‘The noble courser broke away.
And bounded o'er the plain?
The desert echoed to his tread,
As high he toss'd his graceful head,
And shook his flowing name.
King of the Western deserts! Thou
Art still untam'd and free!
Ne'er shall that crest he forced to bow
Beneath the yoke of drudgery low:
But still in freedom shalt thou roam
The boundless fields that form thy home
Thy native Prairie!' ANON.
The camp of the Indian hunters looked cheerful and picturesque, as
Oriana and Mailah approached it one evening on their return from a
ramble in the forest, where they had been to seek the wild fruits that
now abounded there, and paused at the skirt of the wood, to admire the
scene before them. The proposed hunting-ground had been reached the
preceding day, and already the temporary huts were completed, and the
tents of the Sachem pitched beneath a grove of lofty oaks and walnuts,
free from underwood, and on the border of a clear and rippling stream.
The Nausett and Pequodee hunters had purchased a considerable number of
horses from their Cree friends; and, therefore, the journey from
Chingook's village to the prairie, in which the encampment now stood,
had been performed with much ease and expedition; and the hardy animals
were so little fatigued by their march through the forest, that several
of the younger Indians had mounted again the morning after their
arrival, and gone off on a reconnoitering expedition, to discover what
prospect there was of finding much game in that neighborhood.
Henrich--proud and happy in the possession of a spirited horse, with
which Tisquantum had presented him--insisted on being one of the party;
end he was accompanied, also, by Jyanough, who had left his native
village, now rendered sad and gloomy in his eyes, to follow his white
friend, and share his society at least for a time. This arrangement
gave Henrich the greatest satisfaction for the young Cree was the only
Indian of his own sex in whom he had been able to find a companion, or
who had peculiarly attached himself to the stranger: and the more he
saw of Jyanough the more he found in him to win his esteem and
friendship.
Oriana and Mailah seated themselves on the luxuriant grass to rest; and
the young Indian mother removed her child from the strange cradle in
which she always carried it, and laid it on her knees; and then, after
gazing at it for a few moments, she began to sing a wild, sweet song,
to hush it to sleep. In a soft, monotonous cadence, she sang the sad
story of its little life--its birth--its captivity--and the death of
its murdered father, whom she exhorted it to imitate, and live to equal
in courage and in skill. And thus she sang:
'Child of the slain Lincoya, sleep In peace! Thy mother wakes to guard
thee. But where is he whose smile once fell on thee as sunshine--thy
father, Lincoya? He is gone to the far distant hunting-grounds and
there, again, he casts the spear; and there he draws the unerring bow;
and there he quaffs the cup of immortality, with the spirits of the
good and brave. O Lincoya! thy voice was to me as a sweet song, or as
the summer breeze among the tall cypress trees--why didst thou leave
me? Thy step was swift and graceful as the roe upon the mountains--why
didst thou leave me? But I will follow thee, my warrior, The death-bird
has called me, and I come to thee! Thy child shall live; for Mahneto
has given him friends and a home. He shall grow up like thee, and
Oriana shill be o mother to him when I am gone: and the blue-eyed
stranger, whom she loves as I loved thee, shall guide his hand in war,
and in the chase. Lincoya! I come to thee!’
Oriana listened to the mournful chant of the young widow with much
interest and sympathy; but when she spoke of her love for her white
brother, in terms so new and strange, she almost felt offended. She
did not, however, remark on her friend's allusion to herself, but
turned the discourse to Mailah's sad prophecy of her own early death,
which she knew could only be grounded on one of the wild superstitions
of her race.
'Why do you talk of dying, Mailah?' she asked. 'You are young and
strong; and you may again be happy. Why do you say you will leave your
child, and go to the land of spirits?'
'The death-bird[*] called to me last night, as I sat at the open door
of the hut, and looked at the moon, and thought how its soft light was
guiding my Lincoya on long, long, journey, to the everlasting hunting
fields of his fathers. Cheepai-Peethees called me twice from the tree
that hung over the lodge; but when I called to it again, and whistled
clearly, it made no answer. I heard it the day before the Crees
destroyed our village. It called my husband then, and would not answer
him; and in two days he was slain. The death-bird is never mistaken.’
