orn's
vessel?"
"Cappen Thorn big chief; no like Indian; big voice; no give presents; no
let Indian come on board without leave; Indian no like Cappen Thorn. He
get mad at my cousin Kasiascall for hiding on his ship; keep him all
night prisoner, cause he no punish his young men for cutting the
boarding-netting. Kasiascall get mad. Next day no Indian go to trade
with the ship; then Cappen Thorn he send McKay ashore to say he is
sorry, and talk to Indian 'bout trade.
"Indian very good to McKay; say not mad; say come next day to trade
plenty. Kasiascall, too, tell McKay all right; come trade all same. But
McKay he look dark; he no believe my cousin; think Indian lie. All same
he tell come to-morrow; and he shake hands, and go back to ship. He tell
Cappen Thorn, 'Indian say he trade to-morrow.' Big Cappen walk the deck
very proud. He say he 'teach the damned Indians to behave themselves.'
"Next day six white men come ashore to visit our lodges. My cousin treat
white men well. Kasiascall and his young men go to the ship to trade.
Pretty soon Kasiascall come back: say McKay look dark and sad; say
Indian buy plenty of knives and hide under their blankets; say I will
see the ship taken by the Indians in one hour. My heart was sad for
McKay. He good man. Indian like McKay heap. But my cousin and his people
want plenty goods; no like Cappen Thorn; so Nittinat say nothing.
"Bimeby there was big noise like a hundred guns, and the ship was all in
pieces, flying through the air like leaves on the wind. My cousin's
people were all in pieces too; one arm, one leg, one piece head. Ugh!"
"Served them right, too!" ejaculated Charlie. "Is that the whole story,
old mortality?"
But Nittinat was silent--overcome, as it seemed by these sad
reminiscences. He bowed his head upon his breast until the extinguisher
pointed directly at Fanny's nose, as her brother mischievously made her
aware. When I thought that Nittinat had taken time to sufficiently
regret his cousin's misfortune in losing so many young men, I gently
reminded him of Charlie's question.
"Kasiascall's heart was very little when he saw the destruction of his
warriors, and heard the wailing of the women and children. To comfort
him the six white men were taken and bound for slaves. When the days of
mourning were past, my cousin laid the six white slaves in a row, their
throats resting on the sharp edge of a rock, and set his Indian slaves
to saw off their heads with a c
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