the lake gun-第3章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


outlines　of　a　very　simple；　and；　by　no　means；　unusual
history。　He　was　a　chief　of　the　highest　race　in　his　tribe；　and
had　been　selected　to　receive　the　education　of　a　pale…face
at　one　of　the　colleges　of　that　people。　He　had　received　a
degree；　and；　yielding　to　the　irrepressible　longings　of　what
might　almost　be　termed　his　nature；　he　no　sooner　left　the
college　in　which　he　had　been　educated；　than　he　resumed
the　blanket　and　leggings；　under　the　influence　of　early
recollections；　and　a　mistaken　appreciation　of　the
comparative　advantages　between　the　civilized　condition；
and　those　of　a　life　passed　in　the　forest　and　on　the　prairies。
In　this　respect　our　young　Seneca　resembles　the　white
American；　who；　after　a　run　of　six　months　in　Europe；
returns　home　with　the　patriotic　declaration　in　his　mouth；
that　his　native　land　is　preferable　to　all　other　lands。　Fuller
soon　understood　the　case；　when　both　reverted　to　their
common　object　in　coming　thither。　The　young　Seneca
thereupon　resumed　his　explanation。

｛the　young　Indian　=　almost　certainly　based　on　Abraham
La　Fort　or　De…hat…ka…tons　（1799…1848）；　an　Oneida　Indian
who　attended　Geneva　College　in　the　late　1820s；　but　who
later　abandoned　Christianity　and　returned　to　his　traditional
way　of　life｝

〃These　laws　of　the　Great　Spirit；〃　continued　the　Seneca；
〃were　not　difficult　to　obey　so　long　as　the　warrior　was　of　a
humble　mind；　and　believed　himself　inferior　to　the　Manitou；
who　had　fashioned　him　with　His　hands；　and　placed　him
between　the　Seneca　and　the　Cayuga；　to　hunt　the　deer　and
trap　the　beaver。　But　See…wise　was　one　of　those　who
practiced　arts　that　you　pale…faces　condemn；　while　you
submit　to　them。　He　was　a　demagogue　among　the　red　men；
and　set　up　the　tribe　in　opposition　to　the　Manitou。〃

｛See…wise　=　intended　to　represent　William　Henry　Seward's
surname｝

〃How；〃　exclaimed　Fuller；　〃did　the　dwellers　in　the　forest
suffer　by　such　practices？〃

〃Men　are　every　where　the　same；　let　the　color；　or　the　tribe；
or　the　country　be　what　it　may。　It　was　a　law　of　our　people；
one　which　tradition　tells　us　came　direct　from　the　Great
Spirit；　that　the　fish　should　be　taken　only　in　certain
seasons；　and　for　so　many　moons。　Some　thought　this　law
was　for　the　health　of　the　people；　others；　that　it　was　to
enable　the　fish　to　multiply　for　the　future。　All　believed　it
wise；　because　it　came　from　the　Manitou；　and　had
descended　to　the　tribe　through　so　many　generations：　all
but　See…wise。　He　said　that　an　Indian　ought　to　fish　when
and　where　he　pleased；　that　a　warrior　was　not　a　woman；
that　the　spear　and　the　hook　had　been　given　to　him　to　be
used；　like　the　bow　and　arrow；　and　that　none　but　cowardly
Indians　would　scruple　to　take　the　fish　when　they　wished。
Such　opinions　pleased　the　common　Indians；　who　love　to
believe　themselves　greater　than　they　are。　See…wise　grew
bolder　by　success；　until　he　dared　to　say　in　council；　that　the
red　men　made　the　world　themselves；　and　for　themselves；
and　that　they　could　do　with　it　what　they　pleased。　He　saw
no　use　in　any　night；　it　was　inconvenient；　an　Indian　could
sleep　in　the　light　as　well　as　in　the　darkness；　there　was　to
be　eternal　day；　then　the　hunt　could　go　on　until　the　deer
was　killed；　or　the　bear　treed。　The　young　Indians　liked　such
talk。　They　loved　to　be　told　they　were　the　equals　of　the
Great　Spirit。　They　declared　that　See…wise　should　be　their
principal　chief。　See…wise　opened　his　ears　wide　to　this　talk；
and　the　young　men　listened　to　his　words　as　they　listened
to　the　song　of　the　mocking…bird。　They　liked　each　other；
because　they　praised　each　other。　It　is　sweet　to　be　told　that
we　are　better　and　wiser　than　all　around　us。　It　is　sweet　to
the　red　man；　the　pale…faces　may　have　more　sober　minds
〃

The　Seneca　paused　an　instant；　and　Fuller　fancied　that　a
smile　of　irony　again　struggled　about　his　compressed　lip。　As
the　traveler　made　no　remark；　however；　the　youthful
warrior　resumed　his　tale。

〃I　hear　a　great　deal　of　what　demagogues　are　doing　among
your　people；　and　of　the　evil　they　produce。　They　begin　by
flattering；　and　end　by　ruling。　He　carries　a　strong　hand；　who
makes　all　near　him　help　to　uphold　it。　In　the　crowd　few
perceive　its　weight　until　it　crushes　them。

