The day was set for Esock Mayall and the chief's adopted daughter to be
joined in Hymen's silken bands, according to the custom of the tribe,
commanded by their war-chief. A young Indian maiden was sent for, and
arrived one day in advance, to arrange the bride's dress and ornaments
in true Indian style, and dress her hat with flowing plumes so much
admired by the native hunters of the forest. The bride's hair was
trimmed to flow gracefully upon her shoulder, and ornamented with
brilliants that sparkled like diamonds among her flowing hair. Her dress
was covered with wampum, and her moccasins ornamented with bead-work
stars that reflected their dazzling light. Her arms were encircled above
the elbows and around her wrists with silver bands, and jewels of gold
hung from her ears and nose.
Esock Mayall was dressed with blue pants, a light hunting-frock of the
same color, and embroidered moccasins. The day had arrived, the morning
had dawned with a clear sky, and heaven's concave shone in unclouded
blue. The October sun rose and threw a golden blush over hill and vale,
and bathed the groves in light, reflecting all the varied hues of the
falling leaves as they fluttered from the tall forest trees to form a
carpet for the children of the forest, who now began to arrive, dressed
and plumed for the wedding-dance, with their bouquet of flowers in their
hands, dressed similar to the bride, but with less expense. The young
Indian warriors were dressed with tight leggings or pants, and
smoke-tanned hunting-frocks. The hour having arrived for the ceremony,
the young Indians formed in a ring on the green, in front of the chief's
tent, each with his partner to his left, with an open space toward the
tent, whilst the spectators or older Indians formed an outer circle at a
respectful distance.
Esock Mayall, son of the adopted white chief, now advanced from the
chief's tent, with his bride leaning on his left arm, arrayed in all the
glory of Indian simplicity, followed by the Indian chief and the adopted
chief, Wolf-hunter, young Mayall's father. As the young couple advanced
to the centre of the ring the two chiefs closed up the space. The
marriage ceremony was brief and simple, and amounted to little more than
the mutual promise made by the bride and groom to live together in love
and harmony.
The two chiefs now retired from the space they occupied, the ring closed
up, each Indian maiden throwing her bouquet on the ground, forming a
circle around the young couple. A signal was given, the music sounded
they then chased each other around the circle with measured tread, all
keeping time with the music for a few moments, when the music stopped
and each couple faced inward and picked up their bouquets, when the
music again started its hollow, rattling sound. Then the bride and groom
joined the circle, and the ring danced round and round for the space of
an hour or more, stopping at intervals and facing inward, until the
music ceased and the ring was seated on the ground and partook of a
supper of wild fowls, venison and corn-bread, after which they all shook
hands with the newly married pair, wishing them peace and prosperity in
their forest home to which they were about to remove. The guests then
returned to their homes, and no time was lost in preparing for their
journey to their new home.
The following morning all things were in readiness. Their team was
hitched up and the wagon was loaded with a few cooking utensils. Esock
Mayall's mother, three children, himself and young bride, started early
for their home in the wilderness, whilst the Indian chief who was to
accompany them to their new home and enjoy the Indian summer in the
forest, and spend the hunting season with them, traveled on foot with
the elder Mayall, and piloted out the best route for the wagon, removing
such obstructions as they found in the path. Mayall said he would take
the axe and the Indian chief the gun, and one would clear the path of
logs and the other of game.
In this manner they proceeded for three days, arriving near sunset on
the bank of the East Canada Creek, at a place now called Russia,
opposite the cottage built by Mayall when he passed up the creek on his
summer excursion. Not finding a suitable place to cross with their team,
the creek being somewhat swollen by rains on the head-waters of that
stream, they concluded to cut some grass on a small island and leave
their team on a little elevated spot near the river, with the elder Mrs.
Mayall and the children to sleep in the wagon and the rest would take
off their clothes and ford the stream, carrying with them some blankets.
The young bride, like the Naiad of the stream, stripped off her
beautiful robes, and advancing to a deep, still place, tied them up in a
handkerchief, fastened them on the top of her head, rushed into the
stream, swimming with her head out of the water to her breast, and was
soon on the opposite shore, and dressed before the rest were half ready
to cross. Whilst the rest were packing up their blankets and skins in a
suitable manner to cross over, the young nymph of the forest came
running back and called on the party to bring over their knives,
tomahawks and guns. She said that a company of bears lived in that
cottage, and had only gone out to hunt and would soon return; she
requested them to take her rifle, load it and leave it with her new
mother to defend herself, and bring over the remaining four guns. These
tidings put the camp in a fluster. Young Mayall proceeded to pattern
after his wife, stripped, and commenced carrying blankets, guns,
ammunition, tomahawks and knives. In a short time all that was needed
was over, each one armed, and proceeded to the cottage.
