Oak Openings

once she loved a

ere needs

feeling whic

the feel

ll it gladnes

ems to be a rich

humblest thi

NGTON

for neither of her companions had yet awoke. It was then midnight, and all now retired to seek the rest which might be so needful to

ar. After bathing, the young man ascended a hill, whence he might get a good view of the opposite shore, and possibly obtain some notion of what the Pottawattamies were about. In all his movements, however, the bee-hunter had an eye to the concealment of his person, it being of the last importance that the savages sh

re plotting to obtain the scalp of the "medicine-man." The beloved "fire-water," that seduces so many to their destruction, who have enjoyed the advantages of moral teaching, and which has been a withering curse on the red man of this continent, still had its influence; and the craving appetites of several of the drunkards of the party brought them to the spot, as soon as their eyes opened on the new day. The bee-hunter could see some of this cluster kneeling on the rocks, lapping like hounds at the scattered little p

clear of an enemy who bore so bad a reputation that it was not considered prudent for a white man to remain long in his company even in a time of peace. His English sobriquet had been obtained from the circumstances of its being reputed that this chief, who seemed to belong to no tribe in particular, while he had great influence with all, had on divers occasions murdered the palefaces who fell in his way, and then scalped them. It was added, that he had already forty notches on his pole, to note that number of scalps taken from the hated whites. In short, this Indian, a sort of chief by birth, though of what tribe no one exactly knew, appeared to live only to revenge the wrongs done his color by the intruders, who had come from toward the rising s

p, and coming from her dressing-room in a thicket, and over a stream of sweet running water; but she was sad and thoughtful. No sooner had le Bourdon shaken her hand, and

r hard drinking, so stupid, that Dolly cannot make him understand our danger. He tells her he has seen too many Inji

n, with a nice understanding of not only Indian nature, but of human nature. "We may like the sin, Margery, while we detest the tempter. I hav

n a low voice; "but one has need of his reason to unders

more than yesterday,

the lake, as soon as he got back from his visit to the openings. He is back; but not in a state to protect his wife and sister f

! that will be a job that would take some time; nor is a bark canoe built in a minute. But, Margery, if your

to take care of yourself and your property, and will quit us the first good opportunity. I'm sure that we have no

nted man. "I had supposed you would have wished my company. But, now I know t

hundreds who, confounding his real name with his sobriquet, made the mistake of using the last under the impression that it was the true appellation. Margery had no other knowledge of French than the few words gleaned in her slow progress among a frontier on which, it is true, more of that language than of any other was heard, but heard under circumstances that were not particularly favorable to the acquisition of a foreign tongue. Had she understood the real meaning of "Bourdon," she would have bitten off her tongue before she would have once called Boden by such an appellation; though the bee-hunter himself was so accustomed to his Canadia

. Gershom was found awake, but, as his sister had described him, stupid and lethargic. The bee-hunter at once saw that, in his present condition, Whiskey Centre would still be an incumbrance rather than of any service, in the event of an occasion fo

g himself and his store of honey, from the savages on the other shore. Had the acquaintance between these young people been of longer date than it actually was, Margery could not have entertained a notion so injurious to the bee-hunter,

ld be found equal to its duties. Pigeonswing could either abstain from food, or could indulge in it without measure, just as occasion offered. He had often gone for days without tasting a mouthful, with the exception of a few berries, perhaps; and he had lain about the camp-fire, a week at a time, gorging

the Pottawattamies had made no new discovery; but the sagacity of the red man was ev

by crossing the river. Water leaves no trail; even had Crowsfeather

a little dogmatically; "know we h

upon the lake, or we may have gone up in the oak openings ag

dat hard work; know come here, cause dat easy. Injin like to do what easy, and pale-face

on the lake, while the savages cannot reach you. The wind is fair for them th

, Margery; but I shall not go away from this family

anoe well, when himself; so go, Bourdon, while you can. I dar

er, with emphasis. "No one expects

r the last hour, had been portraying the worst. Still, her generous temper did not like the idea of the bee-hunter's sacrifici

south, and cannot quit the river with this wind, but you could not have a

e effort fatigued him, "I wonder what we're all doing over on this side of the river! Whiskey Centre is a good enough

had better listen to the advice of Bourdon, who has done so much for us already, and who will tell you the

