CHAPTER V
THE WYANDOT COUNCIL
Henry and his comrades, spying anew from the woods and seeing thevillage full of stir, thought Timmendiquas and his warriors would departthat day, but they soon gathered that some important ceremonial was athand, and would be celebrated first. It reminded Henry of the greatgathering of the Iroquois before the advance on Wyoming. He was as eagernow as then to enter the village and see the rites, which it was quiteevident were going to be held at night. Already the dangers of hisadventure with the seven heralds were forgotten and he was ready for newrisks.
"If I only had a little paint for my face and body," he said, "I couldgo into the place without much danger, and I'd learn a lot that would beof use to us."
No one answered, but Shif'less Sol, who had been listening attentively,stole away. The sun was then about an hour high, and, a little aftertwilight, the shiftless one returned with a package wrapped in a pieceof deerskin. He held it aloft, and his face was triumphant.
"What have you been doing, Sol?" exclaimed Henry.
"Me? I've been stealin'. An' I tell you I've been a good thief, too, fura lazy man. You said you wanted paint, Henry. Well, here it is an' thelittle brushes an' feathers with which you put it on, too. The peopleare all driftin' toward the center o' the village, an' without anypartic'lar trouble to myself or anybody else I entered an outlyin'--an'fur the time empty--lodge an' took away this vallyble paintin' outfit."
"Good," said Henry with delight. "Now you shall paint me, Sol, and in anhour I'll be among the Wyandots. Let's see the paint."
But Shif'less Sol firmly retained his precious package.
"Takin's are keepings," he said. "These paints are mine, an' I 'low youto make use o' them on one condition only."
"What is that?"
"When I paint you, you paint me, an' then we'll go into this mightyInjun metropolis together. Mebbe you'll need me, Henry, an' I'm goin'with you anyway. You've got to agree to it."
Henry and the shiftless one looked each other squarely in the face.Henry read resolve, and also an anxious affection in the gaze of hiscomrade.
"All right, Sol," he said, "it's agreed. Now let's see which is thebetter painter."
While the others stood by and gave advice Sol painted Henry. The greatyouth bared himself to the skin, and Sol, with a deft hand, laid on theWyandot colors over chest, shoulders, arms, face and hands. Then Henrypainted the shiftless one in the same fashion. They also, but with moredifficulty, colored their hair black. It was artistic work, and when allwas done the two stood forth in the perfect likeness of two splendidWyandot warriors.
"I think," said Henry, "that if we keep away from Timmendiquas, Wyatt,Girty and those who know us so well, nobody will suspect us."
"But don't run any unnecessary risks," said Paul anxiously. "You knowhow hard it will be on us waiting out here in the woods, an' if you werecaptured it's not likely we could save you."
"We'll take every precaution, Paul," said Henry, "and we'll rejoin youhere in the morning."
"All right," said Paul, "we'll wait at this point."
They were in an exceedingly dense part of the forest about two milesfrom the Indian village, and Tom Ross, the phlegmatic, was alreadyselecting a place for his blanket. The moon was not yet out and thelight over the forest was dim, but Paul, Long Jim and Silent Tom couldsee very distinctly the two magnificent young Wyandots who stood nearthem, bare to the waist, painted wondrously and armed with rifle,tomahawk and knife.
"Henry," said Long Jim, "ef I didn't see your face I could swear thatyou wuz Timmendiquas his very self. I see Timmendiquas--his shouldersan' the way he carries himself."
"An' I guess you see somethin' gran' an' wonderful in me, too, don'tyou, Saplin'?" said Shif'less Sol in his most ingratiating tone.
Long Jim gazed at him in his most scornful manner, before he deigned toreply.
"No, I don't see no great chief in you, Sol Hyde," he replied. "I seenothin' but an ornery Wyandot, who's so lazy he has to be fed by squaws,an' who ef he saw a white man would run so fast he'd never stop until hehit Lake Superior an' got beyond his depth."
Shif'less Sol laughed and held out his hand.
"Put 'er thar," he said. "You wouldn't abuse me ef you didn't like me,an' ef I never come back I guess a tear or two would run down that brownface o' yours."
Long Jim returned in kind the iron grasp of his friend.
"Them words o' yours is mighty near to the truth," he said.
