Chapter XIII.

by James Fenimore Cooper

　　Hearest thou voices on the shore That our ears perceive no more, Deafened by the cataract's roar? Bear, through sorrow, wrong, and ruth, In thy heart the dew of youth, On thy lips the smile of truth. --LONGFELLOW.From all that has been stated, the reader will, probably, beprepared to learn that Boden did not succeed in his effort topersuade Gershom, and the other Christians, to accompany him on hisvoyage round by Lake Huron. Corporal Flint was obdurate, and ParsonAmen confiding. As for Gershom, he did not like the thought ofretracing his steps so soon, and the females were obliged to remainwith the husband and brother.

　　"You had better get out of the river while all the canoes are onthis side," said Margery, as she and le Bourdon walked toward theboats in company, the council having ended, and everything beginningto assume the appearance of action. "Remember you will be quitealone, and have a long, long road to travel!"

　　"I do remember all this, Margery, and see the necessity for all ofus getting back to the settlements as fast as we can. I don't halflike this Peter; his name is a bad one in the garrisons, and itmakes me miserable to think that you may be in his power."

　　"The missionary and the corporal, as well as my brother, seemwilling to trust him--what can two females do, when their maleprotector has made up his mind in such a matter?"

　　"One who would very gladly be your protector, pretty Margery, hasnot made up his mind to the prudence of trusting Peter at all. Putyourself under my care, and my life shall be lost, or I will carryyou safe to your friends in Detroit."

　　This might be deemed tolerably explicit; yet was it not sufficientlyso to satisfy female scruples, or female rights. Margery blushed,and she looked down, while she did not look absolutely displeased.But her answer was given firmly, and with a promptitude that showedshe was quite in earnest.

　　"I cannot quit Dorothy, placed as she is--and it is my duty to diewith brother," she said.

　　"Have you thought enough of this, Margery? may not reflection changeyour mind?"

　　"This is a duty on which a girl is not called to reflect; she mustfeel, in a matter of conscience."

　　The bee-hunter fairly sighed, and from a very resolute he became avery irresolute sort of person. As was natural to one in hissituation, he let out the secret current his thoughts had taken, inthe remarks which followed.

　　"I do not like the manner in which Peter and Pigeonswing are nowtalking together," he said. "When an Injin is so earnest, there isgenerally mischief brewing. Do you see Peter's manner?"

　　"He seems to be telling the young warrior something that makes bothforget themselves. I never saw two men who seem so completely toforget all the rest of the world as them two savages! What can bethe meaning, Bourdon, of so much fierce earnestness?"

　　"I would give the world to know-possibly the Chippewa may tell me.We understand each other tolerably well, and, just as you spoke, hegave me a secret sign that I have a right to think means confidenceand friendship. That savage is either a fast friend, or a thoroughvillain."

　　"Is it safe to trust any of them, Bourdon? No--no--your best waywill be to go down the lakes, and get back to Detroit as soon as youcan. Not only your property, but your life, is at risk."

　　"Go, and leave you here, Margery--here, with a brother whose failingyou know as well as I do, and who may, at any moment, fall back intohis old ways! I should not be a man to do it!"

　　"But brother can get no liquor, now, for it is all emptied. Whenhimself for a few days, Gershom is a good protector, as well as agood provider. You must not judge brother too harshly, from what youhave seen of him, Bourdon."

　　"I do not wish to judge him at all, Margery. We all have ourfailin's, and whiskey is his. I dare say mine are quite as bad, insome other way. It's enough for me, Margery, that Gershom is yourbrother, to cause me to try to think well of him. We must not trustto there being no more liquor among us; for, if that so'ger isaltogether without his rations, he's the first so'ger I ever metwith who was!"

　　"But this corporal is a friend of the minister, and ministers oughtnot to drink!"

