heigon, and the Miamis will not injure him."
+
+[Illustration: But Oonomoo and the Miami had whipped out their knives.]
+
+The Huron hesitated no longer, but the next moment stood beside the
+Miami on the broad mass of stone.  Heigon gave a short peculiar whoop,
+which was instantly followed by the appearance of the other canoe with
+its four inmates, who impelled it forward with great rapidity, and in
+almost a twinkling were also upon the rock.  Each held a glittering
+knife in hand, and they gazed upon their victim with exulting eyes, who
+stood firm, unmoved, and returned their glances with as proud and
+defiant an air as a king would have looked upon the vassals beneath
+him.  They were about to proceed to violence, when Heigon simply said:
+"He is my friend."  Instantly every knife was sheathed, and the
+gloating expression of the Miamis changed to one of interest and
+pleasure.  They gathered more closely around the Huron, and looked to
+their companion for some further explanation.
+
+"When the snow was upon the ground," said he, "Heigon was hunting, and
+he became weak and feeble, like an old man, or the child that cannot
+walk.[1]  The snow came down till it covered the rocks like this, and
+Heigon grew weaker and feebler until he could walk no further, and lay
+down in the snow to die.  When he was covered over, and the Great
+Spirit was about to take him to himself, another Indian came that way.
+He was Heigon's enemy, but he lifted him to his feet and brushed the
+snow from his face and limbs and poured his fire-water down his throat.
+He dug the snow away until he came to the dry leaves, and then he
+kindled a fire to warm Heigon by.  He stayed by him all night, and in
+the morning Heigon was strong and a man again.  When he went away, he
+asked the Indian his name.  It was Oonomoo, the Huron.  He stands by
+us, and is now in our power."
+
+The eyes of the Miamis fairly sparkled as they listened to this
+narration of their comrade, and they looked upon the far-famed Huron
+with feelings only of friendship and admiration.  He had been
+considered for years as one of the deadliest enemies of the Miamis, and
+his capture or death by them would have been an exploit that would have
+descended through tradition to the last remnant of their people.  Fully
+sensible of this, this same Huron had come upon one of their most
+distinguished warriors when he was as helpless as an infant, and could
+have been scalped by a mere child.  But the magnanimous savage had
+acted the part of a good Samaritan, feeding and warming him and sending
+him on his way in the morning, refreshed and strengthened.  Such a deed
+as this could never be forgotten, either by the recipient or those of
+his tribe to whom it became known.
+
+During the narrative the Huron stood with arms folded, and as
+insensible to the praises of Heigon as if he had not uttered a syllable
+since the advent of his companions.  He who appeared to be the leading
+warrior now asked:
+
+"Whither does my brother Huron wish to go?"
+
+"To the Shawnee village on the shore of the Miami."
+
+"We journey thither, and will take our brother with us."
+
+"Oonomoo goes as the enemy of the Shawnees.  He goes to save a
+pale-faced maiden who has fallen into their hands.  My Miami brothers
+go as the friends of the Shawnees."
+
+"They go as the friends of Oonomoo, who saved one of their warriors,
+and they will carry him in their canoe."
+
+"The feet of Oonomoo are like the deer's, and his eyes are as the
+eagle's.  He can see his path at night in the wood, and can journey
+from the rising until the setting sun without becoming weary."
+
+"We know our brother is brave and fleet of foot.  His Miami friends
+will carry him far upon his journey, and when he wishes to go through
+the woods, they will leave him upon the shore."
+
+Oonomoo could not decline this kind offer.  Simply to show in a small
+degree their friendship for him, the Miamis insisted upon carrying him
+in their canoe as far as he wished, landing him upon the bank whenever
+it was his desire that they should do so.  The Miamis being allies of
+the Shawnees, and on their way to join one of their war-parties, they
+could not (even on account of their peculiar relations with the Huron)
+act as their enemies in any way; consequently the Huron did not expect
+or ask their assistance.  But while they were prevented from aiding him
+in the least, in his attempt to rescue the captive, the claims which he
+had upon their gratitude were such, that he well knew they would
+carefully avoid throwing any obstacle in his way, and would act as
+neutrals throughout the affair, believing, however, that it was not
+inconsistent with such a profession to carry him even in sight of the
+Shawnee village itself.  Beyond that it would be as if these five
+Miamis were a thousand miles distant.
+
+All this time, it may well be supposed, that Lieutenant Canfield was no
+uninterested spectator of the interview between his Huron friend and
+the Miamis.  When they made their appearance upon the rock, he believed
+that Oonomoo had been captured.  He was about to seek his own safety in
+flight, but he was struck by the apparently good feeling of the
+conference.  Their words being in the Miami tongue, he could not
+distinguish their meaning, but from their sound, judged them to be
+friendly in their nature.  Still, there could be no certainty, and he
+was in a torment of doubt, when he was startled by hearing the Huron
+call his name.  At first he determined not to answer, thinking his
+friend had been compelled to betray him by his captors.  A moment's
+reflection, however, convinced him that such could not be the case.
+
+"Canfiel'!  Canfiel'!"
+
+"What do you want, Oonomoo?"
+
+"Go down bank--wait for us--Miami won't hurt."
+
+The young soldier did as he requested, and the next moment saw the two
+canoes put out from the rock.  In the first were the four Miamis, and
+in the second Oonomoo and Heigon, the latter using the paddle.  They
+touched a point on the shore about a hundred yards down-stream, almost
+at the same moment that it was reached by the Lieutenant.
+
+"How-de-do, brudder?" asked the foremost, extending his hand.  The
+soldier exchanged similar greetings with the others, when at a signal
+the five seated themselves upon the ground, and he followed suit.  A
+pipe, the "calumet of peace," was produced and passed from mouth to
+mouth, each one smoking slowly and solemnly a few whiffs.
+
+This tedious ceremony occupied fully a half-hour, during which it was
+nearly impossible for the young Lieutenant to conceal his impatience.
+It seemed to him nothing but a sheer waste of time, and he wondered how
+Oonomoo could take it so composedly.  At length the last smoker had
+taken what he evidently believed the proper number of whiffs, and they
+arose and embarked again in their canoes.
+
+In the boat, which really belonged to the Huron, were seated himself,
+Lieutenant Canfield, and Heigon, who insisted upon using the paddle
+himself.  For a moment they glided along under the shadow of the wooded
+bank, and then, coming out on the clear, moonlit surface of the river,
+they shot downstream like swallows upon the wing.
+
+It was not quite ten miles to the Shawnee town, and, as it was now in
+the neighborhood of midnight, their destination would be easily reached
+in time.
+
+All went well for some four or five miles, when an exclamation from the
+canoe in advance attracted the attention of Oonomoo and the soldier.
+
+"What is it?" inquired the latter.
+
+"Ugh! nudder canoe comin'--Shawnees."
+
+Such proved to be the case.  A large war-canoe, containing over a score
+of painted warriors, was coming up the river, nearly in the center of
+the stream, while the Miamis were nearer the right bank.  When nearly
+opposite each other, the war-canoe paused while that which contained
+the four Miamis went over to it, somewhat after the manner that two
+friendly ships come to anchor in the midst of the ocean, and exchange
+congratulations and news.
+
+During the interview, Heigon prudently kept at a safe distance, but
+from the gesticulations and words of the Shawnees it was evident they
+were making inquiries in regard to the inmates of his boat.  The
+replies proved satisfactory, for a moment later, the canoes separated,
+and each party proceeded on his way.  Little did the Shawnees dream
+that the very foe for whom they were searching--he whose scalp was
+worth that of a hundred warriors, whose death they would have nearly
+given their own life to secure--little did they dream, we say, that
+this very man was within a few rods of them--so close that he
+recognized the features of every one of their number!
+
+Several miles further, and Oonomoo spoke to Heigon.  They were now in
+the vicinity of the Shawnee village, and he wished to land.  Heigon
+instantly turned the prow of his canoe toward shore, and the others,
+understanding the cause, followed.  A moment later, Lieutenant Canfield
+and the Huron stood upon _terra firma_.  They were compelled again to
+shake hands all around with their curiously-made friends, when they
+separated--the latter to go down the river as brothers to the warlike
+Shawnees, and the former to go to the same destination as their deadly
+enemies!
+
+
+[1] Meaning he became sick from some cause or other.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+THE PLAN FOR THE RESCUE.
+
+
+  Oft did he stoop a listening ear,
+    Sweep round an anxious eye,
+  No bark or ax-blow could he hear,
+    No human trace descry.
+  His sinuous path, by blazes, wound
+  Among trunks grouped in myriads round;
+    Through naked boughs, between
+  Whose tangled architecture fraught
+  With many a shape grotesquely wrought,
+    The hemlock's spire was seen.--A. B. STREET.
+
+
+By this time, daylight was at hand.  A thin mist, rising from the
+river, was passing off through the woods; for the half-hour preceding
+the appearance of the sun, the darkness was more palpable than it had
+been at any time through the night.  The air, too, had a disagreeable
+chilliness in it, which, however little it affected the Huron, made the
+soldier, for the time being, exceedingly uncomfortable and impatient
+for the full light of day.
+
+The Shawnee village was about a mile distant, on the same bank of the
+stream with that upon which our friends found themselves.  As there was
+not the least probability of Hans Vanderbum being astir for several
+hours yet, they proceeded at a moderate walk through the wood.  One of
+the peculiar effects of this chilly morning air was to keep Lieutenant
+Canfield constantly gaping; his movements were so languid and his mind
+listless even to antipathy for conversation.  He maintained his place
+in silence beside Oonomoo.  The Indian was as watchful and keen as ever.
+
+As the young Lieutenant was yawning, and gazing around listlessly, he
+caught a glimpse of some body, as it threw itself prostrate behind a
+clump of bushes.  He looked at the Huron and was startled to observe
+upon his countenance no indication of having noticed this singular
+occurrence.
+
+"Oonomoo," he whispered, placing his hand upon his arm, "there's a
+person behind the bush, and we are in danger.  I saw him this very
+minute."
+
+"Me see'd 'em," said the Indian, walking straight toward the spot where
+he was concealed.
+
+This was too much for the young man.  When he reflected that, in all
+probability a rifle-barrel was leveled through those bushes, ready to
+do its deadly work, he was not ashamed to halt and allow the Huron to
+proceed alone.  But, no fear seemed to enter the head of the Indian.
+He strode straight forward, as if he had discovered something which he
+was about to pick, and, reaching the bushes, he parted and stepped
+among them.  The astonished soldier saw him stoop and lift some dark
+object, and then throw it down upon the ground again.
