by Hervey Keyes
CHAPTER IX.
The day was set for Esock Mayall and the chief's adopted daughter to bejoined in Hymen's silken bands, according to the custom of the tribe,commanded by their war-chief. A young Indian maiden was sent for, andarrived one day in advance, to arrange the bride's dress and ornamentsin true Indian style, and dress her hat with flowing plumes so muchadmired by the native hunters of the forest. The bride's hair wastrimmed to flow gracefully upon her shoulder, and ornamented withbrilliants that sparkled like diamonds among her flowing hair. Her dresswas covered with wampum, and her moccasins ornamented with bead-workstars that reflected their dazzling light. Her arms were encircled abovethe elbows and around her wrists with silver bands, and jewels of goldhung from her ears and nose.
Esock Mayall was dressed with blue pants, a light hunting-frock of thesame color, and embroidered moccasins. The day had arrived, the morninghad dawned with a clear sky, and heaven's concave shone in uncloudedblue. The October sun rose and threw a golden blush over hill and vale,and bathed the groves in light, reflecting all the varied hues of thefalling leaves as they fluttered from the tall forest trees to form acarpet for the children of the forest, who now began to arrive, dressedand plumed for the wedding-dance, with their bouquet of flowers in theirhands, dressed similar to the bride, but with less expense. The youngIndian warriors were dressed with tight leggings or pants, andsmoke-tanned hunting-frocks. The hour having arrived for the ceremony,the young Indians formed in a ring on the green, in front of the chief'stent, each with his partner to his left, with an open space toward thetent, whilst the spectators or older Indians formed an outer circle at arespectful distance.
Esock Mayall, son of the adopted white chief, now advanced from thechief's tent, with his bride leaning on his left arm, arrayed in all theglory of Indian simplicity, followed by the Indian chief and the adoptedchief, Wolf-hunter, young Mayall's father. As the young couple advancedto the centre of the ring the two chiefs closed up the space. Themarriage ceremony was brief and simple, and amounted to little more thanthe mutual promise made by the bride and groom to live together in loveand harmony.
The two chiefs now retired from the space they occupied, the ring closedup, each Indian maiden throwing her bouquet on the ground, forming acircle around the young couple. A signal was given, the music soundedthey then chased each other around the circle with measured tread, allkeeping time with the music for a few moments, when the music stoppedand each couple faced inward and picked up their bouquets, when themusic again started its hollow, rattling sound. Then the bride and groomjoined the circle, and the ring danced round and round for the space ofan hour or more, stopping at intervals and facing inward, until themusic ceased and the ring was seated on the ground and partook of asupper of wild fowls, venison and corn-bread, after which they all shookhands with the newly married pair, wishing them peace and prosperity intheir forest home to which they were about to remove. The guests thenreturned to their homes, and no time was lost in preparing for theirjourney to their new home.
The following morning all things were in readiness. Their team washitched up and the wagon was loaded with a few cooking utensils. EsockMayall's mother, three children, himself and young bride, started earlyfor their home in the wilderness, whilst the Indian chief who was toaccompany them to their new home and enjoy the Indian summer in theforest, and spend the hunting season with them, traveled on foot withthe elder Mayall, and piloted out the best route for the wagon, removingsuch obstructions as they found in the path. Mayall said he would takethe axe and the Indian chief the gun, and one would clear the path oflogs and the other of game.
In this manner they proceeded for three days, arriving near sunset onthe bank of the East Canada Creek, at a place now called Russia,opposite the cottage built by Mayall when he passed up the creek on hissummer excursion. Not finding a suitable place to cross with their team,the creek being somewhat swollen by rains on the head-waters of thatstream, they concluded to cut some grass on a small island and leavetheir team on a little elevated spot near the river, with the elder Mrs.Mayall and the children to sleep in the wagon and the rest would takeoff their clothes and ford the stream, carrying with them some blankets.
The young bride, like the Naiad of the stream, stripped off herbeautiful robes, and advancing to a deep, still place, tied them up in ahandkerchief, fastened them on the top of her head, rushed into thestream, swimming with her head out of the water to her breast, and wassoon on the opposite shore, and dressed before the rest were half readyto cross. Whilst the rest were packing up their blankets and skins in asuitable manner to cross over, the young nymph of the forest camerunning back and called on the party to bring over their knives,tomahawks and guns. She said that a company of bears lived in thatcottage, and had only gone out to hunt and would soon return; sherequested them to take her rifle, load it and leave it with her newmother to defend herself, and bring over the remaining four guns. Thesetidings put the camp in a fluster. Young Mayall proceeded to patternafter his wife, stripped, and commenced carrying blankets, guns,ammunition, tomahawks and knives. In a short time all that was neededwas over, each one armed, and proceeded to the cottage.
