 | CHAPTER XXX.
A LONG CAPTIVITY. The border rover |  |
30. CHAPTER XXX.
A LONG CAPTIVITY.
I have now reached a point in my narrative,
where, for various reasons, I wish to pass over some
fifteen long, weary months, with as few words as will
serve to make the reader acquainted with what happened
to me during the interval, and connect the
preceding with what is to follow. How long a time
I remained unconscious, but delirious, I have never
been able to ascertain; but my first dim recollection,
after the parting with her I loved, is of seeing, like a
moving shadow, the face of an Indian floating over
me; and of wondering whether it belonged to an
inhabitant of this world or the other; and whether I
myself was still a mortal or a spirit. Darkness intervened;
and my next remembrance is of another face,
with milder, and, though not beautiful, less hideous
of a woman, half nude, and half clad in skins. Another
interval of darkness, and I awoke, to find myself
lying upon a bed of sweet-scented herbs, under a tent
of skins; and seated on one side of me, a savage in his
war-paint; and on the other, a squaw, past the middle
age, with long, gray hair, and whose person was profusely
decorated with gew-gaws and wampum.
“Where am I?” was my first natural exclamation;
to which the only responses were, a grunt from the
warrior and a shake of the head from the squaw.
The chief—for such I afterward found him to be
—now arose, and stalked out of the lodge; and the
woman began a low, but not unmusical, chant,
which she continued for more than an hour—or, in
fact, until I fell asleep—which I did, even while
trying to keep awake and unravel the mystery.
What I learned by degrees, and after a comparatively
long lapse of time, it suits my purpose to give
the reader in a few words. I had been found by a
party of Indian hunters, who were bitter enemies of
the whites; but who, instead of killing and scalping
me, had, from some motive, which I think will be
apparent in the sequel, undertaken to restore me to
health. Their efforts, it is needless to say, were
crowned with success; and I slowly regained my health
in an Indian village, to which I had been removed in
a delirious state.
The party in question was a branch of the Crow
nation, who had ventured far south in search of game;
the main body, taking me with them, much against
my inclination. At first we could only converse by
signs; and by signs I endeavored to ascertain if they
knew anything of my fair companion—but could gain
no information to relieve my doubts and fears. I
could in no manner determine whether Adele was
living or dead; and the anxiety I suffered on her
account, was more terrible even than my captivity;
while the two united made me wretched indeed.
As soon as we had joined the main body, a council
was held to determine my fate; and the final decision
was, that I should be regularly adopted into the tribe.
This occurred about three months after my capture;
and being by this time able to make use of a few
words of the Crow language, I protested against the
barbarous proceeding, and endeavored to convince my
captors, that, by restoring me to my friends, the whites,
they would receive ample compensation. Whether
they fully comprehended me or not, I do not know;
but all my efforts proved unavailing; and I was forth-with
subjected to the process of having my face and
head shaved—leaving only a scalp-lock—and of being
painted, dressed, and decorated after the fashion of
the tribe.
I was now, in external appearance, an Indian, while
at heart I loathed the very sight of them. I was
allowed the liberty of the village, and even permitted
to go on short hunting excursions with the warriors—
but was never to leave the sight of certain parties,
They even gave me a lodge, and offered me a wife;
but the former I was obliged to share with my Indian
brothers, and the latter I positively declined. They
evidently sought to make me contented with my new
home; but my heart was far away, and I determined
to effect my escape at the first opportunity. No
chance offered till the deep snows of winter blocked
up the passage over the mountains, which lay between
me and the point I wished to reach; and then, believing
my escape would result in certain death, I
gave up all thoughts of making the attempt before
the return of the warm season.
