NAHMA REMEMBERS
Most welcome of all the guests at Nahma's lodge was the little lady
Betty, who was sometimes taken thither by her father mounted in front
of him on his great Flemish horse Baldric. A strong friendship had
sprung up between the child and the young Indian, and she was never
happier than during the hour occasionally spent with him. She always
brought some little gift, and he never failed to have ready a unique
bit of his own handiwork to offer in return. Once it was a wee bow and
a quiver of small stone-headed arrows. Again he presented her with the
beautifully dressed skin of an otter. At length he completed a pair of
tiny snow-shoes gayly fringed and ornamented. For some days after they
were finished he waited expectantly the coming of his little friend,
and as she failed to appear, he finally decided to take his gift to the
castle.
Now, it happened that Sir Amory, being called by some business to the
near-by city of Bristol, had taken his wife and little daughter with
him for a brief visit, from which they had just returned. As was usual
on such occasions, they had brought back a number of trifling gifts for
members of the household, and also one for the young Indian whom they
held in such high esteem.
The city of Bristol, more than any other in England, was building up
a trade with the New World. While this trade was more especially with
the Virginia plantations, it was gradually extending northward along
the American coast. Thus a ship, recently returned, had voyaged as far
north as the French settlements, trading with natives wherever found on
her way. This ship had brought back many curious things, among which
was an object of native make that Sir Amory, having his Indian guest in
his mind, purchased on sight.
"It may interest him," he said to his wife, "and, at any rate, it will
be something for Betty to take him when next she and I ride to his
lodge." So this present was fetched home with the others, and was to
have been carried out to Nahma on the very day of his appearance at the
castle.
On learning that the Indian waited outside with a gift for Betty, Sir
Amory ordered him to be brought in. The knight and his lady together
with several guests were grouped near the huge fireplace in the great
hall as Nahma entered and, advancing gravely, extended a hand to his
host. Then, looking about inquiringly, he pronounced the single word
"Betty."
"I' faith!" laughed the knight, "the young man hath quickly recognized
the most important personage of this establishment and will have
dealings with none other. Let Mistress Betty be brought."
As soon as the little girl appeared, the young Indian, kneeling
gracefully, presented her with his gift. After the tiny snow-shoes had
been passed from hand to hand for inspection and their use had been
explained, Lady Effingham said,--
"Now, Betty, give him the present fetched from Bristol."
Thus saying she placed a small packet in the child's hand, and the
latter, advancing shyly, handed it to Nahma. With a smiling face the
young warrior undid the wrappings of the packet until its contents were
exposed. Suddenly his expression changed to one of consternation and
bewilderment. For a moment he held the object in his hands gazing at
it wildly and in evident perplexity. Then he uttered a great cry and
a gush of tears filled his eyes. He gasped and seemed about to speak;
but, words failing him, he turned and fled from the hall, leaving its
occupants amazed at his strange actions.
"It is doubtless a native charm of some kind," quoth the knight,
breaking the silence, "and a powerful one at that, for never did I see
a man so upset by a trifle. After a little, when he has had time to
quiet down, I will question him concerning his agitation, but until
then we must amuse ourselves with conjecture."
In the mean time Nahma had not paused in his flight until reaching his
own lodge. There he sat down and examined his newly acquired prize
with minutest care, alternately laughing and crying as he did so. At
length, apparently satisfied with his inspection, he said aloud in the
long forgotten tongue of the Wampanoags,--
"Truly it is my father's wampum, and I am Nahma, the son of
Longfeather."
It was indeed the Belt of Seven Totems, thus marvellously restored to
him from whose unconscious form it had been taken nearly three years
earlier in the far-away land of the Iroquois. Not only had Nahma thus
regained his father's badge of authority, but at sight of it the memory
of his earlier years, lost to him ever since he had been struck down
by Miantinomo, was abruptly and fully restored. He recalled who he was
and found himself once more in command of his native tongue. He also
remembered every incident of his journey to the country of the Maqua as
though it had been undertaken but the day before. He even remembered
lying down for a brief rest after eating his supper on the western bank
of the Shatemuc; but beyond that came a blank, and his next memory was
of Aeana in the lodge of Kaweras.