[Footnote: A small owl called _Cheepai-Peethees,_ or the _death-bird,_
which the Indians attach the superstition here alluded to, and believe,
if it does not answer to their whistle, it denotes their speedy death.]
‘O, Mailah!' replied the young Christian squaw, 'say not so. Surely it
is not thus that the great Mahneto calls His children to come to Him.
Once I believed all these Indian stories; but now I know that they are
false and vain. I know that our lives, and all things that befall us,
are in the hands of the wise and good God--the Mahneto of the
Christians and of the red men too. And now I have no fear of any of
those strange sounds that used to make me sad, and terrify me with
thoughts of coming evil. I most teach you to believe as I do now: or,
rather, my _white brother_ shall teach you; for he knows the words of
Mahneto himself. See, Mailah! There my brother comes--let us go to meet
him.'
A flush of joy mounted to the clear olive cheek of Oriana as she said
these words, and she sprang to her feet with the lightness of a fawn.
Mailah rose more gently, and replacing her infant in the pouch, slung
it over her shoulder, and followed her friend, softly whispering in her
ear, ‘The white stranger is your Lincoya.'
The Indian beauty smiled, and blushed more deeply: but she did not
bound across the glade to meet Henrich as she had purposed doing. She
drew her slender figure to its full height, and stood still; and as
Henrich galloped across the green meadow, and alighted, full of
animation, to tell her of his success in his first essay at hunting the
elk, he wondered why she greeted him so coldly.
The fact was that Oriana was beginning to find that the blue-eyed
stranger possessed even more interest in her eyes than she had ever
felt for her own dark brother, Tekon; and when Mailah had openly
alluded to this sentiment--which she thought unknown to all but
herself--her natural and instinctive delicacy was wounded. But the
feeling quickly wore away; and as Henrich and Jyanough detailed the
exciting sports of the day, she forgot all but the pleasure of
listening to his voice, and gazing at his fine countenance and bright
sweet smile. She was happy; and she though not of the future.
And Henrich was happy, too. He had now found companions whom he could
love; and the life of the Indian hunters was all that he had ever
pictured to himself of freedom and adventure. The beauty of the
scenery--the clearness of the sky--and the glow of health and
excitement that animated his whole frame when he joined in the chase
with his savage friends, were all so entirely different to the life he
had led in damp and foggy Holland, that it was no wonder he enjoyed it,
and that his youthful spirits enabled him to subdue the oft-recurring
grief that he felt at each remembrance of his family and his home. Hope
was strong in his breast; and he trusted once again to meet all whom he
loved so dearly: and the present was so bright and inspiring that he
could not desire to change it yet.
For many weeks the camp remained pitched in the same lovely situation;
and the time of the hunters was fully occupied in the discovery and
pursuit of the various wild animals that abounded in the uncultivated,
but richly verdant, prairie. Of these, the elk and the buffalo were the
most common victims to the spears and arrows of the Indians; and every
evening large quantities of meat were brought into the camp, and given
to the care of the squaws to dry and cure for winter consumption. These
larger animals were too heavy to be transported whole to the huts; end
therefore the hunters always skinned them and cut off the flesh where
they fell, and left the carcasses to the wolves and the birds of prey
that were ever ready at hand. But the smaller animals, and the wild
turkeys and other birds, that were killed in great numbers, were
brought in and thrown down by the blazing camp fires, that lighted up
the glade every night, and were speedily prepared and cooked for the
supper of the hungry hunters.
