betty zane-第24部分

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I　do　not　marry　you　they　will　kill　me；　if　I　try　to　escape　again　they　win　kill　me。　Let　me　go　free。〃

〃I　cannot！　I　cannot！〃　she　cried。　〃You　have　taught　me　many　of　the　ways　of　your　people；　but　you　cannot　change　my　nature。〃

〃Why　cannot　you　free　me？〃

〃I　love　you；　and　I　will　not　live　without　you。〃

〃Then　come　and　go　to　my　home　and　live　there　with　me；〃　said　Isaac；　taking　the　weeping　maiden　in　his　arms。　〃I　know　that　my　people　will　welcome　you。〃

〃Myeerah　would　be　pitied　and　scorned；〃　she　said；　sadly；　shaking　her　head。

Isaac　tried　hard　to　steel　his　heart　against　her；　but　he　was　only　mortal　and　he　failed。　The　charm　of　her　presence　influenced　him；　her　love　wrung　tenderness　from　him。　Those　dark　eyes；　so　proud　to　all　others；　but　which　gazed　wistfully　and　yearningly　into　his；　stirred　his　heart　to　its　depths。　He　kissed　the　tear…wet　cheeks　and　smiled　upon　her。

〃Well；　since　I　am　a　prisoner　once　more；　I　must　make　the　best　of　it。　Do　not　look　so　sad。　We　shall　talk　of　this　another　day。　Come；　let　us　go　and　find　my　little　friend；　Captain　Jack。　He　remembered　me；　for　he　ran　out　and　grasped　my　knee　and　they　pulled　him　away。〃



CHAPTER　VI。

When　the　first　French　explorers　invaded　the　northwest；　about　the　year　1615；　the　Wyandot　Indians　occupied　the　territory　between　Georgian　Bay　and　the　Muskoka　Lakes　in　Ontario。　These　Frenchmen　named　the　tribe　Huron　because　of　the　manner　in　which　they　wore　their　hair。

At　this　period　the　Hurons　were　at　war　with　the　Iroquois；　and　the　two　tribes　kept　up　a　bitter　fight　until　in　1649；　when　the　Hurons　suffered　a　decisive　defeat。　They　then　abandoned　their　villages　and　sought　other　hunting　grounds。　They　travelled　south　and　settled　in　Ohio　along　the　south　and　west　shores　of　Lake　Erie。　The　present　site　of　Zanesfield；　named　from　Isaac　Zane；　marks　the　spot　where　the　largest　tribe　of　Hurons　once　lived。

In　a　grove　of　maples　on　the　banks　of　a　swift　little　river　named　Mad　River；　the　Hurons　built　their　lodges　and　their　wigwams。　The　stately　elk　and　graceful　deer　abounded　in　this　fertile　valley；　and　countless　herds　of　bison　browsed　upon　the　uplands。

There　for　mans　years　the　Hurons　lived　a　peaceful　and　contented　life。　The　long　war　cry　was　not　heard。　They　were　at　peace　with　the　neighboring　tribes。　Tarhe；　the　Huron　chief；　attained　great　influence　with　the　Delawares。　He　became　a　friend　of　Logan；　the　Mingo　chief。

With　the　invasion　of　the　valley　of　the　Ohio　by　the　whites；　with　the　march　into　the　wilderness　of　that　wild…turkey　breed　of　heroes　of　which　Boone；　Kenton；　the　Zanes；　and　the　Wetzels　were　the　first；　the　Indian's　nature　gradually　chanced　until　he　became　a　fierce　and　relentless　foe。

The　Hurons　had　sided　with　the　French　in　Pontiac's　war；　and　in　the　Revolution　they　aided　the　British。　They　allied　themselves　with　the　Mingoes；　Delawares　and　Shawnees　and　made　a　fierce　war　on　the　Virginian　pioneers。　Some　powerful　influence　must　have　engendered　this　implacable　hatred　in　these　tribes；　particularly　in　the　Mingo　and　the　Wyandot。