+
+Lieutenant Canfield now came forward.  Great was his amazement to
+recognize, in this dark object, the negro, Cato!  He lay upon his face,
+as lax and motionless as a piece of inanimate matter.
+
+"What is the matter with him?" asked the soldier.  "Is he dead?"
+
+"Scart near to def'--make b'lieve dead."
+
+Such undoubtedly was the case.  The negro, frightened at the appearance
+of two strangers, the foremost of whom he recognized as an Indian, had
+prostrated himself behind the bushes and feigned death in the hope that
+they would pass him by unnoticed.  The Lieutenant, now that they were
+so close to the Shawnees, where so much caution and skill were
+required, felt provoked to see the negro, and had little patience with
+his fooleries.
+
+"Get up, Cato," said he, rolling him over with his foot.  "You are not
+hurt, and we don't want to see any of your nonsense."
+
+One of the negro's eyes partially opened, and then he commenced
+yawning, stretching and shoving his feet over the leaves, as though he
+was just awaking.
+
+"Hebens, golly! but dis nigger is sleepy," said he.  "Hello! dat you,
+Oonomoo?  And bress my soul, if dar ain't Massa Canfield," he added,
+rising to his feet.
+
+"How came you here?" asked Canfield.
+
+"Come here my pussonal self--walked and runn'd most ob de way."
+
+"But, we sent you to the settlement.  Why did you not go?"
+
+"Bress your soul, Massa Canfield, I'll bet dar's ten fousand million
+Injines in de wood, atween us and de settlement.  I tried to butt my
+way trough dem, but dar was a few too many, and I had to gub it up."
+
+"How came you to wander so far out of your way as to get here?"
+
+"Dunno; t'ought I'd take a near cut home, and s'pose I got here widout
+knowing anyt'ing about it.".
+
+"Well, Oonomoo, what's to be done with him?"
+
+"Take him 'long--kill him if don't do what want to."
+
+"You understand, Cato?  We don't want you with us, but, there seems no
+help for it now; so we shall have to take you.  You must follow in our
+steps, and in no case make any outcry."
+
+The negro promised obedience, and, taking his position behind, they
+continued their journey, the Huron leading the way.  He proceeded some
+distance until he reached a dense portion of the wood, when he halted
+and turned around.
+
+"Plenty time--sleep some."
+
+These were pleasant words to the Lieutenant, who, in spite of his
+impatience, felt the need of sleep and rest before proceeding further.
+All stretched themselves upon the ground, where, in a few minutes, they
+were wrapped in slumber.  The negro, Cato, lay some distance from the
+other two, and was the first to awake.  Carefully raising his head and
+discovering that the dreaded Huron was still unconscious, he silently
+arose to his feet, and, retreating some distance with great care and
+caution, he suddenly turned and ran at the top of his speed.  His
+motive for so doing will soon appear.
+
+While our two friends are thus preparing themselves for the perilous
+duty before them, we will return to our old acquaintance, Hans
+Vanderbum, and his fair charge, in whom the reader, doubtless, feels a
+lively interest.
+
+      *      *      *      *      *      *
+
+It will be remembered that Miss Prescott was consigned to the care of
+the amiable Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, wife of Hans Vanderbum.  The
+reasons for this were several.  In the first place, the Shawnees were
+actuated in a small degree by their desire to lessen the sufferings of
+their captive.  This squaw had learned enough of the English language
+from her husband to hold almost an intelligible conversation in it;
+and; as quite an acquaintance had already been established between him
+and the maiden, she would certainly feel more at home in their company
+than among the others, who could not speak a word of her tongue.  What
+might be done with Miss Prescott in case she remained among the
+Shawnees for several years, of course it would be impossible to say;
+but it was certain they meditated no violence for the present, only
+wishing to hold her simply as a prisoner.  Was there danger of her
+escape they would not have hesitated to kill her, it being considered
+one of the greatest reproaches that can be cast in a Shawnee face to
+accuse him of having lost a prisoner.
+
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock was too thoroughly loyal for her to be
+suspected of any disposition to aid the prisoner in escape; and
+whatever might be the wishes of Hans Vanderbum, he was too stupid and
+lazy to be taken into account.
+
+Miss Prescott, accordingly, was installed in their lodge, where the
+first day was passed without anything of note occurring, save the
+discovery, on her part, of the total hopelessness of escape, without
+the assistance of friends.  There was but one entrance to the lodge,
+of barely sufficient width to afford the passage of Hans Vanderbum's
+body, and the sides of the wigwam were too strong and firm for
+her to think either of piercing or breaking them.  Added to this,
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock at night laid herself directly before
+this entrance, compelling Hans Vanderbum to lie down beside her, so
+that their united width was some four or five feet--rather too long a
+step to be taken by the girl without danger of awaking her jailers.
+When we add that Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock's slumbers were so light
+that the least noise awakened her, and that Miss Prescott never lay
+down to sleep without having her ankles bound together, no more need be
+said to convince the reader that the ingenuity of her captors could not
+have made her situation more secure.  Nevertheless, Hans Vanderbum
+managed to convey enough to her to keep hope alive in her breast, and
+to convince her that it would not be long before some enterprise for
+her freedom would be attempted by her friends.
+
+On the second morning of her captivity, Hans Vanderbum awoke at an
+unusually early hour, and the first thought that entered his mind was
+that he had an appointment with Oonomoo, the Huron; for it is a fact,
+to which all will bear witness, that, by fixing our thoughts upon any
+particular time in the night, with a determined intensity, we are sure
+to awaken at that moment.  Thus it was that he arose before his spouse;
+but his step awakened her.
+
+"What's the matter, Hans?  Are you sick?" she asked, with considerable
+solicitude.
+
+"No, my dear, good Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, I feels so goot as,
+ever, but I t'inks te mornin' air does me goot, so I goes out to got a
+little."
+
+No objection being interposed, he sauntered carelessly forth, taking a
+direction that would lead him to the spot where he had held the
+interview with the Huron upon the previous day.  He walked slowly, for
+it lacked considerable of the hour which had been fixed upon for the
+meeting, and, knowing the mathematical exactitude with which his friend
+kept his appointments, he had no desire to reach the spot in advance.
+
+"I doeshn't wish to hurry, so I t'inks I will rest myself here, and den
+when----"
+
+Hans was prevented any further utterance, by some heavy body striking
+his shoulders with such force that he was thrown forward upon his face,
+and his hat smashed over his eyes.
+
+"Mine Gott! vot made tat tree fall on me?" he exclaimed, endeavoring to
+crawl from beneath what he supposed to be the trunk of an immense oak
+which he had noticed towering above him.  This belief was further
+strengthened by a glimpse which he caught of a heavy branch upon the
+ground.
+
+"Hebens, golly! dat you, ole swill-barrel?" greeted his ears; and he
+picked his hat and himself up at the same time, to see the negro, Cato,
+lying on the ground, with his heels high up in the air.
+
+"Dunder and blixen! who are you?" inquired Hans, more astonished than
+ever.  "Did you drop down out te clouds?"
+
+"Yah! yah! yah! what makes you fink so, old hogsit, eh?  No, sir-ee!
+I's Mr. Cato, a nigger gentleman of Mr. Capting Prescott."
+
+The large eyes of the Dutchman grew larger as he proceeded.  "Vot makes
+you falls on mine head, eh?"
+
+"I's up in de tree a-takin' ob obserwashuns, when jis' as you got down
+hyar, de limb broke, and down I comes.  Much obleege fur yer bein' so
+kind fur to stand under and breaks my fall."
+
+"And breaks mine own neck, too, eh?"
+
+"Who might be you wid your big bread-basket?" inquired Cato, still
+lying upon his back and kicking up his heels.
+
+"Me?  I's Hans Vanderbum, dat pelongs to Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
+
+Cato grew sober in an instant.  He had heard Lieutenant Canfield
+mention this man's name in conversation with the Huron, and suspected
+at once that he was to perform a part in the day's work.
+
+"You're Hans Vanderbum, eh?  I've heerd Massa Canfield and Mister
+Oonymoo speak of you."
+
+"Yaw, I'm him.  Where am dey?"
+
+"Ain't fur off.  I lef 'em sleepin'; and come out for to see whedder
+dar war any Injines crawlin' round in de woods, and I didn't see none
+but you, and you ain't an Injine."
+
+The appointed hour for the meeting between Hans Vanderbum and Oonomoo
+having arrived, the Dutchman added:
+
+"He ish to meet me 'bout dis time or leetles sooner, and, so we both
+goes togedder mit each oder, so dat we won't bees alone."
+
+"All right; go ahead, Mr. Hansderbumvan; I'm behind you," said Cato,
+taking his favorite position in the rear.
+
+Several hundred yards further and Hans recognized the wished-for spot.
+He had hardly reached it, when a light step was heard, and the next
+moment Lieutenant Canfield and the Huron stood in his presence.
+
+"Brudder comes in good time," said the latter, extending his hand.
+
+"Yaw; Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock showed me de way to do dat,"
+replied Hans, shaking hands with the young Lieutenant also.  The latter
+expressed some surprise at seeing Cato present, saying that he had
+congratulated himself upon being well rid of him.  The negro explained
+his departure upon the grounds of his extreme solicitude for the safety
+of his friends.  The conversation between Hans and the Huron was now
+carried on in the Shawnee tongue.
+
+"How does matters progress with my brother?"
+
+"Very good; the gal is in my wigwam."
+
+"What does she there?"
+
+"Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock has charge of her."
+
+"That is good."
+
+"I don't know about that, Oonomoo; I think it couldn't be much worse;
+for Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock has got a bad temper, if she is the
+same shape all the way down."
+
+"It is good, my brother.  We will have the captive when the sun comes
+up again in the sky."
+
+"How are you going to get her?"
+
+"Give Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock this drug," said the Huron, handing
+him a dark, waxy substance.
+
+"Dunder! ish it pizen?" asked Hans, in English.
+"Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock will kill me deat if I pizen her."
+
+"It will not kill her; it will only put her in a sleep from which she
+will awake after a few hours."
+
+"Quanonshet and Madokawandock will have to take it too, for they don't
+sleep any more than she does."
+
+"There is enough for all.  To-day mix this with that which the squaw
+and Quanonshet and Madokawandock shall eat, and when it grows dark they
+will sleep and not awaken till the morrow's sun."
+
+"And what of the gal?"
