The Prairie (Fiscle Part 3) Of 2 by J Fenimore Cooper (phonics reading books TXT) 📕

He Answered--

"Different People Might Judge Differently,  Esther,  Of The Virtue Of

The Man's Art. But Sin' It Is Your Wish To Let Him Depart,  I Will Not

Plough The Prairie To Make The Walking Rough. Friend,  You Are At

Liberty To Go Into The Settlements,  And There I Would Advise You To

Tarry,  As Men Like Me Who Make But Few Contracts,  Do Not Relish The

Custom Of Breaking Them So Easily."

"And Now,  Ishmael," Resumed His Conquering Wife,  "In Order To Keep A

Quiet Family And To Smother All Heart-Burnings Between Us,  Show Yonder

Red-Skin And His Daughter," Pointing To The Aged Le Balafre And The

Widowed Tachechana,  "The Way To Their Village,  And Let Us Say To Them

--God Bless You,  And Farewell,  In The Same Breath!"

"They Are The Captives Of The Pawnee,  According To The Rules Of Indian

Warfare,  And I Cannot Meddle With His Rights."

"Beware The Devil,  My Man! He's A Cheat And A Tempter,  And None Can

Say They Ar' Safe With His Awful Delusions Before Their Eyes! Take The

Advice Of One Who Has The Honour Of Your Name At Heart,  And Send The

Tawny Jezebel Away."

The Squatter Laid His Broad Hand On Her Shoulder,  And Looking Her

Steadily In The Eye,  He Answered,  In Tones That Were Both Stern And

Solemn--

"Woman,  We Have That Before Us Which Calls Our Thoughts To Other

Matters Than The Follies You Mean. Remember What Is To Come,  And Put

Your Silly Jealousy To Sleep."

"It Is True,  It Is True," Murmured His Wife,  Moving Back Among Her

Daughters; "God Forgive Me,  That I Should Forget It!"

"And Now,  Young Man; You,  Who Have So Often Come Into My Clearing,

Under The Pretence Of Lining The Bee Into His Hole," Resumed Ishmael,

After A Momentary Pause,  As If To Recover The Equilibrium Of His Mind,

"With You There Is A Heavier Account To Settle. Not Satisfied With

Rummaging My Camp,  You Have Stolen A Girl Who Is Akin To My Wife,  And

Who I Had Calculated To Make One Day A Daughter Of My Own."

A Stronger Sensation Was Produced By This,  Than By Any Of The

Preceding Interrogations. All The Young Men Bent Their Curious Eyes On

Paul And Ellen,  The Former Of Whom Seemed In No Small Mental

Confusion,  While The Latter Bent Her Face On Her Bosom In Shame.

"Harkee,  Friend Ishmael Bush," Returned The Bee-Hunter,  Who Found That

He Was Expected To Answer To The Charge Of Burglary,  As Well As To

That Of Abduction; "That I Did Not Give The Most Civil Treatment To

Your Pots And Pails,  I Am Not Going To Gainsay. If You Will Name The

Price You Put Upon The Articles,  It Is Possible The Damage May Be

Quietly Settled Between Us,  And All Hard Feelings Forgotten. I Was Not

In A Church-Going Humour When We Got Upon Your Rock,  And It Is More

Than Probable There Was Quite As Much Kicking As Preaching Among Your

Wares; But A Hole In The Best Man's Coat Can Be Mended By Money. As To

The Matter Of Ellen Wade,  Here,  It May Not Be Got Over So Easily.

Different People Have Different Opinions On The Subject Of Matrimony.

Some Think It Is Enough To Say Yes And No,  To The Questions Of The

Magistrate,  Or Of The Parson,  If One Happens To Be Handy,  In Order To

Make A Quiet House; But I Think That Where A Young Woman's Mind Is

Fairly Bent On Going In A Certain Direction,  It Will Be Quite As

Prudent To Let Her Body Follow. Not That I Mean To Say Ellen Was Not

Altogether Forced To What She Did,  And Therefore She Is Just As

Innocent,  In This Matter,  As Yonder Jackass,  Who Was Made To Carry

Her,  And Greatly Against His Will,  Too,  As I Am Ready To Swear He

Would Say Himself,  If He Could Speak As Loud As He Can Bray."

"Nelly," Resumed The Squatter,  Who Paid Very Little Attention To What

Paul Considered A Highly Creditable And Ingenious Vindication,  "Nelly,

This Is A Wide And A Wicked World,  On Which You Have Been In Such A

Hurry To Cast Yourself. You Have Fed And You Have Slept In My Camp For

A Year,  And I Did Hope That You Had Found The Free Air Of The Borders,

Enough To Your Mind To Wish To Remain Among Us."

"Let The Girl Have Her Will," Muttered Esther,  From The Rear; "He,  Who

Might Have Persuaded Her To Stay,  Is Sleeping In The Cold And Naked

Prairie,  And Little Hope Is Left Of Changing Her Humour; Besides,  A

Woman's Mind Is A Wilful Thing,  And Not Easily Turned From Its

Waywardness,  As You Know Yourself,  My Man,  Or I Should Not Be Here The

Mother Of Your Sons And Daughters."

