Sunset of the Iroquois by Michael Winston

Author:Michael Winston
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: indians, revolutionary war, frontier, george washington, joseph brant, clintonsullivan campaign
Publisher: Michael Winston

Chapter 20

Indian Campfires

July 1779

There remained some at Neodakheat who still did not believe that a rebel army would come to harm them, and Looks Both Ways was still telling the people that only those tribes that had openly joined with the British and made war against the rebels would be the targets of their aggression.

But no councils were held to discuss the matter, and Too Tall Pine and Fishcarrier, and most of the warriors and old sachems were now of the opinion that they had to make a stand against the coming invasion or look like traitors to the Six Nations. With this in mind, Too Tall Pine sent Drags Canoe and Black Otter out to the other Cayuga villages with red wampum belts, to warn them as far away as the Cayuga Castle that great rebel armies were gathering against them. He especially wanted Drags Canoe to tell them that he and Fishcarrier intended to go and fight with the British and their Indian brothers, and that if the Cayuga were still men they would send their warriors to Chemung where they would all gather under Butler and Brant in order to stop the invasion in its tracks.

As part of his preparations, Too Tall Pine held a big war dance to encourage and excite those who had as yet not taken up the hatchet, and many joined the dance. Then he held an initiation ceremony for his son who had taken part in his first raid.

Too Tall Pine said nothing as he led his son to the warriors lodge and then had him wait outside. Yellow Bear waited for some time, an hour or more, but refused to move from the spot, showing his disdain for boredom and for the flies that buzzed around him and landed on his lips and back. Finally the flap opened and he heard a voice beckon for him to come in.

It was dark inside and all he could see was a black wall of fur; a dozen bearskins had surrounded him. A drum began to beat and one of the bearskins dropped. Standing before him was a frightening creature with a wide and ugly face, deformed and painted red, with great staring silver eyes. It had a large bent nose, thick and deformed lips, and a long tongue hanging out as if it were being choked. Long black hair streamed down on both sides of the mask (gagosa). Another drum joined with the first and the face began to dance around him, gyrating wildly in the pantomime of the war dance and waving a tomahawk menacingly near his head.

Yellow Bear dared not move as the face danced around him, cackling madly like one insane. Now another face, as grotesque as the first, but different, appeared through the opening in the circle of bearskins. The creature held a bow and drew back an arrow. It struck him in the chest and stung him badly, but he did not fall, but felt only relief as the arrow fell to the ground.

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