The Pioneers; Or, The Sources of the Susquehanna

by James Fenimore Cooper

  CHAPTER XXIV.

  "While from its margin, terrible to tell, Three sailors with their gallant boatswain fell." --Falconer.

  While the fishermen were employed in making the preparations for anequitable division of the spoil, Elizabeth and her friend strolleda short distance from the group, along the shore of the lake. Afterreaching a point to which even the brightest of the occasional gleamsof the fire did not extend, they turned, and paused a moment, incontemplation of the busy and lively party they had left, and of theobscurity which, like the gloom of oblivion, seemed to envelop the restof the creation.

  "This is indeed a subject for the pencil!" exclaimed Elizabeth. "Observethe countenance of that woodchopper, while he exults in presenting alarger fish than common to my cousin sheriff; and see, Louisa, how handsome and considerate my dear father looks, by the light of that fire,where he stands viewing the havoc of the game. He seems melancholy, asif he actually thought that a day of retribution was to follow this hourof abundance and prodigality! Would they not make a picture, Louisa?"

  "You know that I am ignorant of all such accomplishments, Miss Temple."

  "Call me by my Christian name," interrupted Elizabeth; "this is not aplace, neither is this a scene, for forms."

  "Well, then, if I may venture an opinion," said Louisa timidly, "Ishould think it might indeed make a picture. The selfish earnestness ofthat Kirby over his fish would contrast finely with the--the--expressionof Mr. Edwards' face. I hardly know what to call it; but itis--a--is--you know what I would say, dear Elizabeth."

  "You do me too much credit, Miss Grant," said the heiress; "I am nodiviner of thoughts, or interpreter of expressions."

  There was certainly nothing harsh or even cold in the manner of thespeaker, but still it repressed the conversation, and they continuedto stroll still farther from the party, retaining each other's arm,but observing a pro found silence. Elizabeth, perhaps conscious of theimproper phraseology of her last speech, or perhaps excited by the newobject that met her gaze, was the first to break the awkward cessationin the discourse, by exclaiming:

  "Look, Louisa! we are not alone; there are fishermen lighting a fire onthe other side of the lake, immediately opposite to us; it must be infront of the cabin of Leather-Stocking!"

  Through the obscurity, which prevailed most immediately under theeastern mountain, a small and uncertain light was plainly to be seen,though, as it was occasionally lost to the eye, it seemed strugglingfor existence. They observed it to move, and sensibly to lower, as itcarried down the descent of the bank to the shore. Here, in a very shorttime, its flame gradually expanded, and grew brighter, until it becameof the size of a man's head, when it continued to shine a steady ball offire. Such an object, lighted as it were by magic, under the brow ofthe mountain, and in that retired and unfrequented place, gave doubleinterest to the beauty and singularity of its appearance. It did not atall resemble the large and unsteady light of their own fire, being muchmore clear and bright, and retaining its size and shape with perfectuniformity.

  There are moments when the best-regulated minds are more or lesssubjected to the injurious impressions which few have escaped ininfancy; and Elizabeth smiled at her own weakness, while she rememberedthe idle tales which were circulated through the village, at the expenseof the Leather-Stocking. The same ideas seized her companion, and at thesame instant, for Louisa pressed nearer to her friend, as she said ina low voice, stealing a timid glance toward the bushes and trees thatoverhung the bank near them:

  "Did you ever hear the singular ways of this Natty spoken of, MissTemple? They say that, in his youth, he was an Indian warrior; or,what is the same thing, a white man leagued with the savages; and itis thought he has been concerned in many of their inroads, in the oldwars."

  "The thing is not at all improbable," returned Elizabeth; "he is notalone in that particular."

  "No, surely; but is it not strange that he is so cautious with his hut?He never leaves it, without fastening it in a remarkable manner; and inseveral instances, when the children, or even the men of the village,have wished to seek a shelter there from the storms, he has been knownto drive them from his door with rudeness and threats. That surely issingular to this country!"

  "It is certainly not very hospitable; but we must remember his aversionto the customs of civilized life. You heard my father say, a few dayssince, how kindly he was treated by him on his first visit to hisplace." Elizabeth paused, and smiled, with an expression of peculiararch ness, though the darkness hid its meaning from her companion, asshe continued: "Besides, he certainly admits the visits of Mr. Edwards,whom we both know to be far from a savage."

