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Файл:Satanstoe; or, The Littlepage Manuscripts
.pdf
SATANSTOE; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
procession, each batteau moving off as her load was completed.
All the wounded were on the placid bosom of the ‘Holy Lake,’
as some writers have termed this sheet of limpid water, by
the time we ourselves got in motion; and the sounds of parting
boats told us that the unhurt were following as fast as circumstances would allow.
What a night it was! There was no moon, and a veil of dark
vapour was drawn across the vault of the heavens, concealing
most of the mild summer stars, that ought to have been seen
twinkling in their Creator’s praise. Down, between the boundaries of hills, there was not a breath of air, though we occasionally heard the sighings of light currents among the treetops, above us. The eastern shore having fewer sinuosities than
the western, most of the boats followed its dark, frowning
mass, as the nearest route, and we soon found ourselves near
the line of the retiring batteaux. I call it the line, for though
there was no order observed each party making the best of its
way to the common point of destination, there were so many
boats in motion at the same time, that, far as the eye could penetrate by that gloomy light, an unbroken succession of them
was visible. Our motion was faster than that of these heavilyladen and feebly-rowed batteaux, the soldiers being too much
fatigued to toil at the oars, after the day they had just gone
through. We consequently passed nearly everything, and soon
got on a parallel course with that of the boats, moving along at
a few rods in-shore of them. Dirck remarked, however, that
two or three small craft even passed us. They went so near
the mountain, quite within its shadows, in fact, as to render
it diffi cult to say what they were; though it was supposed they
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
might be whale-boats, of which there were more than a hundred in the fl otilla, carrying offi cers of rank.
No one spoke. It appeared to me that not a human voice
was raised among those humiliated and defeated thousands.
The plash of oars, so long as we were at a distance from the line,
alone broke the silence of night; but that was incessant. As
our canoe drew ahead, however, an hour or two after we had
left the shore, and we overtook the boats that had fi rst started, the moaning and groans of the wounded became blended
with the monotonous sounds of the oars. In two respects, these
unfortunate men had reason to felicitate themselves, notwithstanding their sufferings. No army could have transported its
wounded with less pain to the hurt; and the feverish thirst that
loss of blood always induces, might be assuaged by the limpid
element on which we all fl oated.
After paddling for hours, Susquesus was relieved by Jaap,
Dirck, Guert and myself occasionally lending our aid. Each
had a paddle, and each used it as he saw fi t, while the Onondago slept. Occasionally I caught a nap, myself, as did
my companions; and we all felt refreshed by the rest and
sleep. At length we reached the narrow pass, that separated
the Upper from the Lower Lake, and we entered the former.
This is near the place where the islands are so numerous,
and we were unavoidably made to pass quite close to some of
the batteaux. I say to some, for the line became broken at
this point, each boat going through the openings it found
the most convenient.
«Come nearer with that bark canoe», called out an offi cer,
from a batteau; «I wish to learn who is in it».
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SATANSTOE; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
«We are volunteers, that joined the –th, the day the army
moved up, and were guests of Major Bulstrode. Pray sir, can
you tell us where that offi cer can be found?»
«Poor Bulstrode! He got a very awkward hit, early in
the day, and was taken past me to the rear. He will be able neither to walk nor to ride, for some months, if they save his leg.
I heard the Commander-In-Chief order him to be sent across
the lake, in the fi rst boat with wounded; and some one told
me, Bulstrode, himself, expressed an intention to be carried
some distance, to a friend’s house, to escape from the abominations of an army hospital. The fellow has horses enough to
transport him, on a horse-litter, to Cape Horn, if he wishes it.
I’ll warrant you, Bulstrode works his way into good quarters, if
they are to be had in America. I suppose this arm of mine will
have to come off, as soon as we reach Fort William Henry; and,
that job done, I confess I should like amazingly to keep him
company. Proceed, gentlemen; I hope I have not detained you;
but, observing a bark canoe, I thought it my duty to ascertain
we were not followed by spies».
This, then, was another victim of war! He spoke of
the loss of his arm, notwithstanding, with as much coolness
as if it were the loss of a tooth; yet; I question not, that in secret, he mourned over the calamity in bitterness of heart. Men
never wear the mask more completely than when excited and
stimulated by the rivalry of arms. Bulstrode, too, at Ravensnest!
He could be carried nowhere else, so easily; and, should his
wound be of a nature that did not require constant medical
treatment, where could he be so happily bestowed as under
the roof of Herman Mordaunt? Shall I confess that the idea
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
gave me great pain, and that I was fool enough to wish I, too,
could return to Anneke, and appeal to her sympathies, by
dragging with me a wounded limb!