Both Henry and Sol said all their good-byes, and then they slid awaythrough the thickets toward the town. As they came to its edge they sawa multitude of lights, fires burning here and there, and many torchesheld aloft by women and children. There was also the chatter of hundredsof voices, melting into a pleasant river of sound and the two, not evenfinding the Indian dogs suspicious, advanced boldly across the maizefields. Henry, remembering his size, which was the chief danger, nowstooped and held himself in a shrunken position as much as possible.Thus they came to the town, and they saw that all its inhabitants wereconverging upon the common in the center.
Both Henry and Sol looked anxiously at the village, which was of apermanent character, containing both single and communal wigwams. Thepermanent wigwams were of an oblong form, built of poles interwoven withbark. Many were, as Shif'less Sol called them, double-barreled--that is,in two sections, a family to each section, but with a common hall inwhich the fire was built, each family sitting on its side of the fire.But all these were empty now, as men, women and children had gone to theopen space in the center of the village. The communal lodges were muchlarger, often holding six or seven families, but with entirely distinctpartitions for every family. Here in the woods was a rude germ of themodern apartment house.
Henry and Sol drew near to the common, keeping concealed within theshadow of the lodges. The open space was blazing with light from bigfires and many squaws carried torches also. Within this space weregrouped the guests of the Wyandots, the Shawnees and the Miamis, withtheir chiefs at their head. They were painted heavily, and were in thefinest attire of the savage, embroidered leggings and moccasins, and redor blue blankets. From every head rose a bright feather twined in thedefiant scalp lock. But the Shawnees and Miamis stood motionless, everyman resting the stock of his rifle upon the ground and his hands uponthe muzzle. They were guests. They were not to take any part in theceremony, but they were deeply interested in the great rites of anallied and friendly nation, the great little tribe of the Wyandots, thewoman-ruled nation, terrible in battle, the bravest of the brave thefinest savage fighters the North American continent ever produced, theMohawks not excepted. And the fact remains that they were ruled bywomen.
The Wyandot warriors had not yet entered the open, which was a greatcircular grassy space. But as Henry and Shif'less Sol leaned in theshadow of a lodge, a tall warrior painted in many colors came forth intothe light of the fires, and uttered a loud cry, which he repeated twiceat short intervals. Meanwhile the torches among the women and childrenhad ceased to waver, and the Shawnees and Miamis stood immovable, theirhands resting on the muzzles of their rifles. The great fires blazed up,and cast a deep red light over the whole scene. A minute or so elapsedafter the last cry, and Henry and Shif'less Sol noticed the expectanthush.
Then at the far side of the circle appeared the Wyandot warriors, sixabreast coming between the lodges. They were naked except for the breechcloth and moccasins, but their bodies were gorgeously painted in manycolors. Mighty men were they. Few among them were less than six feet inheight, and all were splendidly built for strength, skill and endurance.They held their heads high, too, and their eyes flashed with the haughtypride of those who considered themselves first. Not in vain were thewoman-ruled Wyandots the bravest of the brave.
The Wyandot people advanced and waited on the outer rim of the circle inthe order of their gentes or clans. Their rank like that of all theleading North American tribes was perfect and was never violated. Therewere eleven clans with the following names in
their language: The Bear,the Deer, the Highland Striped Turtle, the Highland Black Turtle, theMud Turtle, the Large Smooth Turtle, the Hawk, the Beaver, the Wolf, theSnake, and the Porcupine. The rank of the sachem of the nation wasinherent in the clan of the Bear, and the rank of military chief hadalways belonged hitherto to the clan of the Porcupine, but now the rightwas about to be waived and for an ample reason.
The Wyandot warriors continued to march steadily into the circle untilall were there, and then a deep murmur of approval came from thewatching Shawnees and Miamis.
The flower of the Wyandot nation here in its own home was all thatwilderness fame had made it. At the head of the first clan, that of theBear, stood Timmendiquas, and Henry and Shif'less Sol had never seen himappear more commanding. Many tall men were there, but he over-toppedthem all, and his eyes shone with a deep, bright light, half triumph andhalf expectancy.
Now all the Wyandots were within the circle, standing as they alwayscamped when on the war path or the hunt. They were arranged in the formof a horseshoe. The head was on the left and the clans ran to the rightin this way: The Bear, the Deer, the Highland Striped Turtle, theHighland Black Turtle, the Mud Turtle, the Large Smooth Turtle, theHawk, the Beaver, the Wolf, the Snake and the Porcupine. These clanswere also incorporated into four phratries, or larger divisions. Thefirst phratry included the Bear, the Deer, and the Highland StripedTurtle; the second, the Highland Black Turtle, the Mud Turtle, and theLarge Smooth Turtle; the third, the Hawk, the Beaver, and the Wolf, andthe fourth, the Snake, and the Porcupine.
