Читать книгу Little Rifle; or, The Young Fur Hunters онлайн

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The scarred face of Old Ruff expanded into a quaint smile, as he looked fondly down in the countenance of the lad, and listened to his words. Then, laying the long, bony finger of his right hand into the palm of his left, as if to call special attention to his utterances, he said:

“Yas, younker, you’re right. I’ve hunted wild animiles, and fit Injins for a good many years, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the red-skin is a qu’ar critter, and it takes a good while afore a feller understands him. Some chaps come out here fur a few weeks, and think they’ve got the hang of things, when they don’t know no more about copper-skins, than my grandmother does about tannin’ grizzly b’ars. You know they ginerally call the Injin red, but when he gits on the war-path, he’s allers a ‘yeller.’ They believe in spooks, and when the spirit moves ’em, they move the spirits. They don’t like crooked paths, and generally take every thing straight; they are very hospitable, and often treat their captives to a hot stake. This is very touching, ’specially to the captive. They’re purty good shots, as you know yourself, Little Rifle, ’cause you’ve see’d ’em shoot the rapids; they are good on drawing a long bow, but often take an arrow view of things, and I knowed an old chief once that lived half the time upon arrow-root. Some younkers like you think an Injin is the very beau ideal of a man, as they say down in the settlements; but sence they’ve larned the use of guns, they’ve hung up the fiddle and the bow, which must harrow the feelin’s of the varmints a powerful heap. My nephew that knows how to read books, calls him ‘Lo, the poor Injin,’ and I agree with him, for ef thar’s any lower critters in all creation, I’ve never see’d ’em. Sometimes you can tame an Injin, and sometimes you can’t. They say an Injin never forgits a kindness, and I s’pose they don’t, fur if you’re kind to one of ’em he’ll hunt you for a week, and never give up till he gets a lock of your ha’r to remember you by. The only trouble is that when he takes the lock he’s mighty sartin to take all thar is on your head.”