the story of a pioneer-第6部分

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addition　to　my　mother's　two　chairs　and　the　bunks

which　took　the　place　of　beds；　James　made　a　settle

for　the　living…room；　as　well　as　a　table　and　several

stools。　　At　first　we　had　our　tree…cutting　done　for

us；　but　we　soon　became　expert　in　this　gentle　art；

and　I　developed　such　skill　that　in　later　years；　after

father　came；　I　used　to　stand　with　him　and　‘‘heart''

a　log。



On　every　side；　and　at　every　hour　of　the　day；　we

came　up　against　the　relentless　limitations　of　pioneer

life。　　There　was　not　a　team　of　horses　in　our　entire

region。　　The　team　with　which　my　brother　had

driven　us　through　the　wilderness　had　been　hired

at　Grand　Rapids　for　that　occasion；　and；　of　course；

immediately　returned。　　Our　lumber　was　delivered

by　ox…teams；　and　the　absolutely　essential　purchases

we　made　‘‘outside''　（at　the　nearest　shops；　forty

miles　away）　were　carried　through　the　forest　on　the

backs　of　men。　　Our　mail　was　delivered　once　a

month　by　a　carrier　who　made　the　journey　in　alter…

nate　stages　of　horseback　riding　and　canoeing。　　But

we　had　health；　youth；　enthusiasm；　good　appetites；

and　the　wherewithal　to　satisfy　them；　and　at　night

in　our　primitive　bunks　we　sank　into　abysses　of　dream…

less　slumber　such　as　I　have　never　known　since。　

Indeed；　looking　back　upon　them；　those　first　months

seem　to　have　been　a　long…drawn…out　and　glorious

picnic；　interrupted　only　by　occasional　hours　of　pain

or　panic；　when　we　were　hurt　or　frightened。



Naturally；　our　two　greatest　menaces　were　wild

animals　and　Indians；　but　as　the　days　passed　the　first

of　these　lost　the　early　terrors　with　which　we　had

associated　them。　　We　grew　indifferent　to　the　sounds

that　had　made　our　first　night　a　horror　to　us　all

there　was　even　a　certain　homeliness　in　themwhile

we　regarded　with　accustomed；　almost　blase　eyes　the

various　furred　creatures　of　which　we　caught　distant

glimpses　as　they　slunk　through　the　forest。　　Their

experience　with　other　settlers　had　taught　them　cau…

tion；　it　soon　became　clear　that　they　were　as　eager

to　avoid　us　as　we　were　to　shun　them；　and　by　common

consent　we　gave　each　other　ample　elbow…room。　

But　the　Indians　were　all　around　us；　and　every　settler

had　a　collection　of　hair…raising　tales　to　tell　of　them。　

It　was　generally　agreed　that　they　were　dangerous

only　when　they　were　drunk；　but　as　they　were　drunk

whenever　they　could　get　whisky；　and　as　whisky　was

constantly　given　them　in　exchange　for　pelts　and

game；　there　was　a　harrowing　doubt　in　our　minds

whenever　they　approached　us。



In　my　first　encounter　with　them　I　was　alone　in

the　woods　at　sunset　with　my　small　brother　Harry。　

We　were　hunting　a　cow　James　had　bought；　and　our

young　eyes　were　peering　eagerly　among　the　trees；

on　the　alert　for　any　moving　object。　　Suddenly；　at

a　little　distance；　and　coming　directly　toward　us；　we

saw　a　party　of　Indians。　　There　were　five　of　them；

all　men；　walking　in　single　file；　as　noiselessly　as　ghosts；

their　moccasined　feet　causing　not　even　a　rustle

among　the　dry　leaves　that　carpeted　the　woods。　　All

the　horrible　stories　we　had　heard　of　Indian　cruelty

flashed　into　our　minds；　and　for　a　moment　we　were

dumb　with　terror。　　Then　I　remembered　having　been

told　that　the　one　thing　one　must　not　do　before　them

is　to　show　fear。　　Harry　was　carrying　a　rope　with

