Читать книгу The Stolen Boy, an Indian Tale - Барбара Хофланд - Страница 4

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"Dear, father, pray come and look at some of the strangest people that ever were seen, who are sitting opposite to the garden. They are not gipsies, such as we used to see in Spain, but yet they seem to be wanderers like them, and to live out of doors. They all look as grave as judges, and have very comical-looking clothes. Do pray come and see them."

Such was the entreaty addressed to Don Manuel del Perez by his son, a boy between eight and nine years of age, a few days after himself and family had arrived at the town of San Antonio, in the province of Texas, a country which joins Louisiana, on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

Don Manuel's family consisted of an amiable wife (Donna Seraphina), the son we have already introduced, a daughter two years younger, and a babe of six months old.

Little Manuel was a sensible, active, lively boy, and being newly released from the confinement of a long voyage, beheld the new scene around him with great delight; but never had his dark eyes glistened with so much pleasure as now, or his inquiries on subjects of curiosity been made with so much interest. His kind father, therefore, did not hesitate to go out with him to see the objects of his attraction; and having done so, he replied thus, in answer to his inquiries:—"These people, my dear Manuel, are Indians, the descendants of the original inhabitants of America. Like those of other continents, they are divided into tribes or nations, none of whom are fond of European settlers, though some are friendly in appearance. These people are come to trade with us, and will, I doubt not, conduct themselves with great propriety. I perceive they are of the tribe of Choctaws, who, with another called Cadows, never come hither for any other than peaceable errands."

"And do they all go half naked, father, and paint themselves so strangely, like these poor creatures?"

"They all greatly resemble each other, and term themselves, aptly enough, 'red men,' as you see their skin is copper-colour. They are, as you must perceive, finely-formed athletic men, spare of flesh, in consequence of their temperance, but possessing much muscular strength, which results from their habits of exercise. Their countenances are indicative of deep thought, mingled with an expression of cunning and ferocity."

"As they looked so very grave, I took them to be good people, father, only ignorant. Do you take them to be so?"

"Indeed I do not, Manuel."

The poor boy, looking exceedingly disappointed at this short answer, which by no means accorded with the benevolent wishes of his warm little heart, Don Manuel soothed him by adding—"My dear, though I am not partial to the Indians, many people are, and I dare say there are persons in San Antonio who can give you many instances of their good properties. It is certain they are very hospitable, for they will suffer no stranger to enter their abode, without relieving his wants; and even if he is of a white nation with whom they are at war, they will treat him with kindness, and conduct him in safety beyond their own precincts. And although they consider us (with great justice) as intruders on their land, yet when they sell any portion of it, they rigidly adhere to their bargain, and depart altogether to a proper distance. In their less important concerns, they are not less punctual; and if they agree to bring a certain quantity of skins (which are the principal produce with which they supply us), we may always depend upon them, even if we had paid them beforehand, in the spirits, arms, and blankets, they require from us."

"Then surely they are very honest, good people?" said Manuel, eagerly.

"These qualities are very good, certainly, my dear, and cannot be too much praised; but there are other points about them, that more than counterbalance their virtues. They are so revengeful, as to be never known to forgive an injury, even though it was inflicted on a distant relation, and could have nothing to do with their personal feelings. They are so bigoted to their former opinions and customs, as to resist all improvement, thereby rendering the gift of reason useless; and, what is far worse, they are so cruel, and they destroy prisoners of war by the most horrible torments, a conduct, of all others, most repellant to our ideas of justice, which teaches all men to respect that valour in another, which he is proud of in himself."

"That is very wicked, certainly—do these Choctaws do this?"

"All the Indian nations do it, the Choctaws among the rest. The Alonquas are, however, much worse than these, for they are cannibals, which even the Indians consider to be hateful. The Cumanches are a nation scarcely less dreaded, for although they do not eat their victims, they sacrifice more than other tribes do, since they not only frequently torture their prisoners of war, but those unhappy people whom they seize in their robbing expeditions, which are frequent. These people are remarkable for always travelling on horseback, and their appearance, even at a considerable distance, never fails to inspire terror in our settlements, as it is well known that they are in quest of plunder, and will stop at no means to attain it. They frequently take away a great number of mules and horses, and never fail to murder their owners, unless they reserve them for more cruel sport at their own residence."

Manuel looked very grave whilst Don Manuel spoke, but as he was not told that these terrific tribes ever visited San Antonio, their enormities of conduct soon vanished from his mind; and being permitted to cultivate an acquaintance with the Choctaws, he soon became amused and interested, in the greatest degree, with every thing concerning them.

Like most lively children of an enterprising temper, he was delighted with their power of throwing the hatchet, shooting with bows and arrows, tracing the woods through impervious paths, and enduring pain and hunger without complaint; and he soon learnt so to practise these accomplishments, as greatly to surprise his mother and sister, the latter of whom was charmed to see him dressed in a coronet of feathers, and a pair of mocassins. In the course of their intercourse, he also picked up a good deal of their language; for being much struck with the attitude and delivery of one of their orators, he could not help earnestly desiring to know what he was saying, and never rested till he had so far attained it, as to comprehend all their common forms of speech, and their names of those things amongst them in general use.

When the Choctaw tribe had finished their bargains, had received their rum, brandy, guns, beads, and blankets, they returned to their own distant settlements, but not before many of their wisest and gravest chiefs had exhibited that terrible propensity to drunkenness, which is such a remarkable trait in their characters. Manuel was much shocked at this degradation, and for some time ceased to praise them as he was wont, or to display the feats of activity they had taught him; and the circumstance of his father's purchasing a large house at a little distance from the town, and the pleasure and trouble of removing thither, soon occupied his mind so much, that he nearly forgot his old friends the "Silver Fox" and the "Black Bear," and began, as little Inez, his sister, told him, "to find himself very happy with his own family, even though they wore decent clothes, eat good dinners, washed their faces in pure water, and prayed to God, as good Christians, both night and morning."