  To this speech Louisa made no reply, but continued gazing on the objectwhich had elicited her remarks. In addition to the bright and circularflame, was now to be seen a fainter, though a vivid light, of an equaldiameter to the other at the upper end, but which, after extendingdownward for many feet, gradually tapered to a point at its lowerextremity. A dark space was plainly visible between the two, and thenew illumination was placed beneath the other, the whole forming anappearance not unlike an inverted note of admiration. It was soonevident that the latter was nothing but the reflection, from the water,of the former, and that the object, whatever it might be, was advancingacross, or rather over the lake, for it seemed to be several feet aboveits surface, in a direct line with themselves. Its motion was amazinglyrapid, the ladies having hardly discovered that it was moving at all,before the waving light of a flame was discerned, losing its regularshape, while it increased in size, as it approached.

  "It appears to be supernatural!" whispered Louisa, beginning to retraceher steps toward the party.

  "It is beautiful!" exclaimed Elizabeth,

  A brilliant though waving flame was now plainly visible, gracefullygliding over the lake, and throwing its light on the water in such amanner as to tinge it slightly though in the air, so strong was thecontrast, the darkness seemed to have the distinctness of materialsubstances, as if the fire were imbedded in a setting of ebony. Thisappearance, however, gradually wore off, and the rays from the torchstruck out, and enlightened the atmosphere in front of it, leaving thebackground in a darkness that was more impenetrable than ever.

  "Ho! Natty, is that you?" shouted the sheriff. "Paddle in, old boy, andI'll give you a mess of fish that is fit to place before the governor."

  The light suddenly changed its direction, and a long and slightlybuilt boat hove up out of the gloom, while the red glare fell on theweather-beaten features of the Leather-Stocking, whose tall personwas seen erect in the frail vessel, wielding, with the grace of anexperienced boatman, a long fishing-spear, which he held by its centre,first dropping one end and then the other into the water, to aid inpropelling the little canoe of bark, we will not say through, but over,the water. At the farther end of the vessel a form was faintly seen,guiding its motions, and using a paddle with the ease of one who feltthere was no necessity for exertion. The Leather-Stocking struck hisspear lightly against the short staff which up held, on a rude gratingframed of old hoops of iron, the knots of pine that composed the fuel,and the light, which glared high, for an instant fell on the swarthyfeatures and dark, glancing eyes of Mohegan.

  The boat glided along the shore until it arrived opposite thefishing-ground, when it again changed its direction and moved on to theland, with a motion so graceful, and yet so rapid, that it seemed topossess the power of regulating its own progress. The water in front ofthe canoe was hardly ruffled by its passage and no sound betrayed thecollision, when the light fabric shot on the gravelly beach for nearlyhalf its length, Natty receding a step or two from its bow, in order tofacilitate the landing.

  "Approach, Mohegan," said Marmaduke; "approach, Leather-Stocking, andload your canoe with bass. It would be a shame to assail the animalswith the spear, when such multitudes of victims lie here, that will belost as food for the want of mouths to consume them."

  "No, no, Judge," returned Natty, his tall figure stalking over the
narrowbeach, and ascending to the little grassy bottom where the fish werelaid in piles; "I eat of no man's wasty ways. I strike my spear into theeels or the trout, when I crave the creatur'; but I wouldn't be helpingto such a sinful kind of fishing for the best rifle that was everbrought out from the old countries. If they had fur, like the beaver, oryou could tan their hides, like a buck, something might be said in favorof taking them by the thousand with your nets; but as God made them forman's food, and for no other disarnable reason, I call it sinful andwasty to catch more than can be eat."

  "Your reasoning is mine; for once, old hunter, we agree in opinion; andI heartily wish we could make a convert of the sheriff. A net of halfthe size of this would supply the whole village with fish for a week atone haul."

  The Leather-Stocking did not relish this alliance in sentiment; and heshook his head doubtingly as he answered;

  "No, no; we are not much of one mind, Judge, or you'd never turn goodhunting-grounds into stumpy pastures. And you fish and hunt out of rule;but, to me, the flesh is sweeter where the creatur' has some chance forits life; for that reason, I always use a single ball, even if it be ata bird or a squirrel. Besides, it saves lead; for, when a body knowshow to shoot, one piece of lead is enough for all, except hard-livedanimals."