〃Thus　was　it　with　See…wise。　Half　the　young　men　listened　to
him；　and　followed　in　his　trail。　The　aged　chiefs　took　counsel
together。　They　saw　that　all　the　ancient　traditions　were
despised；　and　that　new　conduct　was　likely　to　come　in　with
new　opinions。　They　were　too　old　to　change。　What　was　done
has　never　been　said；　but　See…wise　disappeared。　It　was
whispered　that　he　had　gone　down　among　the　fish　he　loved
to　take　out　of　season。　There　is　one　tradition；　that　he
speared　an　enormous　salmon；　and　the　fish；　in　its　struggles；
drew　him　out　of　his　canoe；　and　that　his　hands　could　not　let
go　of　the　handle　of　his　spear。　Let　this　be　as　it　may；　no　one
ever　saw　See…wise　any　more；　in　the　form　in　which　he　had
been　known　to　his　people。　At　length　the　trunk　of　a　tree
was　seen　floating　about　the　Seneca；　and　one　of　the　oldest
of　the　chiefs；　pointing　to　it；　pronounced　the　name　of　'See…
wise。'　He　would　fish　out　of　season；　and　his　spirit　is
condemned；　they　say；　to　float　among　the　salmon；　and
trout；　and　eels；　for　a　thousand　winters。　It　was　not　long
after　this　that　the　lake　began　to　speak；　in　a　voice　loud　as
the　thunder　from　the　clouds。　The　Seneca　traditions　say　this
is　the　Manitou　calling　to　See…wise；　when　he　goes　down
after　the　fish；　out　of　season。〃

〃And　do　you；　an　educated　man；　believe　in　this　tale？〃　asked
Fuller。

〃I　can　not　say。　The　things　learned　in　childhood　remain　the
longest　on　the　memory。　They　make　the　deepest　marks。　I
have　seen　the　evil　that　a　demagogue　can　do　among　the
pale…faces；　why　should　I　not　believe　the　same　among　my
own　people？〃

〃This　is　well　enough；　as　respects　the　curse　on　the
demagogue；　but　lakes　do　not　usually〃

Fuller　had　got　thus　far；　when　the　Seneca；　as　if　in　mockery；
emitted　the　sound　that　has　obtained　the　name　of　the　〃Lake
Gun〃　among　those　who　have　lived　on　its　banks　in　these
later　times。　Perhaps　it　was；　in　part；　the　influence　of　the
Seneca's　legend；　united　to　the　opinions　and　statements　of
the　inhabitants　of　that　region；　which　conspired　to　make　our
traveler　start；　in　awe　and　surprise；　for；　certainly；　the　deep…
mouthed　cannon　never　gave　forth　a　more　impressive　and
sudden　concussion　on　the　ear。

〃It　does；　indeed；　sound　very　like　a　gun！〃　said　Fuller；　after　a
long　pause　had　enabled　him　to　speak。

〃It　is　the　voice　of　the　Great　Spirit；　forbidding　See…wise　to
fish；〃　answered　the　Seneca。　〃For　a　time　the　demagogue
has　all　the　talking　to　himself；　but；　sooner　or　later；　the
voice　of　truth　is　heard；　which　is　the　voice　of　the　Manitou。
But　I　must　go　nearer　to　the　treeha！　what　has　become　of
it？〃

Fuller　looked；　and；　sure　enough；　the　speck　on　the　water
had　vanished。　This　might　have　been　by　an　unobserved
movement　in　a　current；　or　it　might　have　been　owing　to　a
sudden　variation　in　the　light；　certain　it　was；　no　tree　could
now　be　seen。　Fuller　then　proposed　to　use　his　boat；　in
endeavoring　to　get　nearer　to　the　〃Jew。〃　The　Seneca　gave　a
very　cheerful　assent；　and；　throwing　his　light　summer
blanket；　with　an　air　of　manly　grace；　over　a　shoulder；　he
followed　to　the　water…side。

〃Most　red　men；〃　resumed　the　young　warrior；　as　he　took
his　place　in　the　boat；　〃would　see　something　marvelous　in
this　appearance　and　disappearance　of　the　swimming
Seneca；　and　would　hesitate　about　going　any　nearer　to　him；
but　this　is　not　my　feelingerror　is　strengthened　by
neglecting　to　look　into　truth。　I　hope　yet　to　go　near　See…
wise。〃

Fuller　hardly　knew　what　to　think　of　his　companion's
credulity。　At　times　he　appeared　to　defer　to　the　marvelous
and　the　traditions　of　his　tribe；　then；　again；　the　lights　of
education　would　seem　to　gleam　upon　the　darkness　of　his
superstition；　and　leave　him　a　man　of　inductive　reason。　As
for　himself；　he　was　probably　not　altogether　as　much　of　the
last　as　his　pride　of　race　would　have　led　him　to　hope。

Peter　had　seen　nothing；　but　he　had　heard　the　〃Gun。〃

〃　'T　was　a　mere　flash　in　the　pan　to　what　I　have　heard；
when　the　lake　is　in　'arnest；〃　said　the　old　fellow；　with　the
love　of　exaggeration　so　common　with　the　vulgar。　〃Still；　it
was　a　gun。〃

〃A　signal　that　the　'Wandering　Jew'　i