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Файл:The Chainbearer; or, The Littlepage Manuscripts
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THE CHAINBEARER; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
might otherwise have been the case, from the circumstance
that so much of what I said was really merited.
«Indeed, I know you are, and quite unfi tted for this sort of
life. But I must tell you my wishes at once, for our time may be
very short».
«Do», said the girl, looking up anxiously, a slight blush suffusing her face; the truth-telling sign of ingenuous feelings,
and the gage of virtue; «do, for I’m dying to hear it; as I know
beforehand I shall do just what you ask me to do. I don’t know
how it is, but when father or mother ask me to do a thing,
I sometimes feel as if I couldn’t; but I don’t feel so now, at all».
«My requests do not come often enough to tire you. Promise me, in the fi rst place, to keep my secret».
«That I will!» answered Lowiny, promptly, and with emphasis. «Not a mortal soul shall know anything on’t, and I won’t
so much as talk of it in my sleep, as I sometimes do, if I can any
way help it».
«Chainbearer has a niece who is very dear to him, and who
returns all his affection. Her name is»
«Dus Malbone», interrupted the girl, with a faint laugh.
«Zeph has told me all about her, for Zeph and I be great
friends – he tells me everything, and I tell him everything. It’s
sich a comfort, you can’t think, to have somebody to tell secrets
to; – well, what of Dus?»
«She is here».
«Here! I don’t see anything on her» – looking round hurriedly, and, as I fancied, in a little alarm – «Zeph says she’s
dreadful han’some!»
401
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
«She is thought so, I believe; though, in that respect, she is
far from being alone. There is no want of pretty girls in America. By saying she was here I did not mean here in the storehouse, but here in the woods. She accompanied her uncle as
far as the edge of the clearing – look round, more toward
the east. Do you see the black stub, in the cornfi eld, behind
your father’s dwelling?»
«Sartain – that’s plain enough to be seen – I wish I could
see Albany as plain».
«Now look a little to the left of that stub, and you will
see a large chestnut, in the edge of the woods behind it –
the chestnut, I mean, that thrusts its top out of the forest into
the clearing, as it might be».
«Well, I see the chestnut, too, and I know it well. There’s
a spring of water cluss to its roots».
«At the foot of that chestnut Chainbearer left his niece,
and doubtless she is somewhere near it now. Could you venture to stroll as far, without going directly to the spot, and deliver a message, or a letter?»
«To be sure I could! Why, we gals stroll about the lots as
much as we please, and it’s berryin’ time now. I’ll run and
get a basket, and you can write your letter while I’m gone.
La! Nobody will think anything of my goin’ a berryin’ –
I have a desp’rate wish to see this Dus! Do you think she’ll
have Zeph?»
«Young women’s minds are so uncertain that I should
not like to venture an opinion. If it were one of my own sex,
now, and had declared his wishes, I think I could tell you
with some accuracy».
402
THE CHAINBEARER; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
The girl laughed; then she seemed a little bewildered,
and again she colored. How the acquired – nay, native feeling of the sex, will rise up in tell-tale ingenuousness to betray a woman!
«Well», she cried, as she ran away in quest of the basket,
«to my notion, a gal’s mind is as true and as much to be depended on as that of any mortal crittur’ living!»
It was now my business to write a note to Dus. The materials for writing my pocket-book furnished. I tore out a leaf, and
approached Chainbearer, telling him what I was about to do,
and desiring to know if he had any particular message to send.
«Gif t’e tear gal my plessin’, Mortaunt. Tell her olt Chainpearer prays Got to pless her – t’at ist all. I leaf you to say
t’e rest».
I did say the rest. In the fi rst place I sent the blessing of
the uncle to the niece. Then I explained, in as few words as
possible, our situation, giving it as promising an aspect as my
conscience would permit. These explanations made, I entreated Ursula to return to her brother, and not again expose herself so far from his protection. Of the close of this note I shall
not say much. It was brief, but it let Dus understand that my
feelings toward her were as lively as ever; and I believe it was
expressed with the power that passion lends. My note was
ended just as Lowiny appeared to receive it. She brought us
a pitcher of milk, as a sort of excuse for returning to the storehouse, received the note in exchange, and hurried away toward the fi elds. As she passed one of the cabins, I heard her
calling out to a sister that she was going for blackberries to
give the prisoners.
403
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
I watched the movements of that active girl with intense
interest. Chainbearer, who had slept little since my disappearance, was making up for lost time; and as for the Indian, eating
and sleeping are very customary occupations of his race, when
not engaged in some hunt, or on the war-path, or as a runner.