+
+"When the moon rises above that tree-top yonder, cut the bonds that
+bind her, and lead her through the woods to this place.  Here Oonomoo
+will take her and conduct her to her friends in the settlement."
+
+From this point the Indian dialect was dropped for intelligible English.
+
+"And vot will become of me?" asked Hans Vanderbum, in considerable
+alarm.  "When Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock wakes up and finds te gal
+gone, she will t'inks I done it, and den--den--den--"  The awful
+expression of his countenance spoke more eloquently than any words, of
+the consequences of such a discovery and suspicion upon the part of his
+spouse.
+
+"Take some self when git back--go to sleep--squaw wake up first."
+
+Hans' eyes sparkled as he took in the beauty of the scheme prepared by
+the Huron.  The arrangement was now explained to Lieutenant Canfield,
+who could but admire the sagacity and foresight of his Indian friend,
+that seemed to understand and provide against every emergency.  It was
+further explained to Hans that he was to manage to give the drug to his
+wife and children several hours before sunset, as its effects would not
+be perceptible for fully four hours, and that he was to take a small
+quantity himself about dusk, to avert the consequences of his
+philanthrophy.  Lieutenant Canfield admonished him to be cautious in
+his movements, and to take especial pains with his charge after leaving
+his lodge, in order to avoid discovery from the sleepless Shawnees.
+The situation of Hans' wigwam was fortunate indeed, as he ran little
+risk of discovery if he used ordinary discretion after leaving it.
+
+Everything being arranged, Hans Vanderbum took his departure, and
+Oonomoo, the soldier and negro commenced the long, weary hours of
+waiting.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+THE EXPLOIT OF HANS VANDERBUM.
+
+
+      God forgive me,
+  (Marry and amen!) how sound is she asleep!
+          --ROMEO AND JULIET.
+
+
+Hans Vanderbum loitered on his way back to the village, to avoid giving
+the impression to any who might chance to see him that there was
+anything unusual upon his mind.  The precious substance handed to him
+by the Huron--a sort of gum--he wrapped in a leaf and stowed away in
+his bosom, guarding it with the most jealous care.  Upon it depended
+his hopes for the success of his cherished scheme.
+
+After several hours' intense thought, he decided upon his programme of
+action.  He would go fishing about the middle of the forenoon, giving
+his wife to understand that he would be back with what he had caught in
+time for dinner, so that she would rely upon him for that meal; but,
+instead of doing so, he would keep out of sight until toward night, by
+which time he rightly concluded his spouse and children would be so
+ravenously hungry that they would devour the fish without noticing any
+peculiar taste about them.
+
+It was also necessary to place Miss Prescott on her guard against
+eating them, as it would seriously inconvenience him if she should fall
+into a deadly stupor at the very time when she would most need her
+senses.  All this was not definitively provided for until a long time
+after his return to his wigwam.
+
+The more fully to carry out his plans, Hans feigned sickness shortly
+after his return, so that Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, who really had
+a sort of affection for him, allowed him to remain inside, while she
+busied herself with the corn-planting.  This was the very opportunity
+for which Hans longed, and he lost no time in improving it.
+
+"I've see'd Oonomoo," said he, by way of introduction.
+
+"Have you, indeed?" and the countenance of Miss Prescott became radiant
+with hope.
+
+"Yaw; see'd somebody else, too."
+
+The deep crimson that suffused the beautiful captive's face, even to
+the very temples, showed the stolid Dutchman that it was not necessary
+for him to mention the other person's name.
+
+"Yaw; see'd him, too."
+
+"And what did he say?"
+
+"Didn't say much, only grin and laughed.  De dunderin' nigger liked to
+kill me."
+
+Miss Prescott was dumbfounded to hear her lover spoken of in this
+manner.
+
+"Why, what do you mean, my friend?  Why do you speak of him in that
+manner?"
+
+"He jumped down out of a tree on top of mine head, and nearly mashed it
+down lower dan my shoulders.  Den he rolled round, kicked up his heels
+and laughed at me."
+
+"Of whom are you speaking?  Lieutenant Can--"
+
+"A big nigger dat called himself Cato."
+
+"Oh, I thought--" and the embarrassed girl covered her face to hide her
+confusion and disappointment.
+
+"See'd him too," said Hans, pleasantly.
+
+"Who?"
+
+"Lieutenant Canfield," he whispered.
+
+"Where is he? what did he say? when shall I see him?  Oh! do not keep
+me in suspense."
+
+"De Huron Injin, him and anoder nigger am out in de woods waitin' for
+de night to come, when I'm goin' for to take you out to dem."
+
+"But Keeway--your wife?"
+
+"Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock?  Yaw, she mine frow; been
+married six--seven years.  Nice name dat.  Know what
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock means?"
+
+"No, I have never heard," replied Miss Prescott, thinking it best to
+humor the whims of her friend.
+
+"It means de 'Lily dat am de Same Shape all de Way Down,' which am her.
+What you ax?"
+
+"But will your Lily allow me to depart?"
+
+"Dat am what I'm going for to tell you.  I'm going fishing purty soon,
+and won't be back till de arternoon.  When I come back we'll have fish
+for supper.  De Huron Injin give me something for to put in de fish,
+dat will put mine frow and de little ones to sleep, so dat dey won't
+wake up when we go out de wigwam."
+
+"And I suppose you do not wish me to eat of them?"
+
+"No, for you'd get to sleep too, den I shall have to carry you."
+
+"There is no danger of my having much appetite after what you have told
+me."
+
+"Den you won't forget.  Remembers dat--I t'inks I feels better."
+
+Hans Vanderbum caught a glimpse of his amiable wife in the door of his
+lodge at this moment, which was the cause of the sudden change in his
+conversation.  Suiting his action to his words, he arose and said:
+
+"I t'inks I feels better, Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, and guesses I
+go fishing."
+
+"I guess you might as well."
+
+"Mine dear frow, shust gits te line and bait, while I lights mine pipe."
+
+His wife complied, and a few minutes later Hans Vanderbum sallied forth
+fully equipped for duty.  He did not forget to tell his partner several
+times not to prepare dinner until his return, and she also promised
+this, from some cause or other, she being in a far better humor than
+usual.
+
+The demon of mischief seemed to possess Quanonshet and Madokawandock
+that day.  In making his way to the "fishing-grounds," he was tripped
+so often that he began to wonder what could possibly be the reason for
+it.  He stooped down to examine his path.
+
+"Dat ish funny de way dat grass grows.  Dat bunch on dat side has
+growed over and met dat bunch on de oder side, and den dey've growed
+togedder in one big knot, and den I catches mine foot under and tumbles
+down.  Dat ish funny for te grass to grow dat way."
+
+The innocent man did not once suspect that his boys had anything to do
+with this peculiar growth of the grass, although, had he looked behind
+him, he would have seen their dirty, grinning faces as they rolled upon
+the grass in ecstasies at his perplexity.
+
+After several more tumbles, Hans Vanderbum reached his favorite log,
+and crawled out like a huge turtle to the further extremity.  The
+exciting adventure which was before him occupied his thoughts so
+constantly that the mischievous propensities of his children never once
+entered his head, until the log suddenly snapped off at its trunk, and
+left him struggling in the water.  Reaching the land with considerable
+difficulty after this second mishap, he concluded that Quanonshet and
+Madokawandock were still living, and had lately visited that
+neighborhood.
+
+By noon, he had collected a goodly quantity of fish, and fearful that
+if he delayed his return much longer, his wife would come in search of
+him, he proceeded some distance down the bank, and concealed himself
+beneath a large clump of bushes, continuing his piscatorial labors as
+heretofore.  His precaution proved timely and prudent, for he had
+hardly ensconsed himself in his new position, when he caught a glimpse
+of Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock through the branches, and shrunk
+further out of sight.  From his secure hiding-place, the valorous
+husband watched her proceedings.  He saw her brow "throned with
+thunder," as she strode hastily forward, the blank, dismayed
+expression, as she witnessed the destruction of his favorite perch, the
+anxious haste with which she examined the shore to discover whether he
+had emerged or not, the relief that lit up her countenance as she
+learned the truth, and, at length, the first expression, so boding and
+potent in its meaning, that he lay down on the ground and dare not look
+at her again.  When he cautiously raised his head, she had disappeared,
+and with a sigh of relief, he resumed his line.
+
+The slow, weary hours wore on, and finally the sun was half-way down
+the horizon.  Hans Vanderbum's heart gave a big throb as he started on
+his return to the village.  In spite of the exciting drama that was now
+commencing, and in which he was to play such a prominent part, the most
+vivid picture that presented itself to him was his irate wife, waiting
+at the wigwam to pounce upon him, and he could not force the dire
+consequences of his temerity from his mind.
+
+Slowly and tremblingly he approached the lodge, but saw none of its
+inmates.  The profound silence filled him with an ominous misgiving.
+He paused and listened.  Not a breath was audible.  He stepped softly
+forward and cautiously peered in.  He saw Miss Prescott apparently
+asleep in one corner, and his wife trimming the fire.  Hans hesitated a
+moment, and no pen can describe or artist depict the shivering horror
+with which he stepped within the lodge.  His heart beat like a
+trip-hammer, and when his wife lifted her dark eyes upon him, he nearly
+fainted from excess of terror.  Great was his amazement, therefore,
+when, instead of rebukes and blows, she came smilingly forward and
+asked:
+
+"Has my husband been sick?"
+
+That question explained everything.  Believing him to be sick, her
+feelings were not of wrath, but of solicitude.  Hans wiped the
+perspiration from his forehead and, hardly conscious of what he was
+doing, replied:
+
+"B'lieves I didn't feel very much well--kinder empty in de stomach as
+dough I'd like to have dinner."
+
+"You shall have it at once."
+
+Now, to insure the success of Hans Vanderbum's plans, it was necessary
+that he should cook the fish, in order that he might find opportunity
+to mix the gum with it; but the wife, out of pure kindness refused to
+allow this.  He was taken all aback at this unfortunate slip in his
+programme.  By resorting again to intense thought, he hit upon an
+ingenious plan to outwit her, even at this disadvantage.  The children
+needed no commands to remain out doors.
+
+The food was nicely cooking, when Hans started up as if alarmed.
+
+"What's the matter?" inquired his wife.
+
+"I t'inks I hears some noise outside.  Hadn't you better goes out, my
+dear, good, kind Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, and see vot it is?"
