There are hours in the life of man when no actual grief oppresses
him--when there is no imminent peril near--when no strong passion
wrings his heart; and yet those hours are amongst the most dark and
painful of his whole existence. They come on many occasions, and under
various circumstances--often when some silent voice from within warns
him of the instability of all human joy, and a gray shadow takes the
place of the sunshine of life--often when the prophetic soul, seeing
in the distant horizon a cloud no bigger than a man's hand, foretells
the hurricane and the tempest that is to sweep away his brightest
hopes for ever.
Such hours were those of Mr. Prevost during a great part of the night
which succeeded his parting with Lord H----. He slept but little for
several hours, and, though he knew not why, a gloomy, oppressive fancy
seized upon him, that his household would be the one to suffer from
the event which had lately passed.
The want of sleep in the earlier part of the night protracted the
slumbers of the morning. He was usually the first person up in the
house, and enjoyed many an hour of study or of thought before even the
negroes were stirring. But this morning he was aroused by a distant
knocking at the huts where the outdoor servants slept, and then by a
repetition of the same sound at the door of the house itself.
Rising hastily, he got down in time to see the door opened by old
Agrippa, and found a man on horseback bearing a large official-looking
letter, addressed to Major-General Lord H----.
It proved to be a despatch from Sir William Johnson, requesting both
Lord H---- and Mr. Prevost to attend a meeting of some of the chiefs
of the Five Nations, which was to be held at Johnson Castle on the
Mohawk in the course of the following day. Though the distance was not
very great, the difficulty of travelling through that part of the
country made it necessary to set out at once, in order to reach the
place of rendezvous before night.
"I will mount my horse as soon as it can be got ready," said Lord
H----, when he had read the letter and shown it to Mr. Prevost. "I
suppose, in existing circumstances, you will not think it advisable to
accompany me?"
"Most certainly I will go with you, my lord," replied his host. "As I
said last night, the danger, though very certain, is not immediate.
Weeks, months, may pass before these Indians feel assured that they
cannot obtain possession of the actual slayer of their red brother;
and, as many of the Oneidas will probably be present at this 'talk,'
as they call it, I may, perhaps (though it is very doubtful), gain
some insight into their thoughts and intentions. I will take my
daughter with me, however, for I should not like to leave her here
altogether alone. Her preparations may delay us for half-an-hour; but
we shall have ample time, and the horse of the messenger, who will act
as our guide, must have some little time to take rest and feed."
Edith was all gaiety and satisfaction at the thought of the expedition
before her. She knew many of the Indians well; was acquainted with
their habits and manners, and was a great favourite with several of
the chiefs; but she had never been present at any of their great
meetings, and the event before her had all the recommendation of
novelty. The keen observer before whom she stood drew from her active
eagerness an inference, partially true, though carried, perhaps, a
little too far, that she was not in reality well satisfied with her
residence in the wilderness--that it was oppressive to her, and that,
though she might studiously conceal her distaste for such solitude,
she was very glad to seize an opportunity of escaping from it to
busier scenes.
However that might be, she was ready the first. A very brief time was
spent at breakfast, and then the whole party set out on horseback,
followed by a negro leading a packhorse, and preceded by the messenger
of Sir William Johnson.
It was customary in those days in all lands for every gentleman to go
armed with the sword at least; and in those parts of America which
bordered upon the Indian territory, few people thought of going forth
for any distance without a rifle as a protection, not alone against
any hostile natives, but against wild beasts, which were then somewhat
numerous. Mr. Prevost, the messenger, and the negro, were all thus
armed; but Lord H----, who had hitherto worn nothing but the common
riding-suit in which he had first presented himself, except in his
unfortunate expedition with Captain Brooks, had now donned the
splendid uniform of a major-general in the British service, and was
merely armed with his sword and pistols in the holsters of his saddle.
Thus equipped, and mounted on a horse full of life and spirit from a
four days' rest, he was certainly as gallant-looking a cavalier as
ever presented himself to lady's eyes. But, to say sooth, his military
station and his military dress were no great recommendation to Edith;
for it is sad to say, but too true, that officers in the English army
in those days had made themselves anything but popular or well
esteemed in the American provinces. A more simple and more virtuous
state of society certainly existed in the northern portion of the New
World than in any part of the Old; and, coming from a luxurious and
vicious scene to a completely different state of things, the English
officer, despising the simpler habits of the people, displayed no
slight portion of insolence and presumption, and carried to excess the
evil habits which should have been disgraceful in any country. A great
change has since come over his manners and character in almost every
respect; but at that period he was notorious in the colonies for
blasphemy, drunkenness, and depraved morals.