Lowiny proceeded toward a lot of which the bushes had
taken full possession. Here she soon disappeared, picking
berries as she proceeded, with nimble fi ngers, as if she felt
the necessity of having some of the fruit to show on her return. I kept my eye fastened on the openings of the forest, near
the chestnut, as soon as the girl was concealed in the bushes,
anxiously waiting for the moment when I might see her form
reappearing at that spot. My attention was renewed by getting
a glimpse of Dus. It was but a glimpse, the fl uttering of a female dress gliding among the trees; but, as it was too soon for
the arrival of Lowiny, I knew it must be Dus. This was cheering,
as it left little reason to doubt that my messenger would fi nd
the object of her visit. In the course of half an hour after Lowiny entered the bushes I saw her, distinctly, near the foot of
the chestnut. Pausing a moment, as if to reconnoitre, the girl
suddenly moved into the forest, when I made no doubt she
and Dus had a meeting. An entire hour passed, and I saw no
more of Lowiny.
In the meanwhile Zephaniah made his appearance again at
the side of the storehouse. This time he came accompanied by
two of his brethren, holding the key in his hand. At fi rst I supposed the intention was to arraign me before the high court of
Thousandacres, but in this I was in error. No sooner did
the young men reach the door of our prison than Zephaniah
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THE CHAINBEARER; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
called out to the Onondago to approach it, as he had something to say to him.
«It must be dull work to a redskin to be shut up like a hog
afore it’s wrung», said the youth, drawing his images from familiar objects; «and I s’pose you’d be right glad to come out
here and walk about, something like a free and rational crittur.’ What do you say, Injin – is sich your desire?»
«Sartain», quietly answered Surefl int. «Great deal radder
be out dan be in here».
«So I nat’rally s’posed. Well, the old man says you can come
out on promises, if you’re disposed to make ‘em. So you’re master of your own movements, you see».
«What he want me do? What he want me to say, eh?»
«No great matter, a’ter all, if a body has only a mind to
try to do it. In the fi rst place, you’re to give your parole not to
go off; but to stay about the clearin’, and to come in and give
yourself up when the conch blows three short blasts. Will you
agree to that, Sus?»
«Sartain – no go ‘way; come back when he call – dat mean
stay where he can hear conch».
«Well, that’s agreed on, and it’s a bargain. Next, you’re to
agree not to go pryin’ round the mill and barn, to see what you
can fi nd, but keep away from all the buildin’s but the store’us’
and the dwellings, and not to quit the clearin’. Do you agree?»
«Good; no hard to do dat».
«Well, you’re to bring no weepons into the settlement,
and to pass nothing but words and food in to the other prisoners. Will you stand to that?»
«Sartain; willin’ ‘nough to do dat, too».
405
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
«Then you’re in no manner or way to make war on any on
us ‘till your parole is up, and you’re your own man ag’in. What
do you say to that, Trackless?»
«All good; ‘gree to do him all».
«Wa-a-l, that’s pretty much all the old man stands out for;
but mother has a condition or two that she insists on’t I shall
ask. Should the worst come to the worst, and the folks of this
settlement get to blows with the folks out of it, you’re to bargain to take no scalps of women or children, and none from
any man that you don’t overcome in open battle. The old woman will grant you the scalps of men killed in battle, but thinks
it ag’in reason to take ‘em from sich as be not so overcome».
«Good; don’t want to take scalp at all», answered the Indian, with an emotion he could not altogether suppress. «Got no
tribe – got no young men; what good scalp do? Nobody care
how many scalp Susquesus take away – how many he leave
behind. All dat forgot long time».
«Wa-a-l, that’s your affair, not mine. But, as all the articles
is agreed to, you can come out, and go about your business.
Mind, three short, sharp blasts on the conch is the signal to
come in and give yourself up».
On this singular cartel Susquesus was set at liberty. I heard
the whole arrangement with astonishment; though, by
the manner of the high contracting parties, it was easy to see
there was nothing novel in the arrangement, so far as they were
concerned. I had heard that the faith of an Indian of any character, in all such cases, was considered sacred, and could not
but ask myself, as Susquesus walked quietly out of prison, how
many potentates and powers there were in Christendom who,
406
THE CHAINBEARER; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
under circumstances similarly involving their most important
interests, could be found to place a similar confi dence in their
fellows! Curious to know how my present masters felt on this
subject, the opportunity was improved to question them.
«You give the Indian his liberty on parole», I said to Zephaniah – «will you refuse the same privilege to us white men?»
«An Injin is an Injin. He has his natur’, and we’ve our’n.
