"Coming to mention the man to whose story all thus far said was but the introduction, the judge, who, like you, was a great smoker4, would insist upon all the company taking cigars, and then lighting5 a fresh one himself, rise in his place, and, with the solemnest voice, say— 'Gentlemen, let us smoke to the memory of Colonel John Moredock;' when, after several whiffs taken standing6 in deep silence and deeper reverie, he would resume his seat and his discourse7, something in these words:
"'Though Colonel John Moredock was not an Indian-hater par8 excellence9, he yet cherished a kind of sentiment towards the red man, and in that degree, and so acted out his sentiment as sufficiently10 to merit the tribute just rendered to his memory.
"'John Moredock was the son of a woman married thrice, and thrice widowed by a tomahawk. The three successive husbands of this woman had been pioneers, and with them she had wandered from wilderness11 to wilderness, always on the frontier. With nine children, [238] she at last found herself at a little clearing, afterwards Vincennes. There she joined a company about to remove to the new country of Illinois. On the eastern side of Illinois there were then no settlements; but on the west side, the shore of the Mississippi, there were, near the mouth of the Kaskaskia, some old hamlets of French. To the vicinity of those hamlets, very innocent and pleasant places, a new Arcadia, Mrs. Moredock's party was destined12; for thereabouts, among the vines, they meant to settle. They embarked13 upon the Wabash in boats, proposing descending14 that stream into the Ohio, and the Ohio into the Mississippi, and so, northwards, towards the point to be reached. All went well till they made the rock of the Grand Tower on the Mississippi, where they had to land and drag their boats round a point swept by a strong current. Here a party of Indians, lying in wait, rushed out and murdered nearly all of them. The widow was among the victims with her children, John excepted, who, some fifty miles distant, was following with a second party.
"He was just entering upon manhood, when thus left in nature sole survivor15 of his race. Other youngsters might have turned mourners; he turned avenger16. His nerves were electric wires—sensitive, but steel. He was one who, from self-possession, could be made neither to flush nor pale. It is said that when the tidings were brought him, he was ashore17 sitting beneath a hemlock18 eating his dinner of venison—and as the tidings were told him, after the first start he kept on eating, but slowly and deliberately19, chewing the wild news [239] with the wild meat, as if both together, turned to chyle, together should sinew him to his intent. From that meal he rose an Indian-hater. He rose; got his arms, prevailed upon some comrades to join him, and without delay started to discover who were the actual transgressors. They proved to belong to a band of twenty renegades from various tribes, outlaws20 even among Indians, and who had formed themselves into a maurauding crew. No opportunity for action being at the time presented, he dismissed his friends; told them to go on, thanking them, and saying he would ask their aid at some future day. For upwards21 of a year, alone in the wilds, he watched the crew. Once, what he thought a favorable chance having occurred—it being midwinter, and the savages22 encamped, apparently23 to remain so—he anew mustered24 his friends, and marched against them; but, getting wind of his coming, the enemy fled, and in such panic that everything was left behind but their weapons. During the winter, much the same thing happened upon two subsequent occasions. The next year he sought them at the head of a party pledged to serve him for forty days. At last the hour came. It was on the shore of the Mississippi. From their covert25, Moredock and his men dimly descried26 the gang of Cains in the red dusk of evening, paddling over to a jungled island in mid-stream, there the more securely to lodge27; for Moredock's retributive spirit in the wilderness spoke28 ever to their trepidations now, like the voice calling through the garden. Waiting until dead of night, the whites swam the river, towing after them a raft laden29 [240] with their arms. On landing, Moredock cut the fastenings of the enemy's canoes, and turned them, with his own raft, adrift; resolved that there should be neither escape for the Indians, nor safety, except in victory, for the whites. Victorious30 the whites were; but three of the Indians saved themselves by taking to the stream. Moredock's band lost not a man.
"'Three of the murderers survived. He knew their names and persons. In the course of three years each successively fell by his own hand. All were now dead. But this did not suffice. He made no avowal31, but to kill Indians had become his passion. As an athlete, he had few equals; as a shot, none; in single combat, not to be beaten. Master of that woodland-cunning enabling the adept32 to subsist33 where the tyro34 would perish, and expert in all those arts by which an enemy is pursued for weeks, perhaps months, without once suspecting it, he kept to the forest. The solitary35 Indian that met him, died. When a murder was descried, he would either secretly pursue their track for some chance to strike at least one blow; or if, while thus engaged, he himself was discovered, he would elude36 them by superior skill.
"'Many years he spent thus; and though after a time he was, in a degree, restored to the ordinary life of the region and period, yet it is believed that John Moredock never let pass an opportunity of quenching37 an Indian. Sins of commission in that kind may have been his, but none of omission38.
"'It were to err39 to suppose,' the judge would say, 'that this gentleman was naturally ferocious40, or peculiarly [241] possessed41 of those qualities, which, unhelped by provocation42 of events, tend to withdraw man from social life. On the contrary, Moredock was an example of something apparently self-contradicting, certainly curious, but, at the same time, undeniable: namely, that nearly all Indian-haters have at bottom loving hearts; at any rate, hearts, if anything, more generous than the average. Certain it is, that, to the degree in which he mingled43 in the life of the settlements, Moredock showed himself not without humane44 feelings. No cold husband or colder father, he; and, though often and long away from his household, bore its needs in mind, and provided for them. He could be very convivial45; told a good story (though never of his more private exploits), and sung a capital song. Hospitable46, not backward to help a neighbor; by report, benevolent47, as retributive, in secret; while, in a general manner, though sometimes grave—as is not unusual with men of his complexion48, a sultry and tragical49 brown—yet with nobody, Indians excepted, otherwise than courteous50 in a manly51 fashion; a moccasined gentleman, admired and loved. In fact, no one more popular, as an incident to follow may prove.
