Cooper_The_Prairie.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
the , since little faith can be put in the
traders of these regions. you do a favour to an old and dying
man?"
" it," said ; "it shall be done."
" is a far journey to send such trifles," resumed the old man, who
spoke at short intervals, as strength and breath permitted; "a far and
weary journey is the same; but kindnesses and friendships are things
not to be forgotten. is a settlement among the hills--"
" know the place," interrupted , observing that he spoke
with increasing difficulty; "proceed to tell me, what you would have
done."
" this rifle, and pouch, and horn, and send them to the person,
whose name is graven on the plates of the stock,--a trader cut the
letters with his knife,--for it is long, that have intended to send
him such a token of my love."
" shall be so. there more that you could wish?"
" else have to bestow. traps give to my son; for
honestly and kindly has he kept his faith. him stand before me."
explained to the chief what the trapper had said and
relinquished his own place to the other.
"," continued the old man, always changing his language to suit
the person he addressed, and not unfrequently according to the ideas
he expressed, "it is a custom of my people for the father to leave his
blessing with the son, before he shuts his eves for ever.
blessing give to you; take it, for the prayers of a man
will never make the path of a just warrior, to the blessed prairies,
either longer, or more tangled. the of a white man look on
your deeds with friendly eyes, and may you never commit an act, that
shall cause to darken face. know not whether we shall ever
meet again. are many traditions concerning the place of
. is not for one like me, old and experienced though am,
to set up my opinions against a nation's. believe in the blessed
prairies, and have faith in the sayings of my fathers. both are
true, our parting will be final; but if it should prove, that the same
meaning is hid under different words, we shall yet stand together,
, before the face of your , who will then be no other
than my . is much to be said in favour of both religions, for
each seems suited to its own people, and no doubt it was so intended.
fear, have not altogether followed the gifts of my colour,
inasmuch as find it a little painful to give up for ever the use of
the rifle, and the comforts of the chase. then the fault has been
my own, seeing that it could not have been . , ," he
continued, leaning forward a little, and feeling for the ears of the
hound, "our parting has come at last, dog, and it will be a long hunt.
have been an honest, and a bold, and a faithful hound. , you
cannot slay the pup on my grave, for where a dog falls,
there he lies for ever; but you can be kind to him, after am gone,
for the love you bear his master."
" words of my father are in my ears," returned the young partisan,
making a grave and respectful gesture of assent.
" you hear, what the chief has promised, dog?" demanded the trapper,
making an effort to attract the notice of the insensible effigy of his
hound. no answering look, nor hearing any friendly whine,
the old man felt for the mouth and endeavoured to force his hand
between the cold lips. truth then flashed upon him, although he
was far from perceiving the whole extent of the deception.
back in his seat, he hung his head, like one who felt a severe and
unexpected shock. by this momentary forgetfulness, two young
removed the skin with the same delicacy of feeling, that had
induced them to attempt the pious fraud.
" dog is dead!" muttered the trapper, after a pause of many
minutes; "a hound has his time as well as a man and well has he filled
his days! ," he added, making an effort to wave his hand for
, " am glad you have come; for though kind, and well meaning
according to the gifts of their colour, these are not the men,
to lay the head of a white man in his grave. have been thinking too,
of this dog at my feet; it will not do to set forth the opinion, that
a can expect to meet his hound again; still there can be
little harm in placing what is left of so faithful a servant nigh the
bones of his master."
" shall be as you desire."
"'m glad, you think with me in this matter. order then to save
labour, lay the pup at my feet, or for that matter put him, side by
side. hunter need never be ashamed to be found in company with his
dog!"
" charge myself with your wish."
old man made a long, and apparently a musing pause. times he
raised his eyes wistfully, as if he would again address , but
some innate feeling appeared always to suppress his words. other,
who observed his hesitation, enquired in a way most likely to
encourage him to proceed, whether there was aught else that he could
wish to have done.
" am without kith or kin in the wide world!" the trapper answered:
"when am gone, there will be an end of my race. have never been
chiefs; but honest and useful in our way, hope it cannot be denied,
we have always proved ourselves. father lies buried near the sea,
and the bones of his son will whiten on the prairies--"
" the spot, and your remains shall be placed by the side of your
father," interrupted .