As these things passed through his mind in rapid review, he was also
whelmed by a great wave of home-sickness. The voices of his own people
rang in his ears, and he heard the plash of waves on the beach at
Montaup. The scent of burning cedar from the evening camp-fires was
in his nostrils, and he felt the spring of brown pine needles beneath
his feet as he threaded the dim forest trails of his native land. In
a bark canoe he once more ran the foaming rapids of great rivers, or,
lying beside Tasquanto, he was lulled to sleep by the roar of mighty
cataracts. So distinct were the pictures thus flashed before him by the
magic belt that he had no longer a wish to live unless he could once
more gaze upon them in reality. Every other feeling was merged in an
intense desire to regain his own country and rejoin his own people.
At length the longing for these things became so great that the youth
sprang to his feet, determined to set forth at once in quest of them.
His reason told him that such an adventure was well-nigh hopeless; but
the wampum belt urged him forward and persuaded him that by some means
he would succeed. So Nahma departed forever from the lodge that, but
an hour earlier, had seemed his home for life, and set forth on the
tremendous journey. He took with him only his weapons, a fur cloak, the
fire-bag that had once belonged to Aeana, and the Belt of Seven Totems
girded about his body next his skin.
As he emerged from the lodge he stood for a moment irresolute. Whither
should he turn? What path would lead him to Montaup? Then the last word
uttered in his hearing by Betty's mother rang again in his ears. It
was "Bristol." From there the belt had but recently come, and there he
would begin to retrace its mysterious course to the place where he had
lost it. He had heard the foresters speak of Bristol, and he knew that
it lay in the direction of the setting sun. What Bristol was, or how
far away, he did not know, any more than what he should do upon getting
there. It was enough that his first step was decided upon, and without
a single backward glance he began his long homeward journey.
An hour later Sir Amory on his good horse Baldric, and with mistress
Betty in his arms, rode up to the deserted lodge and uttered a cheery
call for its supposed occupant to come forth. The knight was puzzled
at finding the place empty; and for several days thereafter he caused
search to be made for its recent owner. But nothing came of this, nor
for many years did he hear a word concerning the disappearance and
whereabouts of Massasoit.
That night Nahma slept in the wood, as lonely and friendless a human
being as could be found in all the world, but so happy in his regained
memory and in the knowledge that he, like others, could now lay claim
to home and people, towards whom he was journeying, that nothing else
mattered. On the morrow he struck the broad trail of a highway that
led to the westward, and thereafter he followed it. Noting that his
appearance attracted attention from the few travellers whom he met, he
determined to procure a suit of clothing that would render him less
conspicuous.
He dreaded to approach a house, and was at a loss how to accomplish his
purpose until at dusk of the second day. Then he ran across a camp-fire
surrounded by a group of dark-skinned persons, who for a moment he
believed to be people of his own race. He did not discover his mistake
until he was within the circle of fire-light and it was too late to
retreat. So he put on a bold face, accepted an invitation to eat with
the gypsies, and strove hard, though without success, to understand
what they said.
They in turn were as much puzzled by him as he was by them; but this
did not prevent them from exchanging a well-worn suit of clothing for
Nahma's fur robe when he intimated by signs his willingness to make
such a trade. As soon as he procured these things he put them on over
his buckskin garments; and, as a dilapidated cap had been thrown in
to complete the bargain, he was so thoroughly disguised that even Sir
Amory would have failed to recognize him.
The gypsies invited their guest to cast his fortunes with them, and
proposed among themselves to compel him to do so in any event. He
neither declined nor accepted their offer, but after a while lay down
to sleep near their fire, as though willing, at any rate, to remain
with them for the present. Thus they were much chagrined to find in
the morning that he had disappeared without leaving a trace to show
which way he had gone.
So it happened that our wanderer came at length to the snug little
seaport of Bristol, at that time second in importance only to London.
And thus was taken the first step of his momentous journey. Dusk
was falling as he entered the place, and for some time he wandered
aimlessly through its narrow streets.
Then, unexpectedly, he came to the water front and discovered ships,
some under sail and others anchored in the stream. His heart leaped at
sight of them, for he supposed that all ships passed to and from his
own country. Therefore if he could only find one about to depart, and
contrive to get on board, the second and longest step of his journey
would be provided for.
He managed to exchange his bow and arrows for a meal in a small
public-house near the water, and when he had eaten it he again strolled
outside looking for a place in which to pass the night. It was now
quite dark, and, without going far, he lay down to sleep under the lee
of a boat that was drawn up on one of the wharves.
Some hours later he was awakened by sounds of shouting and scuffling
close at hand, and sprang to his feet in alarm. As he did so a rough
voice called out,--
"Here's another stout fellow! Seize him, lads, and hustle him along."
Immediately Nahma was surrounded, and, despite his furious struggles,
was quickly overthrown and securely bound.