Our winter camp was pitched in a pleasant valley,
but too far to the north to be clear of heavy storms
of sleet and snow. We had plenty of wood, skins,
and provisions, however—so that we did not suffer
from cold or hunger—but unfortunately the smallpox
broke out with great violence, and committed
terrible ravages, fairly decimating the tribe, and
taking off many of the best and bravest warriors, with
no less than four distinguished chiefs and one Great
Medicine. Until the last event occurred, the tribe
bore up against the awful visitation with a bravery
and resignation worthy of more enlightened beings;
but no sooner passed the direful news, from lodge to
lodge, that a Great Master of Incantations had fallen
a victim to the fell disease, than a fearful panic seized
upon the superstitious savages, who rent the air with
shrieks, howls, and lamentations; and many even fled
I had, from the commencement of the disease, up
to this period, spent my time in attending upon the
sick, and providentially had escaped an attack myself;
but this immunity from the disorder came nigh
proving fatal to me in another manner; for it now
began to be rumored, that I, being leagued with the
Evil Spirit, had brought it upon them, in revenge for
my captivity; and from the moment the suspicion
found utterance, it rapidly grew into an almost general
belief. Unknown to me at the time, a secret
council was convened, to decide upon the manner of
my death; and but for the opposing voice of an aged
chief, of superior intelligence and commanding influence,
I should speedily have been immolated on
the altar of barbarous superstition. This chief had
always been friendly to me; and he now, with a
shrewdness which I have placed to his credit, took
the only course which could have rescued me from
the designs of his inferior and credulous associates.
He cunningly met superstition with superstition. He
rationally argued, that if their present affliction was
the work of the Evil Spirit, acting at my instigation,
the Evil Spirit must certainly be my friend; and,
being my friend, if they put me to death, he would
get angry—and, instead of sweeping off a certain
portion, he would annihilate the whole tribe. In
lieu, therefore, of putting me to death, he contended
they should each and all treat me with still greater
of the Evil Spirit would gradually become appeased,
and the progress of the terrible scourge would be
checked.
The result was, that the council adopted and acted
upon this suggestion; and I suddenly received so
many marks of favor, as to lead me to wonder concerning
the cause, which the old chief subsequently
explained to me by words and signs. Fortunately
for the reputation of the latter, and my own safety,
the pestilence about this period began to abate; and
while he got great credit for his wisdom, I came to
be regarded as a something a little more than human.
It was in the early part of winter the pestilence
began its ravages; and about two months from that
time it gradually disappeared. Some few who were
attacked, recovered; but the majority died, and were
buried in the deep snow, about half a mile from the
village; which was soon after removed to an adjacent
valley, on the opposite side of an intervening hill.
Here, the tribe being blessed with general health, the
winter amusements began in earnest. Feasting, dancing,
and different kinds of athletic sports, followed
each other in rapid succession—in all of which I generally
took a prominent part—though, it must be confessed,
with no great liking for some of the barbarous
exercises. Wrestling, leaping, running, jumping,
throwing the spear and tomahawk, and shooting with
the bow at a target, were healthy, exciting, and not
unpleasant sports, in which I freely indulged, and
scalp, and other dances, were to me horrible mummeries,
arousing no emotions save loathing and disgust.
I was too politic, however, to let this appear;
for I contemplated making my escape the following
summer; and to effect this, I knew it was essential to
induce a general belief that I had become attached to
my new home, and no longer had any desire to return
to my friends and civilization.
The snow remained upon the ground till late in the
spring, and then the general hunt for game began in
earnest. Select parties went out in different directions;
and, after an absence of a few days, all returned,
bringing in a supply of flesh, of the bear,
deer, antelope, elk, and mountain-goat. I accompanied
one of these parties, in the hope of finding an
opportunity to escape; but was forced to return, dis-appointed
and disheartened—though I took care to
conceal my real feelings, and to appear cheerful and
contented. A month later, just as the Indians were
about to pull up the stakes of their movable lodges,
and migrate to the south, I found a chance to get into
the great forest alone, armed with a knife, tomahawk,
bow, and quiver of arrows. It was the first time,
since my capture, that I had been able to look around
me, and not, at some point, either near or far, encounter
the lynx eyes of a savage—and it may readily be
believed I made the most of my good fortune. But it
was not yet my good fortune to get clear of my barbarious
friends, with all my endeavors; for after running
to rest; and was then and there overtaken, and again
made prisoner by a party that had followed on my
trail.
