A NEW BLACKFOOT CITIZEN.
The words of Taggarak the war chief weighed heavily upon George and
Victor Shelton, for nothing was more certain to them than that trouble
for Deerfoot was near. He could not be frightened into any attempt to
hide his light under a bushel, or to deny the faith that was woven into
the very fibre of his being. The brothers talked the question over many
times. It was never referred to between them and Mul-tal-la, for the
Blackfoot could give them no help, and the final solution of the
problem must be reached by Deerfoot himself.
Our young friends joined as earnestly in the games, the fishing and
hunting as ever, and no one looking upon them would have dreamed that
they suffered any discomfort of mind. Thus the days passed until two
more weeks had gone by, and they began to wonder at the long absence of
the Shawanoe.
There had been a flurry of snow, and the weather was perceptibly
colder. As they sat in their lodge after finishing their late meal, the
sifting of the needle-like points against the bison hides was soothing
to the ear, and the crackling wood fire gave a cheerful illumination to
the interior.
Reclining on the soft warm robes, they recurred to the theme that was
continually in their thoughts.
"I am almost sorry we ever came to this place," said George, with a
sigh. "We have had an interesting experience, have made a number of
friends, such as they are, though there can never be much in the way of
friendship between us and these people."
"How could we have spent the winter, which will be cold and severe?"
asked his brother.
"Deerfoot would have had no trouble in finding some cave in the rocks
which we could have fitted up into as good a house as this. There are
places, too, where the horses would have been sheltered from the
storms, and we could gather plenty of cottonwood bark when grass was
beyond reach, and thus kept the animals alive."
"Perhaps that might have been done, but I don't believe it is as easy
as you think. It seems to me our hope is in Deerfoot's tact. He will
not listen in silence to any attack upon his faith, and when the
heathen inquire of him he will answer them truly, but he has enough
respect for the rank of Taggarak not to offend him when there is no
need of doing so."
"You see he has already sown seed, and there will be inquiries by
others from him. Spink and Jiggers have been thoughtful a long time.
They have spoken to others. Mul-tal-la must have done the same, though
he is cautious and fears to offend the chief. All these and many others
will question Deerfoot, who will answer them without thought or care,
even though a hundred Taggaraks stood in his way."
"Tact is a good thing, but all that I can see it is likely to do in
this case is to postpone the trouble."
In the midst of their gloomy talk, and with the snow still rattling
against the dry bison robes of their tepee, the flap was suddenly
lifted and Deerfoot the Shawanoe entered and caught the hand of each
delighted boy. His face was aglow with health and pleasure, for they
were no happier than he over the reunion.
They slapped him on the shoulder, shook his hand again and again, and
plied him with so many questions that minutes passed before there was
anything like coherence in their boisterous chatter.
"Where did you leave Whirlwind?" asked George, thereby implying that he
had not a shadow of doubt of the success of the venture of the young
Shawanoe.
"This afternoon, when coming from the east to this settlement," replied
their friend, "Deerfoot came in sight of Mul-tal-la, who was hunting
alone. He had just shot an antelope, and we sat down and ate it
together. Then we came to the village as it was growing dark.
Mul-tal-la showed Deerfoot where the horses are free. There is snow on
the ground, but not enough to hide all the grass, and Deerfoot was told
of a place to the west, where Mul-tal-la says the shelter sometimes
permits the grass to keep green all winter. There the horses will soon
be taken, and shelter has been made for them. Whirlwind, after Deerfoot
had talked with him, consented to go among the horses, as Zigzag,
Prince and the others have done. He does not like to mingle with common
animals, and is as proud as ever."
"We have enough left of our buffalo meat to furnish you a meal,
Deerfoot, but you told us you had eaten only a little while ago."
"Deerfoot thanks his brothers, and will not eat until to-morrow."
"I suppose Mul-tal-la told you all about us?"
"He has left little for you to tell. Deerfoot is glad to hear his
brothers have been so well, but they have much to say that he would
like to hear."
"O Deerfoot!" exclaimed Victor; "tell us how you got Whirlwind back.
You must have had a pretty hard time, for you were gone a month."
The three seated themselves on the soft furs, George first throwing
additional wood on the blaze, and the Shawanoe, knowing how interested
his friends were, modestly related the story with which you became
familiar long ago. The boys were so absorbed in the narration that they
did not speak nor move until it was ended. He made light of the dangers
and difficulties which he overcame, and it was plain to his listeners
that he slurred over more than one of his most remarkable exploits.
The brothers found it almost amusing to hear that the young Shawanoe
had so wrenched one of his ankles that he could not use it for a time.
It was so remarkable to learn that he had suffered from anything of
that nature that they found it hard to associate the two. The manner in
which Deerfoot stepped into the tent proved that he did not feel the
slightest effects of the hurt. The Shawanoe told his friends that he
and Mul-tal-la had purposely tarried outside the village until dark,
because the newcomer did not care to have his arrival become known
until the morrow. He wished to enjoy the first evening undisturbed with
his old friends. Being on foot, with a blanket about his shoulders like
Mul-tal-la and many other Blackfeet, he looked so much like one of them
in the night that he attracted no notice, and Mul-tal-la promised to
tell no one of the presence of the youth whom all were eager to see.