Wolf-hunter carefully examined the room and said there was one she-bear
of tremendous size and two large cubs that had taken up their quarters
in that cottage, and every one must examine his gun and see that it was
well primed and sure fire, for they were liable to be attacked any
moment. The Indian chief, Wolf-hunter and Esock Mayall each examined
their guns, put on their belts with a large tomahawk and hunting-knife
by their side, and Wolf-hunter stationed himself about twenty rods up in
the direction the bears had gone, behind a large tree; the Indian chief
about ten rods nearer the tent, and Esock Mayall about the same distance
from the tent, but nearer the creek, whilst young Mayall's wife was
clearing out of the cottage the leaves that the bears had carried in.
There had risen a dark cloud where the sun went down, and muffled sound
of distant thunder could be heard, whilst night was dropping her sable
curtain around the horizon. But no hunter on his nightly post was heard
to stir.
Wolf-hunter was now in his glory, nerving his muscular frame for battle.
All of a sudden this mammoth bear and her two cubs were heard by
Wolf-hunter advancing rapidly for the cottage. The moments seemed to fly
more rapidly. The instant the bear appeared in sight Wolf-hunter raised
his gun. The bear, as quick as thought, raised on her hind legs and
struck at his gun, which, firing at the same instant that the bear's paw
struck it, had a tendency to lower the gun and carry away a part of the
bear's under-jaw. Wolf-hunter's gun became useless from the nearness of
the bear and quickness of her motion. He seized his tomahawk, but the
strength and power of the bear was such that it seemed of no avail.
Becoming heated with the strife, the God of Battle nerved his arm to
grapple with the monster of the woods in deadly strife. He dropped his
tomahawk and drew his long knife, keenly sharpened for such game. As the
hunter raised his left hand, and darted his knife with tremendous force
for the bear, it struck the loose skin on his neck, rolled the blow one
side, and passed the bear's neck, whilst the hot breath of the monster
came full in his face. It now became hurrying times. He raised his knife
once more, and made a thrust with all his power, and ripped the bear
open from his flank to his brisket, and sprang back with all his power,
and fell on the ground about ten feet from the bear. Whilst lying there
he heard the heavy report of two guns, which he took to be those of the
Indian chief and Esock Mayall, as the cubs passed them for the cottage.
The Indian chief had slightly wounded the young bear that passed him,
and, quickly loading his rifle, started to assist Wolf-hunter, where
there had been the constant growling and snarling of the old she-bear
after the first report of Wolf-hunter's rifle. The Indian chief soon
arrived on the spot, and found the bear sitting up on her hind legs,
with her life-blood ebbing away, and put an end to her misery by
shooting a ball through her head, and then asked Wolf-hunter why he lay
there in that condition, with that long bloody knife in his hand?
Wolf-hunter replied that he had but one hand he could use, and he laid
still, knowing that the bear would not touch him as long as he appeared
to be dead, and he further knew that the monster's life-blood was fast
ebbing away, and that she would soon be too weak to move. The Indian
chief had all this time been loading his gun as fast as possible, and
had just driven down the ball, when screams were heard from the cottage,
coming from the young bride.
These brought Wolf-hunter to his feet, and, not feeling the pain of his
wounded hand, he went through the forest for the cottage with the speed
of the panther, with the long bloody weapon in his right hand, closely
pursued by the Indian chief. Esock Mayall came with all possible speed
from the creek, where he had killed the young bear that passed him, to
rescue his young wife, the three arriving at the same time.
When within about twenty feet of the cottage they saw the flash and
heard the loud report of a gun, and all was hushed to silence. And there
stood Esock Mayall's young wife, who had fired the last gun and killed
the last bear, proud of her success. The young bear which passed the
Indian chief and received his fire was only slightly wounded, and fled
to the cottage for safety, and plunged into the door, and finding the
young bride in possession, cleaning out the leaves, attacked her with
great fury. Not being able to get her rifle, she defended herself with a
club that had been cut for a fire poker. At length giving the bear a
lucky blow, she seized her rifle and leaped out the cottage door, and
only had time to bring it to her face before the young bear leaped out
after her. Her rifle was quickly brought to bear upon him. A flash and a
report, and the young bear lay dead at her feet, with three brave men
coming to her assistance, but too late to be of use. The battle of the
bears, so well begun with Wolf-hunter, had ended by a maiden's hand.
Three prowling monsters of the wood lay cold in death amid their native
wilds, and the party, proud of their success, concluded to dress the
young bear killed at the cottage and have a feast of roasted meat. A
large fire was built before the cottage, that illuminated the forest for
some distance around, which made a wild and beautiful appearance, with
the high leafy arches over their head, and the yellow and crimson leaves
of autumn carpeting the forest as far as the eye could penetrate the
surrounding darkness.
The young bear was hastily dressed, and a part of it roasted, from which
they made a sumptuous feast with corn bread. After the feast was over,
the Indian chief, Esock Mayall, and his wife, remained at the cottage,
whilst Wolf-hunter took a part of the roasted meat and corn bread and
recrossed the stream, to feed his wife and children, and guard them from
danger through the darkness of the night.