Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/285

 An Account of the Mufkohge Nation. 273

killed him. But an aftrologer, of twenty years Handing among the In dians, immediately declared with ftrong afieverations, we mould foon be expofed to imminent danger ; which he expatiated upon largely, from his imagined knowledge of a combination of fecond caufes in the celeftial re gions, actuating every kind of animals, vegetables, &c. by their fubtil and delegated power. I argued in vain to hum his groundlefs fears : how ever, while the raft was getting ready, another gentleman", to quiet his timorous apprehenfions, accompanied me with fire-arms, pretty near the path in the beforementioned cane-iwamp, and we ftaid there a confiderable while, at a proper diftance apart at laft we heard the well-mimicked voice of partridges, farther off than our fight could difcover, on which one of us (truck up the whoop of friendfhip and indifference ; for I knew that the beft way of arguing on luch occafions, was by a firmnefs of countenance and behaviour. I then went near to my companion, and faid, our cunning man was an Aberdeen wizard, as he had fo exaclly foretold the event. The favages had both difcovered our tracks, and heard the found of the ax. We foon met them ; they were nine of the mifchievous Obcbai town, who had feparated from the reft of their company. We converfed a little while together upon our arms, and in this manner exchanged provifions with each other then we went down to the bank of the river, where they opened their packs, fpread out fome hairy deer and bear fkins with the flefhy fide undermoft, and having firft placed on them their heavy things, and then the lighter, with the guns which lay uppermoft, each made two knots with the {hanks of a {kin, and in the fpace of a few mi nutes, they had their leathern barge afloat, which they foon thruft before them to the other more, with a furprifingly fmall deviation from a direcT: courfe, confidering the ftrong current of the water. When our aftrologer faw them fafe eff, he wimed them a fpeedy journey home, without being expofed to the neceffity of any delay. He was foon after carried fafe over on our raft, though once he almoft over-fet it, either by reafon of the ab- fence, or difturbance, of his mind. Had he contracted a fever, from the impending dangers his knowledge affured him were not yet paft, the cold fweat he got when left by himfelf, while we were returning with the raft, and afterward fwimming with the horfes', muft have contributed a good deal to the cure. Soon afterwards, we came in fight of their camp in a little fpot of clear land, furrounded by a thick cane-fwamp, where fome traders formerly had been killed by the Choktah. Our aftrologer

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