　　"Ministers are like other men, as them that live much among 'em willsoon find out. Hows'ever, if you will stay, Margery, there is nomore to be said. I must cache [Footnote: A Western term, obviouslyderived from cacher, to conceal. Cache is much used by the Westernadventurers.] my honey, and get the canoe ready to go up streamagain. Where you go, Margery, I go too, unless you tell me that youdo not wish my company."

　　This was said quietly, but in the manner of one whose mind was madeup. Margery scarce knew how to take it. That she was secretlydelighted, cannot be denied; while, at the same time, that she felta generous and lively concern for the fortunes of le Bourdon, isquite as certain. As Gershom just then called to her to lend herassistance in preparing to embark, she had no leisure forexpostulation, nor do we know that she now seriously wished todivert the bee-hunter from his purpose.

　　It was soon understood by every one that the river was to becrossed, in order that Gershom might get his household effects,previously to ascending the Kalamazoo. This set all at--work but theChippewa, who appeared to le Bourdon to be watchful and full ofdistrust. As the latter had a job before him, that would be likelyto consume a couple of hours, the others were ready for a start longbefore he had his hole dug. It was therefore arranged that the bee-hunter should complete his task, while the others crossed thestream, and went in quest of Gershom's scanty stock of householdgoods. Pigeonswing, however, was not to be found, when the canoeswere ready, and Peter proceeded without him. Nor did le Bourdon seeanything of his friend until the adventurers were fairly on thenorth shore, when he rejoined le Bourdon, sitting on a log, acurious spectator of the latter's devices to conceal his property,but not offering to aid him in a single movement. The bee-hunter toowell understood an Indian warrior's aversion to labor of all sorts,unless it be connected with his military achievements, to besurprised at his companion's indifference to his own toil. As thework went on, a friendly dialogue was kept up between the parties.

　　"I didn't know, Pigeonswing, but you had started for the openings,before us," observed le Bourdon. "That tribeless old Injin madesomething of a fuss about your being out of the way; I dare say hewanted you to help back the furniture down to the canoes."

　　"Got squaw--what he want--better to do dat?"

　　"So you would put that pretty piece of work on such persons asMargery and Dolly!"

　　"Why not, no? Bot' squaw-bot know how. Dere business to work forwarrior."

　　"Did you keep out of the way, then, lest old Peter should get you ata job that is onsuitable to your manhood?"

　　"Keep out of way of Pottawattamie," returned the Chippewa; "no wantto lose scalp-radder take his'n."

　　"But Peter says the Pottawattamies are all gone, and that we have nolonger any reason to fear them; and this medicine-priest tells us,that what Peter says we can depend on for truth."

　　"Dat good medicine-man, eh? T'ink he know a great deal, eh?"

　　"That is more than I can tell you, Pigeonswing; for though I've beena medicine-man myself, so lately, it is in a different linealtogether from that of Parson Amen's."

　　As the bee-hunter uttered this answer, he was putting the last ofhis honey-kegs into the cache, and as he rose from completing theoperation, he laughed heartily, like one who saw images in theoccurrences of the past night, that tended to divert himself, ifthey had not the same effect on the other spectators.

　　"If you medicine-man, can tell who Peter be? Winnebagoe, Sioux, Fox,Ojebway, Six Nations all say don't know him. Medicine-man ought toknow--who he be, eh?"

　　"I am not enough of a medicine-man to answer your question,Pigeonswing. Set me at finding a whiskey-spring, or any little jobof that sort, and I'll turn my back to no other whiskey-springfinder on the whole frontier; but, as for Peter, he goes beyond mycalculations, quite. Why is he called Scalping Peter in thegarrisons, if he be so good an Injin, Chippewa?"

　　"You ask question--you answer. Don't know, 'less he take a good manyscalps. Hear he do take all he can find--den hear he don't."

　　"But you take all you can find, Pigeonswing; and that which is goodin you, cannot be so bad in Peter."

　　"Don't take scalp from friend. When you hear Pigeonswing scalpfriend, eh?"

