Sweep round an anxious eye,
No bark or ax-blow could he hear,
No human trace descry1.
His sinuous2 path, by blazes, wound
Among trunks grouped in myriads3 round;
Through naked boughs4, between
Whose tangled5 architecture fraught6
With many a shape grotesquely7 wrought8,
The hemlock's spire9 was seen.—A. B. STREET.
By this time, daylight was at hand. A thin mist, rising from the river, was passing off through the woods; for the half-hour preceding the appearance of the sun, the darkness was more palpable than it had been at any time through the night. The air, too, had a disagreeable chilliness10 in it, which, however little it affected11 the Huron, made the soldier, for the time being, exceedingly uncomfortable and impatient for the full light of day.
The Shawnee village was about a mile distant, on the same bank of the stream with that upon which our friends found themselves. As there was not the least probability of Hans Vanderbum being astir for several hours yet, they proceeded at a moderate walk through the wood. One of the peculiar13 effects of this chilly14 morning air was to keep Lieutenant15 Canfield constantly gaping16; his movements were so languid and his mind listless even to antipathy17 for conversation. He maintained his place in silence beside Oonomoo. The Indian was as watchful18 and keen as ever.
As the young Lieutenant was yawning, and gazing around listlessly, he caught a glimpse of some body, as it threw itself prostrate19 behind a clump20 of bushes. He looked at the Huron and was startled to observe upon his countenance21 no indication of having noticed this singular occurrence.
"Oonomoo," he whispered, placing his hand upon his arm, "there's a person behind the bush, and we are in danger. I saw him this very minute."
"Me see'd 'em," said the Indian, walking straight toward the spot where he was concealed22.
This was too much for the young man. When he reflected that, in all probability a rifle-barrel was leveled through those bushes, ready to do its deadly work, he was not ashamed to halt and allow the Huron to proceed alone. But, no fear seemed to enter the head of the Indian. He strode straight forward, as if he had discovered something which he was about to pick, and, reaching the bushes, he parted and stepped among them. The astonished soldier saw him stoop and lift some dark object, and then throw it down upon the ground again.
Lieutenant Canfield now came forward. Great was his amazement23 to recognize, in this dark object, the negro, Cato! He lay upon his face, as lax and motionless as a piece of inanimate matter.
"What is the matter with him?" asked the soldier. "Is he dead?"
"Scart near to def'—make b'lieve dead."
Such undoubtedly24 was the case. The negro, frightened at the appearance of two strangers, the foremost of whom he recognized as an Indian, had prostrated25 himself behind the bushes and feigned26 death in the hope that they would pass him by unnoticed. The Lieutenant, now that they were so close to the Shawnees, where so much caution and skill were required, felt provoked to see the negro, and had little patience with his fooleries.
"Get up, Cato," said he, rolling him over with his foot. "You are not hurt, and we don't want to see any of your nonsense."
One of the negro's eyes partially27 opened, and then he commenced yawning, stretching and shoving his feet over the leaves, as though he was just awaking.
"Hebens, golly! but dis nigger is sleepy," said he. "Hello! dat you, Oonomoo? And bress my soul, if dar ain't Massa Canfield," he added, rising to his feet.
"How came you here?" asked Canfield.
"Come here my pussonal self—walked and runn'd most ob de way."
"But, we sent you to the settlement. Why did you not go?"
"Bress your soul, Massa Canfield, I'll bet dar's ten fousand million Injines in de wood, atween us and de settlement. I tried to butt28 my way trough dem, but dar was a few too many, and I had to gub it up."
"How came you to wander so far out of your way as to get here?"
"Dunno; t'ought I'd take a near cut home, and s'pose I got here widout knowing anyt'ing about it.".
"Well, Oonomoo, what's to be done with him?"
"Take him 'long—kill him if don't do what want to."
"You understand, Cato? We don't want you with us, but, there seems no help for it now; so we shall have to take you. You must follow in our steps, and in no case make any outcry."
The negro promised obedience29, and, taking his position behind, they continued their journey, the Huron leading the way. He proceeded some distance until he reached a dense30 portion of the wood, when he halted and turned around.
"Plenty time—sleep some."
These were pleasant words to the Lieutenant, who, in spite of his impatience32, felt the need of sleep and rest before proceeding33 further. All stretched themselves upon the ground, where, in a few minutes, they were wrapped in slumber34. The negro, Cato, lay some distance from the other two, and was the first to awake. Carefully raising his head and discovering that the dreaded36 Huron was still unconscious, he silently arose to his feet, and, retreating some distance with great care and caution, he suddenly turned and ran at the top of his speed. His motive37 for so doing will soon appear.
While our two friends are thus preparing themselves for the perilous38 duty before them, we will return to our old acquaintance, Hans Vanderbum, and his fair charge, in whom the reader, doubtless, feels a lively interest.