+
+The obliging woman instantly darted forward, and Hans proceeded to his
+task with such trembling eagerness that there was danger of its
+failure.  First flattening the gum between his thumb and finger, he
+dropped it upon one of the fish, where it instantly dissolved like
+butter.  He was busy stirring this, when his partner entered.
+
+"Good man," said she; "kind to Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
+
+Hans Vanderbum felt as if he were the greatest monster upon earth thus
+to deceive his trusting wife, and there was a perceptible tremor in his
+voice, as he replied:
+
+"I will tends to de fish."
+
+He saw that the gum had united thoroughly with the food, and then with
+a flushed face, he resigned his place to his wife.  The dinner, or more
+properly the supper, was soon completed, when Hans concluded that he
+was too unwell to eat anything.  The squaw was somewhat surprised when
+Miss Prescott, after being awakened from a feigned sleep, turned her
+head away from the tempting food in disgust.
+
+"You sick too?" she asked.
+
+"No--no--no," shutting her eyes and turning her back upon her.
+
+"I wouldn't coax her to eat, my good, dear frow," said Hans.  "Let de
+little Dutchmen eat it; dey're hungry enough."
+
+In answer to a shrill call, Quanonshet and Madokawandock came tumbling
+in, and fell upon the food like a couple of wolves.  After two or three
+mouthfuls they stopped and smacked their lips as if there was something
+peculiar in the taste of their fish, and Hans' heart thumped as he saw
+the mother do the same.  To forestall any inquiries, he remarked that
+he had caught the fish in another portion of the stream, and perhaps
+they might taste bitter, but he guessed "dey was all right."  This
+satisfied them, and in a few minutes more there was nothing left but a
+few bones.  Thus far all went well.
+
+As the sun descended in the western sky, and the magnificent American
+twilight gathered upon the forest and river, the excited Hans Vanderbum
+could scarcely conceal his impatience and anxiety.  Never before, since
+his marriage, had he been in such a predicament, and never again, he
+hoped, would he feel the misery that was now torturing him.  Time
+always passes wearily to the watcher.  It seemed an age to him ere the
+sun slipped down behind the wilderness out of sight.  At length,
+however, the dusk of early evening enveloped the lodge, and shortly
+after Quanonshet and Madokawandock came in, and dropping down fell
+almost immediately asleep.
+
+To expedite matters, Hans Vanderbum feigned slumber, but he kept one
+eye upon the movements of his wife.  He marked her listless, absent
+air, and he could scarcely conceal his joy when she stretched herself
+in front of the door, without speaking or ordering him to lie beside
+her, as was her usual custom.  Five minutes later, she was as
+unconscious as though she were never to wake again.  To make "assurance
+doubly sure," he waited full half an hour without moving.  Then he
+raised his head, and called in a whisper to Miss Prescott:
+
+"I say dere."
+
+"Well! what is it?" she responded, rising.
+
+"You ishn't ashleep bees you?"
+
+"No, I am ready."
+
+"Well, I guesses it bees purty near times."
+
+"Are they all sound asleep--your Lily and children?"
+
+"Yaw, dey's won't wake if you pound 'em."
+
+"Would it not be best to take a look outside and see whether there is
+any danger of our being discovered?"
+
+"Yaw--I finks so."
+
+In passing out, Hans trod upon the outstretched arm of his wife, but
+her sleep was so sound that she did not awaken.  The situation of the
+lodge was such that all the Shawnees visible were upon one side of it,
+so that the chances of discovery were comparatively slight, if the
+least precaution was used.  Appearing at the entrance of the wigwam,
+without entering, he motioned for the captive to come out.  She arose,
+stepping cautiously and carefully, and when she found herself in the
+open air once more, with the cool night-wind blowing upon her fevered
+cheek, she almost fainted from excessive emotion.
+
+"Come, now, walks right behind me, and if you sees--dunder and blixen!
+dere comes an Injin!"
+
+The girl had caught a glimpse of two shadowy figures, and without
+thought, she did the wisest possible thing for her to do under the
+circumstances.  Springing back within the lodge, she reseated herself
+beyond the form of her prostrate sentinel, and waited for them to pass.
+
+"How do you do, brother?" asked one of them, in the Shawnee tongue, as
+they halted.  "How gets along our prisoner?"
+
+"Pretty good; she is in de lodge."
+
+"She is safe in the hands of Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, but I will
+look in."  The savage stepped to the entrance and merely glanced
+inside.  The darkness was so great that he saw nothing but the figure
+of the squaw before him, and he and his companion passed on.  The
+captive waited until she was sure they were beyond sight and hearing,
+and then she stepped forth again.
+
+"Let us hurry," said she, eagerly.  "There may be others near."
+
+"Yaw, but don't push me over on mine nose."
+
+"Oh! if she awakes, or we are seen!"
+
+"She won't do dat.  She shleeps till morning, and bimeby I shleeps too,
+and won't wake up afore she does."
+
+"Be careful, be careful, my good friend, and do not linger so," said
+the girl, nearly beside herself with excitement, "and let us stop
+talking."
+
+"Yaw, I bees careful!  I ain't talking.  It bees you all de time dat is
+making de noise.  I knows better dan for to make noise, when dey might
+hear.  Doesn't you fink I does?"
+
+"Yes, yes, yes."
+
+"I'm glad dat you t'inks so.  I knowed a gal once; she was a good 'eal
+like you; Annie Stanton was her name; she had a feller dat was a good
+'eal like de Lieutenant, and dey didn't t'ink I knowed much, but dey
+found dey was mistaken.  Don't you b'lieve dey did?"
+
+"Yes, yes--but you are talking all the while."
+
+"Dat ish so--I doesn't talk no more."
+
+Finally, the impression reached the brain of Hans Vanderbum that he was
+making rather more noise than was prudent, and he resolutely sealed his
+lips--so resolutely that, being compelled to breathe through his
+nostrils, Miss Prescott feared that the noise thus made was more
+dangerous than had been his indulgence in conversation.  She endeavored
+to warn him, but he firmly refused to hear, waddling ahead, his huge
+form stumbling and lumbering forward like a young elephant just
+learning to walk.  The moon being directly before them, his massive
+shoulders were clearly outlined against the sky, when the woods were
+open enough to permit an unobstructed entrance to its light.  A dozen
+yards from the wigwam, and the two were clear of the Shawnee village,
+their only danger being from any wandering Indian whom they might
+chance to meet.  They had gone perhaps a quarter of a mile, when the
+captive's heart nearly stopped beating as she saw the hand of a savage
+outlined against the sky.  As she observed that he was steadily
+approaching, she halted and was debating whether or not to dart off in
+the woods, and depend upon herself for safety, when Hans spoke:
+
+"Dat you, Oonomoo?"
+
+"Yeh--'tis me."  The quick eye of the Huron had caught a glimpse of the
+girl behind the Dutchman, and he now came up and addressed her:
+
+"Is my friend 'fraid?"
+
+"No, no; thank Heaven! is that you, my good, kind Oonomoo?" asked the
+girl, reeling forward, until sustained by the gentle grasp of the
+Indian.
+
+"Yeh--me take care of you.  Here somebody else--t'ink he know how
+better--guess like him, too."  She caught a glimpse of another form as
+the savage spoke in his jesting manner.  She needed nothing more to
+assure her of its identity.  Lieutenant Canfield came forward, and
+placing one arm around her waist, and drawing her fervently to him, he
+said:
+
+"Oh! my _dear_ Mary, I am so glad to see you again.  Are you unharmed?"
+
+"Not a hair of my head has been injured.  And how is my dear father and
+mother and sister Helen?"
+
+"Your father was perfectly well and in good spirits when I left him a
+few days since, and as he knows nothing of this calamity, there is no
+reason for believing it is any different with him.  Your mother and
+sister I think know nothing of this, although I fear their
+apprehensions must be excited."
+
+"I trust I shall soon be with them, and oh! I pray----"
+
+"I's gettin' shleepy," suddenly exclaimed Hans Vanderbum.
+
+"Take gum?"
+
+"Yaw; took much as Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
+
+"Git sleep soon--go back--don't wake up."
+
+"Yaw, I will."  And before any one could speak, Hans was lumbering
+through the bushes and woods on his way back to his lodge, fearful that
+if he delayed he would fall asleep.  It was the wish of Lieutenant
+Canfield to thank him for his kindness to his betrothed, and the
+latter, very grateful for his honest friendship, intended to assure him
+of it, but his hasty exit prevented.
+
+The gum of which Hans Vanderbum had partaken, began soon to have a
+perceptible effect.  He stumbled forward against the bushes and trees,
+blinking and careless of what he did, until he reached the door of his
+wigwam.  Here he summoned all his energies, and, stepping carefully
+over his wife, lay down beside her, and almost immediately was asleep.
+
+As might be expected, the wife was the first to awaken.  So profound
+had been her sleep that the forenoon of the next day was fully half
+gone before she opened her eyes, and then it required a few minutes to
+regain entire possession of her faculties.  Looking around, she saw the
+inanimate forms of her children, and close beside her the unconscious
+Hans Vanderbum, and, horror of horrors, the captive was gone!  She was
+now thoroughly awakened.  With a shrill scream she sprung to her feet.
+Giving her husband several violent kicks, and shouting his name, she
+ran outside to arouse the Shawnees, and set them upon the track, if it
+was not already too late.  Hans opened one eye, and, seeing how matters
+stood, he shut it again, to ruminate upon the story he should tell to
+the pressing inquiries of his friends, and, in a few minutes, he had
+prepared everything to his satisfaction.  Five minutes later he heard a
+dull thumping upon the ground, and the next minute the lodge was filled
+with Shawnees.  Sharp yells--the signals of alarm--could be heard in
+every quarter, even as far distant as the river.  All seemed centering
+toward one spot.  In answer to repeated shoutings, and kicks, and
+twitches of the hair, Hans opened his big, blue eyes, and stared around
+him with an innocent, wondering look.
+
+"Where's the girl?  Where's the pale-faced captive?" demanded several,
+including his wife.
+
+"Ober dere; (pointing to her usual resting-place; and then, discovering
+her absence) no, dunder and blixen, she isn't."
+
+"You helped her away in the night.  We saw you when the moon was up
+standing in the lodge."  His accuser was the Indian who had peered into
+the lodge the night before.
+
+"Mine Gott! dat Huron, Oonomoo, has got her!"  The name of the famous
+scout was familiar to all, and called forth a general howl of fury.