　　"I never did hear it; and hope I never shall. But when did you hearthat Peter is so wicked?"

　　"S'pose he don't, 'cause he got no friend among pale-face. Bes' takecare of dat man?"

　　"I'm of your way of thinking, myself, Chippewa; though the corporaland the priest think him all in all. When I asked Parson Amen how hecame to be the associate of one who went by a scalping name, even hetold me it was all name; that Peter hadn't touched a hair of a humanhead, in the way of scalping, since his youth, and that most of hisnotions and ways were quite Jewish, The parson has almost as muchfaith in Peter, as he has in his religion; I'm not quite sure he hasnot even more."

　　"No matter. Bes' always for pale-face to trust pale-face, and Injinto trust Injin. Dat most likely to be right."

　　"Nevertheless, I trust you Pigeonswing; and, hitherto, you have notdeceived me!"

　　The Chippewa cast a glance of so much meaning on the bee-hunter,that the last was troubled by it. For many a day did le Bourdonremember that look; and painful were the apprehensions to which itgave birth. Until that morning, the intercourse between the two hadbeen of the most confidential character; but something like a fiercehatred was blended in that look. Could it be that the feelings ofthe Chippewa were changed? and was it possible that Peter was in anyway connected with this alteration in looks and sentiments? Allthese suspicions passed through le Bourdon's mind, as he finishedhis cache; and sufficiently disagreeable did he find it to entertainthem. The circumstances, however, did not admit of any change ofplan; and, in a few minutes, the two were in the canoe, and on theirway to join their companions.

　　Peter had dealt fairly enough with those who accompanied him. ThePottawattamies were nowhere to be seen, and Gershom led the corporalto the place where his household goods had been secreted, in so muchconfidence, that both the men left their arms behind them. Such wasthe state of things when le Bourdon reached the north shore. Theyoung man was startled, when his eyes fell on the rifles; but, onlooking around, there did not really appear to be any sufficientreason why they might not be laid aside for a few minutes.

　　The bee-hunter, having disposed of all his honey, had now a nearlyempty canoe; accordingly, he received a portion of Gershom'seffects; all of which were safely transported from their place ofconcealment to the water side. Their owner was slowly recovering theuse of his body and mind, though still a little dull, from hisrecent debauch. The females supplied his place, however, in manyrespects; and two hours after the party had landed, it was readyagain to proceed on its journey into the interior. The last articlewas stowed in one of the canoes, and Gershom announced hiswillingness to depart.

　　At this moment, Peter led the bee-hunter aside, telling his friendsthat he would speedily rejoin them. Our hero followed his savageleader along the foot of the declivity, in the rear of the hut,until the former stopped at the place where the first, and principalfire of the past night, had been lighted. Here Peter made a sweepinggesture of his hand, as if to invite his companion to survey thedifferent objects around. As this characteristic gesture was made,the Indian spoke.

　　"My brother is a medicine-man," he said. "He knows where whiskeygrows--let him tell Peter where to find the spring."

　　The recollection of the scene of the previous night came so freshand vividly over the imagination of the bee-hunter, that, instead ofanswering the question of the chief, he burst into a hearty fit oflaughter. Then, fearful of giving offence, he was about to apologizefor a mirth so ill-timed, when the Indian smiled, with a gleam ofintelligence on his swarthy face, that seemed to say, "I understandit all," and continued--

　　"Good--the chief with three eyes"--in allusion to the spy--glassthat le Bourdon always carried suspended from his neck--"is a verygreat medicine-man; he knows when to laugh, and when to look sad.The Pottawattamies were dry, and he wanted to find them some whiskeyto drink, but could not--our brother, in the canoe, had drunk itall. Good."

　　Again the bee-hunter laughed; and though Peter did not join in hismirth, it was quite plain that he understood its cause. With thisgood-natured sort of intelligence between them, the two returned tothe canoes; the bee-hunter always supposing that the Indian hadobtained his object, in receiving his indirect admission, that thescene of the previous night had been merely a piece of ingeniousjugglery. So much of a courtier, however, was Peter, and so entirehis self-command, that on no occasion, afterward, did he ever makeany further allusion to the subject.