" so, not so, . me sleep, where have lived, beyond the
din of the settlements! see no need, why the grave of an
honest man should be hid, like a -skin in his ambushment. paid a
man in the settlements to make and put a graven stone at the head of
my father's resting place. was of the value of twelve beaver-skins,
and cunningly and curiously was it carved! it told to all comers
that the body of such a lay beneath; and it spoke of his
manner of life, of his years, and of his honesty. we had done
with the in the old war, made a journey to the spot, in
order to see that all was rightly performed, and glad am to say, the
workman had not forgotten his faith."
" such a stone you would have at your grave?"
"! no, no, have no son, but -, and it is little that an
knows of fashions and usages. am his debtor,
already, seeing it is so little have done, since have lived in his
tribe. rifle might bring the value of such a thing--but then
know, it will give the boy pleasure to hang the piece in his hall, for
many is the deer and the bird that he has seen it destroy. , no, the
gun must be sent to him, whose name is graven on the lock!"
" there is one, who would gladly prove his affection in the way you
wish; he, who owes you not only his own deliverance from so many
dangers, but who inherits a heavy debt of gratitude from his
ancestors. stone shall be put at the head of your grave"
old man extended his emaciated hand, and gave the other a squeeze
of thanks.
" thought, you might be willing to do it, but was backward in
asking the favour," he said, "seeing that you are not of my kin.
no boastful words on the same, but just the name, the age, and the
time of the death, with something from the holy book; no more no more.
name will then not be altogether lost on 'arth; need no more."
intimated his assent, and then followed a pause, that was
only broken by distant and broken sentences from the dying man.
appeared now to have closed his accounts with the world, and to await
merely for the final summons to quit it. and -
placed themselves on the opposite sides of his seat, and watched with
melancholy solicitude, the variations of his countenance. two
hours there was no very sensible alteration. expression of his
faded and time-worn features was that of a calm and dignified repose.
time to time he spoke, uttering some brief sentence in the way of
advice, or asking some simple questions concerning those in whose
fortunes he still took a friendly interest. the whole of that
solemn and anxious period each individual of the tribe kept his place,
in the most self-restrained patience. the old man spoke, all bent
their heads to listen; and when his words were uttered, they seemed to
ponder on their wisdom and usefulness.
the flame drew nigher to the socket, his voice was hushed, and
there were moments, when his attendants doubted whether he still
belonged to the living. , who watched each wavering
expression of his weather-beaten visage, with the interest of a keen
observer of human nature, softened by the tenderness of personal
regard, fancied he could read the workings of the old man's soul in
the strong lineaments of his countenance. what the enlightened
soldier took for the delusion of mistaken opinion did actually occur,
for who has returned from that unknown world to explain by what forms,
and in what manner, he was introduced into its awful precincts?
pretending to explain what must ever be a mystery to the
quick, we shall simply relate facts as they occurred.
trapper had remained nearly motionless for an hour. eyes,
alone, had occasionally opened and shut. opened, his gaze seemed
fastened on the clouds, which hung around the western horizon,
reflecting the bright colours, and giving form and loveliness to the
glorious tints of an sunset. hour--the calm beauty of the
season--the occasion, all conspired to fill the spectators with solemn
awe. , while musing on the remarkable position, in which he
was placed, felt the hand, which he held, grasp his own with
incredible power, and the old man, supported on either side by his
friends, rose upright to his feet. a moment, he looked about him,
as if to invite all in presence to listen (the lingering remnant of
human frailty), and then, with a fine military elevation of the head,
and with a voice, that might be heard in every part of that numerous
assembly the word--
"!"
movement so entirely unexpected, and the air of grandeur and
humility, which were so remarkably united in the mien of the trapper,
together with the clear and uncommon force of his utterance, produced
a short period of confusion in the faculties of all present.
and -, each of whom had involuntarily extended a
hand to support the form of the old man, turned to him again, they
found, that the subject of their interest was removed for ever beyond
the necessity of their care. mournfully placed the body in its
seat, and arose to announce the termination of the scene,
to the tribe. voice of the old seemed a sort of echo from
that invisible world, to which the meek spirit of the trapper had just
departed.
" valiant, a just, and a wise warrior has gone on the path, which
will lead him to the blessed grounds of his people!" he said. "
the voice of the called him, he was ready to answer. , my
children; remember the just chief of the -faces, and clear your
own tracks from briars."
grave was made beneath the shade of some noble oaks. has been
carefully watched to the present hour by the of the , and
is often shown to the traveller and the trader as a spot where a just
sleeps. due time the stone was placed at its head, with
the simple inscription, which the trapper had himself requested.
only liberty, taken by , was to add--" no wanton hand ever
disturb his remains!"