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Updated: June 18, 2025
Now, on this fourth day, and our journey drawing to its end, I resolved to follow the Siwanois if he stirred from our fire, and discover for myself with what manner of visitor he held these stealthy councils. During the long day's march I lagged and watched and listened in vain for any follower along our route.
"Seawan," he said coldly, correcting me and using the softer Siwanois term. Then, with that true courtesy which ever seeks to ease a merited rebuke, he spoke pleasantly concerning shell-beads, and how they were made and from what, and how it was that the purple beads were the gold, the white beads the silver, and the black beads the copper equivalents in English coinage.
Once more Tahoontowhee's piercing defiance split the quivering silence; once more the whining panther cry of the Cat-People floated back through the far darkness. Then we turned away toward our pickets; and, as we filed into our lines, I could smell the paint and oil on the scalp that the Siwanois had taken. And it smelled rank enough, God wot!
Now, had this same Indian been an Iroquois I might have formed some reasonable judgment concerning his capacity for treachery; but I had seen few Delawares in my life, and had never heard them speak at all, save to boast in their cups of Uncas, Tamanund, and Miontonomoh. As for a Siwanois Mohican, this Sagamore of the Magic Clan was the first of his tribe and ensign that I had ever beheld.
"Loskiel," he said, "if I know why, perhaps I know of other matters, too. Ask me some day before they send you into battle." "What matters do you know of?" "Ask me no more, Loskiel until your conch-horns blowing in the forest summon Morgan's men to battle. Then ask; and a Sagamore will answer a Siwanois Mohican of the magic clan. Hiero!"
He shot a glance of lightning intelligence at me, then instantly his features became smoothly composed and blank again. "Has my brother never before seen the Spirit Bear?" he asked coldly. "Is that a clan, Mayaro?" "Among the Siwanois only." "That is strange," I muttered. "I have never before seen a Siwanois. Where could I have seen a Siwanois? Where?" But he only shook his head.
I could see that Boyd also was thinking of this ghastly business, as I caught his sombre eye. He seemed to shudder, then: "Patience," he muttered grimly, with a significant nod toward the Siwanois, who strode silently between our horses. "We have our guide at last. A Siwanois hates the Iroquois no more fiercely than do we white-skins.
Somewhere upon that dim and sparkling esplanade the Siwanois had now seated himself. For a while, straining my eyes where I lay flat among the taller fringing ferns, I could just make out a blot in the greyness where he sat upright, like a watching catamount under the stars.
But at the same moment I understood how perfectly characteristic of an Indian had been his conduct. "I knew," he said tranquilly, "but I did not know why this maiden wished to know. Therefore was I silent." "Why did you not ask her?" But before he spake I knew why too. "Does a Sagamore ask idle questions of a woman?" he said coldly. "Do the Siwanois babble?" "No. And yet and yet "
The Siwanois drew my knife from his sheath, touched the skin of his wrist with the keen edge. I followed his example; on our wrists two bright spots of blood beaded the skin. Then the Sagamore filled a tin cup with clean water and extended his wrist. A single drop of blood fell into it. I did the same. Then in silence still, he lifted the cup to his lips, tasted it, and passed it to me.
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