by and by fred linden and terry clark became drowsy. devoutly kneeling, they spent several minutes in prayer, and then stretched out on a single blanket, with their backs toward each other, and the face of fred in such a position that he could look across the blaze at deerfoot on the other side. the latter had remained still and motionless, while the lads, remembering the lesson they had learned at their mothers' knee, asked their heavenly father to hold them in his keeping. the young shawanoe, who spent many an hour in communion with his maker, was touched to see that his friends did not forget their duty.
deerfoot stirred the burning wood so that it threw out more light, and then, reclining on his left elbow, so that the illumination came directly in his face (the worst direction possible), he drew from beneath his hunting-shirt the small bible, that had been presented to him by the preston family, and began reading it.
fred linden, who had his eyes fixed upon him, was so interested that his drowsiness departed. without moving he watched him closely. he saw him turning the leaves back and forth, as if looking for some place he had in mind. it took him but a minute to find it, when, still leaning on his elbow, and with the light striking his face and the printed page, he seemed to become so absorbed as to lose all consciousness of his surroundings.
fred linden, without betraying that he was awake, surveyed this remarkable performance with an admiration that for the moment made his eyes misty with emotion.
the eyes of deerfoot were downcast, as he read the page, so that they could not be seen but the handsome oval face; the luxuriant black hair, with the eagle feathers thrust into the crown; the rows of gleaming beads around the neck; the deerskin shirt that covered the breast and arms to the wrists, on the left one of which shone the golden bracelet; the red sash, behind which were shoved the knife and tomahawk; the brilliant fringes of the hunting-shirt and leggins; the small, ornamented moccasins; all these of themselves made a striking figure; but fred, handsome and rugged himself, who was not accustomed to see any thing like beauty in the human form, was struck with the symmetry of the figure before him. he particularly noticed the tapering legs, and could not help saying to himself:
"there is no indian or white man that can run as fast as he."
and the mental declaration of the lad was truth. the fleetness of the young warrior had never been equaled, and he had never yet met the person whom he could not outrun with ease and without putting forth his whole speed.
"he don't look strong, but he is the last person that i would want to meet in a fight; i'll bet he is so quick that he could dodge the bullet fired at him."
i must draw the line here: deerfoot could not do any thing of the kind.
"and he is reading his bible! i never in all my life saw an indian who could read a word of print, or do more than sign his name with a cross or some figure like a bug: i wonder whether we couldn't hire him to teach school for us at greville."
fred thought a great many queer things about his new friend, but lay watching him fully ten minutes before he spoke. then, when he saw him turn a leaf, he said in a low voice:
"deerfoot, will you please read aloud?"
fred expected that the shawanoe would start and look up in surprise; but he never raised his eyes, or gave the least sign that these words of his were unexpected. he knew that fred was watching him from the first, and so, before the words were more than fairly out of his mouth, deerfoot began reading in a low, impressive monotone, as though he had merely resumed, after turning over the leaf.
"after this i beheld, and lo! a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
"and all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders, and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces and worshiped god.
"singing, amen; blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be unto our god for ever and for ever, amen.
"and one of the elders answered, saying unto me, who are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
"and i said unto him, sir, thou knowest. and he said unto me, these are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.
"therefore are they before the throne of god, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
"they shall hunger no more, neither shall they thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.
"for the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and god shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."
deerfoot read a few minutes longer from his favorite part in the new testament and then ceased. he had not lifted his eyes from the page, but he knew that fred linden was asleep. he observed it in his breathing, which was as soft as that of an infant.
the rocky cavern, the smoldering camp-fire, the two sleeping boys, the motionless indian stretched out and reading his bible by the faint light, the great, solemn forest walling them in, the profound stillness that reigned everywhere: these were elements in a picture the like of which it may be said (except where deerfoot was one of the figures), had never been seen anywhere else, and was not likely ever to be seen again.
the fire sank lower and the light on the printed page became so dim that even the keen eyes of the young shawanoe could not trace the words. he looked at the embers as if asking himself whether he should renew the blaze and continue reading. but the hour for meditation had come, and he closed the book. looking fondly at the stiff, wooden cover, he touched his lips with infinite tenderness to it, and carefully placed it in the inner receptacle of his hunting-shirt, murmuring as he did so:
"the best friend that deerfoot ever knew!"
o light of life! comforter of the sorrowing heart! consoler of the stricken soul!
in the flush of bounding health, when the passions throb high, we may not heed thy blessed teachings, but when man's promises prove false, and the head bows before the endless strife, and woes overwhelm us like a flood, there is relief, there is light, there is life in thee. the wicked may jeer, the learned may scoff, the powerful may despise, the favored may turn away, but there comes the time when learning, gifts, wealth, power, beauty and all the world can give turn to ashes, and they have no boon compared to thine. "and god shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." the pampered monarch, the dying beggar, the statesman, the slave, the mother bowed with woe, the father shaken with grief, childhood in its innocence, man in his strength, beauty in its scorn, trembling old age, can find171 no balm but in thee. better that the sun should be blotted from the heavens and the earth left a trackless void than that thy light should be denied the world.
deerfoot lay flat on his face, his arms crossed so that his head and shoulders were held a few inches above the flinty floor, and his dark eyes were fixed on the embers in front. it was his favorite enjoyment, when the stirring incidents of the day were done, and he had read from the only book he ever wanted to read, to spend a time in meditating on the truths that it may be said had become a part of his very being.
many a time had he lain thus, as motionless as if dead, while the wonderful brain was busy with thoughts that stirred the profoundest depths of his nature. there are beliefs that come to us at which reason may laugh, but which it can not shake or disturb. there are questions that the glib unbeliever may ask that we can not answer. but away down in our hearts is a faith which the whole world can not remove, and which can be uprooted only by ourselves. woe to him who dares lay violent hands upon it!
deerfoot no more doubted that he and every one was in the direct keeping of god than he doubted that he breathed and moved. he knew that the great spirit had caused him to be made a prisoner by whites so that he might learn the way of life; he knew that he had given him an insight into the mysteries of his word that was denied to many others. a deep, outstretching sympathy for those less favored than he suffused his whole being. gladly would he have given up his life in pain and torture and agony, as did one in the dim long ago, if by so doing he could earn the smile of his heavenly father.
but this remarkable young christian felt that he was doing the work appointed for him to do. here and there he dropped a word that proved to be seed sown upon good ground, and which had borne its fruit. he had met his enemies in fair combat and had never taken wrong advantage of them: his marvelous bow and arrow, and his still more effective rifle, had brought many a dusky miscreant low, but he had used his amazing gifts in the line of duty, and for the good of others. would that he173 could have won them by love, but it was not in the nature of things that he should do so. he had "broken the bread of life" to more than one, and he hoped that ere he should be called home, he should point the way to others.
suddenly he raised his chin from his hands and turned his head slightly to one side. his ear, whose acuteness was almost beyond belief, had caught a suspicious sound. profound as might be the meditation of the shawanoe, he could never forget his surroundings.