"'His bravery, whether in Indian fight or any other, was unquestionable. An officer in the ranging service during the war of 1812, he acquitted52 himself with more than credit. Of his soldierly character, this anecdote53 is told: Not long after Hull54's dubious55 surrender at Detroit, Moredock with some of his rangers56 rode up at night to a log-house, there to rest till morning. The horses being attended to, supper over, and sleeping-places assigned [242] the troop, the host showed the colonel his best bed, not on the ground like the rest, but a bed that stood on legs. But out of delicacy57, the guest declined to monopolize58 it, or, indeed, to occupy it at all; when, to increase the inducement, as the host thought, he was told that a general officer had once slept in that bed. "Who, pray?" asked the colonel. "General Hull." "Then you must not take offense," said the colonel, buttoning up his coat, "but, really, no coward's bed, for me, however comfortable." Accordingly he took up with valor's bed—a cold one on the ground.
"'At one time the colonel was a member of the territorial59 council of Illinois, and at the formation of the state government, was pressed to become candidate for governor, but begged to be excused. And, though he declined to give his reasons for declining, yet by those who best knew him the cause was not wholly unsurmised. In his official capacity he might be called upon to enter into friendly treaties with Indian tribes, a thing not to be thought of. And even did no such contingecy arise, yet he felt there would be an impropriety in the Governor of Illinois stealing out now and then, during a recess60 of the legislative61 bodies, for a few days' shooting at human beings, within the limits of his paternal62 chief-magistracy. If the governorship offered large honors, from Moredock it demanded larger sacrifices. These were incompatibles. In short, he was not unaware63 that to be a consistent Indian-hater involves the renunciation of ambition, with its objects—the pomps and glories of the world; and since religion, pronouncing [243] such things vanities, accounts it merit to renounce64 them, therefore, so far as this goes, Indian-hating, whatever may be thought of it in other respects, may be regarded as not wholly without the efficacy of a devout65 sentiment.'"
Here the narrator paused. Then, after his long and irksome sitting, started to his feet, and regulating his disordered shirt-frill, and at the same time adjustingly shaking his legs down in his rumpled66 pantaloons, concluded: "There, I have done; having given you, not my story, mind, or my thoughts, but another's. And now, for your friend Coonskins, I doubt not, that, if the judge were here, he would pronounce him a sort of comprehensive Colonel Moredock, who, too much spreading his passion, shallows it."
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1
questionable
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| adj.可疑的，有问题的 | |
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2
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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3
eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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smoker
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| n.吸烟者，吸烟车厢，吸烟室 | |
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5
lighting
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| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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8
par
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| n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的 | |
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9
excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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12
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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13
embarked
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| 乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事 | |
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14
descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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survivor
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| n.生存者，残存者，幸存者 | |
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16
avenger
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| n. 复仇者 | |
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ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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hemlock
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| n.毒胡萝卜，铁杉 | |
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19
deliberately
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| adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地 | |
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20
outlaws
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| 歹徒，亡命之徒( outlaw的名词复数 )； 逃犯 | |
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21
upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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23
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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24
mustered
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| v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的过去式和过去分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发 | |
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covert
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| adj.隐藏的；暗地里的 | |
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descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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27
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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28
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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29
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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30
victorious
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| adj.胜利的，得胜的 | |
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avowal
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| n.公开宣称，坦白承认 | |
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adept
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| adj.老练的，精通的 | |
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subsist
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| vi.生存，存在，供养 | |
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tyro
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| n.初学者；生手 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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36
elude
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| v.躲避，困惑 | |
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37
quenching
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| 淬火，熄 | |
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38
omission
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| n.省略，删节；遗漏或省略的事物，冗长 | |
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err
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| vi.犯错误，出差错 | |
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ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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41
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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42
provocation
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| n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因 | |
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43
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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44
humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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45
convivial
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| adj.狂欢的，欢乐的 | |
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46
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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47
benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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48
complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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49
tragical
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| adj. 悲剧的, 悲剧性的 | |
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50
courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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51
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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52
acquitted
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| 宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现 | |
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53
anecdote
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| n.轶事，趣闻，短故事 | |
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54
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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55
dubious
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| adj.怀疑的，无把握的；有问题的，靠不住的 | |
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56
rangers
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| 护林者( ranger的名词复数 )； 突击队员 | |
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57
delicacy
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| n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴 | |
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58
monopolize
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| v.垄断，独占，专营 | |
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59
territorial
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| adj.领土的，领地的 | |
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60
recess
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| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
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61
legislative
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| n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的 | |
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62
paternal
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| adj.父亲的，像父亲的，父系的，父方的 | |
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63
unaware
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| a.不知道的，未意识到的 | |
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64
renounce
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| v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系 | |
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65
devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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66
rumpled
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| v.弄皱，使凌乱( rumple的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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