* * * * * *
It will be remembered that Miss Prescott was consigned39 to the care of the amiable40 Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, wife of Hans Vanderbum. The reasons for this were several. In the first place, the Shawnees were actuated in a small degree by their desire to lessen41 the sufferings of their captive. This squaw had learned enough of the English language from her husband to hold almost an intelligible42 conversation in it; and; as quite an acquaintance had already been established between him and the maiden43, she would certainly feel more at home in their company than among the others, who could not speak a word of her tongue. What might be done with Miss Prescott in case she remained among the Shawnees for several years, of course it would be impossible to say; but it was certain they meditated44 no violence for the present, only wishing to hold her simply as a prisoner. Was there danger of her escape they would not have hesitated to kill her, it being considered one of the greatest reproaches that can be cast in a Shawnee face to accuse him of having lost a prisoner.
Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock was too thoroughly45 loyal for her to be suspected of any disposition46 to aid the prisoner in escape; and whatever might be the wishes of Hans Vanderbum, he was too stupid and lazy to be taken into account.
Miss Prescott, accordingly, was installed in their lodge47, where the first day was passed without anything of note occurring, save the discovery, on her part, of the total hopelessness of escape, without the assistance of friends. There was but one entrance to the lodge, of barely sufficient width to afford the passage of Hans Vanderbum's body, and the sides of the wigwam were too strong and firm for her to think either of piercing or breaking them. Added to this, Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock at night laid herself directly before this entrance, compelling Hans Vanderbum to lie down beside her, so that their united width was some four or five feet—rather too long a step to be taken by the girl without danger of awaking her jailers. When we add that Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock's slumbers48 were so light that the least noise awakened50 her, and that Miss Prescott never lay down to sleep without having her ankles bound together, no more need be said to convince the reader that the ingenuity51 of her captors could not have made her situation more secure. Nevertheless, Hans Vanderbum managed to convey enough to her to keep hope alive in her breast, and to convince her that it would not be long before some enterprise for her freedom would be attempted by her friends.
On the second morning of her captivity52, Hans Vanderbum awoke at an unusually early hour, and the first thought that entered his mind was that he had an appointment with Oonomoo, the Huron; for it is a fact, to which all will bear witness, that, by fixing our thoughts upon any particular time in the night, with a determined53 intensity54, we are sure to awaken49 at that moment. Thus it was that he arose before his spouse55; but his step awakened her.
"What's the matter, Hans? Are you sick?" she asked, with considerable solicitude56.
"No, my dear, good Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock, I feels so goot as, ever, but I t'inks te mornin' air does me goot, so I goes out to got a little."
No objection being interposed, he sauntered carelessly forth57, taking a direction that would lead him to the spot where he had held the interview with the Huron upon the previous day. He walked slowly, for it lacked considerable of the hour which had been fixed58 upon for the meeting, and, knowing the mathematical exactitude with which his friend kept his appointments, he had no desire to reach the spot in advance.
"I doeshn't wish to hurry, so I t'inks I will rest myself here, and den31 when——"
Hans was prevented any further utterance59, by some heavy body striking his shoulders with such force that he was thrown forward upon his face, and his hat smashed over his eyes.
"Mine Gott! vot made tat tree fall on me?" he exclaimed, endeavoring to crawl from beneath what he supposed to be the trunk of an immense oak which he had noticed towering above him. This belief was further strengthened by a glimpse which he caught of a heavy branch upon the ground.
"Hebens, golly! dat you, ole swill-barrel?" greeted his ears; and he picked his hat and himself up at the same time, to see the negro, Cato, lying on the ground, with his heels high up in the air.
"Dunder and blixen! who are you?" inquired Hans, more astonished than ever. "Did you drop down out te clouds?"
"Yah! yah! yah! what makes you fink so, old hogsit, eh? No, sir-ee! I's Mr. Cato, a nigger gentleman of Mr. Capting Prescott."
The large eyes of the Dutchman grew larger as he proceeded. "Vot makes you falls on mine head, eh?"
"I's up in de tree a-takin' ob obserwashuns, when jis' as you got down hyar, de limb broke, and down I comes. Much obleege fur yer bein' so kind fur to stand under and breaks my fall."
"And breaks mine own neck, too, eh?"
"Who might be you wid your big bread-basket?" inquired Cato, still lying upon his back and kicking up his heels.
"Me? I's Hans Vanderbum, dat pelongs to Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock."
Cato grew sober in an instant. He had heard Lieutenant Canfield mention this man's name in conversation with the Huron, and suspected at once that he was to perform a part in the day's work.
"You're Hans Vanderbum, eh? I've heerd Massa Canfield and Mister Oonymoo speak of you."
"Yaw, I'm him. Where am dey?"
"Ain't fur off. I lef 'em sleepin'; and come out for to see whedder dar war any Injines crawlin' round in de woods, and I didn't see none but you, and you ain't an Injine."