The Squatter Seemed Reluctant To Abandon His Views Of The Abashed

Girl,  So Easily; And Before He Answered To The Suggestion Of His Wife,

He Turned His Usual Dull Look Along The Line Of The Curious

Countenances Of His Boys,  As If To See Whether There Was Not One Among

Them Fit To Fill The Place Of The Deceased. Paul Was Not Slow To

Observe The Expression,  And Hitting Nigher Than Usual On The Secret

Thoughts Of The Other,  He Believed He Had Fallen On An Expedient Which

Might Remove Every Difficulty.

"It Is Quite Plain,  Friend Bush," He Said,  "That There Are Two

Opinions In This Matter; Yours For Your Sons,  And Mine For Myself. I

See But One Amicable Way Of Settling This Dispute,  Which Is As

Follows:--Do You Make A Choice Among Your Boys Of Any You Will,  And

Let Us Walk Off Together For The Matter Of A Few Miles Into The

Prairies; The One Who Stays Behind,  Can Never Trouble Any Man's House

Or His Fixen,  And The One Who Comes Back May Make The Best Of His Way

He Can,  In The Good Wishes Of The Young Woman."

"Paul!" Exclaimed The Reproachful,  But Smothered Voice Of Ellen.

"Never Fear,  Nelly," Whispered The Literal Bee-Hunter,  Whose Straight-

Going Mind Suggested No Other Motive Of Uneasiness,  On The Part Of His

Mistress,  Than Concern For Himself; "I Have Taken The Measure Of Them

All,  And You May Trust An Eye That Has Seen To Line Many A Bee Into

His Hole!"

"I Am Not About To Set Myself Up As A Ruler Of Inclinations," Observed

The Squatter. "If The Heart Of The Child Is Truly In The Settlements,

Let Her Declare It; She Shall Have No Let Or Hinderance From Me.

Speak,  Nelly,  And Let What You Say Come From Your Wishes,  Without Fear

Or Favour. Would You Leave Us To Go With This Young Man Into The

Settled Countries,  Or Will You Tarry And Share The Little We Have To

Give,  But Which To You We Give So Freely?"

Thus Called Upon To Decide,  Ellen Could No Longer Hesitate. The Glance

Of Her Eye Was At First Timid And Furtive. But As The Colour Flushed

Her Features,  And Her Breathing Became Quick And Excited,  It Was

Apparent That The Native Spirit Of The Girl Was Gaining The Ascendency

Over The Bashfulness Of Sex.

"You Took Me A Fatherless,  Impoverished,  And Friendless Orphan," She

Said,  Struggling To Command Her Voice,  "When Others,  Who Live In What

May Be Called Affluence Compared To Your State,  Chose To Forget Me;

And May Heaven In Its Goodness Bless You For It! The Little I Have

Done,  Will Never Pay You For That One Act Of Kindness. I Like Not Your

Manner Of Life; It Is Different From The Ways Of My Childhood,  And It

Is Different From My Wishes; Still,  Had You Not Led This Sweet And

Unoffending Lady From Her Friends,  I Should Never Have Quitted You,

Until You Yourself Had Said,   Go,  And The Blessing Of God Go With

You!'"

"The Act Was Not Wise,  But It Is Repented Of; And So Far As It Can Be

Done,  In Safety,  It Shall Be Repaired. Now,  Speak Freely,  Will You

Tarry,  Or Will You Go?"

"I Have Promised The Lady," Said Ellen,  Dropping Her Eyes Again To The

Earth,  "Not To Leave Her; And After She Has Received So Much Wrong

From Our Hands,  She May Have A Right To Claim That I Keep My Word."

"Take The Cords From The Young Man," Said Ishmael. When The Order Was

Obeyed,  He Motioned For All His Sons To Advance,  And He Placed Them In

A Row Before The Eyes Of Ellen. "Now Let There Be No Trifling,  But

Open Your Heart. Here Ar' All I Have To Offer,  Besides A Hearty

Welcome."

The Distressed Girl Turned Her Abashed Look From The Countenance Of

One Of The Young Men To That Of Another,  Until Her Eye Met The

Troubled And Working Features Of Paul. Then Nature Got The Better Of

Forms. She Threw Herself Into The Arms Of The Bee-Hunter,  And

Sufficiently Proclaimed Her Choice By Sobbing Aloud. Ishmael Signed To

His Sons To Fall Back,  And Evidently Mortified,  Though Perhaps Not

Disappointed By The Result,  He No Longer Hesitated.

"Take Her," He Said,  "And Deal Honestly And Kindly By Her. The Girl

Has That In Her Which Should Make Her Welcome,  In Any Man's House,  And

I Should Be Loth To Hear She Ever Came To Harm. And Now I Have Settled

With You All,  On Terms That I Hope You Will Not Find Hard,  But,  On The

Contrary,  Just And Manly. I Have Only Another Question To Ask,  And

That Is Of The Captain; Do You Choose To Profit By My Teams In Going

Into The Settlements,  Or Not?"

"I Hear,  That Some Soldiers Of My Party Are Looking For Me Near The

Villages Of The Pawnees," Said Middleton,  "And I Intend