  The sheriff heard these opinions with great indignation; and when hecompleted the last arrangement for the division, by carrying with hisown hands a trout of a large size, and placing it on four differentpiles in succession, as his vacillating ideas of justice required, gavevent to his spleen.

  "A very pretty confederacy, indeed! Judge Temple, the landlord and ownerof a township, with Nathaniel Bumppo a lawless squatter, and professeddeer-killer, in order to preserve the game of the county! But, 'Duke,when I fish I fish; so, away, boys, for another haul, and we'll send outwagons and carts in the morning to bring in our prizes."

  Marmaduke appeared to understand that all opposition to the will of thesheriff would be useless, and he strolled from the fire to the placewhere the canoe of the hunters lay, whither the ladies and OliverEdwards had already preceded him.

  Curiosity induced the females to approach this spot; but it was adifferent motive that led the youth thither. Elizabeth examined thelight ashen timbers and thin bark covering of the canoe, in admirationof its neat but simple execution, and with wonder that any human beingcould be so daring as to trust his life in so frail a vessel. But theyouth explained to her the buoyant properties of the boat, and itsperfect safety when under proper management; adding, in such glowingterms, a description of the manner in which the fish were struck withthe spear, that she changed suddenly, from an apprehension of the dangerof the excursion, to a desire to participate in its pleasures. She evenventured a proposition to that effect to her father, laughing at thesame time at her own wish, and accusing herself of acting under awoman's caprice.

  "Say not so, Bess," returned the Judge; "I would have you above theidle fears of a silly girl. These canoes are the safest kind of boats tothose who have skill and steady nerves. I have crossed the broadest partof the Oneida in one much smaller than this."

  "And I the Ontary," interrupted the Leather-Stocking; "and that withsquaws in the canoe, too. But the Delaware women are used to the paddle,and are good hands in a boat of this natur', If the young lady wouldlike to see an old man strike a trout for his breakfast, she is welcometo a seat. John will say the same, seeing that he built the canoe, whichwas only launched yesterday; for I'm not over-curious at such small workas brooms, and basket-making, and other like Indian trades."

  Natty gave Elizabeth one of his significant laughs, with a kind nod ofthe head, when he concluded his invitation but Mohegan, with the nativegrace of an Indian, approached, and taking her soft white hand into hisown swarthy and wrinkled palm, said:

  "Come, granddaughter of Miquon, and John will be glad. Trust the Indian;his head is old, though his hand is not steady. The Young Eagle will go,and see that no harm hurts his sister."

  "Mr. Edwards," said Elizabeth, blushing slightly, "your friend Moheganhas given a promise for you. Do you redeem the pledge?"

  "With my life, if necessary, Miss Temple," cried the youth, with fervor."The sight is worth some little apprehension; for of real dangerthere is none, I will go with you and Miss Grand, however, to saveappearances."

  "With me!" exclaimed Louisa. "No, not with me, Mr. Edwards; nor, surely,do you mean to trust yourself in that slight canoe."

  "But I shall; for I have no apprehensions any longer," said Elizabeth,stepping into the boat, and taking a seat where the Indian directed."Mr. Edwards, you may remain, as three do seem to be enough for such anegg shell."

  "It shall hold a fourth," cried the young man, springing to her side,with a violence that nearly shook the weak fabric of the vessel asunder."Pardon me, Miss Temple, that I do not permit these venerable Charons totake you to the shades unattended by your genius."

  "Is it a good or evil spirit?" asked Elizabeth.

  "Good to you."

  "And mine," added the maiden, with an air that strangely blended piquewith satisfaction. But the motion of the canoe gave rise to new ideas,and fortunately afforded a good excuse to the young man to change thediscourse.

