Part 43 (1/2)
Though unacquainted with the motives of his parent, he was bound to respect his wishes, and felt a natural desire to gratify him to the extent of his ability He had never found hiularities, and besides, no plan of his oas crossed He was obliged to admit the possibility of a failure of his suit To break up the pleasant relations existing betwixt the Bernard family and himself; not to be allowed to approach Anne as before; a cold constraint to be substituted for a confiding friendshi+p! No, the hazard was too great Things should continue as they were He and Anne were still young: there was tie iser than those prompted by the rashness and i was calm and warm, when Holden stood at the door of his cabin, on the second occasion we choose to intrude upon his devotions Not a cloud was to be seen, and the pearly hue which overspreads a clear suht, had not disappeared, except in the eastern quarter of the heavens, where a faint suffusion heralded, like a distant banner, the approach of the sun, welcoradually increased in frequency and loudness, until they swelled into bold strains, and rose melodiously into the air
The Solitary stood, as before, with eyes fixed steadfastly upon the kindling east Could it be possible that an expectation, which had been so often disappointed, should still be cherished; that no experience, no arguments could dissipate the delusion? It would seem so By that subtle process, whereby uage, and any circu, and which, to well-balanced intellects, would seem but little adapted to the purpose, into proofs incontrovertible of their opinions, had he, by dwelling upon certain texts of Scripture, which, with a antic proportions, and a peculiar coloring, which doht upon the context, but received no qualification or disparagement in return Without the necessity of repetition, various passages will occur to the reader, which, taken out of connection hat precedes and follows, may easily be made to support a theory of the kind he had adopted
Holden stood as before, obedient to the command to watch, and verily do we believe, that had he, indeed, seen the Son of Man in the clouds of heaven, the nificent vision would have impressed him with aswaited until the yellow sunshi+ne, like a shower of gold, fell all around him, he retired into his hut Not unobserved, however The Indian, Ohquamehud, with his rifle by his side, froht shore, had been watching all his motions There had he lain in ambush ever since the stars had deserted the sky Patiently he lay, with his eyes fixed on the little island The sun her; hour after hour passed away, and yet he moved not The time for the noonday meal arrived, but he heeded it not The hut of Peena was scarcely ht reach it in a few moments, but he stirred not In the interval of his absence Onontio o, he knew not whither, and his watch for the day would be in vain And now the lengthening shadoere falling towards the east The middle of the afternoon had arrived
It was then Ohquamehud saw Holden, or Onontio, as he called him, leave his cabin and enter the canoe Its boas turned toward that bank of the river on which the Indian was concealed, but soorous arht boat skimmed rapidly over the water It passed so near to the Indian, that a bullet sent froht inevitable death, and the thought crossed thespy, whether it were not better to fire from his ambush, but the recollection of his adventure on the island, and of his offering to the Manito of the Falls, occurred to hi opportunity to escape
Holden having run the canoe upon a sandy beach that curved in between two rocks, fastened it by a rope to a heavy stone, and pursued his course along the shore in the direction of the village The Indian followed at a distance in the woods, taking care to keep his own person concealed, but that of the pursued in sight Ohqua from the movements of Holden, for a considerable tie or go to the Falls, but when he reached the spot where, if his design had been to do the latter, he would have turned to the left, to the Indian's bitter disappointht
Ohquan that day, but, notwithstanding, still continued his observation
Holden did not proceed far before he entered a small house that stood by the roadside (This delay, as we shall presently observe, was attended with important consequences) The person whom the Solitary wanted to see was, probably, not at home, but whatever may have been the reason, he presently left the house, and retracing his steps, struck off, to the delight of Ohquamehud, across the fields, and in a direction towards the Yaupaae The Indian waited until Holden was out of sight, hidden by the woods on the opposite side of the field, when he slowly followed, looking around, as if in search of ga reached the woods, he seereater precaution in his further approach, the nearer he came to his ene stepping on any dry sticks or fallen branches, and stopping if, by any chance, he htest noise One would have supposed such extreme caution unnecessary, for so loud was the incessant roar of the cataract, that where the Indian stood the keenest hearing could not, even within a few rods, have detected the noiseIt is probable that habit, quite asof the Indian