As the leader of the expedition, Tisquantum was always presented with
the choicest of the game; and it was Oriana's task to superintend the
curing of the elk and buffalo meat, and the cooking that was required
for her father's lodge. In all these household cares she was greatly
assisted by Mailah, who was both active and skilful in all the duties
of an Indian squaw: and eager also to evince her gratitude for the
kindness and protection that were afforded to herself and her child by
the Nausett Chief, by doing all that she could to lighten Oriana's
labors. Time and occupation did not fail to have their usual effect on
one so young, and naturally so light-hearted as Mailah; and animated
cheerfulness took the place of the mournful expression that had
hitherto so frequently sat on her countenance. She did not forget
Lincoya; but she forgot the call of the death-bird: and when she sang
her child to sleep, it was no longer with the same sad cadence as at
first. Sorrow could not strike very deep, or abide very long in the
heart of a being so gay, and with a mind and feelings so utterly
uncultivated as those of the young Stone Indian. Neither could she live
so much in the society of the white stranger, and his two chosen
companions, without imbibing something of their intelligence, and
becoming sensible of their superiority of mind to all others with whom
she had ever associated: and she grew more and more attached to them,
and learnt to regret less the friends and companions among whom her
youth had been spent.
She was a high-spirited and courageous creature: she would have
followed her husband unhesitatingly to death, had she been called on to
do so; or she would have died to save him, if her life could have
availed to purchase his. But now that he was gone, and she could not
even weep over his grave, and deck it with flowers and gifts, her
lively spirit rose again, and led her to seek amusement and occupation
in everything within her reach.
The accounts which Henrich and Jyanough continually gave to her and
Oriana of their exciting adventures in the prairie, had aroused in both
of them a strong desire to be spectators of the sport; and they sought
and obtained Tisquantum's permission to accompany the hunters one
morning to the buffalo ground that lay nearest to the camp, and there
to witness the pursuit and capture of some of those magnificent
animals.
A short ride through the forest brought the party out upon a vast and
glorious prairie, on which the rich autumnal sun was shining in all his
strength. On a rising ground that partially overlooked the plain,
Oriana and her companion took up their position, beneath the shade of a
grove of pines; and they watched the hunters as they examined the foot-
prints on the dewy turf, or followed the tracks of the elks and
buffaloes through the long prairie-grass, in order to make their
arrangements for enclosing the game and driving the animals into an
open and central situation.
In the course of this examination, the recent tracks of a number of
wild horses were discovered, and fresh excitement was felt by the whole
party, for all were desirous to attempt the capture of these most
valuable animals; and they resolved, on this occasion, to make them the
chief objects of their pursuit. A ring was, therefore, formed by the
numerous company of horsemen, enclosing a very large space of the
beautiful park-like ground, which was studded with trees, either single
or in groups; while underneath them, in the distance, could be seen
many buffaloes lying down or grazing. The scene had the appearance of
a wide extent of finely-cultivated pasture, ornamented with timber of
every kind; end it forcibly recalled to Henrich's memory the fields and
the cattle that had surrounded his European home. But the size of the
trees, the extent of the natural meadow, and, above all, the wild
aspect of the red hunters with their spears, and bows, and tomahawks,
soon destroyed the fancied resemblance; while the eagerness and
excitement of the novel sport banished all the sad recollections to
which it had given rise. A desire also to distinguish himself in the
presence of Oriana, and show her that a pale-face could equal her own
dark race in courage and dexterity, inspired him with peculiar ardor;
and he galloped to the station appointed him by Tisquantum, with a
heart that bounded with pride and pleasure.
The hunters were each provided with a long coil of grass rope, with a
noose at the end--now called a _lariat_ or _lasso_--used by the Indians
for casting over the horns of the elks and buffaloes, or the necks of
the wild horses, that they desired to capture. These they carried in
such a manner as to be ready to throw them off in an instant to their
whole length, if necessary; but much practice is required to do this
with precision, and Henrich did not yet hope for success in the
difficult art. His only chance of capturing a wild courser lay in his
skill in casting the spear, which might enable him to pierce the animal
through the upper part of the neck, and thus produce a temporary
insensibility, during which time he might be secured without any
permanent injury. This also requires great precision and address; but
Henrich had become an adept in the use of the light lance, and he felt
sanguine of success if the opportunity should he afforded him.
