Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/313

 An Account of /^'Choktah Nation. 301

and very defigning. They feemed much concerned at the abfence of my fuppofed companion, left he fhould by unlucky mifchance be bewildered, or killed by the Mufkohge. I gave them feveral reafons to Ihcw the futility of their kindly fears, and allured them he ufually ftaid late to barbicue the meat, when he killed much, as he could not otherways bring it to camp-, but that he never failed, on fuch an occafion, to come fome time in the night. The cunning fox now and then afked me a ftudied fhort queftion, in the way of crofs examination, concerning the main point they had in view, and my anfwers were fo cool and uniform, that I almoil perfuaded them firmly to credit all I faid. When he could no way trepan me, and there was filence for feveral minutes, he afked me, if I was not afraid to be at camp alone. I told him I was an Englifh warrior, my heart was honeft and as I fpoiled nobody, why mould I be afraid ? Their longing eyes by this time were quite tired. The oldeft of them very politely took his leave of me in French ; and the others, through an earned friendly defire of fmoking, and chatting a little with my abfent companion, told me at parting, to be fure to call them, by founding the news-whoop, as foon as He arrived at camp. I readily pro- mifed to comply, for the fake of the favour of their good company: and to prevent any fufpicion of the truth of &$ tale, I added, that if he failed in his ufual good luck, they ought to fupply us with a leg of v^nifon, or we would give them as much, if he fucceeded.

And now all was well, at leaft, with me; for I rook time by the fore-lock, and left them to echoe the news-whoop. Towgnne lay nearly fouth-eaft from me ; but to avoid my being either intercepted on the path,, or heard by the quick-ear'd favages, I went a quarter of a mile up the large cane fwamp, and pafled through it on a fouth weft courfe, but very flow, as it was a dark thicket of great canes and vines, over-topped with large fpreading trees. I feldom had a glimpfe of any ftar to direct my courfe, the moon being then far fpent. About an hour before day-light, I heard them from the top of an high hill, fire off a gun at camp; which I fuppofed was when they found me gone, and in order to decoy my fup pofed companion to anfwer them with the like report ; conjecturing he would imagine it was I who fired for him, according to cuftom in fimi- lar cafes. I kept nearly at the diftance of three miles from the path, till I arrived at the out-houfes of Ybwanne. As I had never before feen that town, nor gone to Mobille that way, one of the warriors at my requeft

conducted

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