  It appeared to Elizabeth that they glided over the water by magic, soeasy and graceful was the manner in which Mohegan guided his littlebark. A slight gesture with his spear indicated the way in whichLeather-Stocking wished to go, and a profound silence was preserved bythe whole party, as the precaution necessary to the success of theirfishery. At that point of the lake the water shoaled regularly.differing in this particular altogether from those parts where themountains rose nearly in perpendicular precipices from the beach. Therethe largest vessels could have lain, with their yards interlocked withthe pines; while here a scanty growth of rushes lifted their tops abovethe lake, gently curling the waters, as their bending heads waved withthe passing breath of the night air. It was at the shallow points onlythat the bass could be found, or the net cast with success.

  Elizabeth saw thousands of these fish swimming in shoals along theshallow and warm waters of the shore; for the flaring light of theirtorch laid bare the mysteries of the lake, as plainly as if the limpidsheet of the Otsego was but another atmosphere. Every instant sheexpected to see the impending spear of Leather-Stocking darting into thethronging hosts that were rushing beneath her, where it would seem thata blow could not go amiss; and where, as her father had already said,the prize that would be obtained was worthy any epicure. But Natty hadhis peculiar habits, and, it would seem, his peculiar tastes also.

  His tall stature, and his erect posture, enabled him to see much fartherthan those who were seated in the bottom of the canoe; and he turned hishead warily in every direction, frequently bending his body forward,and straining his vision, as if desirous of penetrating the water thatsurrounded their boundary of light. At length his anxious scrutiny wasrewarded with success, and, waving his spear from the shore, he said ina cautious tone:

  "Send her outside the bass, John; I see a laker there, that has run outof the school. It's seldom one finds such a creatur' in shallow water,where a spear can touch it."

  Mohegan gave a wave of assent with his hand, and in the next instant thecanoe was without the "run of the bass," and in water nearly twenty feetin depth. A few additional knots were laid on the grating, and the lightpenetrated to the bottom, Elizabeth then saw a fish of unusual sizefloating above small pieces of logs and sticks. The animal was onlydistinguishable, at that distance, by a slight but almost imperceptiblemotion of its fins and tail. The curiosity excited by this unusualexposure of the secrets of the lake seemed to be mutual betweenthe heiress of the land and the lord of these waters, for the"salmon-trout" soon announced his interest by raising his head and bodyfor a few degrees above a horizontal line, and then dropping them againinto a horizontal position.

  "Whist! whist!" said Natty, in a low voice, on hearing a slight soundmade by Elizabeth in bending over the side of the canoe in curiosity;"'tis a skear
y animal, and it's a far stroke for a spear. My handle ishut fourteen foot, and the creator' lies a good eighteen from the top ofthe water: but I'll try him, for he's a ten--pounder."

  While speaking, the Leather-Stocking was poising and directing hisweapon. Elizabeth saw the bright, polished tines, as they slowly andsilently entered the water, where the refraction pointed them manydegrees from the true direction of the fish; and she thought that theintended victim saw them also, as he seemed to increase the play of histail and fins, though without moving his station. At the next instantthe tall body of Natty bent to the water's edge, and the handle of hisspear disappeared in the lake. The long, dark streak of the glidingweapon, and the little bubbling vortex which followed its rapid flight,were easily to be seen: but it was not until the handle snot again intothe air by its own reaction, and its master catching it in his hand,threw its tines uppermost, that Elizabeth was acquainted with thesuccess of the blow. A fish of great size was transfixed by the barbedsteel, and was very soon shaken from its impaled situation into thebottom of the canoe.

  "That will do, John," said Natty, raising his prize by one of hisfingers, and exhibiting it before the torch; "I shall not strike anotherblow to-night."

  The Indian again waved his hand, and replied with the simple andenergetic monosyllable of:

  "Good."

  Elizabeth was awakened from the trance created by this scene, and bygazing in that unusual manner at the bot tom of the lake, be the hoarsesounds of Benjamin's voice, and the dashing of oars, as the heavier boatof the seine-drawers approached the spot where the canoe lay, draggingafter it the folds of the net.

  "Haul off, haul off, Master Bumppo," cried Benjamin, "your top-lightfrightens the fish, who see the net and sheer off soundings. A fishknows as much as a horse, or, for that matter, more, seeing that it'sbrought up on the water. Haul oil, Master Bumppo, haul off, I say, andgive a wide berth to the seine."