It was not until late in the evening that the Shawanoe spoke of the
theme that had troubled the brothers so long. Mul-tal-la had told him
of the conversation with Taggarak, and he asked the boys to give their
recollection, not omitting a word they could recall. Their friend
listened gravely, and was silent when they had finished, his dark eyes
fixed upon the fire in the middle of the lodge, as if his meditations
had drifted beyond the time and place. After waiting for several
minutes, Victor said:
"Deerfoot, you can't know how much we are worried. We understand how
you feel and that no danger can scare you into denying the true
religion, any more than it can scare George and me, but you may as well
be careful and avoid rousing the anger of Taggarak, so long as there is
no need of provoking him."
"What would my brothers have Deerfoot do?" gently asked, the Shawanoe.
"We don't know," replied George. "Vic and I have talked about this a
hundred times since our call on the chief, and we are puzzled as well
as worried."
"Are my brothers ready to die for the religion?"
"We are, and will prove it if it ever becomes necessary; but," added
Victor, "we don't see the need of dying when there isn't any need of
it."
This original bit of philosophy caused Deerfoot to turn and look with a
half-serious expression into the face of Victor.
"How great is the wisdom of my brother! Who taught him such things?"
Then assuming a graver countenance, but gazing steadily at his friend,
he added:
"There was One who died on the cross for you and Deerfoot."
There was a world of meaning in these words, and they fitly closed the
conversation for the night. All lay down soon after and slept until
morning.
The snow ceased falling, and only a thin coating lay on the ground at
daylight. An unusual moderation in the temperature carried this away
before nightfall, and the weather became almost spring-like, or rather
resembled the lingering days of Indian summer, which are the expiring
gasp of the mild season, soon to be followed by the biting rigors of
winter.
Before noon it was known throughout the Blackfoot village that the
remarkable young Shawanoe had arrived. The excitement was greater than
that caused by the coming of Victor and George Shelton, and for a time
Deerfoot was seriously annoyed, but he strove to bear it with the
sensible philosophy of his nature. Those who saw him as he moved here
and there with the boys, or Mul-tal-la, or Spink and Jiggers, had to
admit the truth of the assertion heard many times; he was the most
prepossessing young warrior upon whom any of them had ever looked.
Neither among the Blackfeet nor any of their neighboring tribes had so
comely a youth been seen. And this being the fact, many were more
unwilling than before to believe he was so powerful, so active, so
fleet of foot and so athletic as had been claimed. This doubt was not
lessened by the conduct of Deerfoot himself. He soon became acquainted
with nearly everyone in the village, and went upon hunting expeditions
with them, but displayed no more skill than most of his companions. He
avoided all trials of speed, though often invited to take part by the
doubters. In crossing the river in a canoe with two of his new
acquaintances, he swung a paddle, while each of them did the same. The
Blackfeet saw no evidence of skill superior to theirs, because in truth
none was displayed. He was urged to take part in their games, but made
excuse to act only as spectator. He did not wish to become a competitor
and deceive the others by not doing his best. His modesty led him to
shrink from exhibiting his abilities. Moreover, he had a feeling that
it savored of ingratitude or lack of appreciation of the hospitality he
was receiving to place himself at the fore, as he knew he could readily
do.
But it had to come. Too many boasts had been made by the friends of
Deerfoot for the envious Blackfeet to allow the Shawanoe to rest upon
such laurels. Neither Mul-tal-la nor the brothers would abate one bit
of their claims. Deerfoot would have stopped them had not the mischief,
as he viewed it, been done before his coming. He could only remain mute
and hope the matter would die out of itself. But that was impossible.
The most noted test of athletic skill that ever occurred in the history
of the Blackfeet tribe took place one bright, keen, sunshiny afternoon
on the bleak plain at the rear of the village. A week had been spent in
making the preparations as thorough as they could be made. Runners came
from three of the other villages, and they were the flower of the
tribe--lithe, sinewy, swift and splendid specimens of manly beauty,
symmetry and grace. Each was worthy of being called a champion, and all
were confident of lowering the colors of the dusky stranger from the
land of the rising sun, who had been presumptuous enough to be
persuaded to enter a trial that must disgrace him. More than one
believed that in his chagrin the Shawanoe would hasten from the village
and never more be seen in that part of the world.
Now, it would be interesting to tell all about this memorable
tournament, but you have no more doubt of the result than did the
victor from the moment he consented to enter into it. Mul-tal-la and
the Shelton brothers, including Spink and Jiggers, impressed upon the
Shawanoe the necessity of his doing his best, no matter what the nature
of the struggle might be. He promised to follow their counsel, as he
did that of Simon Kenton at the foot race at Woodvale the year before.
Five contestants entered against Deerfoot. The distance was about two
hundred yards. Never before was the Shawanoe pitted against such fleet
runners, but he finished the struggle fifty feet in front of the
foremost. The spectators, as well as the defeated runners themselves,
were dazed, and could hardly credit their own senses.
Not less crushing were Deerfoot's victories in the running, the
standing and the high jump. Like all great athletes, his triumphs
seemed to be won without calling upon his reserve capacity, and
therefore with much less apparent effort than shown by his rivals. In
firing at a target, he left the few marksmen of the tribe hopelessly
out of sight. Then he borrowed Mul-tal-la's bow, and every arrow that
he launched went farther and truer than any other. Altogether it was a
great day for Deerfoot the Shawanoe.