I stirred not till they were gone--till long after. In fact, my mind
was in a state of bewilderment, that for some moments hindered me either
from acting or thinking; and I sat as if glued to the branch.
Reflection came at length, and I began to speculate upon what I had just
heard and seen.
Was it a farce to frighten me? No, no--they were not the characters of
a farce--not one of the four; and the re-appearance of Yellow Jake,
partaking as it did of the wild and supernatural, was too dramatic, too
serious to form an episode in comedy.
On the contrary, I had just listened to the prologue of an intended
tragedy, of which I was myself to be the victim. Beyond doubt, these
men had a design upon my life!
Four men, too, not one of whom could charge me with ever having done him
a serious injury. I knew that all four disliked me, and ever had--
though Spence and Williams could have no other cause of offence than
what might spring from boyish grudge--long-forgotten by me; but
doubtless their motive was Ringgold's. As for the mulatto, I could
understand his hostility; though mistaken, it was of the deadliest kind.
But what was I to think of Arens Ringgold, the leader in this designed
assassination? A man of some education--my equal in social rank--a
gentleman!
O Arens Ringgold--Arens Ringgold! How was I to explain it? How account
for conduct so atrocious, so fiendish?
I knew that this young man liked me but little--of late less than ever.
I knew the cause too. I stood in the way of his relations with my
sister--at least so thought he. And he had reason; for, since my
father's death, I had spoken more freely of family affairs. I had
openly declared that, with my consent, he should never be my brother;
and this declaration had reached him. I could easily believe,
therefore, that he was angry with me; but anger that would impel a man
to such demoniac purpose, I could not comprehend.
And what meant those half-heard phrases--"one that stands in our way,"
"mother easily consent," "master of the plantation," coupled with the
names of Viola and my sister? What meant they?
I could give them but one, and that a terrible interpretation--too
fearful to dwell upon.
I could scarcely credit my senses, scarcely believe that I was not
labouring under some horrid hallucination, some confusion of the brain
produced by my having been _en rapport_ with the maniac!
But no; the moon had been over them--my eyes open upon them--my ears
open, and could not have deceived me. I saw what they did--I heard what
they said. They designed to kill me!
"Ho, ho, young mico, you may come down. The _honowaw-hulwa_ [bad men]
are gone. _Hinklas_! Come down, pretty mico--down, down, down!"
I hastened to obey, and stood once more in the presence of the mad
queen.
"Now you believe Haj-Ewa? Have an enemy, young mico? Ho--four enemies.
Your life in danger? Ho? ho?"
"Ewa, you have saved my life; how am I to thank you for the service you
have done me?"
"Be true to _her_--true--true--true."
"To whom?"
"Great Spirit! he has forgotten her! False young mico! false pale-face!
Why did I save him? Why did I not let his blood fall to the ground?"
"Ewa!"
"_Hulwak, hulwak_! Poor forest-bird! the beauty-bird of all; her heart
will sicken and die, her head will go mad."
"Ewa, explain."
"_Hulwak_! better he should die than desert her. Ho, ho! false
pale-face, would that he had died before he broke poor Ewa's heart; then
Ewa would have lost only her heart; but her head--her head, that is
worse. Ho, ho, ho!
"Why did I trust in a pale-faced lover?
Ho, ho, ho!
Why did I meet him--"
"Ewa," I exclaimed with an earnestness that caused the woman to leave
off her wild song, "tell me! of whom do you speak?"
"Great Spirit, hear what he asks! Of whom?--of whom? there is more than
one. Ho, ho! there is more than one, and the true one forgotten.
_Hulwak, hulwak_! what shall Ewa say? What tale can Ewa tell? Poor
bird! her heart will bleed, and her brain be crushed. Ho, ho! There
will be two Haj-Ewas--two mad queens of the Micosaucs."
"For Heaven's sake! keep me not in suspense. Tell me, Ewa, good Ewa, of
whom are you speaking? Is it--"
The name trembled upon my tongue; I hesitated to pronounce it.
Notwithstanding that my heart was full of delightful hope, from the
confidence I felt of receiving an affirmative answer, I dreaded to put
the question.
Not a great while did I hesitate; I had gone too far to recede. I had
long waited to satisfy the wish of a yearning heart; I could wait no
longer. Ewa might give me the satisfaction. I pronounced the words:
"Is it--Maumee?"
The maniac gazed upon me for some moments without speaking. The
expression of her eye I could not read; for the last few minutes, it had
been one of reproach and scorn. As I uttered the name, it changed to a
look of bewilderment; and then her glance became fixed upon me, as if
searching my thoughts.