　　The ascent of the river was now commenced. It was not a difficultmatter for le Bourdon to persuade Margery, that her brother's canoewould be too heavily loaded for such a passage, unless she consentedto quit it for his own. Pigeonswing took the girl's place, and wasof material assistance in forcing the light, but steady craft, upstream. The three others continued in the canoe in which they hadentered the river. With this arrangement, therefore, our adventurerscommenced this new journey.

　　Every reader will easily understand, that ascending such a stream asthe Kalamazoo was a very difficult thing from descending it. Theprogress was slow, and at many points laborious. At several of the"rifts," it became necessary to "track" the canoes up; and placesoccurred at which the only safe way of proceeding was to unload themaltogether, and transport boats, cargoes, and all, on the shouldersof the men, across what are called, in the language of the country,"portages," or "carrying-places." In such toil as this, the corporalwas found to be very serviceable; but neither of the Indiansdeclined to lend their assistance, in work of this manly character.By this time, moreover, Gershom had come round, and was an able-bodied, vigorous assistant, once more. If the corporal was themaster of any alcohol, he judiciously kept it a secret; for not adrop passed any one's lips during the whole of that toilsomejourney.

　　Although the difficult places in the river were sufficientlynumerous, most of the reaches were places having steady, but notswift currents toward the lake. In these reaches the paddles, andthose not very vigorously applied, enabled the travellers to advanceas fast as was desirable; and such tranquil waters were a sort ofresting-places to those who managed the canoes. It was whileascending these easy channels, that conversation most occurred; eachspeaker yielding, as was natural, to the impulses of the thoughtsuppermost in his mind. The missionary talked much of the Jews; and,as the canoes came near each other, he entered at large, with theirdifferent occupants, into the reasons he had for believing that thered men of America were the lost tribes of Israel. "The very use ofthe word 'tribes,'" would this simple-minded, and not very profoundexpounder of the word of God, say, "is one proof of the truth ofwhat I tell you. Now, no one thinks of dividing the white men ofAmerica into 'tribes.' Who ever heard of the 'tribe' of New England,or of the 'tribe' of Virginia, or of the 'tribe' of the MiddleStates? [Footnote: The reader is not to infer any exaggeration inthis picture. There is no end to the ignorance and folly of sectsand parties, when religious or political zeal runs high. The writerwell remembers to have heard a Universalist, of more zeal thanlearning, adduce, as an argument in favor of his doctrine, thetwenty-fifth chapter and forty-sixth verse of St. Matthew, where weare told that the wicked "shall go away into ever-lastingpunishment; but the righteous into Vis eternal"; by drawing adistinction between the adjectives, and this so much the more,because the Old Testament speaks of "everlasting hills," and"everlasting valleys "; thus proving, from the Bible, a substantialdifference between "everlasting" and "eternal." Now, every Sophomoreknows that the word used in Matthew is the same in both cases, being"aionion," or "existing forever."] Even among the blacks, there areno tribes. There is a very remarkable passage in the sixty-eighthPsalm, that has greatly struck me, since my mind has turned to thissubject; 'God shall wound the head his enemies.' saith the Psalmist,'and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in hiswickedness.' Here is a very obvious allusion to a well-known, andwhat we think, a barbarous practice of the red men; but, rely on it,friends, nothing that is permitted on earth is permitted in vain.The attentive reader of the inspired book, by gleaning here andthere, can collect much authority for this new opinion about thelost tribes; and the day will come, I do not doubt, when men willmarvel that the truth hath been so long hidden from them. I canscarcely open a chapter, in the Old Testament, that some passagedoes not strike me as going to prove this identity, between the redmen and the Hebrews; and, were they all collected together, andpublished in a book, mankind would be astonished at their lucidityand weight. As for scalping, it is a horrid thing in our eyes, butit is honorable with the red men; and I have quoted to you the wordsof the Psalmist, in order to show the manner in which divine wisdominflicts penalties on sin. Here is plain justification of thepractice, provided always that the sufferer be in the bondage oftransgression, and obnoxious to divine censure. Let no man,therefore, in the pride of his learning, and, perhaps, of hisprosperity, disdain to believe things that are so manifestly taughtand foretold; but let us all bow in humble submission to the will ofa Being who, to our finite understanding, is so perfectlyincomprehensible."

