Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/408

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fet off along tfee trading path, trufting to his heels, while a great manjr of the enemy ran to their arms, and gave chace. Seven miles from thence, he entered the great blue ridge of Apalahche mountains. About an hour before day, he had ran over feventy miles of that mountainous tract, then, after fleeping two hours in a fitting pofture, leaning his back againft a tree, he fet off again with frem fpeed. As he threw away his, venifon, when he found himfelf purfued by the enemy, he was obliged to* fupport nature with fuch herbs, roots, and nuts, as his fharp eyes with ai running glance, directed him to fnatch up in his courfe. Though I ofteh have rode that war path alone, when delay might have proved dangerous^ and with as fine and ftrong horfes as any in America, it took me five days to ride from the aforefaid Koofah, to this fprightly warrior's place in the Chikkafah country, the diftance of 300 computed miles, yet he ran it, and got home fafe and well, at about eleven o'clock of the third day - 9 which was only one day and half, and two nights.

Thefe two well known inftances of the young Katahba, and this Chik kafah warrior, evince the furprifing and fuperior abilities of the Indians in their own element. And the intrepid behaviour of the two other red ftoics, their furprifing contempt of, and indifference to life or death, inftead of kflening, helps to confirm our belief of that fupernatural power, which fupported the great number of primitive martyrs, who fealed the chriftian faith with their blood. The Indians, as 1 obferved in the former part, have as much belief, and expectation of a future ftate, as the greater part of the Ifraelites feem to have pofiefled. But the chriftians of the firft centu ries, may juftly be faid to exceed even the moft heroic American Indians ; for they bore the bittereft perfecution, with fteady patience, in imitation of their divine leader. Mefiiah, in full confidence of divine fupport, and of a glorious recompence of reward -, and, inftead of even wifhing for revenge on their cruel enemies and malicious tormentors (which is the chief prin ciple that actuates the Indians) they not only forgave them, but in the midft of their tortures, earneftly praytd for them, with compofed counte nances, fincere love, and unabated fervor. And not only men of different conditions, but the delicate women and children fuffered with conftancy, and died praying for their tormeators : the Indian women and children, and their young men untrained to war, are incapable of difplaying the like patience and magnanimity.

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