The　war　between　the　Indians　and　the　settlers　along　the　Pennsylvania　and　West　Virginia　borders　was　known　as　〃Dunmore's　War。〃　The　Hurons；　Mingoes；　and　Delawares　living　in　the　〃hunter's　paradise〃　west　of　the　Ohio　River；　seeing　their　land　sold　by　the　Iroquois　and　the　occupation　of　their　possessions　by　a　daring　band　of　white　men　naturally　were　filled　with　fierce　anger　and　hate。　But　remembering　the　past　bloody　war　and　British　punishment　they　slowly　moved　backward　toward　the　setting　sun　and　kept　the　peace。　In　1774　a　canoe　filled　with　friendly　Wyandots　was　attacked　by　white　men　below　Yellow　Creek　and　the　Indians　were　killed。　Later　the　same　year　a　party　of　men　under　Colonel　Cresop　made　an　unprovoked　and　dastardly　massacre　of　the　family　and　relatives　of　Logan。　This　attack　reflected　the　deepest　dishonor　upon　all　the　white　men　concerned；　and　Was　the　principal　cause　of　the　long　and　bloody　war　which　followed。　The　settlers　on　the　border　sent　messengers　to　Governor　Dunmore　at　Williamsburg　for　immediate　relief　parties。　Knowing　well　that　the　Indians　would　not　allow　this　massacre　to　go　unavenged　the　frontiersmen　erected　forts　and　blockhouses。

Logan；　the　famous　Mingo　chief；　had　been　a　noted　friend　of　the　white　men。　After　the　murder　of　his　people　he　made　ceaseless　war　upon　them。　He　incited　the　wrath　of　the　Hurons　and　the　Delawares。　He　went　on　the　warpath；　and　when　his　lust　for　vengeance　had　been　satisfied　he　sent　the　following　remarkable　address　to　Lord　Dunmore：

〃I　appeal　to　any　white　man　to　say　if　ever　he　entered　Logan's　cabin　and　he　gave　him　not　meat：　if　ever　he　came　cold　and　naked　and　he　clothed　him　not。　During　the　course　of　the　last　long　and　bloody　war　Logan　remained　idle　in　his　cabin；　an　advocate　of　peace。　Such　was　my　love　for　the　whites　that　my　countrymen　pointed　as　they　passed　and　said：　'Logan　is　the　friend　of　the　white　man。'　I　had　even　thought　to　have　lived　with　you　but　for　the　injuries　of　one　man；　Colonel　Cresop；　who；　last　spring；　in　cold　blood　and　unprovoked；　murdered　all　the　relatives　of　Logan；　not　even　sparing　my　women　and　children。　There　runs　not　a　drop　of　my　blood　in　the　veins　of　any　living　creature。　This　called　upon　me　for　vengeance。　I　have　sought　it：　I　have　killed　many；　I　have　glutted　my　vengeance。　For　my　country　I　will　rejoice　at　the　beams　of　peace。　But　do　not　harbor　a　thought　that　mine　is　the　joy　of　fear。　Logan　never　felt　fear；　he　could　not　turn　upon　his　heel　to　save　his　life。　Who　is　there　to　mourn　for　Logan？　Not　one。〃

The　war　between　the　Indians　and　the　pioneers　was　waged　for　years。　The　settlers　pushed　farther　and　farther　into　the　wilderness。　The　Indians；　who　at　first　sought　only　to　save　their　farms　and　their　stock；　now　fought　for　revenges　That　is　why　every　ambitious　pioneer　who　went　out　upon　those　borders　carried　his　life　in　his　hands：　why　there　was　always　the　danger　of　being　shot　or　tomahawked　from　behind　every　tree；　why　wife　and　children　were　constantly　in　fear　of　the　terrible　enemy。