Although my mind was not in an enviable state
when I saw them approaching me, I suppressed all
show of surprise, and gave them to understand that
I had merely been hunting on my own account.
They affected to believe me, but took good care not
to let me try the same experiment again, at least for
a long time.
During the summer, the whole tribe—men, women
and children, with their tents and movables, dogs,
horses, and cattle—went as far south as the Black
Hills; and the most expert hunters scoured the
forests, and occasionally ventured out upon the
prairies; and the skins and furs they brought in,
were dressed and prepared for a civilized market by
the women, and the meat dried and packed for winter
use. I had doubtless lost their confidence by my
first attempt at freedom—for they no longer permitted
me to go abroad with the warriors—but confined
me to the main village, and compelled me to
assist the squaws in their drudgery—though, in every
other respect, I was still treated as an equal, and
allowed to retain my weapons.
The mental torture I now continually suffered, I
would not, if I could, inflict upon an implacable
enemy; and yet, withal, I strove to appear cheerful
and contented. By night and by day, awake or
to my mental vision; but I looked upon them as
beings I might never behold with the material eye.
My dear parents—were they living or dead? If
living, what sufferings must be theirs, caused by my
boyish rashnesss and folly! and was not my own
wretched condition a judgment upon me for an act
akin to filial disobedience? And Varney—noble
Varney—was he still upon the earth? or had he
breathed his last in lonely solitude, thinking that I,
who loved him as a brother, had forgot my solemn
promise, and returned to civilization without bidding
him another farewell? And last, though not least in
my affections, sweet, beautiful Adele—what of her?
Where now was her light and springing form, her
soft, dark eyes, and her musical voice? We had
together seen sorrow, mingled with happiness—and
our souls had seemed as one soul, cemented by undying
love—but should we ever meet again in this
world of change? Had she escaped the dangers of
the mountains, to pass the remainder of her days
among the people of her race? was she a lonely,
hopeless prisoner of some savage tribe? or had death
given to her pure spirit the freedom of the holy intelligences
to whom she had so often and earnestly
appealed through a sincere and happy faith?
I will not dwell upon my captivity, nor the tortures
I endured. I have labored in vain to give the reader
an idea of myself, if he has now to be assured, that,
torn away from civilization, deprived of my freedom
moment; and to inflict upon him a tithe of my
misery, would, to say the least, be an uncharitable
act, and could serve no good purpose. That my
health gradually failed, through secret grief and
mental excitement, it may be proper to state; and
when, at the close of summer, I again accompanied
the tribe to their home at the north, it was with the
conviction, that, unless I soon secured the liberty I
pined for, my body would ere long take its last rest,
“Unknelled, uncoffined, and unknown,”
The Indians had once more reached their winter
quarters, and I was standing one fine, autumnal
night, outside of my lodge, pondering on my misery,
when suddenly the conviction flashed upon me, that
if I were to attempt my escape then I should be
successful. I had been shooting at a target that day,
and still had my bow in my hand, and my quiver
contained a dozen arrows—and feeling at my wampum
girdle, I found my knife in its sheath. Without
waiting to consider the chances, as I had always done
before, I immediately set off; and walking leisurely
through the village, and passing several warriors, I
quietly descended to a clear, mountain stream, as if
with the intention of filling my gourd. The moment
I reached the stream, I entered the water, and hurried
away to the north, impelled by an impulse for which
myself that I was actually trying to effect my escape.
I continued in the bed of the stream for a couple of
hours; and hearing no sound of pursuit, I began to
tremble with hope and fear; and to such a degree,
that I was obliged to sit down and rest my quivering
nerves. What could it mean? Was I really destined
to escape, after all? The bare hope seemed to
open to my mental view the joys and beauties of
Elysium; while the fear of failure the next moment
sent the blood curdling to my heart.
In the boldness of my attempt, I think, lay its success.
The Indians, who saw me going quietly to the
stream as was my wont, could have had no suspicion
of my design; and in this way I gained a start, under
cover of darkness, which I could have done in no
other manner. By keeping in the stream, too, I left
no trail for them to follow; and by going north instead
of south, I added to my chances of escape—as
they would naturally suppose I had taken the most
direct route toward civilization.