Our canoe now passed quite near another batteau, the offi cer in command of which was standing erect, seemingly
watching our movements. He appeared to be unhurt, but was
probably intrusted with some special duty. As we paddled by,
the following curious conversation occurred.
«You move rapidly to the rear, my friends», observed
the stranger; «pray moderate your zeal; others are in advance of
you with the evil tidings!»
«You must think ill of our patriotism and loyalty, sir, to
imagine we are hastening on with the intelligence of a check to
the British arms», I answered as drily, and almost as equivocally, in manner, as the other had spoken.
«The check! – I beg a thousand pardons – I see you are
patriots, and of the purest water! Check is just the word;
though check-mate would be more descriptive and signifi cant!
A charming time we’ve had of it, gentlemen! What say you? –
it is your move, now».
«There has been much fi rmness and gallantry manifested by the troops», I answered, «as we, who have been merely
volunteers, will always be ready to testify».
«I beg your pardons, again and again», returned the offi cer, raising his hat and bowing profoundly –» I did not know
I had the honour to address volunteers. You are entitled to
superlative respect, gentlemen, having come voluntarily into
such a fi eld. For my part, I fi nd the honour oppressive, having
no such supererogatory virtue to boast of. Volunteers! On my
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SATANSTOE; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
word, gentlemen, you will have many wonders to relate, when
you get back into the family circle».
«We shall have to speak of the gallantry of the Highlanders, for we saw all they did and all they suffered».
«Ah! Were you, then, near that brave corps!» exclaimed
the other, with something like honest, natural feeling, for
the fi rst time exhibited in his voice and meaning; «I honour
men who were only spectators of so much courage, especially if
they took a tolerably near view of it. May I venture to ask your
names, gentlemen».
I answered, giving him our names, and mentioning the fact
that we had been the guest of Bulstrode, and how much we
were disappointed in having missed not only our friend, but
his corps.
«Gentlemen, I honour courage, let it come whence it may»,
said the stranger, with strong feeling, and no acting, «and most
admire it when I see it exhibited by natives of these colonies, in
a quarrel of their own. I have heard of you as being with poor
Howe, when he fell, and hope to know more of you. As for
Mr. Bulstrode, he has passed southward, now some hours, and
intends to make his cure among some connections that he
has in this province. Do not let this be the last of our intercourse, I beg of you; but look up Capt. Charles Lee, of the –th,
who will be glad to take each and all of you by the hand, when
we once more get into camp».
We expressed our thanks, but Susquesus causing the canoe to make a sudden inclination towards the shore, the conversation was suddenly interrupted.
485
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
By this time the Indian was awake, and exercising his authority in the canoe, again. Gliding among the islands, he
shortly landed us at the precise point where we had embarked
only fi ve days before. Securing his little bark, the Onondago led
the way up the ravine, and brought us out on the naked cap of
the mountain, where we had before slept, after an hour of extreme effort.
If the night had been so memorable, the picture presented at the dawn of day, was not less so! We reached that lofty
look-out about the same time in the morning as the Indian
had awakened me on the previous occasion, and had the same
natural outlines to the view. In one sense, also, the artifi cial
accessaries were the same, though exhibited under a very different aspect. I presume the truth will not be much, if any exceeded, when I say that a thousand boats were in sight, on this,
as on the former occasion! A few, a dozen or so, at most, appeared to have reached the head of the lake; but all the rest of
that vast fl otilla was scattered along the placid surface of
the lovely sheet, forming a long, straggling line of dark spots,
that extended to the beach under Fort William Henry, in one
direction, and far as eye could reach in the other. How different did that melancholy, broken procession of boats appear,
from the gallant array, the martial bands, the cheerful troops,
and the multitude of ardent young men who had pressed forward, in brigades, less than a week before, fi lled with hope, and
exulting in their strength! As I gazed on the picture I could not
but fancy to myself the vast amount of physical pain, the keen
mental suffering, and the deep mortifi cation that might have
been found, amid that horde of returning adventurers. We
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SATANSTOE; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
had just come up from the level of this scene of human agony,
and our imaginations could portray details that were beyond
the reach of the senses, at the elevation on which we stood.
A week before, and the name of Abercrombie fi lled every mouth in America; expectation had almost placed his renown on that giddy height, where performance itself is so often insecure. In the brief interval, he was destroyed. Those who
had been ready to bless him, would now heap curses on his
devoted head, and none would be so bold as to urge aught in
his favour. Men in masses, when goaded by disappointment,
are never just. It is, indeed, a hard lesson for the individual to
acquire; but, released from his close, personal responsibility,
the single man follows the crowd, and soothes his own mortifi cation and wounded pride by joining in the cry that is to
immolate a victim. Yet Abercrombie was not the foolhardy
and besotted bully that Braddock had proved himself to be.