+Understanding that it was expected he should give some explanation, he
+said: "I see'd de Injin last night, and he gived me something dat he
+said I musht eat and mix wid my fish.  I done so, and it made me, and
+Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, and Quanonshet and Madokawandock go to
+shleep, and shust now we wakes up and de gal ain't here!"
+
+This brief, concise statement was generally believed, all knowing the
+trustful, verdant nature of the Dutchman, and there was a general
+clearing of the wigwam, for the purpose of ascertaining which direction
+the Huron had taken; but they met with no success, as the woods were so
+thoroughly trodden by numerous feet, that it was impossible to
+distinguish any particular trail.  One or two Shawnees, however, were
+not satisfied with what Hans had said, and, after making several more
+inquiries, they remarked:
+
+"Oonomoo, the Huron, is a brave Indian, but could not enter the Shawnee
+lodges unless the door was opened from within.  Our white brother----"
+
+Hans' wife sprung up like a catamount, whose young were attacked.  "You
+say my brave Hans let her go, eh?  My brave warriors, I will show you,"
+she exclaimed, springing at them in such a perfect fury that they tore
+out of the wigwam and were seen no more.
+
+"My _dear_ Hans."
+
+"My _dear, good_ Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock! de same shape all de
+way down."
+
+And the loving wife and husband embraced with all the fervor of
+youthful lovers.  And locked thus together, trusting, contented and
+happy, we take our final leave of them.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+A NEW DANGER.
+
+
+      Tis too late
+  To crush the hordes who have the power and will
+  To rob thee of thy hunting-grounds and fountains,
+  And drive thee backward to the Rocky Mountains.--EDWARD SANFORD.
+
+
+The moon was now well up in the sky, although it was still
+comparatively early in the night.  It was hardly possible that the
+escape of Miss Prescott could be discovered before morning, yet the
+Huron was too prudent not to guard against the most remote probability,
+by taking up their march at once in a direct line for the settlement.
+The eight or ten hours of unmolested travel that were before them, were
+amply sufficient to place all beyond danger, at least from the Shawnees
+who had just been left behind.  Taking the lead, as usual, he proceeded
+at a moderate walk, timing his progress to the endurance of the maiden
+with him, still keeping the impatient Cato behind.
+
+"I say, Oonomoo," called out Lieutenant Canfield, in a suppressed
+voice, "suppose Miss Prescott and myself should indulge in
+conversation, would you have any objection?"
+
+"No--don't care--talk sweet--talk love--so no one hear but gal--gal
+talk low, sweet, so no one but him hear," returned the Indian,
+pleasantly.
+
+Falling a rod or so in the rear, the Lieutenant took the willing hand
+of his betrothed, and said:
+
+"Tell me, dear Mary, of your captivity--of all that happened to you
+since they took you from your home."
+
+The girl proceeded to relate what is already known to the reader,
+adding that but for the friendship of Hans Vanderbum and Oonomoo, she
+never would have hoped to escape from her captivity.
+
+"The Dutchman is a stupid, honest-hearted fellow, whose heart is in the
+right place, and the Huron has endeared himself to hundreds of hearts
+by his self-sacrificing devotion in their hour of affliction."
+
+"What possible motive could influence him to risk his life in my
+rescue?"
+
+"His own nature.  He has been with those holy men, the Moravians, and
+he is, what is so rarely seen, a Christian Indian.  But, he has been
+thus friendly to the whites for many years.  The Shawnees inflicted
+some great injury upon him.  What it was I do not know.  I have heard
+that his father was a chief, and, while Oonomoo was still a boy, he was
+broken of his chiefdom, and both he and his wife inhumanly massacred.
+This is the secret of his deadly hostility to that tribe, and, I am
+told, that among the _scores and scores_ of scalps which grace his
+lodge, there is not one which has not been torn from the head of a
+Shawnee.  But for a year or two, he has refrained from scalping his
+foes, and he has killed none except in honorable warfare."
+
+"Has he a wife and family?"
+
+"He has a wife and son, and his lodge is deep in the forest, no one
+knows where.  Its location is so skillfully chosen that it has baffled
+all search for years.  His wife, I have been told, has been a sincere
+Christian from childhood, and her piety and faithfulness have had a
+good influence on him."
+
+"He is a noble man, and my dear father will reward him for this."
+
+"No, he will not.  Oonomoo has never accepted a reward for his services
+and never will.  Presents and mementoes have been showered upon him,
+but his proud soul scorns anything like payment for his services.  Do
+you suppose that _I_ could ever remunerate him for the happiness he has
+brought _me_?" asked the Lieutenant, pressing the hand of his beloved.
+
+"I am sure my joy is very great, too.  Oh! how my dear mother and
+sister must have agonized over this calamity."
+
+"They probably have known nothing of it."
+
+"But you say you saw the light of the fire, and you were fully as far
+off as they."
+
+"It is true, but I had not the remotest suspicion of its being your
+home.  It seems unlikely that your mother should have suspected the
+truth, as she had every reason to believe the Indians were friendly to
+your family."
+
+"They must have seen the illumination in the sky, and, knowing the
+location of our home so well, they could but have their worst
+apprehensions aroused."
+
+"If such indeed be the case, let us congratulate ourselves that we are
+so soon to undeceive them."
+
+"I am glad that father cannot possibly hear of this until he is assured
+of our safety."
+
+"I am not so sure of that.  When I left, the chances were that he might
+follow me almost immediately on a visit to the block-house at the
+settlement, and from what I heard I am pretty certain that if he has
+not already been, he soon will be appointed to the command of the
+garrison at that place.  It is not at all impossible that he may be in
+charge of it this very minute."
+
+"We will reach there to-morrow, when, as you said, their anxiety will
+be relieved, although it will be no trifling loss to father when he
+finds his house and all his possessions destroyed by the savages."
+
+"But, as nothing when weighed in the balance with his loved child."
+
+"And then the poor servants!  Oh! what an awful sight to see them
+tomahawked when praying for mercy."
+
+"And, I am told, by their only survivor, Cato there, that none implored
+so earnestly for them as did you yourself, never once asking for your
+own life, which was in such peril."
+
+"I thought that I might accomplish something for them, but it was
+useless.  Cato only escaped, and it was Providence, alone, that saved
+him."
+
+"What ye 'scussin' ob my name for?" called out the negro, who had
+caught a word or two of the last remark.
+
+"Stop noise," commanded Oonomoo, peremptorily.
+
+"Hebens, golly! ain't dem two talkin', and can't I frow in an
+obserwashun once in a while, eh?"
+
+"Dey love--talk sweet--you nigger and don't love!"
+
+"Oh, dat's de difference, am it?  Well, den, I forefwif proceeds all
+for to cease making remarks.  But before ceasing altogever, I will
+obsarve that you are a pretty smart feller, Oonymoo, and I hain't see'd
+de Shawnee Injine yet dat knows as much as your big toe.  Hencefofe I
+doesn't say noffin more;" and the negro held strict silence for a
+considerable time.
+
+Lieutenant Canfield and Miss Prescott conversed an hour or so longer,
+in tones so low that they were but a mere murmur to the Huron, and then
+as the forest grew more tangled and gloomy, their words became fewer in
+number, until the conversation gradually ceased altogether.
+
+The party were walking thus silently, when they reached a portion of
+the wood where, for a short distance, it was perfectly open, as if it
+had been totally swept over by a tornado.  In this they were about
+entering, when, brought in relief against the moon-lit sky beyond, the
+form of an Indian was seen standing as motionless as a statue.  At
+first sight, the form appeared gigantic in its proportions, but a
+second glance showed that instead of being a man it was a mere boy.  He
+stood in the attitude of listening, as if he had just caught the sound
+of the approaching company.
+
+The Huron, disdaining to draw his rifle upon such a foe, halted and
+looked steadily at him, while those in the rear, who had all discovered
+the savage, did the same, the negro's teeth chattering like a dice-box,
+as he fully believed him to be the advance-guard of an overwhelming
+force.  The boy standing thus a moment, sprung with the quickness of
+lightning to the cover of the trees.  As he did so, there was something
+about the movement which awakened the suspicion of Oonomoo, and without
+stirring, he gave utterance to a low, trilling whistle.  Instantly
+there came a similar response, and the boy appeared again to view,
+bounding forward quickly toward Oonomoo.
+
+"Niniotan."
+
+"Oonomoo."
+
+"What brings you thus far in the woods?"
+
+"_The Shawnees have discovered the home of Oonomoo!_"
+
+"And where is Fluellina?" demanded the Huron, starting as if stricken
+by a thunderbolt.
+
+"She is hid in the woods, waiting for Oonomoo."
+
+"Did she send Niniotan for him?"
+
+"She sent him this morning, and he searched the woods until now, when
+he found him in this opening."
+
+"When did Fluellina and my son leave their home on the island in the
+water?"
+
+"Last night, shortly after the moon had come above the tree-tops, they
+left in the canoe, and they went far before the morning light had
+appeared, when they dared not return."
+
+"And when saw you the Shawnees?"
+
+"Yesterday, after you had gone, a canoe-full of their warriors passed
+by the island in their canoe.  We saw them through the trees, and hid
+in the bushes until they had passed, and they searched until night for
+us."
+
+"Where is Fluellina hid?"
+
+"Close by the side of the stream which floats by the island, but many
+miles from it."
+
+"How long will it take Niniotan to guide Oonomoo there?"
+
+"Four or five hours.  The wood is open and clear from briers."
+
+"And are the Shawnees upon Fluellina's trail?"
+
+"If the eye of the Shawnee can follow the trail of the canoe, he has
+tracked us to the hiding-place."
+
+This conversation being carried on in the Huron tongue, of course the
+others failed to catch its meaning; but Lieutenant Canfield suspected,
+from the singularly hurried and excited manner of Oonomoo, that
+something unusual had occurred with him.  Never before had he seen him
+give way to his feelings, or speak in such loud, almost fierce tones.
+The soldier remained at a respectful distance, until the Huron turned
+his head and told him to approach.
+
+"Dis my son Niniotan," said he.  "He go wid us."
+
+"I am glad of his company I am sure.  Did you expect to meet him in
+this place?"
+
+"No--Fluellina, his mother, send him in big hurry to Oonomoo--been
+huntin' all day--jes' found us."
+
+"No trouble, I trust?"
+
+"Tell in de mornin'--mus' walk fas' now--don't talk much--git to
+settlement quick as can.  Take gal's hand--lead her fast."