　　We trust that no one of our readers will be disposed to derideParson Amen's speculations on this interesting subject, althoughthis may happen to be the first occasion on which he has ever heardthe practice of taking scalps justified by Scripture. Viewed in aproper spirit, they ought merely to convey a lesson of humility, byrendering apparent the wisdom, nay the necessity, of men's keepingthem-selves within the limits of the sphere of knowledge they weredesigned to fill, and convey, when rightly considered, as much of alesson to the Puseyite, with abstractions that are quite asunintelligible to himself as they are to others; to the high-wroughtand dogmatical Calvinist, who in the midst of his fiery zeal,forgets that love is the very essence of the relation between Godand man; to the Quaker, who seems to think the cut of a coatessential to salvation; to the descendant of the Puritan, whowhether he be Socinian, Calvinist, Universalist, or any other "1st,"appears to believe that the "rock" on which Christ declared he wouldfound his church was the "Rock of Plymouth"; and to the unbeliever,who, in deriding all creeds, does not know where to turn to find oneto substitute in their stead. Humility, in matters of this sort, isthe great lesson that all should teach and learn; for it opens theway to charity, and eventually to faith, and through both of theseto hope; finally, through all of these, to heaven.

　　The journey up the Kalamazoo lasted many days, the ascent beingoften so painful, and no one seeming in a hurry. Peter waited forthe time set for his council to approach, and was as well content toremain in his canoe, as to "camp out" in the openings. Gershom neverwas in haste, while the bee-hunter would have been satisfied to passthe summer in so pleasant a manner, Margery being seated most of thetime in his canoe. In his ordinary excursions, le Bourdon carriedthe mastiff as a companion; but, now that his place was so muchbetter filled, Hive was suffered to roam the woods that lined mostof the river-banks, joining his master from time to time at theportages or landings. As for the missionary and the corporal,impatience formed no part of their present disposition. The firsthad been led, by the artful Peter, to expect great results to histheory from the assembly of chiefs which was to meet in the"openings"; and the credulous parson was, in one sense, going asblindly on the path of destruction, as any sinner it had ever beenhis duty to warn of his fate, was proceeding in the same directionin another. The corporal, too, was the dupe of Peter's artifices.This man had heard so many stories to the Indian's prejudice, at thedifferent posts where he had been stationed, as at first to renderhim exceedingly averse to making the present journey in his company.The necessity of the case, as connected with the preservation of hisown life after the massacre of Fort Dearborn, and the influence ofthe missionary, had induced him to overlook his ancient prejudices,and to forget opinions that, it now occurred to him, had beenfounded in error. Once fairly within the influence of Peter's wiles,a simple-minded soldier like the corporal, was soon completely madethe Indian's dupe. By the time the canoe reached the mouth of theKalamazoo, as has been related, each of these men placed the mostimplicit reliance on the good faith and friendly feelings of thevery being whose entire life, both sleeping and waking thoughts,were devoted, not only to his destruction, but to that of the wholewhite race on the American continent. So bland was the manner ofthis terrible savage, when it comported with his views to concealhis ruthless designs, that persons more practised and observant thaneither of his two companions might have been its dupes, not to sayits victims. While the missionary was completely mystified by hisown headlong desire to establish a theory, and to announce to thereligious world where the lost tribes were to be found, the corporalhad aided in deceiving himself, also, by another process. With him,Peter had privately conversed of war, and had insinuated that he wassecretly laboring in behalf of his great father at Washington, andagainst the other great father down at Montreal. As between the two,Peter professed to lean to the interests of the first; though, hadhe laid bare his in-most soul, a fiery hatred of each would havebeen found to be its predominant feeling. But Corporal Flint fondlyfancied he was making a concealed march with an ally, while he thusaccompanied one of the fiercest enemies of his race.