which　we　had　expected　to　lead　home　our　reluctant

cow；　and　I　seized　one　end　of　it　and　whispered

to　him　that　we　would　‘‘play　horse；''　pretending　he

was　driving　me。　　We　pranced　toward　the　Indians

on　feet　that　felt　like　lead；　and　with　eyes　so　glazed　by

terror　that　we　could　see　nothing　save　a　line　of　moving

figures；　but　as　we　passed　them　they　did　not　give

to　our　little　impersonation　of　care…free　children　even

the　tribute　of　a　side…glance。　　They　were；　we　realized；

headed　straight　for　our　home；　and　after　a　few　mo…

ments　we　doubled　on　our　tracks　and；　keeping　at　a

safe　distance　from　them　among　the　trees；　ran　back

to　warn　our　mother　that　they　were　coming。



As　it　happened；　James　was　away；　and　mother　had

to　meet　her　unwelcome　guests　supported　only　by

her　young　children。　　She　at　once　prepared　a　meal；

however；　and　when　they　arrived　she　welcomed　them

calmly　and　gave　them　the　best　she　had。　　After　they

had　eaten　they　began　to　point　at　and　demand　ob…

jects　they　fancied　in　the　roommy　brother's　pipe；

some　tobacco；　a　bowl；　and　such　triflesand　my

mother；　who　was　afraid　to　annoy　them　by　refusal；

gave　them　what　they　asked。　　They　were　quite

sober；　and　though　they　left　without　expressing　any

appreciation　of　her　hospitality；　they　made　her　a

second　visit　a　few　months　later；　bringing　a　large

quantity　of　venison　and　a　bag　of　cranberries　as　a

graceful　return。　　These　Indians　were　Ottawas；　and

later　we　became　very　friendly　with　them　and　their

tribe；　even　to　the　degree　of　attending　one　of　their

dances；　which　I　shall　describe　later。



Our　second　encounter　with　Indians　was　a　less

agreeable　experience。　　There　were　seven　‘‘Mar…

quette　warriors''　in　the　next　group　of　callers；　and

they　were　all　intoxicated。　　Moreover；　they　had

brought　with　them　several　jugs　of　bad　whisky

the　raw　and　craze…provoking　product　supplied　them

by　the　fur…dealersand　it　was　clear　that　our　cabin

was　to　be　the　scene　of　an　orgy。　　Fortunately；　my

brother　James　was　at　home　on　this　occasion；　and

as　the　evening　grew　old　and　the　Indians；　grouped

together　around　the　fire；　became　more　and　more　ir…

responsible；　he　devised　a　plan　for　our　safety。　　Our

attic　was　finished；　and　its　sole　entrance　was　by　a

ladder　through　a　trap…door。　　At　James's　whispered

command　my　sister　Eleanor　slipped　up　into　the

attic；　and　from　the　back　window　let　down　a　rope；

to　which　he　tied　all　the　weapons　we　hadhis　gun

and　several　axes。　　These　Eleanor　drew　up　and　con…

cealed　in　one　of　the　bunks。　　My　brother　then　di…

rected　that　as　quietly　as　possible；　and　at　long　in…

tervals；　one　member　of　the　family　after　another　was

to　slip　up　the　ladder　and　into　the　attic；　going　quite

casually；　that　the　Indians　might　not　realize　what　we

were　doing。　　Once　there；　with　the　ladder　drawn　up

after　us　and　the　trap…door　closed；　we　would　be　rea…

sonably　safe；　unless　our　guests　decided　to　burn　the

cabin。



The　evening　seemed　endless；　and　was　certainly

nerve…racking。　　The　Indians　ate　everything　in　the

house；　and　from　my　seat　in　a　dim　corner　I　watched

them　while　my　sisters　waited　on　them。　　I　can　still

see　the　tableau　they　made　in　the　firelit　room　and

hear　the　unfamiliar　accents　of　their　speech　as　they

talked　together。　　Occasionally　one　of　them　would

pull　a　hair　from　his　head；　seize　his　scalping…knife；

and　cut　the　hair　with　ita　most　unpleasant　sight！　