ip and go into the water. The bath did wonders for the poor creature, who soon got to be so far himself again, as to be of use, instead of being an incumbrance. When sober, and more especially when sober for several consecutive days, Gershom was a man of sufficient ener

seen, a sense of greater security began to steal over the females, and Margery saw less necessity for the departure of their new friend. It was true, he was losing a wind; but the lake was rough, and after all it might be better to wait. In short, now that no immediate danger was

case. In the first place, the noblest strategy of the art is, to put the greatest possible force on the least of the enemy, and to slay the weaker party by the mere power of numbers. Then, every engine that ingenuity can invent, is drawn into the conflict; and rockets, revolvers, shells, and all other infernal devices, are resorted to, in order to get the better of an enemy who is not provided with such available means of destruction. And after the battle is over, each side commonly claims the victory; sometimes, because a partial success has been obtained in a small portion of the field; sometimes, because half a dozen horses have run away with a gun, carrying it into the hostile ranks; and, again, because a bit of rag has fallen from the hands of a dead man, and

ssible, by similar means. But neither would dream, or did dream, of curtailing, by a single hair, that which might be termed the flag-staff of his scalp. If the enemy could seize it, he was welcome to the prize; but if he could seize that of the enemy, no scruples on t

Bourdon," said the Chippewa, in

s the answer. "Your scalp-lock is too long, to be put b

f stay, stay. Always good for

ours are different. We are satisfied if we can keep out of

ed the Indian, looking arou

y Margery, making her appear ten times more handsome than before; while even le Bourdon did not t

ave a squaw, and least of all

d Indian-"han'some 'nough for chief. You ask; she hab-now s

was not only distressed, but a little displeased-"but not with the young women of the pale-faces

me don't know, till too late

wigwams as it is in the house

ifference-pale-face spile squ

When a pretty, modest, warm-hearted young woman accepts

ing somewhat of a partisan in matters relating to domestic economy, he had no thought of leaving a point of so much importance in so bad a way. According

n't make her work? Can't go on the warpath-can't take scalp-can't shoot d

se-we love them and take care of them-keep them from the cold in winter, and fr

his real respect for the bee-hunter, of whose prowess he had so lately been a witness, kept him a little w

emanded Margery, laughing

s easy to square accounts, in such cases. That white men undertake more than they always perform, is quite likely to be the

t, eh? Dat no good-what you call good, den? If good hunter husband, she get 'nough-if an't good

retty Margery, here, if she would be satisfied to wait until her husband had eaten his dinner, and then co

ttle; want venison-squaw tou

which might not desire to emulate. In particular, do we allude to the estimate put upon, and the treatment received by their women. Our allusion is not to the refinements and gracefulness of polished intercourse; for of THEM, the Blarney Rock of Plymouth has transmitted but a meagre account in the inventory, and perhaps the less that is said about this portion of the family property the better; but, dropping a few degrees in the social scale, and coming down to the level where we are accustomed to regard people merely as men and women, we greatly question if any other portion of the world can furnish a parallel to the manly, considerate, rational, and wisely discriminating care, that the New England husband, as the rule, bestows on his wife; the father on his daughter; or the brother on his sister. Gershom was a living, and, all things considered, a remarkable instance of these

ich is a positive thing and consequently ought to have a name of some sort or other, we do not belong to those that can sound its praises without some large reservations on the score of both principles and manners. Least of all, are we disposed to set up these yeomen as a privileged class, like certain of the titular statesmen of the country, and fall down and worship a calf-not a golden one by the way-of our own setting up. We can see citizens in these yeomen, but not princes, who are to be especially favored by laws made to take from others to bestow

Chippewa's theory for the management of squaws contained much to excite he

t evidently alive to the feelings of her sex-"can have no gratitude for a wife

o light his pipe-"got Winnebagoe squaw, already; good 'nough for me. Sh

h!" exclai

d to puff at the newly lighted tobacco, with all of a smoker's zea

fle; got wife; got TWO scalp!

orn, and cooks your venison

too dry. Want to be made to mind business. Bye'm by teach hi

bserved the manner in which th

wrap blanket round her-give her venison 'fore he eat hims

ee with Margery in thinking you o

et marry?" asked the India

ry apparent to the Indian, though the girl did not dare to raise her eyes from the ground, and so did not take heed of it. But this gossiping was sudden