　　Peter is not to be judged too harshly. It is always respectable todefend the fireside, and the land of one's nativity, although thecause connected with it may be sometimes wrong. This Indian knewnothing of the principles of colonization, and had no conceptionthat any other than its original owners--original so far as histraditions reached--could have a right to his own hunting-grounds.Of the slow but certain steps by which an overruling Providence isextending a knowledge of the true God, and of the great atonementthrough the death of his blessed Son, Peter had no conception; norwould it probably have seemed right to his contracted mind, had heeven seen and understood this general tendency of things. To him,the pale-face appeared only as a rapacious invader, and not acreature obeying the great law of his destiny, the end of which isdoubtless to help knowledge to abound, until it shall "cover thewhole earth as the waters cover the sea." Hatred, inextinguishableand active hatred, appeared to be the law of this man's being; andhe devoted all the means, aided by all the intelligence hepossessed, to the furtherance of his narrow and short-sighted meansof vengeance and redress. In all this, he acted in common withTecumseh and his brother, though his consummate art kept him behinda veil, while the others were known and recognized as open andactive foes. No publication speaks of this Peter, nor does anyorator enumerate his qualities, while the other two chiefs have beenthe subjects of every species of descriptive talent, from that ofthe poet to that of the painter.

　　As day passed after day, the feeling of distrust in the bosom of thebee-hunter grew weaker and weaker, and Peter succeeded in graduallyworming himself into his confidence also. This was done, moreover,without any apparent effort. The Indian made no professions offriendship, laid himself out for no particular attention, nor everseemed to care how his companions regarded his deportment. Hissecret purposes he kept carefully smothered in his own breast, it istrue; but, beyond that, no other sign of duplicity could have beendiscovered even by one who knew his objects and schemes. So profoundwas his art, that it had the aspect of nature. Pigeonswing alone wasalive to the danger of this man's company; and he knew it only bymeans of certain semi-confidential communications received in hischaracter of a red man. It was no part of Peter's true policy tobecome an ally to either of the great belligerents of the day. Onthe contrary, his ardent wish was to see them destroy each other,and it was the sudden occurrence of the present war that had given anew impulse to his hopes, and a new stimulus to his efforts, as atime most propitious to his purposes. He was perfectly aware of thestate of the Chippewa's feelings, and he knew that this man washostile to the Pottawattamies, as well as to most of the tribes ofMichigan; but this made no difference with him. If Pigeonswing tookthe scalp of a white man, he cared not whether it grew on an Englishor an American head; in either case it was the destruction of hisenemy. With such a policy constantly in view, it cannot be matter ofsurprise that Peter continued on just as good terms with Pigeonswingas with Crowsfeather. But one precaution was observed in hisintercourse with the first. To Crowsfeather, then on the war-path inquest of Yankee scalps, he had freely communicated his designs onhis own white companions, while he did not dare to confide to theChippewa this particular secret, since that Indian's relations withthe bee-hunter were so amicable as to be visible to every observer.Peter felt the necessity of especial caution in his communicationwith this savage, therefore; and this was the reason why theChippewa was in so much painful uncertainty as to the other'sintentions. He had learned enough to be distrustful, but not enoughto act with decision.