Every clan was ruled by a council of five, and of those five, four werewomen. The fifth, the man, was chosen by the four women from the men oftheir clan. The four women of the Board of Council had been selectedpreviously by the married women or heads of families of the clans. Thewife, not the husband, was the head of the family, nor did he ownanything in their home except his clothes and weapons. He was merely ahunter and warrior. All property and rank descended through the femaleline. The lands of the village which were communal were partitioned forcultivation by the women. The clan council of five was called theZu-wai-yu-wa, and the lone man was always deferential in the presence ofthe four women who had elected him. The men councilors, however, hadsome privilege. When it became necessary to choose the Grand Sachem ofthe whole nation, they alone did it. But they were compelled to heed thevoices of the women who constituted the whole voting population, and whoalso owned all the property. There was, too, a separate military councilof men who chose the military chief. Every clan had a distinctive way ofpainting the face, and the four women councilors and their man comradewore on state occasions distinctive chaplets of wild flowers, leaves andgrass.
Much of this lore Henry and Shif'less Sol knew already and more theylearned later. Now as they watched the impressive ceremonies they oftendivined what was to come.
After the horseshoe was formed, forty-four women and eleven men in acompact body advanced to the inside of the circle. The women were mostlymiddle-aged, and they were better looking than the women of othertribes. Seen in the firelight they had primitive dignity and awilderness majesty, that was brightened by the savage richness of theirdress. They wore their hair in long dark braids, adorned by shells andsmall red and blue feathers. Their tunics, which fell nearly to theknee, were made of the finest dressed deerskin, fastened at the waistwith belts of the same material, dyed red or blue. As they watched, thelittle beads on their leggings and moccasins tinkled and gave forth thecolors of the firelight. The expression of all was one of great gravityand dignity. Here was the real senatorial body of the nation. Thoughthey might not fight nor lead in war, they were the lawmakers of theWyandots. Great deference was paid to them as they passed.
Henry and Shif'less Sol, flattened in the dark against the side of atepee, watched everything with eager interest. Henry, a keen observerand quick to draw inferences, had seen other but somewhat similarceremonies among the Iroquois. Women had taken a part there also andsome of them had the rank of chieftainess, but they were not predominantas they were among the Wyandots.
The council of the eleven clans stopped in the center of the circle, anda silence, broken only by the crackling of the fires and the sputteringof the torches, came once more over the great assembly. But a thousandeager faces were turned toward them. The Shawnees and Miamis apparentlyhad not yet moved, still standing in rows, every face an impenetrablebronze mask.
The tall warrior of the clan of the Wolf who had made the signal for theceremony now came forward again. His name was Atuetes (Long Claws) andhe was at once the herald and sheriff of the nation. He superintendedthe erection of the Council House, and had charge of it afterwards. Hecalled the council which met regularly on the night of the full moon,and at such other times as the Grand Sachem might direct. The presentwas an unusual meeting summoned for an unusual purpose, and owing to theuncommon interest in it, it was held in the open instead of in theCouncil House.
Timmendiquas, already by common consent and in action the Grand Sachemof the Wyandots, was now about to be formally invested with the doublepower of Grand Sachem and military chief. The clan of the Porcupine inwhich the military chieftainship was hereditary had willingly yielded itto Timmendiquas, whose surpassing fitness to meet the coming of thewhite man was so obvious to everybody.
Atuetes, the herald, advanced to the very center of the ring and shoutedthree times in loud, piercing tones:
"Timmendiquas! Timmendiquas! Timmendiquas!"
Then the whole nation, with their guests the Shawnees and Miamis,uttered the name in one great cry. After that the deep breathlesssilence came again and the eager brown faces were bent yet furtherforward. Timmendiquas standing motionless hitherto at the head of hisclan, the Bear, now walked forth alone. The shout suddenly rose again,and then died as quickly as before.
Timmendiquas had thrown aside his magnificent blue blanket, and he stoodbare to the waist. The totem of the bear tattooed upon his chest shonein the firelight. His figure seemed to grow in height and to broaden.Never before in all the history and legends of the Wyandots had somighty an honor been conferred upon so young a warrior. It was all themore amazing because his predominance was so great that none challengedit, and other great warriors were there.
Among the famous chiefs who stood with the councilors or the clan wereDewatire (Lean Deer), Shayantsawat (Hard Skull), Harouyu (The Prowler),Tucae (Slow Walker), and Tadino (Always Hungry).
