tim american race is noted for its stoicism. an indian warrior undergoing a painful death will not please his enemies by showing suffering, but will die with words of defiance on his lips, and scorning the rage of his persecutors.
many have thought that these people are lacking in affection for their offspring, but this is a mistake. among their wigwams in the depth of the wilderness, where the eye of no stranger can see them, they will pet and fondle their little ones with as much evidence of love as their civilised brethren. they are strict and often cruel in training their young, but they hold them as closely to their hearts as the tenderest parent ever held his boy or girl.
so it was with the wyandot chieftain. he was harsh with his son, whom he had taken on the war-path for the first time, but hua-awa-oma would have given his life to save that of arowaka. he would not have blamed him had he succeeded in driving the arrow through the heart of jack gedney, for the lad was trained for such treacherous deeds; but arowaka failed, and then the white boy spared his life.
this was an act beyond the reach of the american indian, and, alas! i must say, it was beyond the reach of many a white man, but it won the gratitude of the chieftain. having assured jack of this fact, he now looked at him, and said in his abrupt way--
"jack teach arowaka how wrestle."
jack laughed. the chief admired his skill as shown earlier in the day, and he wanted him to teach the dusky youth some of the tricks by which the white lad was able to lay his antagonist on his back.
jack was glad to do so. leaning his gun against the nearest tree, arowaka doing the same with his bow, he stepped towards him, smiling and saying--
"arowaka will soon see, for he is strong."
the indian lad was as much pleased as he, for he was sure of learning more than he had ever known about the art of wrestling--enough to enable him to beat any of his friends who dared engage in a contest with him.
jack was shrewd. when he locked arms with arowaka he could have flung him at once to the earth, but he took good care not to do so. he made several feints, but checked himself before the lad went down. then he showed him how to make those feints, how to trip his opponent, and, indeed, he did his utmost to teach him everything that he had learned from his own father.
arowaka was an apt pupil. he was lithe, sinewy, and eager to learn, and with such conditions a boy is sure to pick up the art with great quickness. after this had continued some time, jack said--
"now look out! see whether you can keep me from throwing you just as i did this morning the first time i tried."
the two locked their arms more rigidly than before, and the struggle looked like a fierce one. hua-awa-oma watched it with the closest interest. back and forth twisted the boys, like a couple of enemies locked in deadly embrace, and struggling for their lives.
all at once the heels of jack went up in the air and he fell flat on his back, with arowaka, across him. the chief was so delighted that he broke into laughter. was there ever an apter pupil than his own son?
now i must tell you the truth. jack gedney was guilty of a gross deception. all that furious twisting and swinging back and forth was pretence on his part. he could have thrown arowaka with a little more effort than he put forth in the morning, but he deliberately allowed him to throw him, and he did it, too, in such a manner that neither the youth nor his parent suspected it was not a fair victory.
jack climbed to his feet, and with a sheepish look brushed the leaves from his clothing.
"you did that well," said he; "when you go back to your people there will be no youth that you cannot master. now let me show you something else."
jack carefully instructed him in the method of flinging an antagonist over his shoulders. arowaka soon caught the idea, but when, in his confidence, he offered to engage in a trial with his teacher, the latter laughed, and shook his head.
"no; i have never been tossed that way, and i don't want you to drive my head into the ground."
it really looked as if he was afraid of arowaka, but you know he was not. he was wise, however, in making arowaka think so.
to please hua-awa-oma, the youths once more locked arms. it would have awakened suspicion had jack allowed the other to beat him again, but he went as near to it as was prudent. he struggled long, and when the two went down, it was side by side. then, when they tried it again, he threw arowaka fairly.
once more, and for the last time, they assailed each other, jack, by what seemed a failure to catch a feint of the other, falling under him. the boys rose to their feet, and the smiling chieftain shook hands with both. not only that, but he patted jack on the shoulder and said--
"brave boy! hua-awa-oma friend--jack come with hua-awa-oma."
the lad was a little startled by this invitation to enter the indian camp with the sachem. he would have much preferred to join his friends and go home, but he was afraid to object, and he knew that he would be safe so long as in the company of hua-awa-oma.
"i will go with my friend the great chief," he said, picking up his gun, and pausing for the sachem to lead the way.
he-who-fights-without-falling stepped off, followed by jack and arowaka, the two youths walking side by side. it was the arrival of this little party which caused such a sensation in camp, and which you will agree, was the most important of the three that took place.
that which astonished the wyandots was the evidence that the third boy who approached did not do so as a captive. unlike the others, he came as the friend and guest of their own chief, one of the most famous leaders of the wyandot tribe. not only that, but hua-awa-oma was an implacable foe of the settlers along the ohio and in kentucky.
no wonder, therefore, that the warriors were astonished.
will and george were as much amazed as was jack to see them. they rose from the log, and the elder said--
"well, they have got us all at last; we may as well give up now."
"why, boys, i am not a prisoner. this is the chief and his son, and they are friends of mine."
the faces of the brothers lightened, but they did not feel sure that jack was not mistaken. he read their doubts, and added--
"there is no mistake about it; i have been out in the wood yonder teaching arowaka how to wrestle, and the chief was so pleased that he asked me to come into camp with him."
"how do you know what he means to do with you?" asked george.
"i have no fear about that," was the reply of jack. "i showed mercy to his son when he didn't expect it, and the chief is grateful."
"we are glad to know that you are safe," said will, speaking in a low voice, so that none of the wyandots should overhear him; "but the chief has no reason to spare george and me."
"i am sure he will; any way, you can depend on one thing: i shall not accept my freedom unless he gives you yours. i'll stand by you all the way through."
"there is no need of that," replied will, touched by the devotion of his friend. "i know you will do all you can to get hua-awa-oma to let us go, but if he refuses it won't help matters by your staying behind."
"i'll show you how it will help matters," said jack, more determinedly than before; "but while they are having their confab, tell me, will, how came you to be here?"
the elder brother gave the particulars of his mishap, just as you learned them long ago. when he was through, george told his experience, which is also familiar to you. and then jack related how arowaka had so nearly taken his life, and how he spared him when he was helpless.
"it was no more than either of you would have done had you stood in my shoes."
"but it is a good deal more than any indian would do for either of us," said will.
"there can be no doubt of that. i never saw any one so grateful as hua-awa-oma. i wouldn't be afraid to trust myself among a thousand wyandots so long as he was with me."
"i wonder what they are talking about?" whispered george, glancing sideways at the indians.
there had been so many arrivals within the last half-hour that the party now numbered eighteen. some of these had bows and arrows, but the majority were armed with the rifle. it proved as jack had declared. although the chief had gone out with his son, each carrying the rude weapon, yet the moment hua-awa-oma entered camp, one of his warriors passed a fine gun to him, taking the bow in exchange.
this occurrence left no doubt that the theory as expressed by young gedney was the correct one.
the moment the chief joined the party, all gathered around him, and for several minutes the conversation was spirited. nearly every one took part, but the manner and looks of hua-awa-oma showed that he was master there: no warrior dared to dispute any command uttered by him.
george had no more than time to express his wonderment over the subject of the conversation when the chief finished and turned toward the three boys, who were still sitting on the log, anxious indeed to hear what he had to say.