The string of horsemen slowly and warily drew in towards the open spot
that was intended to be the scene of their operations, and of which
Oriana and Mailah had a good view from their safe and elevated
position; and soon a troop of wild horses were disturbed by one of the
hunters, and burst forth from a thick grove of trees that had
previously concealed them. They rushed madly over the plain, mingling
with the affrighted buffaloes and American deer, that had not hitherto
perceived the stealthy approach of their foes. At every point where
they attempted to escape from the enclosure they were met by a mounted
huntsman, and were driven back, with shouts and cries, towards the
center. All other game was now forgotten; and each hunter singled out,
for his own object of pursuit, the steed that pleased him best, and of
which he thought he could most easily gain possession. But one there
was--the leader of the troop--on which many eyes were fixed with eager
desire. He was a noble creature, of perfect form and proportions; and
as he pranced before his companions, with neck erect, and throwing his
head from side to side, as if to reconnoiter his assailants--while his
mane and tail floated in the breeze, and his glossy coal-black skin
gave back the rays of the morning sun--he looked like the King of the
Prairie, going forth in the pride of perfect freedom.
The ring grew smaller and smaller; and every hand was steady, and every
eye was fixed for the moment of trial: and soon the headlong pursuit
commenced. At the first scattering of the wild troop, several of the
younger and more feeble horses were secured; and some of the hunters,
who despaired of nobler game, contented themselves with capturing or
slaying either elks or buffaloes. But the finest horses escaped the
first assault, and broke through the circling ring into the boundless
meadow, where they were followed at mad speed by the hunters, poising
their spears, and swinging their nooses round their heads, ready for a
cast. Henrich and Jyanough, and several others of the best mounted
Indians, had joined in the chase of the black leader, and dashed
furiously after him over the plain. The horse that the English boy rode
was strong and fleet, and the light weight of his rider enabled him to
keep with the foremost of the red hunters' steeds, and, at length, to
come almost alongside the noble courser. The spear was poised in
Henrich's hand, and was just about to fly, when suddenly his horse fell
to the ground, and rolled over on the turf, leaving his rider
prostrate, but uninjured, except being stunned for a moment by the
shock.
When he opened his eyes, and sprang to his feet, he saw the king of the
desert galloping up a rising ground, over which he quickly disappeared,
still hotly pursued by Coubitant and several of the hunters. Jyanough
and the rest of his companions, had dismounted to assist their fallen
friend, and to form conjectures as to the probable cause of the unlucky
accident. For some time none could be perceived; but on carefully
examining his horse, Henrich at length discovered a small wound in the
hind leg, and found that the creature was lame. How, or by whom, the
wound had been given, he could not even surmise; for in the eagerness
of the chase he had not observed that Coubitant rode close behind him:
and that he had passed him at full speed the moment his horse stumbled
and fell. But Jyanough had remarked it; and from what he had already
seen of the wily Indian, he felt convinced that, prompted by malicious
jealousy, he had thus sought to deprive his rival of his hoped-for
success, and, perhaps, even to inflict on him some grievous personal
injury.
The young Indian had, however, the good sense to conceal his suspicions
from Henrich at present, and to allow him to regard the whole affair as
accidental; but he determined to keep a strict watch over the conduct
of Coubitant for the future, and, if possible, to guard his friend from
all his evil machinations.
Soon the Nausett and the rest of the hunters returned from their
fruitless chase, and reported the escape of the noble wild coursers and
when Jyanough heard the regrets that Coubitant expressed for the
accident that had befallen Henrich, and the condolences he offered on
his having thus missed the object which otherwise his skill most surely
have attained, he could scarcely contain his indignation at such
hypocrisy, or refrain from opening the eyes of the unsuspicious young
Englishman.
They all returned together, at a slow pace, to the main body of the
hunters, for Henrich's horse was too lame to be mounted; and, as soon
as the adventure was made known, much sympathy and interest were shown
for the disappointment of the pale-face, in which Oriana's countenance
and manner showed she partook so warmly, that Coubitant turned aside to
conceal his anger and vexation, and heartily wished that his well-aimed
blow had not only deprived Henrich of the glory of that day's hunting,
but had also put a stop for ever to the success for which he both hated
and envied him.
The sport continued, after this interruption, as actively as before,
but neither Henrich nor his horse could take any further share in it;
and he remained with Oriana and Mailah, enjoying the beauty of the
scenery, and gathering flowers and fruit for his companions, and for
the little. Lincoya, who, freed from the restraint of his moss-lined
bed, now rolled on the turf with Rodolph, and played with the gentle
and intelligent animal.