His misfortune was to be ignorant of the warfare of the region in which he was required to serve, and possibly to overestimate the imaginary invincible character of the veterans he
led. In a very short time he was recalled, and America heard
no more of him. As some relief to the disgrace that had anew
alighted on the British arms, Bradstreet, a soldier who knew
the country, and who placed much reliance on the young
man of her name and family whom I had met at Madam Schuyler’s, marched against Frontenac, in Canada, at the head of
a strong body of provincials; an enterprise that, as it was conducted with skill, resulted in a triumph.
But with all this my narrative has no proper connection.
No sooner did we reach the bald mountain-top, than the On-
487
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
ondago directed Jaap to light a fi re, while he produced, from
a deposit left on the advance, certain of the materials that
were necessary to a meal. As neither of us had tasted food
since the morning of the previous day, this repast was welcome, and we all partook of it like so many famished men.
The negro got his share, of course, and then we called a council as to future proceedings.
«The question is, whether we ought to make a straight
path to Ravensnest», observed Guert, «or proceed fi rst to
the surveyor’s, and see how things are going on in that
direction».
«As there can be no great danger of a pursuit on the part of
the French, since all their boats are in the other lake», I remarked, «the state of the country is very much what it was
before the army moved».
«Ask that question of the Indian», put in Dirck, a little signifi cantly.
We looked at Susquesus inquiringly, for a look always suffi ced to let him comprehend us, when a tolerably plain allusion had been previously made.
«Black-man do foolish t’ing», observed the Onondago.
«What I do, you red-skin devil?» demanded Jaap, who felt
a sort of natural antipathy to all Indians, good or bad, excellent
or indifferent; a feeling that the Indians repaid to his race by
contempt indifferently concealed. «What I do, red-devil, ha? –
dat you dares tell Masser Corny dat!»
Susquesus manifested no resentment at this strong and
somewhat rude appeal; but sat as motionless as if he had not
heard it. This vexed Jaap so much the more; and, my fellow be-
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SATANSTOE; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
ing exceedingly pugnacious on all occasions that touched his
pride, there might have been immediate war between the two,
had I not raised a fi nger, at once effectually stilling the outbreak of Jacob Satanstoe’s wrath.
«You should not bring such a charge against my slave, Onondago», I said, «unless able to prove it».
«He beat red warrior like dog».
«What of dat!» growled Jaap, who was only half-quieted by
my sign. «Who ebber hear it hurt red-skin to rope-end him?»
«Warrior back like squaw’s. Blow hurt him. He never
forget».
«Well, let him remember den», grinned the negro, showing his ivory teeth from ear to ear. «Muss was my prisoner; and
what good he do me, if he let go widout punishment. I wish you
tell Masser Corny dat, instead of tellin’ him nonsense. When
he fl og me, who ebber hear me grumble?»
«You have not had half enough of it, Jaap, or your manners
would be better», I thought it necessary to put in, for the fellow had never before manifested so quarrelsome a disposition in my presence; most probably because I had never before
seen him at variance with an Indian. «Let me hear no more of
this, or I shall be obliged to pay off the arrears on the spot».
«A little hiding does a nigger good, sometimes», observed
Guert, signifi cantly.
I observed that Dirck, who loved my very slave principally because he was mine, looked at the offender reprovingly;
and by these combined demonstrations, we succeeded in curbing the fellow’s tongue.
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JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
«Well, Susquesus», I added, «we all listen, to hear what
you mean.
«Musquerusque chief – Huron chief – got very tender
back; never forget rope».
«You mean us to understand that my black’s prisoner will
be apt to make some attempt to revenge himself for the fl ogging he got from his captor?»
«Just so. Indian good memory – no forget friend – no forget enemy».
«But your Huron will be puzzled to fi nd us, Onondago.
He will suppose us with the army; and, should he even venture to look for us there, you see he will be disappointed».
«Never know. Wood full of paths – Injin full of cunning.
Why talk of Ravensnest?»
«Was the name of Ravensnest mentioned in the presence of that Huron?» I asked, more uneasy than such a trifl e
would probably have justifi ed me in confessing.
«Ay, something was said about it, but not in a way the fellow could understand», answered Guert, carelessly. «Let him
come on, if he has not had enough of us yet».
This was not my manner of viewing the matter, however;
for the mentioning of Ravensnest brought Anneke to my
mind, surrounded by the horrors of an Indian’s revenge.
«I will send you back to the Huron, Susquesus», I added,
«if you can name to me the price that will purchase his
forgiveness».
The Onondago looked at me meaningly a moment; then,
bending forward, he passed the fore-fi nger of his hand around
the head of Jaap, along the line that is commonly made by
490
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