Timmendiquas continued to walk slowly forward to the point, where thelong row of the chieftainesses stood. He would not have been human hadhe not felt exaltation, and an immense pride as he faced the women, withthe hundreds and hundreds of admiring eyes looking on. He came presentlywithin a few feet of them and stopped. Then Ayajinta (Spotted Fawn), thetallest and most majestic of the women, stepped forward, holding in bothhands a woven chaplet of flowers and grass. The entire circle was nowlighted brilliantly by the fires and torches, and Henry and Shif'lessSol, although at a distance, saw well.
Ayajinta, holding the chaplet in her outstretched hands, stood directlybefore Timmendiquas. She was a tall woman, but the chief towered nearlya head above her. Nevertheless her dignity was the equal of his andthere was also much admiration in her looks.
"Timmendiquas," she said, in tones so clearly that everyone could hear,"you have proved yourself both a great chief and a mighty warrior. Formany moons now you have led the Wyandots on the war trail, and you havealso been first among them in the Council House. You have gone with ourwarriors far toward the rising sun and by the side of the great kindrednation, the Iroquois, you have fought with your warriors against theLong Knives. After victory the Iroquois have seen their housesdestroyed, but you and your warriors fought valiantly to defend them.
"We, the women of the Wyandots, chosen to the council by the otherwomen, the heads of the families, look upon you and admire you for yourstrength, your courage and your wisdom. Seldom does Manitou give so muchto a single warrior, and, when he does give, then it is not so much forhim as it
is for the sake of his tribe."
Ayajinta paused and the multitude uttered a deep "Hah!" which signifiedinterest and approval. But Timmendiquas stood upright, unchanging eyeslooking at her from the impenetrable brown mask.
"So," she said, "O Timmendiquas, thou hast been chosen Grand Sachem ofthe Wyandots, and also the leader of the war chiefs. We give you thedouble crown. Wear it for your own glory, and yet more for the glory ofthe Wyandot nation."
Timmendiquas bent his lofty head and she put upon it the great flowerycrown. Then as he raised his crowned head and looked proudly around thecircle, a tremendous shout burst from the multitude. Once more theycried:
"Timmendiquas! Timmendiquas! Timmendiquas!"
Before the third utterance of the name had died, fifty young girls, thefairest of the tribe, dressed in tanned deerskin adorned with beads andfeathers, streamed into the inner circle and began to dance before thegreat chief. Meanwhile they sang:--
Behold the great Timmendiquas! Mightiest of great chiefs, Wisest of all in council, He leads the warriors to battle, He teaches the old men wisdom, Timmendiquas, first of men.
Behold the great Timmendiquas! As strong as the oak on the mountain, As cunning as the wolf of the valley, He has fought beside the great Iroquois, The Yengees flee at the sound of his name, Timmendiquas, first of men.
Then they joined hands and circled about him to a tune played by fourmen on whistles, made from the bones of eagles. The song died, and thegirls flitted away so quickly through the outer ring that they were gonelike shadows.
Responsive as they were to wilderness life, the scene was making amighty impression upon Henry and Shif'less Sol. With the firelight abouthim and the moonlight above him, the figure of Timmendiquas wasmagnified in every way. Recognized long since as the most redoubtable ofred champions, he showed himself more formidable than ever.
The crowd slowly dispersed, but Atuetes of the clan of the Hawk called amilitary council in the Council House. Timmendiquas, as became his rank,led the way, and the renegades, Simon Girty, Braxton Wyatt, and MosesBlackstaffe were admitted. Inside the Council House, which was hung withskins and which much resembled those of the Iroquois, the chiefs, afterbeing called to order by Atuetes, the herald and sheriff, sat down in acircle, with Timmendiquas a little further forward than the others.
Atuetes took a great trumpet-shaped pipe, lighted it with a coal thatwas burning in a small fire in a corner, and inhaled two whiffs ofsmoke. He breathed out the first whiff toward the heavens and the secondtoward the earth. He handed the pipe to Timmendiquas, who inhaled thesmoke until his mouth was filled. Then, turning from left to right, heslowly puffed out the smoke over the heads of all the chiefs. When thecircle was complete, he handed the pipe to the next chief on his left,who puffed out the smoke in the same manner. This was done gravely andin turn by every chief. Then the Grand Sachem, Timmendiquas, announcedthe great military subject for which they were called together, and theyproceeded to discuss it.
The Border Watch: A Story of the Great Chief's Last Stand Page 7