How happy was Oriana that day! She was proud of the gallant bearing of
her 'white brother' among the red warriors of her own wild race, and
she had exulted at the praises which she had heard bestowed on his
address as a hunter, and his shill in horsemanship, by Tisquantum and
the elder Indians; and now, though she regretted his accident, and the
disappointment which it had caused him, she did not suspect that it had
been effected by the malice of a deadly enemy, and she rejoiced that it
had given her the pleasure of his society for the rest of the day--a
pleasure which she had but seldom enjoyed since their arrival in the
prairie.
At the close of the day the game was collected, and, after due
preparation, was carried back to the camp, where the squaws had already
lighted the evening fires, and made every necessary arrangement for
cooking the expected supper. Around these fires the hunters sat in
groups, and discussed the events of the day, among which the accident
that had befallen the pale-face excited much interest and conjecture.
Jyanough listened to the probable and improbable causes that were
assigned by all the speakers, especially by Coubitant, to account for
so strange a circumstance; but he held his peace, for in his inmost
soul he was only more and more convinced that the subtle and dark-
brewed savage was the perpetrator of the malicious deed.
In this suspicion, he was the more strongly confirmed by an event that
occurred a few days afterwards. It had been discovered that the stream
that ran so gently by the side of the encampment fell, at some distance
to the west, into a river of considerable size and depth, which then
ran on over a descending and rocky bed, forming alternately smooth
broad sheets of water and noisy broken falls, until it precipitated
itself over a sudden precipice of great depth, and fell dashing and
foaming into the basin which its continual fall had worn in the rocks
below. The distant roar of this cataract had frequently been heard in
the camp, when the wind came from that direction, and when the
stillness of the night--broken only by the occasional howl of wild
beasts seeking their prey, or the melancholy cry of the goat-sucker[*]—
succeeded to the sounds of labor or idleness that generally kept the
temporary village alive by day. But, hitherto, no one had had leisure
or inclination to leave the excitement and novelty of hunting to
explore the river, or ascertain its capabilities for fishing.
[Footnote: This mournful sound is believed by the Indians to be the
moaning of the departed spirits of women who have committed
infanticide; and who are, consequently, excluded by Mahneto from the
happy mountains which are the abode of the blessed.]
Now, however, Coubitant brought in a report one evening that the great
stream abounded in fish; and proposed in to Henrich that, as he was for
the present unable to join in the more active business of the chase, he
should assist him in forming a light canoe, in which they could go out
and spear the game that lay beneath the clear blue water in the smooth
reaches of the river.
To this proposal Henrich readily assented; for the sport was one of
which he had beard his Indian friends speak with great pleasure, and he
greatly wished to enjoy it. The canoe was immediately commenced; and as
it merely consisted of the trunk of a straight tulip-tree, hollowed out
by means of fire, and shaped with a hatchet, it was completed in a
couple of days.
The light spears that were to pierce the fish were prepared, and long
slender lines of twisted grass were fastened to their shafts for the
purpose of drawing in their prey; and the following morning, when the
hunters were ready to set out on their usual expedition, Coubitant
desired Henrich to accompany him to the river side, where their little
bark lay ready to receive them. Why, on hearing this proposal, did
Jyanough still linger when all the rest of the hunters were mounted,
and his own steed was pawing the ground, impatient of his master's
delay? And why, after gazing a few moments at Coubitant's dark
countenance, did he declare his wish to join the fishing party, and
requested the Nausett to allow him to take a place in the canoe? Did he
see treachery in that eye of fire? Jyanough could lend his horse to the
pale-face, if he should happen to wish to hunt.
His request was, however, negatived decidedly by Coubitant; who assured
him, with assumed courtesy, that he regretted the size of the boat was
too small to admit of its carrying a third sportsman with safety; but
invited him to join him in the same sport the following day, when, he
added--with that smile that Oriana hated--Jyanough could lend his horse
to the pale-face, if he should happen to wish to hunt.