Wolf-hunter carefully examined the room and said there was one she-bearof tremendous size and two large cubs that had taken up their quartersin that cottage, and every one must examine his gun and see that it waswell primed and sure fire, for they were liable to be attacked anymoment. The Indian chief, Wolf-hunter and Esock Mayall each examinedtheir guns, put on their belts with a large tomahawk and hunting-knifeby their side, and Wolf-hunter stationed himself about twenty rods up inthe direction the bears had gone, behind a large tree; the Indian chiefabout ten rods nearer the tent, and Esock Mayall about the same distancefrom the tent, but nearer the creek, whilst young Mayall's wife wasclearing out of the cottage the leaves that the bears had carried in.There had risen a dark cloud where the sun went down, and muffled soundof distant thunder could be heard, whilst night was dropping her sablecurtain around the horizon. But no hunter on his nightly post was heardto stir.
Wolf-hunter was now in his glory, nerving his muscular frame for battle.All of a sudden this mammoth bear and her two cubs were heard byWolf-hunter advancing rapidly for the cottage. The moments seemed to flymore rapidly. The instant the bear appeared in sight Wolf-hunter raisedhis gun. The bear, as quick as thought, raised on her hind legs andstruck at his gun, which, firing at the same instant that the bear's pawstruck it, had a tendency to lower the gun and carry away a part of thebear's under-jaw. Wolf-hunter's gun became useless from the nearness ofthe bear and quickness of her motion. He seized his tomahawk, but thestrength and power of the bear was such that it seemed of no avail.
Becoming heated with the strife, the God of Battle nerved his arm tograpple with the monster of the woods in deadly strife. He dropped histomahawk and drew his long knife, keenly sharpened for such game. As thehunter raised his left hand, and darted his knife with tremendous forcefor the bear, it struck the loose skin on his neck, rolled the blow oneside, and passed the bear's neck, whilst the hot breath of the monstercame full in his face. It now became hurrying times. He raised his knifeonce more, and made a thrust with all his power, and ripped the bearopen from his flank to his brisket, and sprang back with all his power,and fell on the ground about ten feet from the bear. Whilst lying therehe heard the heavy report of two guns, which he took to be those of theIndian chief and Esock Mayall, as the cubs passed them for the cottage.
The Indian chief had slightly wounded the young bear that passed him,and, quickly loading his rifle, started to assist Wolf-hunter, wherethere had been the constant growling and snarling of the old she-bearafter the first report of Wolf-hunter's rifle. The Indian chief soonarrived on the spot, and found the bear sitting up on her hind legs,with her life-blood ebbing away, and put an end to her misery byshooting a ball through her head, and then asked Wolf-hunter why he laythere in that condition, with that long bloody knife in his hand?Wolf-hunter replied that he had but one hand he could
use, and he laidstill, knowing that the bear would not touch him as long as he appearedto be dead, and he further knew that the monster's life-blood was fastebbing away, and that she would soon be too weak to move. The Indianchief had all this time been loading his gun as fast as possible, andhad just driven down the ball, when screams were heard from the cottage,coming from the young bride.
These brought Wolf-hunter to his feet, and, not feeling the pain of hiswounded hand, he went through the forest for the cottage with the speedof the panther, with the long bloody weapon in his right hand, closelypursued by the Indian chief. Esock Mayall came with all possible speedfrom the creek, where he had killed the young bear that passed him, torescue his young wife, the three arriving at the same time.
When within about twenty feet of the cottage they saw the flash andheard the loud report of a gun, and all was hushed to silence. And therestood Esock Mayall's young wife, who had fired the last gun and killedthe last bear, proud of her success. The young bear which passed theIndian chief and received his fire was only slightly wounded, and fledto the cottage for safety, and plunged into the door, and finding theyoung bride in possession, cleaning out the leaves, attacked her withgreat fury. Not being able to get her rifle, she defended herself with aclub that had been cut for a fire poker. At length giving the bear alucky blow, she seized her rifle and leaped out the cottage door, andonly had time to bring it to her face before the young bear leaped outafter her. Her rifle was quickly brought to bear upon him. A flash and areport, and the young bear lay dead at her feet, with three brave mencoming to her assistance, but too late to be of use. The battle of thebears, so well begun with Wolf-hunter, had ended by a maiden's hand.Three prowling monsters of the wood lay cold in death amid their nativewilds, and the party, proud of their success, concluded to dress theyoung bear killed at the cottage and have a feast of roasted meat. Alarge fire was built before the cottage, that illuminated the forest forsome distance around, which made a wild and beautiful appearance, withthe high leafy arches over their head, and the yellow and crimson leavesof autumn carpeting the forest as far as the eye could penetrate thesurrounding darkness.
The young bear was hastily dressed, and a part of it roasted, from whichthey made a sumptuous feast with corn bread. After the feast was over,the Indian chief, Esock Mayall, and his wife, remained at the cottage,whilst Wolf-hunter took a part of the roasted meat and corn bread andrecrossed the stream, to feed his wife and children, and guard them fromdanger through the darkness of the night.
