All this time the young chief's parents sat on the ground, without their ornaments. Ockonoksee's hair hung down upon his shoulders; dust was upon his head. He sat in an erect position, his feet crossed like a tailor's. His wife sat by his side, her head bowed to the ground, and moaning low, she would beat the ground with her hand.
The little brother of the young chief, who was only five years old, and whom his father named General Wayne, and who was now the heir of the chiefship, kept all the while close to his father, with behavior as dignified. When the ceremonies were over, all the Indians left in great haste for their camp, except Ockonoksee and his wife; they remained, and took farewell of the grave, the mother uttering pitiful cries.
Mr. Preston took them into his house and gave them their dinner; they then rode slowly out of the fort.
The next morning we hastened to the grave, fearing that, from its shallowness the hogs would disturb it, and found the earth rooted away and the clapboard exposed.
My brother James took his ax, and, going into the woods, cut small sapling and erected over the grave a strong and shapely booth, which protected it perfectly
When the Indians returned from Detroit, they stopped at the grave and shot off two guns and burned tobacco and poured whisky.
When Ockonoksee saw how nicely his son's grave was protected, he inquired who did it, and, on learning it was brother James , he sent for him. Having a mark set up, he selected two young Indians to shoot at it, and told them whoever, firing once, would hit the mark, should be his adopted son. They eagerly tried, but both missed it, Ockonoksee then bade James to shoot at the mark. James did so and hit it; whereupon Ockonoksee took a roundabout, or sailor's jacket, that belonged to his deceased son, and put it upon James shoulders, thus investing him with the honor of his son's place.
Ever after this the old chief claimed James as his, and whenever he came to the fort he exercised much authority over him, and required many favors at his hand.
Two years after the young chief's death, a halfbreed shot his wife.She was an Ottawa squaw. They were on their way to Detroit, and were camping on the other side of the Maumee, waiting for the others to come. He was shooting ducks, and, having killed one among the willows, and sent his wife to fetch it while he re-loaded his gun. As she was going down the bank, he shot her in the back, and then ran to the nearest canoe, crossed over the river below the point, and was soon lost to sight, first in the corn-fields and then in the woods. The few Indians who were there, and my brothers James and Elias, with others of the whites, all joined in the pursuit of him all that day, and some of the Indians kept on to the Indian village on Blanchard Fork, but did not find him. The squaw lived in great agony until the next afternoon, when she died.
When the Indians returned from Detroit, they stopped at the grave and shot off two guns and burned tobacco and poured whisky.
When Ockonoksee saw how nicely his son's grave was protected, he inquired who did it, and, on learning it was brother James , he sent for him. Having a mark set up, he selected two young Indians to shoot at it, and told them whoever, firing once, would hit the mark, should be his adopted son. They eagerly tried, but both missed it, Ockonoksee then bade James to shoot at the mark. James did so and hit it; whereupon Ockonoksee took a roundabout, or sailor's jacket, that belonged to his deceased son, and put it upon James shoulders, thus investing him with the honor of his son's place.
Ever after this the old chief claimed James as his, and whenever he came to the fort he exercised much authority over him, and required many favors at his hand.
Two years after the young chief's death, a halfbreed shot his wife.She was an Ottawa squaw. They were on their way to Detroit, and were camping on the other side of the Maumee, waiting for the others to come. He was shooting ducks, and, having killed one among the willows, and sent his wife to fetch it while he re-loaded his gun. As she was going down the bank, he shot her in the back, and then ran to the nearest canoe, crossed over the river below the point, and was soon lost to sight, first in the corn-fields and then in the woods. The few Indians who were there, and my brothers James and Elias, with others of the whites, all joined in the pursuit of him all that day, and some of the Indians kept on to the Indian village on Blanchard Fork, but did not find him. The squaw lived in great agony until the next afternoon, when she died.
No comments:
Post a Comment