CHAPTER VIII.
BLACK CAT AND UNICORN.
Black Cat had retained a profound gratitude to Valentine through thegenerosity with which the latter had saved his life. The chief sought byany means possible to pay the debt after the attack on the gambusinocamp, during which he had so vigorously supported the hunter. All thetime he was being carried down the swollen Gila in the buffalo hidecanoes, Black Cat reflected seriously on the events taking place in hissight.
He knew, like all the Indian chiefs of the Far West, the causes of thehatred that separated the whites; moreover, he had been on severaloccasions enabled to appreciate the moral difference existing betweenthe American squatter and the French hunter. Besides, the question wasnow settled in his mind; all his sympathies were attracted to Valentine.Still, it would be as well that his help, to be useful, should be freelyaccepted by his friends, so as to prevent any misunderstanding.
When the earth had regained its equilibrium, and all had returned to theorder laid down at the commencement of the universe, Black Cat gave asignal, and the canoes ran a shore. The chief ordered his men to bivouacwhere they were, and await him; then noticing a short distance off, aherd of wild horses, he lassoed one, tamed it in a few minutes, leapedon its back, and started at a gallop. At this moment the sun rosesplendidly on the horizon.
The Apache chief journeyed the whole day without stopping, except a fewmoments to let his horse breathe, and at sunset he found himself abowshot from Unicorn's village. After remaining in thought for a fewminutes, the Indian appeared to make up his mind; he urged on his horse,and boldly entered the village, which, however, was deserted. Black Cattraversed it in every direction, finding at every step traces of thefearful fight of which it had been the scene a few days previously; buthe did not see a soul, not even a dog.
When an Indian is following a trail, he is never discouraged, but goeson until he finds it. Black Cat left the village at the opposite end,looked about for a minute, and then started unhesitatingly straightahead. His admirable knowledge of the prairie had not deceived him; fourhours later he reached the skirt of the virgin forest, under whose greenarches we have seen Unicorn's Comanches disappear. Black Cat alsoentered the forest by the same road as the village population hadfollowed, and within an hour saw the fires flashing through the trees.The Apache stopped for a moment, looked around him, and then went on.
Though apparently alone Black Cat felt that he was watched; he knew thatsince his first step in the forest, he was followed by invisible eyes.As he had not come however, in any warlike intention, he did not in anyway attempt to conceal his trail. These tactics were comprehended by theComanche sentries, who let him pass without revealing their presence,but still communicated the arrival of an Apache chief on their territoryto each other, so that Black Cat's coming was known at the village,while he was still a long way from it.
The chief entered a large clearing, in the midst of which stood severalhuts. Several chiefs were silently seated round a fire, burning in frontof a calli, which Black Cat recognised as the medicine lodge. Contraryto the custom generally adopted in such cases, no one seemed to noticethe approach of the chief, or rose to do him honour, and give himwelcome. Black Cat understood that something extraordinary was occurringin the village, and that he was about to witness a strange scene.
He was in no way affected by the cold reception accorded to him; hedismounted, threw his bridle over his horse's neck, and, walking to thefire, sat down opposite Unicorn, between two chiefs, who fell back tomake room for him. Then, drawing the calumet from his girdle, he filledand lit it, and began smoking, after bowing to the company. The latterreplied by the same gesture, but did not interrupt the silence. Atlength Unicorn took the calumet from his lips, and turned to Black Cat.
"My brother is a great warrior," he said; "he is welcome, his arrival isa happy omen for my young men, at a moment when a terrible chief isabout to leave us, and proceed to the happy hunting grounds."
"The Master of Life protected me, in permitting me to arrive soopportunely; who is the chief about to die?"
"The Panther is weary of life," Unicorn replied, in a mournful voice;"he counts many winters, his tired arm can no longer fell the buffalo orthe elk, his clouded eye only distinguishes with difficulty the nearestobjects."
"The Panther is no longer useful to his brothers, but has become aburden to them; he must die," Black Cat remarked, sententiously.
"That is what the chief himself thought; he has this day communicatedhis intentions to the council assembled here round the fire, and I, hisson, have undertaken to open for him the gates of another world."