How much time elapsed after my departure, before
they began to search for me, I do not know—but I
heard nothing from them during the night. After
gaining, in some degree, my natural composure, I
again set forward, keeping along the bed of the
stream, the water of which seldom rose above my
knees. In this manner I struggled onward till the
gray of morn—when, to my great delight, I discovered
a hollow tree, with a limb projecting over the babbling
myself up, and found the hollow large enough to
secrete me, but without giving me space to turn or
change my position.
In this narrow aperture, and painful attitude, I
remained through the day; but before night I was
much alarmed by hearing a small party pass in
search of me. I heard and understood enough of
their conversation, to learn that they already began
to suspect I had been spirited away by the Great
Power of Darkness—and that if the party who had
gone in an opposite direction did not bring me back,
they would consider further search useless. This
gave me courage and hope; but I trembled like an
aspen, lest some keen eye should fasten upon my
retreat and discover me at the last moment. Providence
favored me, however; and just as the sun was
setting, I heard them pass on their return, muttering
their superstitious belief and disappointment.
As soon as darkness had settled over the earth, I
crept out from my concealment, like a wild beast from
his lair, and, lowering myself into the water, continued
my journey toward the north, leaving no trail
behind. I had now been twenty-four hours without
food; but a bright hope animated me, and I struggled
forward through another night; and at daylight I
climbed a tree and rested in its thick branches.
Hungry, weary and faint, I fell asleep, and gained a
few hours of peaceful rest—which in some degree
renewed my strength. When I awoke, I found the
my course, press forward, and, if possible, procure
food, I descended to the ground, turned away from
the stream, and struck off through a deep forest, in
an easterly direction.
Though in the autumn of the year, the days and
nights had been unusually mild for the last week,
and continued so for a week longer—which was very
fortunate for me—as, otherwise, I must have suffered
from cold, especially during the two nights I spent in
going down the bed of the stream. Keeping on an
easterly course till near sunset, without meeting with
any incident to give me fresh cheer, I was beginning
to despair at the gloomy prospect of passing another
night without food, when, ascending a covered hill, I
was delighted, even to agitation, at perceiving three
or four deer just below me, quietly licking the white
crust of a saline spring. I had during my captivity
become so expert with the bow, that ordinarily I
should have thought nothing of sending an arrow, at
the distance these animals were from me, into a target
the size of my hand; but now I trembled so much,
with hope and fear, as to doubt if I could hit a larger
body than my own.
However, I kept as quiet as I could, and summoned
all my will to steady my nerves; and fixing an arrow
to my bow, I suddenly drew it to its head, and let it
fly with a loud twang. To my unspeakable joy, I
saw it pass, true to my aim, and bury itself in the
body of one of the harmless animals, which gave a
earth. I instantly darted forward, with a velocity
scarcely excelled by its flying companions, and the
next moment my knife was at its throat, and the beautiful
deer was my prize. Overpowered with joyful
emotions, and a sudden relaxation of my physical system,
I sunk down by its side—gazed upon it as the
Peri looked through the gates of Paradise when she
brought the accepted tear of repentance—and humbly
and devoutly thanked God for all his mercies and
blessings. Need I add that I feasted that night?
though I cut the flesh from the deer ere it was cold
and devoured it in its raw state.
It is not my intention to give a detailed account of
my lonely wanderings, over mountains, through forests,
and across streams, and all in the unpeopled solitudes
of nature, till I once more beheld the face of a
white man. Let fancy picture me, in the costume of
a savage, encountering, for a month, all the vicissitudes
and perils of a lonely journey, through a rough,
howling wilderness, seeking food where I could find
it, continually on the alert for danger, and sleeping in
tree-tops, and in caves, and often suffering from cold,
hunger, and fatigue—let fancy, I say, keep me before
the mental vision for a long, weary month—and then,
if it can, let fancy portray my feelings, when I met
with the adventure I am now going to narrate.
| CHAPTER XXX.
A LONG CAPTIVITY. The border rover | |