+
+The soldier knew there must be cause for this haste of his friend, and
+acting upon the hint which he had given him to ask no further
+questions, he took the hand of Miss Prescott, and the party moved
+forward at a rapid walk.  Little did he suspect the true cause of the
+Huron's silence.  Knowing the solicitations that would be made by the
+soldier and the girl for him to leave them at once and attend to the
+safety of his wife, the noble Indian refrained from imparting the
+truth.  It was his intention to conduct his friends as far as possible
+during the night, that they might be beyond all danger, when,
+accompanied by his son, he would make all haste to his Fluellina, and
+carry her to some place beyond the reach of his inhuman foes.
+
+For fully eight hours, the little party hurried through the woods.
+Miss Prescott bore the fatigue much better than she expected.  Being
+strong, healthy, and accustomed to long rambles and sports in the open
+air, and having been so long inactive in the Shawnee village, the rapid
+walk for a long time was pleasant and exhilarating to her.  It sent the
+blood bounding through her glowing frame, and there being withal the
+spice of an unseen and unknown danger to spur her on, she was fully
+able to go twice the distance, when the Huron gave the order to halt.
+
+It was broad daylight and the sun was just rising.  They were several
+miles beyond the ruins of Captain Prescott's mansion, so that the
+settlement could be easily reached in a few hours more.  Oonomoo
+brought down a turkey with his rifle, dressed it, and had a fire
+burning with which to cook it.  This was accomplished in a short time
+under his skillful manipulations, and a hearty meal afforded to every
+one of the little company.  Lieutenant Canfield noticed that neither
+the Huron nor his son ate more than a mouthful or two, and he was now
+satisfied that the news brought by the latter was bad and
+disheartening.  He refrained, however, from referring to the subject
+again, well knowing that the Indian would tell him all that he thought
+proper, when the time arrived.
+
+They had just completed their meal, when Niniotan and Oonomoo started,
+raising their heads, as if something had caught their ears.  Listening
+a moment, the latter said:
+
+"Somebody comin'."
+
+"Hebens, golly! am it Injines?" asked Cato, looking around for some
+good place to hide.  The eyes of the soldier and Miss Prescott asked
+the same question, and the Huron replied:
+
+"Ain't Injins--walk too heavy--white men."
+
+"They must be friends then," exclaimed the girl, springing up and
+clapping her hands.
+
+"Dey're comin'--hear 'em."
+
+The dull tramp, tramp of men walking in regular file was distinctly
+audible to all, and while they listened, a clear, musical voice called
+out:
+
+"This way, boys, we've a long tramp before we reach that infernal
+Indian town."
+
+"Your father, as I live!" whispered the soldier to the girl beside him.
+The next moment, the blue uniform of an officer of the Federal army was
+distinguished through the trees, and the manly form of Captain
+Prescott, at the head of a file of a dozen men, came into full view.
+
+"Hello! what have we here?" he asked, suddenly stopping and looking at
+the company before him.  "Why there's Lieutenant Canfield as sure as I
+am alive, and if that ain't my dear little daughter yonder, I hope I
+may never lift my sword for Mad Anthony again.  And there's Oonomoo,
+the best red-man that ever pulled the trigger of a rifle, with a little
+pocket edition of himself, and grinning Cato too!  Why don't you come
+to the arms of your father, sis, and let him hug you?"
+
+This unexpected meeting with his loved daughter, when his worst fears
+were aroused for her safety, caused the revulsion of feeling in Captain
+Prescott, and his pleasantry is perhaps excusable when all the
+circumstances are considered.  The tears of joy coursed down the
+gray-headed soldier's cheeks as he pressed his cherished daughter to
+his bosom, and murmured, "God bless you!  God bless you!" while the
+hardy soldiers ranged behind him smiled, and several rubbed their eyes
+as if dust had gotten in them.
+
+"Is mother and sister well?" asked the daughter, looking up in her
+father's face.
+
+"Yes, well, but anxious enough about you."
+
+"Our house and place is destroyed forever."
+
+"Who cares, sis?  Who cares?  Haven't I you left?  Don't mention it."
+
+"But the servants!  All were killed except poor Cato there."
+
+"Ah! that is bad! that is bad!  I mourn them, poor fellows! poor
+fellows!  But I have my own darling child left! my own darling child!"
+and the overjoyed father again pressed his daughter to him.
+
+"But what am I about?" he suddenly asked, with a surprised look.  "I
+haven't spoken to the others here.  Lieutenant, allow me to
+congratulate you, sir, on this happy state of affairs.  I congratulate
+you, sir."
+
+Captain Prescott had a way of repeating his remarks, while his radiant
+face was all aglow with his hearty good-humor, that was irresistibly
+contagious in itself.  His jovial kindness won every heart, and he was
+almost idolized by his men.
+
+"A happy turn, indeed; but, Captain, I am somewhat surprised to see you
+here," said Lieutenant Canfield as he grasped the offered hand.
+
+"Ah! yes, I haven't explained that yet; but the fact is, Lieutenant,
+you hadn't been gone two hours--not two hours--when the General told me
+I was to take charge of the garrison at the settlement, where my wife
+and daughter now are.  I wasn't sorry to hear that--not sorry to hear
+that, and as you were to be Lieutenant, I didn't think it would be
+unpleasant to you either to be located so near our family--not
+unpleasant at all, eh, Lieutenant?"
+
+"Nothing, certainly, could be more agreeable to me," replied the
+gallant young fellow, blushing deeply at the looks which were turned
+upon him.
+
+"Glad to hear it! glad to hear it!  Well, sir, I started right
+off--right straight off, and tried my best to overtake you, but, bless
+me, I might as well have tried to run away from my own shadow, as to
+catch up with a young chap when he is in love.  I got to the settlement
+yesterday, toward night, and the first thing I heard was that my house
+had been burned, and my sweet little darling Mary there, either killed
+or carried off a prisoner.  I felt bad about that," added the Captain,
+wiping his eyes with his handkerchief, but smiling all the while, "yes,
+I won't deny I felt a little bad about that.  They had all seen the
+light from the settlement, and knowing the direction of my house, were
+pretty sure it was that.  But, to be certain, one of the men came out
+here yesterday, and found there was no mistake about it.  But the
+queerest part of the matter was, that all the people, the garrison
+especially, appeared to feel bad about it too--actually felt bad about
+it.  And when I asked for volunteers, they all sprung forward and
+insisted that they would go--insisted that they would go.  I picked out
+those twelve there--because they had all been in Indian fights and
+understood the country through which we would be compelled to go.  They
+are all good fellows, and perfect phenomena, if you may believe all
+they say--perfect phenomena.  You see that chap there, with the big
+mouth and crossed eyes.  Well, sir, he informs me that he has dined off
+a live Indian every morning for the last seventeen years, and is
+certain that he should pine away and die, if he should be deprived of
+his usual meal.  You see he is pretty nearly an Indian himself.  His
+hair is black as a savage's, and if he goes a few months longer without
+washing, he will have the war-paint all over his face.  That one
+standing beside him, with a nose like a hickory knot and with feet like
+flat-boats, calls himself 'half horse, half alligator, tipped with a
+wild-cat and touched with a painter.'  The rest are about the same, so
+that I have a good mind to march right into the Indian country on a
+campaign against the whole set that have been in this business--the
+whole set that have been in this business."
+
+The pleasant humor with which this sarcasm was uttered, made every man
+laugh and respect their commander the more.  They saw that while he
+rather disliked the extravagant boasting in which several of them had
+indulged, he still had great confidence in their skill and courage, as
+was shown by his selection of them for this perilous enterprise.
+
+"They are the right stuff," added the Captain.  "They ain't used to the
+drill, but they will soon understand that.  I had some trouble to keep
+them in line in the woods, as they couldn't exactly see the use, but
+they were doing first rate, when we came upon you--doing first rate.
+But, I declare, I haven't spoken to Oonomoo, there, I dare say he is at
+the bottom of this rescue.  He generally is--generally is."
+
+Stepping forward in front of the Huron, who with his son had stood
+silent and gloomy, he said, as he grasped his hand:
+
+"Oonomoo, receive the thanks of a delighted father for your kindness to
+his daughter.  Your repeated services have won you the gratitude of
+hundreds----"
+
+"Cap'n," said the Huron, speaking quickly and earnestly, "the Shawnees
+have found de lodge ob Oonomoo--his wife runnin' trough de woods--de
+Shawnees chasin' her--Oonomoo must go."
+
+"God bless me!  God bless me!" exclaimed Captain Prescott; "and here
+the noble-hearted fellow has been waiting a half-hour without saying a
+word, while my infernal tongue has been going all the time; that tongue
+will be the death of me yet.  Your wife is in danger, eh?  The ----
+Shawnees at their deviltry again here.  See here, men," said he,
+turning around, "Oonomoo's wife is in danger, and are we going to help
+her out or not, eh?  I want to know that.  Are we going to stand by and
+let him do it alone, when for twenty years he has worked night and day
+for us?"
+
+"NO!" responded every voice, in thunder tones.
+
+"I say, Captain, if I ain't counted in this muss, I'll never smile
+agin.  Freeze me to death on a stump, if I won't walk into their
+meat-houses in style, then my name ain't Tom Lannoch."
+
+"Jes' place me whar tha'll be some heads to crack, with gougin' and
+punchin' thrown in, and then count me in."
+
+"And hyer's Dick Smaddock, what----"
+
+"Order!" roared the Captain; "I'll arrange matters without any gabbing
+from you.  We are losing time.  As we are pretty near the settlement,
+and as there can be no danger between us and that, we will let the
+Lieutenant take my daughter home, while we go with Oonomoo to shoot
+Shawnees."
+
+"I must protest against that," said Lieutenant Canfield.  "If I thought
+there could possibly be any danger to Miss Mary, I would not think of
+deserting her; but surely there cannot be.  I, therefore, propose that
+Cato act as her guide, while all of us go to assist Oonomoo.  I could
+never forgive myself if I failed to requite the faithful Huron, in such
+a small degree, when the opportunity is given."
+
+The suggestion of the young soldier received the enthusiastic support
+of all; but, Captain Prescott, who could not bear the thought that his
+daughter should be placed in the least peril, selected one of his men,
+a bronzed border-ranger, who, accompanied by Cato, started at once for
+the settlement with her, which (we may as well remark here) was safely
+reached by them a few hours later.
+
+"The matter is all arranged then," said Captain Prescott, when he had
+selected the man who was to take charge of his daughter.  "We are now
+ready to follow you, Oonomoo."
+
+"Come quick, den--Oonomoo can't wait--leave his trail--all see it."