The young Cree was baffled. He would gladly have pre vented his friend
from accompanying Coubitant on the expedition; but be had no means of
doing so, or even of putting him on his guard against any possible evil
designs on the part of his companion. So he sprang upon his eager
horse, and galloped after the hunters, hoping that his fears and
suspicions were unfounded.
Oriana and Mailah, attended by their faithful companion Rodolph, walked
down to the edge of the river, to see the fishermen embark in their
frail vessel; and, for some time, they watched the sport with
considerable interest, and admired the skill with which Coubitant
pierced and brought up several large fish. These he attracted towards
the canoe by means of some preparation that he scattered on the surface
of the water; and when the fish appeared within reach of his spear, he
darted it with unerring aim, and drew in his struggling victim with the
line that was attached to it. Henrich was also provided with weapons;
but as the sport was entirely new to him, he found it difficult to take
a steady aim, and his success was slight.
Coubitant, however, had soon secured a considerable stock of fish, and
he rowed to the shore, and requested Oriana and her companion to convey
them to the Sachem's lodge; adding, in a careless tone, that it would
not be worth their while to return to the river, as he was going to a
reach at some distance down the stream, towards the head of the
cataract, where he expected to show Henrich excellent sport.
The two young women returned to the camp; and, having committed the
fine fish to the care of the inferior squaws, they agreed to go again
towards the river, and take this opportunity of visiting the falls,
which they much desired to see, and near which they should probably
again meet the fishermen. They rambled through the wood, taking a
direct course towards the cataract, the sound of whose waters soon
became sufficiently audible to guide them in their unknown way.
Sometimes they came in sight of the river; and again they saw the
little canoe, either standing motionless on the smooth surface of the
water where the stream was wide and unbroken, or else passing, under
the skilful guidance of Coubitant, between the rocks that occasionally
disturbed its course, and formed foaming rapids, down which the little
bark darted with fearful velocity.
The last reach of the broad river was as calm and smooth as a lake. It
seemed as if the collected mass of water, which had gathered there from
many a broken and troubled stream, and had struggled through many
windings and many difficulties, was reposing there, and gaining
strength for its last great leap over the dark precipice. As Oriana and
Mailah approached the verge of the scattered forest, and stood to gaze
on the magnificent scene before them, they perceived the canoe descend
a narrow rapid, and then take up a position below an elevated mass of
rock, where the water was perfectly still, and where the fishermen
could quietly pursue their occupation. They evidently did not perceive
their female friends, and the roar of the cataract was now so loud as
to prevent all possibility of their hearing their voices. For a short
time Oriana and her friend watched their movements, and saw several
fish captured; and then proceeded along the steep and rocky bank, in
order to obtain a still better view of the waterfall.
It was a beautiful scene on which those two young Indians looked; and
they felt its power and grandeur, and stood silent and motionless. The
cataract was beneath them; and its roar came up like thunder from the
dark deep basin into which its weight of waters fell, and threw up a
cloud of foam and spray; and then it rushed away again, as if in
gladness at its safe descent and free course, until the shining stream
was hidden by the rocks and overhanging trees that marked its winding
course. The natural platform on which Oriana and Mailah stood,
commanded a view not only of the wild cataract and the lower stretch of
the river, but also of the bold steep rocks on the opposite side, and
the dark forest that stretched away to the distant mountains that
bounded the horizon. It likewise enabled them to perceive the small
canoe, lying motionless on the water, in the shadow of the projecting
rock.
By and by the boat was rowed into the center of the river, and
Coubitant appeared to be seeking for a good fishing spot, as he pointed
in different directions, and once or twice darted his spear into the
water, and drew it out again without any success. Meanwhile, the canoe
floated slowly down the stream, but its motion gradually increased as
it approached the fall; and Oriana gazed at it, expecting every moment
that Coubitant, who had now taken the oar in his powerful grasp, would
turn its course, and either draw towards the shore; or else row back
again up the river, and land below the first rapids. To her surprise,
and somewhat to her anxiety, he still continued, however, to allow the
canoe to proceed; and she saw Henrich take a dart in his hand, and
stand erect as if to strike at something beneath the surface, to which
Coubitant pointed with the paddle. Another instant, and her white
brother was in the water, and struggling to catch the side of the
canoe! Breathlessly she gazed; and she distinctly saw the paddle which
Coubitant held, extended towards the uplifted hand of Henrich. Still he
did not grasp it! O! why was this? And then the boat, which bad already
floated perilously near to the fall, was Suddenly turned, and she
beheld Coubitant making violent efforts to overcome the force of the
current, and row to the opposite and nearest shore. He was alone!
