Cardigan

sixteen puffed up in a glow of pride. To be treated no longer

lver Heels, poor little mouse

me into a hateful trap from the windows of which I could see the young, thirsty year quaffing spring sunshine. Now I was free to leave the accursed trap f

e other, looking about me to realize the fortune which set my veins tingling, a great tide of benevolent condescension f

er slate and slate-pen; upon it I read a portion of the longer catechism. There

ity W

7

BO

owder while, with the powder I should require hereafter, I expected to

eye upon my poem which embellished the great sl

opic impulse, piling speller, reader, and arithmetic on Esk's bench; my C?sar, my pair of globes, my com

LS HER GIF

EL CA

T AND OF G

DGE IS

ks beside his horn-book, namely, a slate-pen, three mended quills, a birchen box of i

oston style, and could even copy in the Lettre Frisée-a poor art in

heart, I walked slowly around the room,

with Sir William as his deputy; I heard him say, "Mr. Cardigan, the enemy are upon us! We must fly!"-and I: "Sir William, fear nothing. The day is our own!" And I saw a lad of sixteen, with sword pointi

et, nor can I claim the gift of seeing behind the veil, yet I swear that Walter Butler appeared to

! through fathomless depths of forest and by the still deeps of shadowy lakes, fording the roaring tumble of rivers, s

, there stood Silver Heels to observe me, and to marvel, and to stamp her little moccasins in vexation that I, the pride and envy of all men, applauded, courted, nay, worshipped-I, the playmate she had in her silly

spoils from wars, and I would select a suitable husband for her from the officers of my household who adored me! No, I would not be hasty conc

y visions dulling eyes and ears, and it was not until he had calle

d my brains like a dash of

and time for your carving lesson. Did y

ch he returned with that blank stare of the eyes, noticeable

t the nursery, and down stairs. "If he has to wait your pleasure for his slice of

wer hallway. "I am free of that ratty pit forever!

your erudition is impairing your bodily health, that

you with a kennel lash, but you are an officer and a gentleman."

ld call you out for this

torted, angrily, raising

a gentleman with the instincts of a pedagogue. I heaped abuse upon him; I dared him to meet me; nay, I challenged him to face me with

This day Sir William freed me from that spider-web you tenant, and now in Heaven's

our?" he as

o maintain it with rifle or rapie

oor; "not the blood of a boy. That would rust my honour. Wait, Master

et me?" I blurte

said, absently, scarcely

lliam's roar: "Body o' me! Am I to be kept h

an instant, bowi

I said. And so opened the door while

aid I, but Sir Willi

ir! I am aski

n my hollowed hand an

own relaxed and he sat down and tucked his finger

th no fury like a fisherman kept wa

aid Mr. Butler, in

Mr. Butler for a misfortune not his fault. "Perhaps some day

William's pleasure that I learn to carve; and, in truth, I found it easy, sav

myself. Mistress Molly remained in the nursery, where were also Peter and Esk,

in Quebec, and Colonel Claus, with his lady, had gone to Castle Cumberland. There were no visiting off

y noticed, so full was I of my quarrel with Mr. Butler. Now, as Saunders laid her plate, I gave her a look which me

lth, sir," said I, raising

lad!" said Sir

s said, though my face was sufficient to

Michael," said Si

zing amiability which made h

arefully watching Sir William to imitate him, thinking that, as I was

of jelly, I also waved it away,

f the winter's ale, I shoved asid

your head," said Sir William.

and was very careful not to look at

ston, and of Captain John Johnson's mission to Albany. I listened greedily, sniffing for

I thought little of what they discussed. I even forgot my new dignity, and secretly pinched a bread crumb into the sha

r!" and I pricked up my ears once more, but made nothing of what followed, save that there were certain disloyal men in Mass

"in evil days let us thank God that the fish

, and the Kennyetto is fr

w?" asked Sir W

un across to the Kennyetto

awk, which praise sounded sweet until I saw Silver Heels's s

hers might run to amuse me; I woul

you not make me one of your

t is time for old weather-worn Indian commissioners like me to resign and make way for yo

Mr. Butler, in

t, brushing Silver Heels on his way to the door,

u in the stocks for an hour; and stay there in patience

the Baronet packed her off with his message to Mistress Molly, and went out to the po

in the Sacondaga!" And I fell to t

for sport than for quiet reflection that I

romise, si

ghed, "if the car

ack, satisfied that his rod was a ruse, and that he was re

and I back into the hall, whistling, enchanted with my new liberty, yet some

ted that; yet I could not regret the defiance. Soon or late I felt that Mr. Butler and I would meet; I had believed it for years. Now that at last our tryst was in sight, i

the south casement. Pressing my nose to the pane, I looked into the young orchard where the robins ran in the new gras

that freedom so dearly desired. Open the cage of a thrush that has sung all winter of freedom, and lo! the li

sk and Peter at play, letting down a string from the open window, baited with

then put them out, and bolted the

my domain serenely, proud as though

An Introduction to Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy; two volumes of Chambers's Dictionary; all the volumes of The Gentleman's Magazine from 1748; Titan's Loves of the Gods-an immodest print which I hated; my beloved "Amarylli

teau, well executed, though French. Also, there hung above the door a fox's mask, my whip, my hunting-horn, my spurs, and two fish-rods made for me by Joseph Brant, who is ca

encil made by Faber, a ream of paper fro

ank him for a sum of money sent for my use; the other to a little girl named Marie Livingston, whom

ellow hair which was pleasing, and she did not resemble Silver Heels in complexion or manner, having never flouted me. Her father gave me two peaches, some Salem sweets called Black Jacks, and a Delaware basket to take home with me, heaped with macaroons, crisp almonds, rock-ca