"Panther is a wise chief; what can a man do with life when he grows aburden to others? The Wacondah has been kind to the redskins in givingthem the necessary discernment to get rid of the aged and weak, and sendthem to another world, where they will be born again, and after thisshort trial, hunt with all the vigor of youth."
"My brother has spoken well," Unicorn answered, with a bow.
At this moment a movement took place in the crowd assembled round thesweating lodge, in which the old chief, was. The door opened, andPanther appeared. He was an old man of majestic height--in opposition tothe majority of Indians, who retain for a long time the appearance ofyouth--his hair and beard, which fell in disorder on his shoulders andchest, were of a dazzling whiteness. On his face, whose features wereimprinted with unconquerable energy, could be seen all the marks of adecrepitude which had attained its last limits. He was clothed in hishandsomest costume, and painted and armed for war.
So soon as he appeared in the doorway of the hut all the chiefs rose.Unicorn walked up to him and respectfully offered his right arm, onwhich he leant. The old man, supported by his son, tottered up to thefire, before which he squatted. The other chiefs took their place by hisside, and the warriors formed a wide circle round them. The greatcalumet of peace was brought in by the pipe bearer, who presented it tothe old man, and when it had gone round the circle, Panther took theword. His voice was low and faint, but, owing to the deep silence thatprevailed, it was heard by all.
"My sons," he said, "I am about to depart for another country; I shallsoon be near the Master of Life. I will tell the warriors of our nationwhom I meet on the road that the Comanches are still invincible, andtheir nation is the queen of the prairies."
A murmur of satisfaction, soon suppressed, however, greeted these words;in a moment the old man continued--
"Continue to be brave as your ancestors; be implacable to the palefaces,those devouring wolves, covered with an elk skin; let them ever assumethe feet of the antelope, to fly more speedily before you, and may theynever see the wolf tails you fasten to your heels. Never taste thefirewater, that poison, by the help of which the palefaces enervate us,render us weak as women, and incapable of avenging insults. When you areassembling round the war or hunting fire in your camp, think sometimesof Panther, the chief, whose renown was formerly great, and who, seeingthat the Wacondah forgot him on earth, preferred to die sooner than belonger a burthen to his nation. Tell the young warriors who tread thepath for the first time, the exploits of your chief, Bounding Panther,who was so long the terror of the foes of the Comanches."
While uttering these words the old chief's eye had become animated, andhis voice trembled with emotion. The Indians assembled round himlistened to him respectfully.
"But what use is it to speak thus?" he went on, suppressing a sigh; "Iknow that my memory will not die out among you, for my son Unicorn ishere to succeed me, and guide you in his turn on the path where I solong led you. Bring my last meal, so that we may soon strike up 'thesong of the Great Remedy.'"
Immediately the Indians brought up pots filled with boiled dog's flesh,and at a sign from Panther, the meal commenced. When it was ended theold man lit his calumet, and smoked, while the warriors danced roundhim, with Unicorn at their head. Presently the old man made a sign, andthe warriors stopped.
"What does my father desire?" Unicorn asked.
"I w
ish you to sing the song of the Great Remedy."
"Good," Unicorn replied, "my father shall be obeyed."
Then he struck up that strange chant, of which the following is atranslation, the Indians joining in chorus and continuing to dance:
"Master of Life, thou givest us courage! It is true that redskins knowthat thou lovest them. We send thee our father this day. See how old anddecrepit he is! The Bounding Panther has been changed into a clumsybear! Grant that he may find himself young in another world, and ableto, hunt as in former times."
And the round danced on, the old man smoking his pipe stoically thewhile. At length, when the calumet was empty, he shook out the ashes onhis thumbnail, laid the pipe before him, and looked up to heaven. Atthis moment the first signs of twilight tinged the extreme line of thehorizon with an opaline hue, the old man drew himself up, his eye becameanimated, and flashed.
"The hour has come," he said, in a loud and firm voice; "the Wacondah,summons me. Farewell, Comanche warriors; my son, you have to send me tothe Master of Life."
Unicorn drew out the tomahawk hanging from his belt, brandished it overhis head, and without hesitation, and with a movement swift as thought,cleft the skull of the old man, whose smiling face was turned to him,and who fell without a sigh.