  Mohegan guided their little canoe to a point where the movements of thefishermen could be observed, without interruption to the business, andthen suffered it to lie quietly on the water, looking like an imaginaryvessel floating in air. There appeared to be much ill-humor among theparty in the batteau, for the directions of Benjamin were not onlyfrequent, but issued in a voice that partook largely of dissatisfaction.

  "Pull larboard oar, will ye, Master Kirby?" cried the old seaman; "pulllarboard best. It would puzzle the oldest admiral in their Britishfleet to cast this here net fair, with a wake like a corkscrew. Fullstarboard, boy, pull starboard oar, with a will."

  "Harkee, Mister Pump," said Kirby, ceasing to row, and speaking withsonic spirit; "I'm a man that likes civil language and decent treatment,such as is right 'twixt man and man. If you want us to go hoy, say so,and hoy I'll go, for the benefit of the company; but I'm not used tobeing ordered about like dumb cattle."

  "Who's dumb cattle?" echoed Benjamin, fiercely, turning his forbiddingface to the glare of light from the canoe, and exhibiting every featureteeming with the expression of disgust. "If you want to come aft and conthe boat round, come and be damned, and pretty steerage you'll make ofit. There's but another heave of the net in the stern-sheets, and we'reclear of the thing. Give way, will ye? and shoot her ahead for a fathomor two, and if you catch me afloat again with such a horse-marine asyourself, why, rate me a ship's jackass, that's all."

  Probably encouraged by the prospect of a speedy termination to hislabor, the wood-chopper resumed his oar, and, under strong excitement,gave a stroke that not only cleared the boat of the net but of thesteward at the same instant. Benjamin had stood on the little platformthat held the seine, in the stern of the boat, and the violent whirloccasioned by the vigor of the wood-chopper's arm completely destroyedhis balance. The position of the lights rendered objects in the batteaudistinguishable, both from the canoe and the shore; and the heavy fallon the water drew all eyes to the steward, as he lay struggling, for amoment, in sight.

  A loud burst of merriment, to which the lungs of Kirby contributedno small part, broke out like a chorus of laughter, and ran along theeastern mountain, in echoes, until it died away in distant, mockingmirth, among the rocks and woods. The body of the steward was seenslowly to disappear, as was expected; but when the light waves, whichhad been raised by his fall, began to sink in calmness, and the waterfinally closed over his head, unbroken and still, a very differentfeeling pervaded the spectators.

  "How fare you, Benjamin?" shouted Richard from the shore.

  "The dumb devil can't swim a stroke!" exclaimed Kirby, rising, andbeginning to throw aside his clothes.

  "Paddle up, Mohegan," cried young Edwards, "the light will show us wherehe lies, and I will dive for the body."

  "Oh! save him! for God's sake, save him!" exclaimed Elizabeth, bowingher head on the side of the canoe in horror.

  A powerful and dexterous sweep of Mohegan's paddle sent the canoedirectly over the spot where the steward had fallen, and a loud shoutfrom the Leather-Stocking announced that he saw the body.

  "Steady the boat while I dive," again cried Edwards.

  "Gently, lad, gently," said Natty; "I'll spear the creatur' up in halfthe time, and no risk to anybody."

  The form of Benjamin was lying about half-way to the bottom, graspingwith both hands some broken rushes. The blood of Elizabeth curdled toher heart, as she saw the figure of a fellow-creature thus extendedunder an immense sheet of water, apparently in motion by the undulationsof the dying waves, with its face and hands, viewed by that light, andthrough the medium of the fluid, already colored with hues like death.

  At the same instant, she saw the shining tines of Natty's spearapproaching the head of the sufferer, and entwinning themselves, rapidlyand dexterously, in the hairs of his cue and the cape of his coat. Thebody was now raised slowly, looking ghastly and grim as its featuresturned upward to the light and approached the surface. The arrival ofthe nostrils of Benjamin into their own atmosphere was announced by abreathing that would have done credit to a porpoise. For a moment, Nattyheld the steward suspended, with his head just above the water, whilehis eyes slowly opened and stared about him, as if he thought that hehad reached a new and unexplored country.

