CHAPTER I.
LOYAL HEART.
The position was completely changed.
The hunters, who a moment before were at the mercy of the Indians, feltthey were not only in a manner free, but that they had it in their powerto impose hard conditions.
Many guns were levelled in the direction of the Canadian--many arrowswere pointed towards him; but, at a signal from Eagle Head, the gunswere recovered, and the arrows were returned to the quivers.
The shame of being foiled by two men who audaciously braved them inthe middle of their own camp, made the hearts of the Comanches burnwith anger. They were sensible of the impossibility of contending withtheir desperate adversaries. In fact, what could they do against theseintrepid wood rangers, who reckoned life as nothing?
Kill them?
But, in falling, they would slaughter without pity the prisoners whomthe Comanches were anxious to save. The most strongly developed feelingamong redskins is love of family.
For the sake of his children or his wife, the fiercest warrior would nothesitate to make concessions which the most frightful tortures, underother circumstances, could not force from him. Thus, at the sight ofhis wife and child fallen into the power of Belhumeur, Eagle Head onlythought of their safety.
Of all men, Indians are perhaps those who know how to bend with thegreatest facility to the exigencies of an unforeseen situation.
The Comanche chief concealed in the depths of his heart the hatredand anger which devoured him. With a movement full of nobleness anddisinterestedness, he threw back the blanket which served him asa cloak, and with a calm countenance and a smile on his lips, heapproached the hunters.
The latter, long accustomed to the mode of action of the redskins,remained in appearance impassible, awaiting the result of their bold_coup de main._
"My pale brothers," the chief said, "are full of wisdom, though theirhair is black; they are acquainted with all the stratagems familiar togreat warriors; they have the cunning of the beaver and the courage ofthe lion."
The two men bowed in silence, and Eagle Head continued,--
"As my brother Loyal Heart is in the camp of the Comanches of the greatlakes, the hour has at length arrived for dispersing the clouds whichhave arisen between him and the redskins. Loyal Heart is just; let himexplain himself without fear; he is in the presence of renowned chiefs,who will not hesitate to acknowledge their wrongs, if they have anytowards him."
"Oh! oh!" the Canadian replied with a sneer; "Eagle Head has quicklychanged his sentiments with respect to us; does he believe he candeceive us with vain words?"
A flash of hatred sparkled in the savage eye of the Indian; but, with anextraordinary effort, he succeeded in restraining himself.
Suddenly a man stepped between the interlocutors.
This man was Eshis, the most highly venerated warrior of the tribe.
The old man slowly raised his arm.
"Let my children listen to me," he said; "everything should be clearedup today; the pale hunters will smoke the calumet in council."
"Be it so," said Loyal Heart.
Upon a signal from the Sun the principal chiefs of the tribe came andranged themselves around him.
Belhumeur had not changed his position; he was ready, at the slightestdoubtful gesture, to sacrifice his prisoners.
When the pipe had gone the round of the circle formed near the hunters,the old chief collected himself; then, after bowing to the whites, hespoke as follows:--
"Warriors, I thank the Master of Life for loving us redskins, and forhaving this day sent us two pale men, who may at length open theirhearts. Take courage, young men; do not allow yourselves to be castdown, and drive away the evil spirit far from you. We love you, LoyalHeart; we have heard of your humanity towards Indians. We believe thatyour heart is open, and that your veins flow clear as the sun. It istrue that we Indians have not much sense when the firewater has powerover us, and that we may have displeased you in various circumstances.But we hope you will think no more of it; and that, as long as you andwe shall be in the prairies, we shall hunt side by side, as warriors whorespect and love each other ought to do."
To which Loyal Heart replied:--
"You, chiefs and other members of the nation of the Comanches of thegreat lakes, whose eyes are opened, I hope you will lend an ear to thewords of my mouth. The Master of Life has opened my brain, and causedfriendly words to be breathed into my breast. My heart is filled withfeelings for you, your wives, and your children; and what I say to younow proceeds from the roots of the feelings of myself and my friend.Never in the prairie has my hatto been closed against the hunters ofyour nation. Why then do you make war against us? Why should youtorture my mother, who is an old woman, and seek to deprive me of life?I am averse to the shedding of Indian blood; for, I repeat to you, thatnotwithstanding all the ill you have done me, my heart leaps towardsyou!"
"Wah!" interrupted Eagle Head; "my brother speaks well: but the wound heinflicted upon me is not yet healed."
"My brother is foolish," the hunter replied; "does he think me sounskilful that I could not have killed him, if such had been myintention? I will prove to you what I am capable of, and what Iunderstand by the courage of a warrior. If I make but a sign, that womanand that child _will have ceased to live!_"
"Yes!" Belhumeur added.
A shudder ran through the ranks of the assembly. Eagle Head felt a coldperspiration pealing on his temples.
Loyal Heart preserved silence for a minute, fixing an indefinable lookupon the Indians; then, raising his shoulders with disdain, he threwhis weapons at his feet, and crossing his arms upon his breast, heturned towards the Canadian.
"Belhumeur," he said, in a calm, clear voice, "restore these two poorcreatures to liberty."
"How can you dream of such a thing?" cried the astonished hunter; "why,that would be your sentence of death!"
"I know it would."
"Well?"
"I beg you to do it."