Thus, to be a military man was, as I have said, no great
recommendation in the eyes of any lady who possessed self-respect, but
in the case of Lord H---- it served to heighten the good qualities
which were apparent in him, by showing him in a favourable contrast to
the great body of his comrades. He swore not; in eating and drinking
he carried moderation to abstemiousness; and in manners, though firm,
easy, and self-possessed, there was not the slightest touch of
overbearingness or presumption. Occasionally his tone was grave,
almost to sternness; but at other times it was mild, and even tender;
and there was something peculiarly gentle as well as bright in his
smile and in his eyes.
The journey passed without incident. Deep woods succeeded each other
for many miles, but not without interruption. Every now and then a
bright stream would come dancing along in its autumnal freshness, and
then the road would circle the edge of a small lake, sweet, and calm,
and beautiful, reflecting the blue sky and the over-hanging branches
of the pine and hemlock. At places where the maple grew, the forest
would be all in a glow, as if with the reflection of some vast unseen
fire; and then again, where the road passed through a deep valley, all
would be dark, and sombre, and gloomy.
No Indian villages were passed, and not a human being was seen for
seventeen or eighteen miles; though here and there a small log-hut,
apparently deserted, testified to the efforts of a new race to wrest
their hunting-grounds from an earlier race--efforts too soon, too
sadly, too cruelly, to be consummated.
The softer light of early morning died away, and then succeeded a
warmer period when the heat became very oppressive; for in the midst
of those deep forests, with no wind stirring, the change from summer
to winter is not felt so rapidly as in more open lands.
About an hour after noon Mr. Prevost proposed to stop, rest the
horses, and take some refreshment; and a spot was selected where some
fine oaks spread their large limbs over a beautifully clear little
lake or pond, the view across which presented peeps of a distant
country, some blue hills, at no very great elevation, appearing above
the tops of the trees. It was a calm and quiet spot; and, while
resting there for an hour, the conversation, as is generally the case,
was tinged by the influence of the scene.
Mr. Prevost himself, though past the age when impressions of any kind
are most readily received, had preserved much of the fresh and plastic
character of youth, and gave himself up to any train of thought that
might be suggested by circumstances. A casual word led his mind away
from those drier topics on which he was often pleased to dwell, to
friendship and to love; and he and Lord H---- discussed for some time
a number of subjects which rarely arise between an elderly man and one
in early middle age. Of the two, strange to say, Mr. Prevost, in
dealing with such topics, seemed the most enthusiastic and fanciful.
He would play with them, he would embellish them, he would illustrate
them, as if he had been a young lover, with his imagination freshly
kindled by the torch of the blind god. But in the little said by Lord
H---- there was a depth, and a strength, and an earnestness, which
more than made up for the lack of figurative adornment.
Edith said little--nothing, in truth, that bore upon the subject; but
perhaps she did not think--perhaps she did not feel--the less. It must
be a strange thing to a young girl's ears, I have often thought, when
first in her presence are discussed, by the cool, fearless tongues of
men, those deep sympathies, those warm affections, those tender and
absorbing passions--like the famous Amreeta cup, good or evil, life or
death, according to the spirit in which they are received--which form
for her the keynote of the whole harmonies of her nature, the
foundation of life's happiness or woe, the talisman of her whole
destiny. Must she not shrink and thrill, as would the idolater at
seeing profane and careless hands sport with the image of his god?
Needless, perhaps vain, were it to try and look into that young girl's
heart. Suffice it, she was silent, or very nearly so--suffice it, that
she thought and felt in her silence. Was it that the portals of a new
world were opened to her, full of beauty and of interest, and that she
stood on the threshold, gazing in voiceless awe?
At the end of an hour, the party again mounted, and pursued their way,
still through forests and valleys, across streams, and by the side of
lakes, till at length, just as the evening sun was reaching the
horizon, a visible change took place in the aspect of the country;
spots were seen which had been cultivated, where harvests had grown
and been reaped; and then a house gleamed here and there through the
woodland, and blue wreaths of smoke might be seen rising up. Tracks of
cart-wheels channelled the forest path; a cart or waggon was drawn up
near the road side; high piles of firewood showed preparation against
the bitter winter; and everything indicated that the travellers were
approaching some new but prosperous settlement.