  As all the parties acted and spoke together, much less time was consumedin the occurrence of these events than in their narration. To bring thebatteau to the end of the spear, and to raise the form of Benjamin intothe boat, and for the whole party to regain the shore, required but aminute. Kirby, aided by Richard, whose anxiety induced him to run intothe water to meet his favorite assistant, carried the motionless stewardup the bank, and seated him before the fire, while the sheriff proceededto order the most approved measures then in use for the resuscitation ofthe drowned.

  "Run, Billy," he cried, "to the village, and bring up the rum-hogsheadthat lies before the door, in which I am making vinegar, and be quick,boy, don't stay to empty the vinegar, and stop at Mr. Le Quoi's, and buya paper of tobacco and half a dozen pipes; and ask Remarkable for somesalt, and one of her flannel petticoats; and ask Dr. Todd to send hislancet, and to come himself; and--ha! 'Duke, what are you about? wouldyou strangle a man who is full of water, by giving him rum? Help me toopen his hand, that I may pat it."

  All this time Benjamin sat, with his muscles fixed, his mouth shut, andhis hands clinching the rushes which he had seized in the confusion ofthe moment and which, as he held fast, like a true seaman, had been themeans of preventing his body from rising again to the surface. His eyes,however, were open, and stared wildly on the group about the fire, whilehis lungs were playing like a blacksmith's bellows, as if to compensatethemselves for the minute of inaction to which they had been subjected.As he kept his lips compressed, with a most inveterate determination,the air was compelled to pass through his nostrils, and he rathersnorted than breathed, and in such a manner that nothing but theexcessive agitation of the sheriff could at all justify his precipitousorders.

  The bottle, applied to the steward's lips by Marmaduke, acted like acharm. His mouth opened instinctively;
his hands dropped the rushes,and seized the glass; his eyes raised from their horizontal stare to theheavens; and the whole man was lost, for a moment, in a new sensation.Unhappily for the propensity of the steward, breath was as necessaryafter one of these draughts as after his submersion, and the time atlength arrived when he was compelled to let go the bottle.

  "Why, Benjamin!" roared the sheriff; "you amaze me! for a man of yourexperience in drownings to act so foolishly! Just now, you were halffull of water, and now you are--"

  "Full of grog," interrupted the steward, his features settling down,with amazing flexibility, into their natural economy. "But, d'yesee,squire, I kept my hatches chose, and it's but little water that evergets into my scuttle-butt. Harkee, Master Kirby! I've followed thesalt-water for the better part of a man's life, and have seen somenavigation on the fresh; but this here matter I will say in your favor,and that is, that you're the awk'ardest green 'un that ever straddled aboat's thwart. Them that likes you for a shipmate, may sail with you andno thanks; but dam'me if I even walk on the lake shore in your company.For why? you'd as lief drown a man as one of them there fish; not tothrow a Christian creature so much as a rope's end when he was adrift,and no life-buoy in sight! Natty Bumppo, give us your fist. There's themthat says you're an Indian, and a scalper, but you've served me a goodturn, and you may set me down for a friend; thof it would have been moreship shape like to lower the bight of a rope or running bowline belowme, than to seize an old seaman by his head-lanyard; but I suppose youare used to taking men by the hair, and seeing you did me good insteadof harm thereby, why, it's the same thing, d'ye see?"

  Marmaduke prevented any reply, and assuming the action of matters witha dignity and discretion that at once silenced all opposition from hiscousin, Benjamin was dispatched to the village by land, and the netwas hauled to shore in such a manner that the fish for once escaped itsmeshes with impunity.

  The division of the spoils was made in the ordinary manner, by placingone of the party with his hack to the game, who named the owner of eachpile. Bill Kirby stretched his large frame on the grass by the sideof the fire, as sentinel until morning, over net and fish; and theremainder of the party embarked in the batteau, to return to thevillage.

  The wood-chopper was seen broiling his supper on the coals as they lostsight of the fire, and when the boat approached the shore, the torchof Mohegan's canoe was shining again under the gloom of the easternmountain. Its motion ceased suddenly; a scattering of brands was in theair, and then all remained dark as the conjunction of night, forest, andmountain could render the scene.

  The thoughts of Elizabeth wandered from the youth, who was holding acanopy of shawls over herself and Louisa, to the hunter and the Indianwarrior; and she felt an awakening curiosity to visit a hut where men ofsuch different habits and temperament were drawn together as by commonimpulse.