+
+As the Huron spoke, his son bounded off in the woods and dashed away
+like an arrow, while he followed him with such astonishing speed, that
+he almost instantly disappeared from sight.
+
+"God bless me! that's an original way of guiding us!" exclaimed the
+Captain, taken aback by the unexpected disappearance of the Indian.
+
+"The danger that threatens his wife is so imminent that he dare not
+wait for our tardy movements," said Lieutenant Canfield.  "He will
+leave a trail that your men can follow without the least difficulty,
+and, I trust, we may come up in time to prevent anything serious
+occurring to him and her.  His son joined him last night and brought
+the news of his misfortune to him, but the noble fellow, although his
+heart must have nearly burst within him, would not leave us until he
+was assured of your daughter's safety."
+
+"Noble chap! noble chap! he must be paid for such devotion.  Come, my
+boys, let us lose no time.  As you all understand the woods better than
+I do, I must select one of you to walk beside me and keep the trail in
+sight, while the rest of you must remember and not fall out of line.
+If a tree should stand in the way, just step around it, but don't lose
+the step.  There's nothing like discipline--nothing like discipline."
+
+The guide was selected, who took his station beside Captain Prescott,
+and the word was given and away they started in the wake of the flying
+Huron.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+CONCLUSION.
+
+
+    I leave the Huron shore
+    For emptier groves below!
+    Ye charming solitudes,
+    Ye tall ascending woods,
+  Ye glassy lakes and prattling streams.
+    Whose aspect still was sweet,
+    Whether the sun did greet,
+  Or the pale moon embrace you with her beams--
+        Adieu to all!
+    Adieu, the mountain's lofty swell,
+    Adieu, thou little verdant hill,
+  And seas, and stars, and skies, farewell!--P. FRENAU.
+
+
+Away started Niniotan like a fawn, his father following at a rate that
+kept both within a few feet of each other.  The densest portions of the
+wood seemed to offer them no impediments, as they glided like rabbits
+through them.  The boy trailed a rifle in his right hand with as much
+ease and grace as a full-grown warrior, and the speed which he kept up,
+mile after mile, seemed to have as little effect upon him as upon the
+indurated frame of his father.  The step of neither lagged, and their
+respiration was hardly quickened.  The dark eyes of Niniotan appeared
+larger, as if expanded with terror, and looked as if they were fixed
+upon some point, many leagues away in the horizon.  The habitual gloomy
+expression rested upon the face of Oonomoo, and it needed no skillful
+physiognomist to read the signs of an unusual emotion upon his swarthy
+countenance.  It was seen in the dark scowl, the glittering eye, and
+the compressed lip, although he spoke not a word until they had
+penetrated far into the forest.
+
+In something less than an hour, the swamp, in the interior of which was
+the Huron's lodge, was reached; but instead of taking the usual route
+to it, Niniotan diverged to the left, until they reached a portion of
+the creek that was less swampy in its character.  Running along its
+bank a few moments, the boy came upon a canoe, which he shoved into the
+water, and, springing into it, took his seat in front.  Oonomoo was
+scarce a second behind him.  The son pointed down-stream, and, dipping
+deep the paddle, the Huron sent the frail vessel forward at a velocity
+that was truly wonderful.  A half-mile at this rate, and a tributary of
+the creek--a brook, merely--was reached, up which the canoe shot with
+such speed, that a few minutes later it ran almost its entire length
+where the water was no more than an inch in depth.  Springing ashore,
+Niniotan darted off, closely followed by his father, until they reached
+a portion of the wood so dense that they paused.
+
+"Here was left Fluellina," said the boy, looking around at Oonomoo.
+The latter uttered his usual signal, a tremulous, thrilling whistle,
+similar to that by which he had made himself known to his child before,
+but he received no response.  Three times it was repeated with a
+considerable rest, when, like the faint echo far in the distance, came
+back the response.  The Huron was about to plunge into the thicket,
+when a sound caught his ear, and the next moment his wife was before
+him.  Neither spoke a word, until they had stood a few seconds in a
+fervent embrace, when Fluellina stepped back, and looking up in her
+husband's face, said: "The Shawnees have found our home and are now
+following me."
+
+The husband became the warrior on the instant.  His woodcraft told him
+that if his foes were searching for him and his, they would be in such
+force that he could not hope to combat with them; and the only plan,
+therefore, that offered him any safety was to fall back and meet his
+white friends at the earliest possible moment.  In reaching the creek,
+he had bent down the bushes, and broken the branches on the way so that
+his trail could be followed without difficulty.
+
+He now sped back to his canoe, which, when reached, he shoved into deep
+water, and ran a considerable distance before he deemed it best to
+enter.  Lifting Fluellina in his arms, he deposited her carefully in
+it.  Niniotan leaped after her, and the next moment they were going
+down the stream at a speed that seemed would tear the boat asunder
+every moment.  Debouching into the creek, the canoe rounded gracefully
+and went upward with undiminished velocity, until, in almost an
+incredible space, the point of embarkation was reached, when Oonomoo
+ran in and sprung ashore, followed instantly by his wife and son.
+
+The Huron had scarcely landed, when his quick ear detected a suspicious
+sound.  He glanced furtively around.  Nothing, however, was seen,
+although his apprehensions of the proximity of his foes had assumed a
+certainty.  Without pausing in the least, he instantly took the back
+trail, Fluellina being close behind him, and Niniotan bringing up the
+rear.  They had gone scarce a dozen steps when the Shawnee war-whoop
+was heard, and full a score of the red demons sprung up seemingly from
+the very ground, and plunged toward the fugitives.  Simultaneously
+several rifles were discharged, and Oonomoo, who had thrown himself in
+the rear of Fluellina upon the appearance of danger, knew by the sharp,
+needle-like twinges in different parts of his body, that he was
+severely wounded.  Flight was useless, and as he and his wife took
+shelter behind separate trees, he called to his son: "Niniotan, prove
+yourself a warrior, the son of Oonomoo, the Huron!"
+
+As quick as lightning, the youth was also sheltered, and his gun
+discharged.  A death-shriek from a howling Shawnee showed that the
+training of Oonomoo had not been thrown away.  The boy reloaded and
+waited his opportunity.
+
+The Shawnees, seeing they had driven their foe to the wall at last,
+prudently halted, as they were in no hurry to engage such a terrible
+being in a hand-to-hand contest, overwhelming as were their own odds.
+The Huron wisely held his fire, believing he could keep his enemies at
+bay much better by such means than by discharging it.  The great point
+with him was to defer the attack until the arrival of assistance, and
+he had strong hopes that he could succeed in doing it.
+
+Not Oonomoo's personal fear, but his excessive anxiety for the safety
+of Fluellina, induced him now to adopt a resort that was fatal in its
+consequences.  Knowing that Captain Prescott and his men could be at no
+great distance, he gave utterance to a loud, prolonged whoop, which he
+knew some of the rangers would recognize as a call for assistance, and
+consequently hasten to his aid.  Unfortunately, the Shawnees also
+understood the meaning of the signal, and satisfied that not a moment
+was to be lost, they boldly left their cover and advanced to the attack.
+
+The foremost of the approaching savages fell, shot through the heart by
+the rifle of young Niniotan, and almost at the same instant the one by
+his side had the ball of Oonomoo's rifle sent crashing through his
+brain.  The Huron now sprung to the side of his wife, and drawing his
+knife in his left, and his tomahawk in his right hand, he stood at bay!
+
+It was a scene worthy the inspired pencil of the artist.  The
+malignant, scowling Shawnees, steadily advancing upon the dauntless
+Huron, who, though his moccasins were soaked with the blood from his
+own wounds, stood as firm and immovable as the adamantine rock.  His
+left leg was thrown somewhat in advance of his right, as if he were
+about to spring, but in such a manner that his weight was perfectly
+balanced.  The knife was held firmly, but not as it would have been
+were he about to strike.  The tomahawk, however, was drawn back, as if
+he were only holding it a second, while he selected his victim.  His
+eyes! no imagination can conceive their fierce electric glitter as
+their burning gaze was fixed upon his merciless enemies.  Black as
+midnight, they seemed to emit palpable rays, that shot through the air
+with an irresistibly penetrating power, and not once was their awful
+power eclipsed for an instant by the closing of the eyelid.
+
+Onward came the exultant Shawnees.  There was no checking them, and
+throwing all his mighty strength in his right arm, Oonomoo hurled his
+tomahawk like a thunderbolt among them.  Striking an Indian fair
+between the eyes, it clove his skull as if it had been wax; and
+striking another on the shoulder, cut through the flesh and bone as if
+they were but the green leaves of the trees above, Fluellina sunk down
+by the feet of her husband in prayer, while he, changing his knife to
+his right hand, waited the shock of the coming avalanche!  So terrible
+did the exasperated Huron appear, that the entire party of Shawnees
+paused out of sheer horror of closing in with him.  Wounded and
+bleeding as he was, they knew that he would carry many of their number
+to the earth, before his defiant spirit could be driven out of him.
+And at scarcely a dozen feet distant, the craven, cowardly wretches
+poured a volley from their rifles upon both him and the kneeling woman
+beside him.
+
+[Illustration: So terrible did the exasperated Huron appear, that the
+entire party of Shawnees paused out of sheer horror.]
+
+Oonomoo did not leap or yell; but with his eyes still fixed upon his
+enemies, and his knife still firmly clutched in his hand, commenced
+slowly sinking backward to the earth.  The Shawnees saw it, and one of
+them sprung forward, as if to claim his scalp, but he fell howling to
+the ground, prostrated by a ball from the undaunted Niniotan who still
+maintained his place behind his tree.  His companions were in the act
+of moving forward, to avenge the deaths of hundreds of their comrades,
+when the tramp of approaching men was heard, and a clear voice rung
+out: "This way, boys!  I see the infernal copper-heads through the
+trees.  Make ready, take aim--God bless me! you fired before the orders
+were given."
+
+At the first glimpse of the Shawnees, huddled together in a rushing
+body, every one of the border men discharged his piece, without waiting
+for the command, right in among them.  The destruction was fearful and
+the panic complete.  Numbers came to the ground, writhing, dying and
+dead, while the survivors scattered howling to the woods, and were seen
+no more.
+
+Shortly after Captain Prescott and Lieutenant Canfield had started with
+their men on the trail of Oonomoo, they came upon an elderly man in the
+forest who was hunting.  He proved to be Eckman, the Moravian
+missionary, who had brought up and educated Fluellina, the wife of
+Oonomoo, and to whom she made her stated visits for religious counsel
+and encouragement.  Upon learning the object of the party, he at once
+joined them, as he felt a fatherly affection for the Huron warrior.