When　either　of　my　sisters　approached　them　some

of　the　Indians　would　make　gestures；　as　if　capturing

and　scalping　her。　　Through　it　all；　however；　the

whisky　held　their　close　attention；　and　it　was　due　to

this　that　we　succeeded　in　reaching　the　attic　unob…

served；　James　coming　last　of　all　and　drawing　the

ladder　after　him。　　Mother　and　the　children　were

then　put　to　bed；　but　through　that　interminable

night　James　and　Eleanor　lay　flat　upon　the　floor；

watching　through　the　cracks　between　the　boards

the　revels　of　the　drunken　Indians；　which　grew　wild…

er　with　every　hour　that　crawled　toward　sunrise。　

There　was　no　knowing　when　they　would　miss　us

or　how　soon　their　mood　might　change。　　At　any

moment　they　might　make　an　attack　upon　us　or

set　fire　to　the　cabin。　　By　dawn；　however；　their

whisky　was　all　gone；　and　they　were　in　so　deep　a

stupor　that；　one　after　the　other；　the　seven　fell　from

their　chairs　to　the　floor；　where　they　sprawled　un…

conscious。　　When　they　awoke　they　left　quietly　and

without　trouble　of　any　kind。　　They　seemed　a

strangely　subdued　and　chastened　band；　probably

they　were　wretchedly　ill　after　their　debauch　on　the

adulterated　whisky　the　traders　had　given　them。



That　autumn　the　Ottawa　tribe　had　a　great　corn

celebration；　to　which　we　and　the　other　settlers　were

invited。　　James　and　my　older　sisters　attended　it；

and　I　went　with　them；　by　my　own　urgent　invita…

tion。　　It　seemed　to　me　that　as　I　was　sharing　the

work　and　the　perils　of　our　new　environment；　I

might　as　well　share　its　joys；　and　I　finally　succeeded

in　making　my　family　see　the　logic　of　this　position。　

The　central　feature　of　the　festivity　was　a　huge　kettle；

many　feet　in　circumference；　into　which　the　Indians

dropped　the　most　extraordinary　variety　of　food　we

had　ever　seen　combined。　　Deer　heads　went　into　it

whole；　as　well　as　every　kind　of　meat　and　vegetable

the　members　of　the　tribe　could　procure。　　We　all　ate

some　of　this　agreeable　mixture；　and　later；　with　one

another；　and　even　with　the　Indians；　we　danced　gaily

to　the　music　of　a　tom…tom　and　a　drum。　　The　affair

was　extremely　interesting　until　the　whisky　entered

and　did　its　unpleasant　work。　　When　our　hosts　be…

gan　to　fall　over　in　the　dance　and　slumber　where　they

lay；　and　when　the　squaws　began　to　show　the　same

ill　effects　of　their　refreshments；　we　unostentatiously

slipped　away。



During　the　winter　life　offered　us　few　diversions

and　many　hardships。　　Our　creek　froze　over；　and　the

water　problem　became　a　serious　one；　which　we　met

with　increasing　difficulty　as　the　temperature　steadily

fell。　　We　melted　snow　and　ice；　and　existed　through

the　frozen　months；　but　with　an　amount　of　discom…

fort　which　made　us　unwilling　to　repeat　at　least　that

special　phase　of　our　experience。　　In　the　spring；

therefore；　I　made　a　well。　　Long　before　this；　James

had　gone；　and　Harry　and　I　were　now　the　only　out…

door　members　of　our　working…force。　　Harry　was

still　too　small　to　help　with　the　well；　but　a　young

man；　who　had　formed　the　neighborly　habit　of　rid…

ing　eighteen　miles　to　call　on　us；　gave　me　much

friendly　aid。　　We　located　the　well　with　a　switch；

and　when　we　had　dug　as　far　as　we　could　reach　with

our　spades；　my　assistant　descended　into　the　hole

and　threw　the　earth　up　to　the　edge；　from　which　I

in　turn　removed　it。　　As　the　well　grew　deeper　we