Soon all traces of the primeval woods, except those which the
little party left behind them, disappeared, and a broad tract of
well-cultivated country spread out before them, with a fine river
bounding it at the distance of more than a mile. The road, too, was
comparatively good and broad, and half-way between the forest and the
river, that road divided into two, one branch going straight on, and
another leading up the course of the stream.
"Is Sir William at the Hall, or at his castle?" asked Mr. Prevost,
raising his voice to reach the ears of his guide, who kept a little in
front.
"He told me, sir, to take you to the Hall if you should come on, sir,"
replied the messenger. "There is a great number of Indians up at the
castle already, and he thought you might, perhaps, not like to be with
them altogether."
"Probably not," returned Mr. Prevost, drily; and they rode on upon the
direct road, till, passing two or three smaller houses, they came in
sight of a very large and handsome edifice, built of wood, indeed, but
somewhat in the style of a European house of the eighteenth century.
As they approached the gates, Sir William Johnson himself, now in full
costume of an officer of the British army, came down the steps to meet
and welcome them; and little less ceremonious politeness did he
display, in the midst of the wild woods of America, than if he had
been, at the moment, in the halls of St. James's. With stately grace,
he lifted Edith from her horse, greeted Lord H---- with a deferential
bow, shook Mr. Prevost by the hand, and then led them himself to rooms
which seemed to have been prepared for them.
"Where is my friend Walter?" he asked, as he was about to leave Mr.
Prevost to some short repose; "what has induced him to deny his old
acquaintance the pleasure of his society? Ha, Mr. Prevost, does he
think to find metal more attractive at your lonely dwelling? Perhaps
he may be mistaken; for, let me tell you, the beautiful Otaitsa is
here--here, in this very house; for our good friend Gore has so
completely Anglified her, that, what between her Christianity, her
beauty, and her delicacy, I believe she is afraid to trust herself
with four or five hundred red warriors at the castle."
He spoke in a gay and jesting tone; and every one knows the blessed
facility which parents have of shutting their eyes to the love affairs
of their children. Mr. Prevost did not, in the least, perceive
anything in the worthy general's speech, but a good-humored joke at
the boyish fondness of his son for a pretty Indian girl; and he
hastened to excuse Walter's absence by telling Sir William that he had
been sent to Albany on business by Lord H----. He then inquired,
somewhat anxiously, "Is our friend the Black Eagle here, with his
daughter?"
"He is here on the ground," replied Sir William, "but not in the
house. His Indian habits are of too old standing to be rooted out like
Otaitsa's, and he prefers a bear-skin and his own blue blanket to the
best bed and quilt in the house. I offered him such accommodation as
it afforded; but he declined with the dignity of a prince refusing the
hospitality of a cottage."
"Does he seem in a good humour to-day?" asked Mr. Prevost, hesitating
whether he should tell Sir William, at a moment when they were likely
to be soon interrupted, the event which had caused so much
apprehension in his own mind; "you know he is somewhat variable in his
mood."
"I never remarked it," replied the other. "I think he is the most
civilized savage I ever saw; far more than King Hendrick, though the
one, since his father's death, wears a blue coat, and the other does
not. He did seem a little grave, indeed; but the shadows of Indian
mirth and gravity are so faint, it is difficult to distinguish them."
While these few words were passing, Mr. Prevost had decided upon his
course, and he merely replied,--
"Well, Sir William, pray let Otaitsa know that Edith is here. They
will soon be in each other's arms, for the two girls love like
sisters."
A few words sprang to Sir William Johnson's lips, which, had they been
uttered, might, perhaps, have opened Mr. Prevost's eyes, at least, to
the suspicions of his friend. He was on the eve of answering, "And,
some day, they may be sisters." But he checked himself, and nothing
but the smile which should have accompanied the words made any reply.
When left alone, the thoughts of Mr. Prevost reverted at once to more
pressing considerations.
"The old chief knows this event," he said to himself; "he has heard of
it--heard the whole, probably. It is wonderful how rapidly
intelligence is circulated amongst this people from mouth to mouth!"
He was well nigh led into speculations regarding the strange celerity
with which news can be carried orally, and was beginning to calculate
how much distance would be saved in a given space, by one man shouting
out the tidings to another afar off, when he forced back his mind into
the track it had left, and came to the conclusion, from a knowledge of
the character of the parties, and from all he had heard, that
certainly the Black Eagle was cognizant of the death of one of his
tribe by the hand of Captain Brooks, and that probably--though not
certainly--he might have communicated the facts, though not his views
and purposes, to his daughter, whose keen eyes were likely to discover
much of that which he intended to conceal.