　　Once, and once only, during their slow passage up the Kalamazoo, didthe bee-hunter observe something about Peter to awaken his originalapprehensions. The fourth day after leaving the mouth of the river,and when the whole party were resting after the toil of passing a"carrying-place," our hero had observed the eyes of that tribelesssavage roaming from one white face to another, with an expression inthem so very fiendish, as actually to cause his heart to beatquicker than common. The look was such a one as le Bourdon could notremember to have ever before beheld in a human countenance. In pointof fact, he had seen Peter in one of those moments when the pentfires of the volcano, that ceaselessly raged within his bosom, werebecoming difficult to suppress; and when memory was busiest inrecalling to his imagination scenes of oppression and wrong, thatthe white man is only too apt to forget amid the ease of hiscivilization, and the security of his power. But the look, and theimpression produced by it on le Bourdon, soon passed away, and wereforgotten by him to whom it might otherwise have proved to be a mostuseful warning.

　　It was a little remarkable that Margery actually grew to be attachedto Peter, often manifesting toward the chief attentions and feelingssuch as a daughter is apt to exhibit toward a father. This arosefrom the high and courteous bearing of this extraordinary savage. Atall times, an Indian warrior is apt to maintain the dignified andcourteous bearing that has so often been remarked in the race, butit is very seldom that he goes out of his way to manifest attentionto the squaws. Doubtless these men have the feelings of humanity,and love their wives and offspring like others; but it is soessential a part of their training to suppress the exhibition ofsuch emotions, that it is seldom the mere looker-on has occasion tonote them. Peter, however, had neither wife nor child; or if theyexisted, no one knew where either was to be found. The same mysteryshrouded this part of his history as veiled all the rest. In hishunts, various opportunities occurred for exhibiting to the femalesmanly attentions, by offering to them the choicest pieces of hisgame, and pointing out the most approved Indian modes of cooking themeats, so as to preserve their savory properties. This he didsparingly at first, and as a part of a system of profound deception;but day by day, and hour after hour, most especially with Margery,did his manner become sensibly less distant, and more natural. Theartlessness, the gentle qualities, blended with feminine spirit asthey were, and the innocent gayety of the girl, appeared to win onthis nearly remorseless savage, in spite of his efforts to resisther influence. Perhaps the beauty of Margery contributed its sharein exciting these novel emotions in the breast of one so stern. Wedo not mean that Peter yielded to feelings akin-to love; of this, hewas in a manner incapable; but a man can submit to a gentle regardfor woman that shall be totally free from passion. This sort ofregard Peter certainly began to entertain for Margery; and likebegetting like, as money produces money, it is not surprising thatthe confidence of the girl herself, as well as her sympathies,should continue to increase in the favor of this terrible Indian.

　　But the changes of feeling, and the various little incidents towhich we have alluded, did not occur in a single moment of time. Daypassed after day, and still the canoes were working their way up thewinding channels of the Kalamazoo, placing at each setting sunlonger and longer reaches of its sinuous stream between thetravellers and the broad sheet of Michigan. As le Bourdon had beenup and down the river often, in his various excursions, he acted asthe pilot of the navigation; though all worked, even to themissionary and the Chippewa. On such an expedition, toil was notdeemed to be discreditable to a warrior, and Pigeonswing used thepaddle and the pole as willingly, and with as much dexterity, as anyof the party.

　　It was only on the eleventh day after quitting the mouth of theriver, that the canoes came to in the little bay where le Bourdonwas in the habit of securing his light bark, when in the openings.Castle Meal was in full view, standing peacefully in its sweetsolitude; and Hive, who, as he came within the range of his oldhunts, had started off, and got to the spot the previous evening,now stood on the bank of the river to welcome his master and hisfriends to the chiente. It wanted a few minutes of sunset as thetravellers landed, and the parting rays of the great luminary of oursystem were glancing through the various glades of the openings,imparting a mellow softness to the herbage and flowers. So far asthe bee-hunter could perceive, not even a bear had visited the placein his absence. On ascending to his abode and examining thefastenings, and on entering the hut, storehouse, etc., le Bourdonbecame satisfied that all the property he had left behind was safe,and that the foot of man--he almost thought of beast too--had notvisited the spot at all during the last fortnight.