With stealthy tread, creeping like the catamount of his native forests, when he is about to leap upon his prey, the wily and revengeful Indian stole along, holding his rifle in his hand, while each sense was quickened and strained to the utin of the Falls, so that he was enabled to coth, froinal Sachems of the wood, he beheld his foe Holden was unaraun, it was not an uniforer, with his back to the Indian, his ar upon the water, that roared and tuleamed with ferocious satisfaction as he beheld his foe in his power Thrice he raised the rifle to his shoulder, after carefully exaently to the ground, pausing a little while each ti his eyes off the victiht be mistaken for irresolution Far froe never burnt more intensely; his hatred was neverwith himself whether to shoot the Solitary as he stood, nor allow him to know his destroyer, or to rouse hiive him a foretaste of death Holden was at a distance of not more than fifty feet; before him were the precipice and the Falls, behind hiitating Ohquaes feel when they torture a prisoner at the stake, and delay the fatal stroke that is a mercy He felt sure of his prey, and after a short period of hesitation, deterratify the diabolical passion
He stepped softly frolided onwards, until the distance betwixt himself and Holden was reduced to thirty feet
The back of the latter was still towards the Indian, and he seemed absorbed in contemplations that shut his senses to the adain Ohquamehud paused, but it was only for a moment, and then uttered in a distinct tone the word, ”Onontio”
The sound caught the ears of Holden, who instantly turned, and beheld the threatening looks and attitude of the savage He comprehended, at once, the hostile purpose of Ohquaer, but betrayed not the slightest fear His cheek blanched not
His eye lost none of its usual daring as he surveyed the assassin; nor did his voice falter, as, disguising his suspicions, he exclaimed--
”Ohquamehud! he is welcome He hath come to listen to the voice of the Great Spirit, who speaks in the Yaupaae”
”Onontio is mistaken,” said the Indian ”The eyes of Ohquamehud are sharp They have seen the blood of his kindred on the hands of Onontio, and he ash it off”
”Indian, thou hast discovered--I know not how--that I once bore the naiven to me in the days of madness and folly by the western tribes But, my hands are unstained by any blood, save as shed in fair and open warfare”
”Ha! Onontio hath forgotten the fight in the night of storms, on the banks of the Yellow Wabash, when the sister of Ohquamehud was slain and his brother pierced by the knife of the accursed pale face, with the curling-hair”
”Indian! I sought to save the maiden's life I can show the scar I received in her defence As for thy brother, I know naught of him If he fell by me, it was in the manner in which one brave warrior meets another”
”It is a lie! The heart of the pale-face is fainting He is a weasel, that tries to creep through a small hole”
”If I were armed thou wouldst not dare to speak thus,” said Holden, so up ”But, go; thou art a coward to coainst a defenceless man”
”Onontio is a fool! Who told hie? He knoweth not so much as a beast or a reptile When the bear roameth in the forest, doth he leave his claws in his den, or the rattlesnake, his teeth in the hole in the rocks? Let Onontio sing his death-song, but, softly, lest the north wind bear it to the cub, who is waiting for the second bullet in the pouch of Ohquaony cut, like a knife, through the heart of Holden He could brave death hiood God! that his son should be ht was too horrible For a eous heart al man to the protection of Providence But the ma of divine decrees or fate occurred to his htened, and with a dignified gesture, he answered--
”Heathen! I have no death-song to sing The Christian goeth not to his Maker, boasting of his fanciedits face in its iven And know that of thyself thou art powerless Thou canst do only what is perlow of ade hich Holden --in spite of himself--across his countenance, and which he vainly tried to conceal ”The dog of a pale-face is tired of his life, and will thank Ohqua hi, he raised the rifle to his shoulder and fired The eyes of the Solitary had been intently fastened upon every un was discharged, he threw his aresture disconcerted the aim of the Indian, or inteh and failed of its razed his scalp, perforating the cap, and throwing it from his head In the colloquy, he had, probably, determined upon his line of conduct; for, immediately, upon the flash, he started, with an activity which his appearance hardly proonist, and before the latter could club his rifle or draw a knife, had seized hiround The Indian dropped the useless gun, and returned the death-grapple
”Child of the devil!” cried Holden, whose passions were now thoroughly roused, and who fancied hiht the red man of the West, ”I will send thee, this day, to the place appointed for thee”