And where was Henrich? Where was the brave young stranger? Battling
desperately with the rapid stream which was carrying him onward to
destruction. He rose and sank, rose again, and the current bore him on
with resistless force. For a moment, Oriana clasped her hands over her
eyes, to shut out the dreadful sight; and then, as if inspired by a
gleam of supernatural hope, she darted forward, calling Rodolph, and
pointing to the stream. The intelligent creature had seen the form of
Henrich in the water, and only waited his mistress's command to risk
his life in the attempt to save him. But his sagacity taught him that
it was useless to enter the river above the fall; and he bounded down
the steep bank that led to its foot, and stood eager, and panting, on a
point of rock that overhung the basin. Oriana was quickly on the same
spot, followed by Mailah; but ere they reached it, the dog had plunged
into the foaming waters, and now appeared, upholding the inanimate form
of Henrich, and struggling fearfully to drag him from the whirlpool.
O, it was a sickening sight! and Oriana's heart stood still in the
agony of suspense She could not aid her brother! She could not cope
with that mad whirl of water! But she leaped down the steep rocks, and
stood on the narrow ledge of shore below, to wait the moment for
action. At length--after what appeared almost a hopeless conflict with
the dashing waters--Rodolph appeared through the cloud of foam and
slowly and feebly swam towards the shore, still supporting the lifeless
burden that seemed almost to drag him beneath the surface.
Now was the time for the Indian girl to prove her skill and courage.
Lightly she sprang into the water, and in a moment she was at Rodolph’s
side; and, with one arm sustaining the drooping head of Henrich, while,
with the other, she dexterously swam back to the spot where Mailah
stood ready to assist her. With much difficulty they lifted the
senseless form of Henrich on the shore, and proceeded to adopt every
means in their power to restore suspended animation; while Rodolph--the
faithful devoted Rodolph--lay down panting and exhausted, but still
keeping a watchful eye on him whom he had so daringly rescued. Long the
two young Indians labored in silence, and almost in despair; for no
color returned to those pallid lips, and no warmth was perceptible in
the chilled and stiffened hands, that fell powerless by his side.
Still they persevered: and no tear, no lamentation, betrayed the
anguish that wrung the heart of Oriana, while she believed that all was
in vain. But her soul was lifted up in prayer to the One True God, in
whom she had been taught to put her trust by her beloved ‘white
brother’: and in His mercy was her only hope.
Nor was that hope in vain. The warm beams of the mid-day sun fell
powerfully on that sheltered spot where the little group were gathered,
and, combined with the continued friction that Oriana and Mailah
employed, at length brought back the life-blood to Henrich's cheeks and
lips, and his anxious nurses had the joy of perceiving that he
breathed. A few minutes more, and he opened his deep blue eyes, and
looked wildly around him, and spoke some English words that Oriana
heard amid the din of the falling waters, and knew were of his home and
his kindred. And then he uttered her own name, and attempted to rise,
but fell back again into her arms, and smiled sweetly and gratefully
when her eyes met his, and he saw that she was watching over him.
There was joy--deep joy and gratitude--in those young hearts at that
moment; but Henrich's weakness, and the noise of, the roaring cataract,
prevented them from communicating their feelings in words, and Oriana
forbore to ask any questions of Henrich relative to the cause of his
perilous adventure.
After some time he seemed greatly to recover, and, rising from the
ground, he slowly mounted the bank, supported by Oriana and her friend.
But it was evident that he was quite unable to proceed on foot to the
camp, and it was agreed that Mailah should return as quickly as
possible and bring such assistance as she could procure from thence,
while Henrich and Oriana should advance as far as his enfeebled state
would admit of.