Suthin’ was said about lettin’ you out, too, major; but the old
man wouldn’t hear to it. ‘He know’d mankind,’ he said, ‘and
he know’d t’would never do.’ If you let a white man loose, he
sets his wits at work to fi nd a hole to creep out on the bargain – goin’ back to the creation of the ‘arth but he’ll fi nd one.
The major will say ‘I was put in ag’in’ law, and now I’m out, I’ll
stay out ag’in promises,’ or some sich reasonin’, and now we
have him safe, ‘twill be best to keep him safe! That’s the substance of the old man’s idees, and you can see, major, just as
well as any on us, how likely he’ll be to change ‘em».
There was no contending with this logic, which in secret
I well knew to be founded in fact, and I made no further application for my own release. It appeared, however, that Thousandacres himself was half-disposed to make a concession in
favor of Chainbearer, similar to that he had granted to the Indian. This struck me as singular, after the rude collision that
had already occurred between the two men – but there are
points of honor that are peculiar to each condition of life, and
which the men of each feel a pride not only in causing to be
respected, but in respecting themselves.
«Father had some thoughts of taking your parole, too,
Chainbearer», added Zephaniah, «and he concluded he would,
407
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER
hadn’t it been that you’d been living out in the settlements
so much of late years, that he’s not quite easy in trusting you.
A man that passes so much of his time in running boundaries,
may think himself privileged to step over them».
«Your fat’er is welcome to his opinion», answered Andries,
coolly. «He’ll get no parole of me, nor do I want any favors of
him. We are at swords’ p’ints, young man, and let him look out
for himself and his lumper as pest he can».
«Nay», answered Zephaniah, stretching himself, and answering with spirit, though he well knew he was speaking to
the uncle of Dus, and thereby endangering his interests with
his mistress – «nay, Chainbearer, if it comes to that, ‘twill
be ‘hardes fend off.’ We are a strong party of stout men, and
arn’t to be frightened by the crier of a court, or to be druv’
off the land by sheep-skin. Catamounts must come ag’in us in
droves, afore we’ll give an inch».
«Go away, go away – foolish young fellow – you’re your
fat’er’s son, and t’at’s as much as neet pe said of you. I want no
favors from squatters, which ist a preed I tetest and tespise».
I was a little surprised at hearing this answer, and at witnessing this manifestation of feeling in Chainbearer, who,
ordinarily, was a cool, and uniformly a courteous man. On refl ection, however, I saw he was not so wrong. An exchange of
anything like civilities between us and our captors, might
seem to give them some claim on us; whereas, by standing on
the naked right, we had every advantage of them, in a moral
sense, at least. Zephaniah and his brethren left us, on receiving this repulse of Andries; but Susquesus kept loitering around the storehouse, apparently little better off now
408
THE CHAINBEARER; OR, THE LITTLEPAGE MANUSCRIPTS
he was on its outside than he had been when in it. He had
nothing to do, and his idleness was that of an Indian – one of
a race of such terrible energies, when energy is required, and
so frequently listless, when not pressed upon by necessity,
pleasure, war or interest.
Things were in this state, when, some time after the interview just related, we had another visit from a party headed by
Tobit. This man came to escort Chainbearer and myself to
the cabin of Thousandacres, where all the men of the family
were assembled; and where, as it now appeared, we were to
have something like a hearing that might seriously affect our
fates, for good or for evil. I consulted Chainbearer on the propriety of our lending ourselves to such a measure; but I found
Andries disposed to meet the brood of squatters, face to face,
and to tell them his mind, let it be when and where it might.
Finding my friend in this temper, I made no further objections myself, but left the storehouse in his company, well
guarded by four of the young men, all of whom were armed,
holding our way to the seat of justice, in that wild and patriarchal government.
CHAPTER XXII
«When Adam delv’d, and Eve span,
Where was then the gentleman?»
– Ol d Saw.
Thousandacres had not altogether neglected forms,
though so much set against the spirit of the law. We found
a sort of court collected before the door of his dwelling, with
himself in the centre, while the principal room contained no
one but Prudence and one or two of her daughters. Among
the latter was Lowiny, to my surprise; for I had not seen
the girl return from the woods, though my eyes had not been
long turned from the direction in which I had hopes of catching a glimpse of Dus.
Tobit led us prisoners into the house, placing us near
the door, and facing his father; an arrangement that superseded the necessity of much watchfulness, as our only means of
escape would necessarily be by rushing through the throng
without – a thing virtually impracticable. But Chainbearer appeared to have no thought of fl ight. He entered that circle of
athletic young men with perfect indifference; and I remember that it struck me his air resembled that which I had often
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