The appointed hour for the meeting between Hans Vanderbum and Oonomoo having arrived, the Dutchman added:
"He ish to meet me 'bout12 dis time or leetles sooner, and, so we both goes togedder mit each oder, so dat we won't bees alone."
"All right; go ahead, Mr. Hansderbumvan; I'm behind you," said Cato, taking his favorite position in the rear.
Several hundred yards further and Hans recognized the wished-for spot. He had hardly reached it, when a light step was heard, and the next moment Lieutenant Canfield and the Huron stood in his presence.
"Brudder comes in good time," said the latter, extending his hand.
"Yaw; Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock showed me de way to do dat," replied Hans, shaking hands with the young Lieutenant also. The latter expressed some surprise at seeing Cato present, saying that he had congratulated himself upon being well rid of him. The negro explained his departure upon the grounds of his extreme solicitude for the safety of his friends. The conversation between Hans and the Huron was now carried on in the Shawnee tongue.
"How does matters progress with my brother?"
"Very good; the gal60 is in my wigwam."
"What does she there?"
"Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock has charge of her."
"That is good."
"I don't know about that, Oonomoo; I think it couldn't be much worse; for Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock has got a bad temper, if she is the same shape all the way down."
"It is good, my brother. We will have the captive when the sun comes up again in the sky."
"How are you going to get her?"
"Give Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock this drug," said the Huron, handing him a dark, waxy61 substance.
"Dunder! ish it pizen?" asked Hans, in English. "Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock will kill me deat if I pizen her."
"It will not kill her; it will only put her in a sleep from which she will awake after a few hours."
"Quanonshet and Madokawandock will have to take it too, for they don't sleep any more than she does."
"There is enough for all. To-day mix this with that which the squaw and Quanonshet and Madokawandock shall eat, and when it grows dark they will sleep and not awaken till the morrow's sun."
"And what of the gal?"
"When the moon rises above that tree-top yonder, cut the bonds that bind62 her, and lead her through the woods to this place. Here Oonomoo will take her and conduct her to her friends in the settlement."
From this point the Indian dialect was dropped for intelligible English.
"And vot will become of me?" asked Hans Vanderbum, in considerable alarm. "When Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock wakes up and finds te gal gone, she will t'inks I done it, and den—den—den—" The awful expression of his countenance spoke63 more eloquently64 than any words, of the consequences of such a discovery and suspicion upon the part of his spouse.
"Take some self when git back—go to sleep—squaw wake up first."
Hans' eyes sparkled as he took in the beauty of the scheme prepared by the Huron. The arrangement was now explained to Lieutenant Canfield, who could but admire the sagacity and foresight65 of his Indian friend, that seemed to understand and provide against every emergency. It was further explained to Hans that he was to manage to give the drug to his wife and children several hours before sunset, as its effects would not be perceptible for fully35 four hours, and that he was to take a small quantity himself about dusk, to avert66 the consequences of his philanthrophy. Lieutenant Canfield admonished67 him to be cautious in his movements, and to take especial pains with his charge after leaving his lodge, in order to avoid discovery from the sleepless68 Shawnees. The situation of Hans' wigwam was fortunate indeed, as he ran little risk of discovery if he used ordinary discretion69 after leaving it.
Everything being arranged, Hans Vanderbum took his departure, and Oonomoo, the soldier and negro commenced the long, weary hours of waiting.
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1
descry
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| v.远远看到；发现；责备 | |
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sinuous
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| adj.蜿蜒的，迂回的 | |
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myriads
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| n.无数，极大数量( myriad的名词复数 ) | |
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4
boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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5
tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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6
fraught
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| adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的 | |
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7
grotesquely
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| adv. 奇异地,荒诞地 | |
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8
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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9
spire
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| n.(教堂)尖顶，尖塔，高点 | |
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10
chilliness
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| n.寒冷，寒意，严寒 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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15
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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16
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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17
antipathy
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| n.憎恶；反感，引起反感的人或事物 | |
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watchful
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| adj.注意的，警惕的 | |
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prostrate
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| v.拜倒，平卧，衰竭；adj.拜倒的，平卧的，衰竭的 | |
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clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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22
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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23
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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25
prostrated
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| v.使俯伏，使拜倒( prostrate的过去式和过去分词 )；（指疾病、天气等）使某人无能为力 | |
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26
feigned
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| a.假装的，不真诚的 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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perilous
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| adj.危险的，冒险的 | |
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consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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lessen
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| vt.减少，减轻；缩小 | |
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intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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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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slumbers
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| 睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 ) | |
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awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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captivity
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| n.囚禁；被俘；束缚 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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spouse
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| n.配偶(指夫或妻) | |
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56
solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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gal
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| n.姑娘，少女 | |
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waxy
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| adj.苍白的；光滑的 | |
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bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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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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eloquently
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| adv. 雄辩地(有口才地, 富于表情地) | |
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foresight
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| n.先见之明，深谋远虑 | |
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66
avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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admonished
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| v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责 | |
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sleepless
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| adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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