Mailah's light form soon disappeared in the wood, and it was not long
ere she reached the camp, and hastened to the tent of Tisquantum, who,
on that day, had not joined the hunting party. She told her story, in
which the old Chief showed the deepest interest; and she observed a
dark frown on his brow while she related the unsuccessful attempts of
Coubitant to draw Henrich from the water with his paddle; but he made
no remark.
The hunters were still absent, and few men remained in the camp. These
were all engaged in felling wood and other laborious employments, and
Tisquantum prepared to lead his own horse out to meet his adopted son.
But, just as he and Mailah were leaving the camp for this purpose,
Coubitant came rapidly up from the river's brink, and, hurrying towards
them, began to relate, with expressions of grief and consternation, the
sad fate which he believed to have befallen the young stranger, and the
exertions that he had made to save his life, but which had, unhappily,
proved unavailing to avert the calamity. The sorrow of the Nausett
Indian seemed excessive; and Tisquantum probably considered it so, for
he listened with perfect calmness to his recital, and then merely
replied, 'Happily, the youth is safe. Mahneto has succored him, and I
go to bring him back to the camp.'
Coubitant started: and he looked embarrassed for a moment, when he
caught the penetrating eye of Mailah fixed on his countenance. But he
quickly recovered his self-possession, and manifested such joy at the
escape of the white stranger from a watery grave, that Mailah almost
chid herself for her dreadful suspicions.
Coubitant accompanied her and the Sachem on their way through the
forest, and when they met Henrich and Oriana, he again assumed such an
appearance of pleasure, and so warmly congratulated the former on his
miraculous deliverance, that the generous English youth strove to
banish from his mind the fearful thoughts that had arisen there while
he struggled for life close to the canoe, and wondered at the want of
skill and strength displayed by his companion in his abortive attempts
to save him. Oriana coldly received his greeting. She had long
suspected that he regarded Henrich with hatred and jealousy; and her
worst suspicions had that day received a strong confirmation. Still she
resolved to conceal them--at least at present--from all but Jyanough,
whose friendship for Henrich would, she knew, render him peculiarly
alive to all that concerned his safety.
She had not long to wait, for the hunters soon returned; and she
observed that, when Jyanough heard the story of the day's adventure,
he cast a glance on Coubitant that made the conscious savage quail.
But when she related to the young Cree all that she and Mailah had
observed, he could restrain his feelings no longer, and plainly told
her that he was convinced that Coubitant was the author of the
calamity, and that it was not the first attempt he had made at
Henrich's life.
They resolved that he should communicate all his suspicions to the
Sachem the following morning, and urge him to take measures for the
safety of his adopted son: but what was Jyanough's surprise, when he
opened the subject to Tisquantum, at being informed that Coubitant had
already left the camp with the Pequodees! Jyanough knew that it was
their intention that morning, at day-break, to set off on their return
to their own woods and plains, and he found that the wily Nausett had
expressed a desire to accompany them, and join in the war that was
going on between their tribe and some of their neighbors, in order to
distinguish himself as a warrior. It was not the Sachem's intention to
rejoin his tribe for a considerable time. He was fond of wandering, and
proposed to travel towards the north when the hunting season should be
over; and he also felt a reluctance to take his now greatly beloved
captive back to that part of the country where it was possible he might
gain intelligence of his friends, or, perhaps, even make his escape to
them. He had, therefore, consented to Coubitant's request, and
evidently felt an undefined satisfaction in his absence.
This being the case, and the departure of Coubitant having removed all
present danger to Henrich from his malicious schemes, Jyanough forbore
to express all he felt to the old Sachem; and he returned to Oriana
with the pleasant intelligence that the enemy of her white brother had
departed.
To the young Squaw-Sachem this news imparted infinite relief; and even
Henrich could not regret it, although he found it difficult to believe
that all the suspicions of his friends were well-founded. Still the
events of the preceding day were quite sufficient to make him doubt
more than ever the sincerity of Coubitant's professed regard; and he
felt that he should be happier now that the dark-browed savage was
gone. To his pleasant life of freedom we will now leave him, and return
to New Plymouth, where many events--deeply interesting to the
settlers--had occurred since his involuntary departure, and supposed
death.