He was dead!
The dance began again more rapid and irregularly, and the warriorsshouted in chorus:
"Wacondah! Wacondah! Receive this warrior! See, he did not fear death!He knew there was no such thing, as he was to be born again in thybosom!
"Wacondah! Wacondah! Receive this warrior. He was just! The bloodflowed red and pure in his heart! The words his chest uttered were wise!
"Wacondah! Wacondah! Receive this warrior! He was the greatest and mostcelebrated of thy Comanche children!
"Wacondah! Wacondah! Receive this warrior. See how many scalps he wearsat his girdle.
"Wacondah! Wacondah! Receive this warrior!"
The song and dancing lasted till daybreak, when, at a signal fromUnicorn, they ceased.
"Our father has gone," he said; "his soul has left his body, which itinhabited too long, to choose another abode. Let us give him a burialsuited to so great a warrior."
The preparations were not lengthy; the body of the Bounding Panther wascarefully washed, then interred in a sitting posture, with his warweapons; the last horse he had ridden and his dogs were placed by hisside, after having their throats cut; and then a bark hut was erectedover the tomb to preserve it from the profanation of wild beasts; on thetop of the hut a pole was planted, surmounted by the scalps the oldwarrior had taken at a period when he, still young and full of strength,led the Comanches in action.
Black Cat witnessed all the affecting incidents of this mournful tragedyrespectfully, and with religious devotion. When the funeral rites wereended, Unicorn came up to him.
"I thank my brother," the Comanche said, "for having helped us to paythe last duties to an illustrious warrior. Now I am quite at mybrother's service, he can speak without fear; the ears of a friend areopen, and his heart will treasure up the words addressed to it."
"Unicorn is the first warrior of his nation," Black Cat replied, with abow; "justice and honour dwell in him: a cloud has passed over my mindand rendered it sad."
"Let my brother open his heart to me, I know that he is one of the mostcelebrated chiefs of his nation. Black Cat no longer counts the scalpshe has taken from his enemies--what is the reason that renders him sad?"
The Apache chief smiled proudly at Unicorn's remarks.
"The friend of my brother, the great pale hunter, adopted by his tribe,"he said sharply, "is running a terrible danger at this moment."
"Wah!" the chief said; "Can that be true? Koutonepi is the flesh of mybones; who touches him wounds me. My brother will explain."
Black Cat then narrated to Unicorn the way in which Valentine had savedhis life, the leagues formed by the Apaches and other nations of the FarWest against him, and the critical position in which the hunter now was,owing to the influence of Red Cedar with the Indians, and the forces hehad at his command at this moment. Unicorn shook his head over thestory.
"Koutonepi is wise and intrepid," he said; "loyalty dwells in his heart,but he cannot resist--how to help him? A man, however brave he may be,is not equal to one hundred."
"Valentine is my brother," the Apache answered; "I have sworn to savehim. But what can I do alone?"
Suddenly a woman rushed between, the two chiefs: it was Sunbeam.
"If my master permits," she said with a suppliant look at Unicorn, "Iwill help you: a woman can do many things."
There was a silence, during which the chief regarded the squaw, whostood modest and motionless before them.
"My sister is brave," Black Cat at length said; "but a woman is a weakcreature, whose help is of but very slight weight under such gravecircumstances."
"Perhaps so," she said boldly.
"Wife," Unicorn said, as he laid his hand on her shoulder, "go whitheryour heart calls you; save my brother and pay the debt you havecontracted with him: my eye will follow you, and at the first signal Iwill run up."
"Thanks," the young woman said, joyfully, and kneeling before the chief,she affectionately kissed his hand.
Unicorn went on--
"I confide this woman to my brother--I know that his heart is great: Iam at my ease; farewell."
And after a parting signal he dismissed his guest; the chief entered hiscalli without looking back, and let the buffalo hide curtain fall behindhim. Sunbeam looked after him; when he had disappeared, she turned toBlack Cat.
"Let us go," she said, "to save our friend."
A few hours later, the Apache chief, followed by a young woman, rejoinedhis tribe on the banks of the Gila, and on the next day but one BlackCat arrived with his entire forces at the hill of Mad Buffalo.