To　creep　unawares　upon　a　foe　and　strike　him　in　the　dark　was　Indian　warfare；　to　an　Indian　it　was　not　dishonorable；　it　was　not　cowardly。　He　was　taught　to　hide　in　the　long　grass　like　a　snake；　to　shoot　from　coverts；　to　worm　his　way　stealthily　through　the　dense　woods　and　to　ambush　the　paleface's　trail。　Horrible　cruelties；　such　as　torturing　white　prisoners　and　burning　them　at　the　stake　never　heard　of　before　the　war　made　upon　the　Indians　by　the　whites。

Comparatively　little　is　known　of　the　real　character　of　the　Indian　of　that　time。　We　ourselves　sit　before　our　warm　fires　and　talk　of　the　deeds　of　the　redman。　We　while　away　an　hour　by　reading　Pontiac's　siege　of　Detroit；　of　the　battle　of　Braddock's　fields；　and　of　Custer's　last　charge。　We　lay　the　book　down　with　a　fervent　expression　of　thankfulness　that　the　day　of　the　horrible　redman　is　past。　Because　little　has　been　written　on　the　subject；　no　thought　is　given　to　the　long　years　of　deceit　and　treachery　practiced　upon　Pontiac；　we　are　ignorant　of　the　causes　which　led　to　the　slaughter　of　Braddock's　army；　and　we　know　little　of　the　life　of　bitterness　suffered　by　Sitting　Bull。

Many　intelligent　white　men；　who　were　acquainted　with　the　true　life　of　the　Indian　before　he　was　harassed　and　driven　to　desperation　by　the　pioneers；　said　that　he　had　been　cruelly　wronged。　Many　white　men　in　those　days　loved　the　Indian　life　so　well　that　they　left　the　settlements　and　lived　with　the　Indians。　Boone；　who　knew　the　Indian　nature；　said　the　honesty　and　the　simplicity　of　the　Indian　were　remarkable。　Kenton　said　he　had　been　happy　among　the　Indians。　Col。　Zane　had　many　Indian　friends。　Isaac　Zane；　who　lived　most　of　his　life　with　the　Wyandots；　said　the　American　redman　had　been　wrongfully　judged　a　bloodthirsty　savage；　an　ignorant；　thieving　wretch；　capable　of　not　one　virtue。　He　said　the　free　picturesque　life　of　the　Indians　would　have　appealed　to　any　white　man；　that　it　had　a　wonderful　charm；　and　that　before　the　war　with　the　whites　the　Indians　were　kind　to　their　prisoners；　and　sought　only　to　make　Indians　of　them。　He　told　tales　of　how　easily　white　boys　become　Indianized；　so　attached　to　the　wild　life　and　freedom　of　the　redmen　that　it　was　impossible　to　get　the　captives　to　return　to　civilized　life。　The　boys　had　been　permitted　to　grow　wild　with　the　Indian　lads；　to　fish　and　shoot　and　swim　with　them；　to　play　the　Indian　gamesto　live　idle；　joyous　lives。　He　said　these　white　boys　had　been　ransomed　and　taken　from　captivity　and　returned　to　their　homes　and；　although　a　close　watch　has　kept　on　them；　they　contrived　to　escape　and　return　to　the　Indians；　and　that　while　they　were　back　among　civilized　people　it　was　difficult　to　keep　the　boys　dressed。　In　summer　time　it　was　useless　to　attempt　it。　The　strongest　hemp…linen　shirts；　made　with　the　strongest　collar　and　wrist…band；　would　directly　be　torn　off　and　the　little　rascals　would　swimming　in　the　river　or　rolling　on　the　sand。

If　we　may　believe　what　these　men　have　saidand　there　seems　no　good　reason　why　we　may　notthe　Indian　was　very　different　from　the　impression　given　of　him。　There　can　be　little　doubt　that　the　redman　once　lived　a　noble　and　blameless　life；　that　he　was　simple；　honest　and　brave；　that　he　had　a　regard　for　honor　and　a　respect　for　a　promise　far　exceeding　that　of　most　white　men。　Think　of　the　beautiful　poetry　and　legends　left　by　these　silent　men：　men　who　were　a　part　of