The Canadian made no reply. He began to whistle between his teeth,and, drawing his knife, he, at a stroke, cut the bonds which confinedhis captives, who bounded away like jaguars, uttering howlings of joy,to conceal themselves among their friends. He then replaced his knifein his belt, threw down his weapons, dismounted, and went and placedhimself resolutely by the side of Loyal Heart.
"What are you doing?" the latter cried. "Make your escape, my friend."
"What! save myself and leave you?" the Canadian replied, carelessly."No, thank you. As I must die once, I had quite as lief it should betoday as hereafter. I shall never, perhaps, find so good an opportunity."
The two men shook hands with an energetic grip.
"Now, chiefs," Loyal Heart said, addressing the Indians in his clear,calm voice, "we are in your power, do with us as you think proper."
The Comanches looked at each other for an instant in a state of stupor.The stoical abnegation of these two men, who, by the bold action of oneof them, might not only have escaped, but have dictated terms to them,and who, instead of profiting by this immense advantage, threw downtheir weapons and delivered themselves into their hands, appeared tothem to exceed all instances of heroism celebrated in their nation.
There followed a sufficiently long silence, during which the heartsmight be heard beating in the breasts of those men of bronze, who, bytheir primitive impulsive education, are more apt than might be believedto understand all true feelings, and appreciate all really noble actions.
At length Eagle Head, after a little hesitation, threw down hisarms, and approaching the hunters, said, in an agitated voice, whichcontrasted with the stoical and indifferent appearance he sought in vainto preserve,--
"It is true, warriors of the palefaces, that you have great sense, thatit sweetens the words you address to us, and that we all understandyou; we know also that truth opens your lips. It is very difficultfor us Indians, who have not the reason of the whites, to avoid oftencommitting, without wishing to do so, reprehensible actions; but we h
opethat Loyal Heart will take the skin from his heart, so that it may be asclear as ours, and that between us the hatchet may be buried so deeplythat the sons of the sons of his grandsons, in a thousand moons and ahundred more, will not be able to find it."
And placing his two hands upon the shoulders of the hunter, he kissedhim upon the eyes, adding,--
"May Loyal Heart be my brother!"
"Be it so!" said the hunter, rejoiced at this conclusion; "henceforthI shall entertain for the Comanches as much friendship as, up to thistime, I have had mistrust."
The Indian chiefs crowded round their new friends, upon whom theylavished, with the ingenuousness that characterizes primitive natures,marks of affection and respect.
The two hunters had been long known in the tribe of the Serpent; theirreputation was established. Often at night, around their campfire,their exploits had struck with admiration the young men to whom the oldwarriors related them.
The reconciliation was frank between Loyal Heart and Eagle Head; theredid not remain between them the least trace of their past hatred. Theheroism of the white hunter had conquered the animosity of the redskinwarrior.
The two men were chatting, peaceably seated at the entrance of a hut,when a great cry was heard, and an Indian, with his features distortedby terror, rushed into the camp.
All crowded round this man to learn his news; but the Indian, perceivingEagle Head, advanced towards him.
"What is going on?" the chief asked.
The Indian cast a ferocious look at Loyal Heart and Belhumeur, who hadno more idea than the others of the cause of this panic.
"Take care that these two palefaces do not escape; we are betrayed," hesaid, in a broken voice, panting from the speed with which he had come.
"Let my brother explain himself more clearly," said Eagle Head.
"All the white trappers, the long knives of the west, are assembled;they form a war detachment of near a hundred men; they are advancingand spreading themselves in such a manner, as to invest the camp on allsides at once."
"Are you sure these hunters come as enemies?" said the chief again.
"What else can they be?" the Indian warrior replied. "They are creepinglike serpents through the high grass, with their guns before them, andtheir scalping knives in their teeth. Chief, we are betrayed; these menhave been sent among us to lull our vigilance to sleep."
Eagle Head and Loyal Heart exchanged a glance of an undefinableexpression, and which was an enigma for all but themselves.
The Comanche chief turned towards the Indian.
"Did you see," he said, "who marched at the head of the hunters?"
"Yes, I saw him."
"Was it Amick (Black Elk), the principal guardian of Loyal Heart'straps?"
"Who else could it be?"
"Very well! Retire," said the warrior, dismissing the messenger with anod of the head; then, addressing the hunter, he asked,
"What is to be done?"
"Nothing," Loyal Heart replied, "this concerns me, my brother must leaveme to act alone."
"My brother is master!"
"I will go and meet these hunters; let Eagle Head keep his young men inthe camp till my return."
"That shall be done."
Loyal Heart threw his gun upon his shoulder, gave Belhumeur a shakeof the hand, and a smile to the Comanche chief, and then directed hiscourse to the forest, at that pace, at once firm and easy, which washabitual to him.
He soon disappeared among the trees.
"Hum;" said Belhumeur, lighting his Indian pipe, and addressing EagleHead, "you see, chief, that in this world, it is not often a badspeculation, to allow ourselves to be guided by our hearts."
And satisfied beyond measure with this philosophical fancy, whichappeared to him quite to the purpose, the Canadian enveloped himself ina thick cloud of smoke.
By the orders of the chief, all the sentinels spread round the outskirtsof the camp were called in.
The Indians awaited with impatience the result of Loyal Heart'sproceedings.
Les trappeurs de l'Arkansas. English Page 25