The tribes
had met for the annual duck-feast, and for the rice harvest. She advised
them to put out the fire, so that no smoke might be seen to attract them;
but said they would not leave the lake for hunting over the plains just
then, as the camp was lower down on the point [Footnote: This point,
commonly known as _Anderson's Point_, now the seat of the Indian village,
used in former times to be a great place of rendezvous for the Indians,
and was the site of a murderous carnage or massacre that took place about
eighty years ago; the war-weapons and bones of the Indians are often turned
up with the plough at this day.] east of the mouth of a big river, which
she called "Otonabee."
Hector asked Indiana if she would go away and leave them, in the event of
meeting with any of her own tribe. The girl cast her eyes on the earth in
silence; a dark cloud seemed to gather over her face.
"If they should prove to be any of your father's people, or a friendly
tribe, would you go away with them?" he again repeated, to which she
solemnly replied,
"Indiana has no father, no tribe, no people; no blood of her father's warms
the heart of any man, woman or child, saving myself alone; but Indiana is
a brave, and the daughter of a brave, and will not shrink from danger: her
heart is warm; red blood flows warm here," and she laid her hand on her
heart.
Pages:
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225