"If it be Maumee," I continued, without awaiting her reply--for I was
now carried away by the ardour of my resuscitated passion--"if it be
she, know, Ewa, that her I love--Maumee I love."
"You love Maumee? You still love Maumee?" interrogated the maniac with
startling quickness.
"Ay, Ewa--by my life--by my--"
"_Cooree, cooree_! swear not--_his_ very oath. _Hulwak_! and he was
false. Speak again, young mico? say you love Maumee--say you are true,
but do not swear."
"True--true?"
"Hinklas!" cried the woman in a loud and apparently joyful
tone--"_Hinklas_! the mico is true--the pretty pale-faced mico is true,
and the _haintclitz_ [the pretty one] will be happy."
Ho, ho!
Now for the love, the sweet young love
Under the tala tree [Palm, _Chamaerops palmetto_].
Who would not be like yonder dove--
The wild little dove--
The soft little dove--
Sitting close by his mate in the shade of the grove--
Co-cooing to his mate in the shade of the grove,
With none to hear or see?
"Down, _chitta mico_!" she exclaimed, once more addressing the
rattlesnake; "and you, _ocola chitta_! [Green snake.] Be quiet both.
It is _not_ an enemy. Quiet, or I crush your heads!"
"Good Ewa--"
"Ho! you call me good Ewa. Some day, you may call me bad Ewa. Hear
me!" she continued, raising her voice, and speaking with increased
earnestness--"hear me, George Randolph! If ever you are bad--false like
_him_, like _him_, then Haj-Ewa will be your enemy; _chitta mico_ will
destroy you. You will, my king of serpents? you will? Ho, ho, ho!"
As she spoke the reptile appeared to comprehend her, for its head was
suddenly raised aloft, its bright basilisk eyes gleamed as though
emitting sparks of fire--its forked, glittering tongue was protruded
from its mouth, and the "skirr-rr" of the rattles could be heard for
some moments sounding continuously.
"Quiet! now quiet!" said she, with a motion of her fingers, causing the
serpent to resume its attitude of repose. "Not he, _chitta_! not he,
thou king of the crawlers! Quiet, I say!"
"Why do you threaten me, Ewa? You have no cause."
"_Hinklas_! I believe it, fair mico, gallant mico; true, I believe it."
"But, good Ewa, explain to me--tell me of--"
"_Cooree, cooree_! not now, not to-night. There is no time,
_chepawnee_! See! look yonder to the west! _Netle-hasse_ [the night
sun--the moon] is going to bed. You must be gone. You dare not walk in
the darkness. You must get back to the _topekee_ before the moon is
hid--go, go, go!"
"But I told you, Ewa, I had business here. I dare not leave till it is
done."
"_Hulwak_! there is danger then. What business, mico! Ah! I guess.
See! they come for whom you wait?"
"True--it is they, I believe."
I said this, as I perceived the tall shadows of the two chiefs flitting
along the further edge of the pond.
"Be quick, then: do what you must, but waste not time. In the darkness
you will meet danger. Haj-Ewa must be gone. Good night, young mico:
good night."
I returned the salutation; and facing round to await the arrival of the
chiefs, lost sight of my strange companion.
The Indians soon came upon the ground, and briefly delivered their
report.
Holata Mico had struck his tents, and was moving away from the
encampment.
I was too much disgusted with these traitorous men to spend a moment in
their company; and, as soon as I had gained the required information, I
hurried away from their presence.
Warned by Haj-Ewa, as well as by the words of Arens Ringgold, I lost no
time in returning to the fort. The moon was still above the horizon;
and I had the advantage of her light to protect me from being surprised
by any sudden onset.
I walked hastily, taking the precaution to keep in the open ground, and
giving a wide berth to any covert that might shelter an assassin.
I saw no one on the way, nor around the back of the stockade. On
arriving opposite the gate of the fort, however, I perceived the figure
of a man--not far from the sutler's store--apparently skulking behind
some logs. I fancied I knew the man; I fancied he was the mulatto.
I would have gone after him, and satisfied myself; but I had already
hailed the sentinel, and given the countersign; and I did not desire to
cause a flurry among the guard--particularly as I had received
injunctions to pass in as privately as possible.
Another time, I should likely encounter this Jacob _redivivus_; when I
should be less embarrassed, and perhaps have a better opportunity of
calling him and his diabolical associates to an account. With this
reflection, I passed through the gate, and carried my report to the
quarters of the commander-in-chief.