ents I had never seen save in the gray dreams which mazed my sleep. For the day that brought life to me had robbed my honoured mother of her life; and my fath

th Wolfe's own s

soldie

be melan

oldier

iness 'ti

ut the disgrace of Montmorency with dripping bayonets. So he died, with a smile, bidding Webb's regiment God

n all France sufficient wampum to wipe away the feud or cover the

in all the trees had begun their wild-wood vespers-hymns of

h, and the afternoon sun wore a deeper bl

out and down the stairs, passing my lady Silver Heels st

and Mistress Molly is with the baby, an

sed you," said I, piously, me

f pitiful sweetness which at times s

a pinch to let her know I was not truly as soft-hearted as

he gave me a slap for the pinch and away she

ude," and I locked the stocks again, wi

nursery. But before I could knock on the door, Mistress Molly heard me wi

lady, and a beauty, too, being little darker than some Fr

r William Johnson, none who came into her presence could think less of her because of he

silent, yet gracious; in the nursery she reigned a beloved and devoted mother; and if ever a man's w

ity from the stocks, Micha

ear had heard the

ell you of it, A

t me keenly,

ut the baby had fretted herself to sleep in my arms and I feared to put her down. But,

m past the playing age, Aunt Molly, and I only

oked at me again,

no more. I should chide you for misusing Peter, but-

breeches were so tight that I wondered if Vix could bite him. I shall now go to the garden a

ntention regarding Peter, and so dismissed me,

re the robins carolled in every young fruit-tree,

d playing at marbles, with Silv

"Knuckle down at taws, Micky! C

ing my new dignity. "Dubs all, and bull's-eyes up is what I

Peter, sprawling belly down at the ring, offered to put up an agate against four

roughly Indian. I was about to spurn it when

ring Silver Heels; and I fished the required mar

wn on the line, another outrage which, considering

ring. He shot again and grazed an agate,

eter's hysterical "Fen dubs!" was obliged to replace one. However, I shot a

nd, with deadly accuracy, "spun," from which comfortable position, and without spanni

condescendingly, dropping my

pleasure, scarcely finding to

hildren's pastimes. I quieted Peter by giving him the remainder of my marbles, explaining that I had renounced such games for ma

ves and drew from my pocket the jack-knife gi

r Heels," I said, with

r?" she

she rose from the grass with her skirt full

g the knife askance. I had opened the b

osing the blade, but

ng out her hand, for fear I should

among the marbles, thrilling at t

ed it, r

ing, dou

back a gi

King,'" said I, offended; "for I wa

oking up at me. Then she added,

"do you thin

playing with the m

the hills, cloaked in purple mantles, smoked with the steam of hidden snow

the voices of Peter and Esk rose in childish dispute or excited warning to "Knuckle down hard!" Already the

pinched me, and I fel

le, "there is a strange Indian between us and

e Indian stood between me and the block-house, but because of that instinc

smoothed again before I wa

rk naked save for the breech-clout. But his moccasins were foreign, so also was the pouch which swung like a Highlander's sporran from his braided clout-string, for it was made of

dusty and striped with dry blood where thorns had brushed him; hi

to the hollow of his left arm and ra

emained motionless, bidding h

nd would dampen the priming of his rifle; that he had no blanket on which to lay his arms,

ser until I hailed a soldier, who came clumping out of th

e strange Cayug

his hand, palm out; and again I

drew a little stick, six i

, "that is a war-stick! If he shi

red, some black ringed with white. These he gravely sorted, dropping the red one

he said, gently, ad

ks to Sir William, and signified, "

repeated, "and you come with your

then, with a dignified gesture,

d, telling him that although his moccasins and pouch were strange, nevertheless the kin of the Cayuga

hought to myself; "but his

, plea

ts you bear

ehind his shadowy eyes. I spoke to him kindl

through the guard-room, with the soldiers all rising a

fast in a trap, yet neither by word n

nsibility I went into the store-room and rummaged about until I discovered a thick red blanket. I knew I was taking what was not mine; I knew also I was

store-room to find my Cayuga making to force his way out

d in the Cayuga tongue: "Cayugas are free people; free to stay, free

the outer door. But the Indian, turning his hot eyes on me, swung on his heel

he thick red blanket

, and notify Sir William as soon as he arrives that hi

se forms. One thing more puzzled me: here was a belt-bearer with messages from some distant and strange branch of the Cayuga tribe, yet the etiquette of their allies, our Mohawks, d

est, once admitted, should never be q

each of etiquette by squatting there by

o; and when they were fetched to me, I filled one and passed it to the Cayuga, then filled the o

ed at his pipe and drew his blanket close about his naked body, stari

hat they were the ragged stubs of the white-headed eagle's feathers, and that my guest was a chief. This set me in a quandary. What was a strange Cayuga chief doing here without escort, without blanket, yet be

suspicion of awkwardness, and at the risk of m

nce of my honoured kinsman, Sir William Johnson, and in the absence o

aked, tired, and hungry. I kindle his fire; I bring him pipe and food

here was a silence; and so, angry or grateful, I knew not which, he resumed his se

r fairy petals. Straightway I sought Mistress Molly in the nursery, and told her what I had done. She listened gravely and without comment or word of bl

, softly; "what ma

barrel near the breech bore figures like

ily. "In his language did

Aunt M

mine. Then she smiled and dismissed me, but I b

llows some customs of the Tuscaroras, which they in turn borrow from a tribe wh

and understanding that Mistress Molly did not mean I should be w

ables at a gallop and clattered away down the hill.