+Being a skillful backwoodsman, he acted as guide to the men,
+proceeding, in spite of his years, at a rate which cost them
+considerable effort to equal.  They had not gone a great distance, when
+the shout of Oonomoo was heard, and the missionary understood its
+significance.  Bounding forward, the men came upon the Shawnees at a
+full run, Captain Prescott panting and still at their head, vainly
+endeavoring to keep them in line and to make them aim and fire
+together.  The missionary and Lieutenant Canfield took in the state of
+affairs at once.  Niniotan was unhurt, and now came forward, his face
+as rigid as marble.  Swelled to nearly bursting as was his heart, he
+endeavored to obey the instructions of his father, and show himself a
+warrior, by concealing his emotion to those around him.  The man of God
+instantly ran to the prostrate Huron and his wife, the latter managing
+to maintain a sitting position with great difficulty.  He saw both were
+mortally wounded and would soon die.  Oonomoo lay flat upon his back,
+breathing heavily, while the copious pools of blood around him showed
+how numerous and severe were his wounds.  Lieutenant Canfield lifted
+his head, while the missionary supported Fluellina.  The latter opened
+her languid eyes, which instantly brightened as she recognized her
+noble friend, and said in a low, sweet voice, speaking English
+perfectly: "I am glad you have come, father.  Oonomoo and Fluellina are
+dying.  We want you to smooth the way for us to the Bright Land."
+
+"The way is already smoothed, my child, so that your feet can tread it.
+Can I do anything to relieve your pain?"
+
+"No; my body suffers, but my heart is on fire with joy.  Please attend
+to Oonomoo," said Fluellina, looking toward him.
+
+The Huron was so close to his wife, that by taking a position between
+them, the missionary was enabled to support both.  Raising their heads
+with the assistance of Lieutenant Canfield and Captain Prescott, he
+laid them upon his lap in close proximity to each other.  The men stood
+silent and affected witnesses of the scene.  Brushing the luxuriant
+hair from the face of the dying Indian, the preacher said:
+
+"Oonomoo, is there anything I can do for you?"
+
+"Where be Niniotan?"
+
+"Here," responded the boy, approaching him.
+
+"Stand where you be, and see a Christian warrior die," he commanded, in
+his native tongue.  "Where is Fluellina's hand?"
+
+The affectionate wife heard the inquiry, and instantly closed her hand
+in his.  He held it, in loving embrace.  The missionary spread a
+blanket over the body and limbs of the Huron, so as to hide his
+frightful wounds from sight.  A single stream, tiny, crimson and
+glistening, wound down from the shoulder of Fluellina, over her bare
+arm, to her waist, where it fell in rapid drops to the leaves below.
+No one of her wounds were visible, although it was evident that
+dissolution was proceeding rapidly with her.
+
+The minister, at this point, noticed that the lips of Oonomoo were
+moving.  Thinking he had some request to make, he leaned forward and
+listened.  His soul was thrilled with holy joy when he heard
+unmistakably the words of supplication.  Oonomoo was addressing the
+Great Spirit of the world, not as a craven does, at the last moment,
+when overtaken by death, but as he had often done before, with the
+assurance that his prayer was heard.  With a simplicity as touching as
+it was earnest, he spoke aloud his forgiveness of the Shawnees, saying
+that he wished not their scalps, and had not taken any for several
+years, not since the Great Spirit had sent a wonderful light in his
+soul.  For a moment more he was silent, and then opening his eyes,
+uttered the name of Niniotan.
+
+"I am here before you!" replied the boy.
+
+"Niniotan, be a Huron warrior; be as Oonomoo has been; never take the
+scalp of a foe, and kill none except in honorable warfare; live and die
+a Christian."
+
+As was his custom, when addressing his wife or boy, this exhortation
+was given in his own tongue, so that the missionary was the only one
+beside them who understood it.  Languidly shutting his eyes again,
+Oonomoo said: "Read out of Good Book."
+
+The good man was pained beyond description to find that the
+pocket-Bible, which he always carried with him, had been lost during
+his hurried approach to this spot.  But Fluellina, who had caught the
+words, said: "It is in my bosom."
+
+The missionary reached down and drew it forth, and, as he did so, all
+the men noticed the red stains upon it, while he himself felt the warm,
+fresh blood upon his hand.  Instinctively he opened the volume at the
+fifteenth chapter of Corinthians, that beautiful letter of the
+Apostle's, in which the triumphant and glorious resurrection of the
+body at the last day is pictured in the sublime language of inspiration:
+
+"'As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the
+heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
+
+"'And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the
+image of the heavenly.
+
+"'Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
+kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
+
+"'Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall
+all be changed.
+
+"'In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
+trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we
+shall be changed.
+
+"'For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must
+put on immortality.
+
+"'So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this
+mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
+saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
+
+"'Oh death, where is thy sting?  Oh grave, where is thy victory?--'"
+
+The hands of Oonomoo and Fluellina, which had still remained clasped
+upon the lap of the missionary, suddenly closed with incredible force,
+and rising to the sitting position, as if assisted by an invisible arm,
+they both opened their eyes to their widest extent, and fixing them for
+a moment upon the clear sky above, sunk slowly and quietly back, dead!
+A profound stillness reigned for several minutes after it was certain
+the spirits of Oonomoo and Fluellina had departed.  Gently removing
+their heads from his lap to the ground, the missionary arose, and in so
+doing, broke the spell that was resting upon all.  Niniotan stood like
+a statue, his arms folded and his stony gaze fixed upon the senseless
+forms of his parents.  Placing his hand upon his head, the man of God
+addressed him in the tones of a father:
+
+"Let Niniotan heed the words of Oonomoo; let him grow up a Christian
+warrior, and when his spirit leaves this world, it will join his and
+Fluellina's in the happy hunting-grounds in the sky.  Niniotan, I offer
+you a home at our mission-house so long as you choose to remain.  Your
+mother was brought to me when an infant, and I have educated her in the
+fear of God.  Will you go with me?"  The boy replied in his native
+dialect: "Niniotan will never forget the words of Oonomoo.  His heart
+is warm toward the kind father of Fluellina, and he will never forget
+him.  The woods are the home of Niniotan, the green earth is his bed
+and the blue sky is his blanket.  Niniotan goes to them."
+
+[Illustration: Niniotan stood like a statue, his arms folded and his
+stony gaze fixed upon the senseless forms of his parents.]
+
+Turning his back upon his white friends, the young warrior walked away
+and soon disappeared from sight in the arches of the forest.  [He kept
+his word, living a life of usefulness as had Oonomoo, being the
+unswerving friend of the whites all through Tecumseh's war, and dying
+less than ten years since in the Indian Territory beyond the
+Mississippi, loved and respected by the whites as well as by all of his
+own kindred.]
+
+"Friends," said the missionary, "you have witnessed a scene which I
+trust will not be lost upon you.  Live and die in the simple faith of
+this untutored Indian and all will be well."
+
+"Captain," added the speaker, addressing Captain Prescott, "he has been
+a true friend to our race for years, and we must do him what kindness
+we can.  If we leave these bodies here, the Shawnees will return and
+mutilate them--"
+
+"God bless me! it shan't be done! it shan't be done!  Form a litter,
+boys, form a litter, and place them on it.  We'll bury them at the
+settlement, and build them a monument a thousand feet high--yes,
+sir--every inch of it."
+
+A few minutes later, the party, bearing among them the bodies of
+Oonomoo and Fluellina, set out for the settlement, which was reached
+just as the sun was disappearing in the west.  The lifeless forms were
+placed in the block-house for the night.  The next morning a large and
+deep grave was dug in a cool grove just back of the village, into which
+the two bodies, suitably inclosed, were lowered.  The last rites were
+performed by the good missionary, and as the sods fell upon the
+coffins, there was not a dry eye in the numerous assembly.
+
+The avowal of Captain Prescott that the faithful Huron should have a
+monument erected to his memory, was something more than the impulse of
+the moment.  Knowing the affection with which he was regarded by the
+settlers all along the frontier, he took pains to spread the
+particulars of his death, and to invite contributions for the purpose
+mentioned.  The response was far more liberal than he had, dared to
+hope, and showed the vast services of Oonomoo during his life--services
+of which none but the recipients knew anything.
+
+At this time, there was a band of border rangers in existence, known as
+the _Riflemen of the Miami_.  Oonomoo had often acted as their guide,
+and these were the first that were heard from.  Lewis Dernor, their
+leader, visited the settlement on purpose to learn the facts regarding
+his death, and to bring the gifts of himself and companions.  Then
+there was Stanton and Ferrington, and scores of others, who continued
+to pour in their contributions through the summer, until Captain
+Prescott possessed the means of erecting as magnificent a monument as
+his heart could wish.
+
+In the autumn, affairs on the frontier became so quiet and settled that
+the Captain was able to visit the East, where he gave orders for the
+marble monument, which it was promised should be sent down the river
+the next spring.  Upon the return of Captain Prescott, the wedding of
+his daughter and Lieutenant Canfield took place, and they settled down
+in the village.  The Captain did not venture again to erect his house
+in so exposed a situation, until the advancing tide of civilization
+made it a matter of safety.  A handsome edifice then rose from the
+ruins of his first residence.  General peace dawning upon the border,
+he removed his family to it, and turned farmer.  His possessions
+continually increased in value until a few years after the commencement
+of the present century, and when he died, there were few wealthier men
+in the West.
+
+During the war of 1812, Lieutenant Canfield was promoted to a
+Captaincy, and served under General Harrison until all hostilities had
+ceased.  He then retired with his family to private life, taking his
+abode upon the farm which had been left him by his father-in-law, where
+he resided until 1843, when he followed the partner of his joys and
+sorrows--the once captive of the Shawnees--to his last, long home.
+
+As the traveler passes down the Ohio river on one of its many steamers,
+his attention perhaps is attracted to a beautiful grove of oaks,
+willows and sycamores a short distance from the shore, beneath whose
+arches a tall, white marble obelisk may be discerned with some
+inscription and design upon it.  Approaching it more closely, there is
+seen engraved on the front, the figure of the Holy Bible, open, with a
+hand beneath pointing upward.  Below this, are cut the simple words:
+
+      OONOMOO,
+
+  THE FRIEND OF THE WHITE MAN.
+
+
+
+***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OONOMOO THE HURON***
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