Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-12-24
YOUNG PAUGUS.


The sold French War was over. The
banners Of England had long streamcd
above the towers Of Quebec. The In
dams had left the woods and lakes Of
New-Hampshire, for the broader wa.
tiers and deeper forests Of Canada and
the West. Time had tanned the iron
sincws Of the rangers-untameable by
any other enemy-or they were sleep
ing, leach in his narrow cell forever
laid Where the red man once roam
ed after the moose, prowIed upon the
scout, or lighted the council fre-now
stood the infant village and the peace
full neighborhood. The waterfall, at
whose foaming foot the Indian once
darted his rude spear into the salmon,
or hooked the trout upon his cured bit
of bone-now turned the wheel of the
clumsy grist mil, whittier The jogging
farmer brought his rye and INDIAN
over moss and hill, and through brush
and swamp, in peace and in safety. The
congregations, as they gathered togeth-
or at meeting,' no longer brought their
charged guns TO the house of worship,
or feared that the prayers Of their min
lister would be interrupted by the war
whoop of Lovewel's men scarcely a
survivor remained, Of the few that lived
through the desperate fight ut Pigu ack-
Ell, Chambcrlin was still alive. lie was
an old greyheaded man. lie had long
given over hunting, and peace had chan
ged his war spear into an implement Of
husbandry, Of all his hunting and fight
ing gears nothing remained to him but
| the gun that shot old Paugus at Love
Wells pond, and the pullet pouch and
yellow powder horn, covered over with
Indian devices, which were the spoil of
the fallen savage in that terrible
ter. These he had preserved with an
old mans care: His cottage, from
which went up the solitary smoke that
caught the eye of Capt. Lovewell and
his men, now wal the centre Of a con-
siderable hamlet. A wild stream run
past it-and, a little way below it, tum-
bled down q fall, upon which stood one
of the rude saw mills of that day, and
old Chamberlin, once the swift hunter
and the strong and proud warrior, was
now its humble owner, and more humble
tender. He had survived his wife and
his children. Few Of his neighbors ven.
tured 10 be familiar with him, on account
OF the stern peculiarly of his character,
and he passed his days in solitude, ex-
cepting such association as men had
with him in his humble vacations.
In the year 1777, towards the close Of
one of those fair days in autumn, which
make up the Indian summer a num-
Der of the villagers of P--had
gathered into their n story tavern, to
talk over the afa irs Of the little pub
lies, as was their won'-when they were
surprised and startled by the entrance Of
n young Indian among them. An Indian
at that time had got to be a rarity in
P. Ho was tall, over six feet,
and finely formed after the fashion of
the forest. He had q belt Of wampum
around his waist, and from it hung his
tomahawk. Along gun was in his hand
aud he stood in his moccasins with the
grace and dignity Of the son Of a chief.
He placed his gun behind the door and
silently took his seat BY himself. A lit.
tie before sun set, the farmers left the
inn and returned to their homes. One
old hunter remained with the landlord
and the young savage. Tho hunter
eyed the Indian with keen attention
his suspicious were awakened at the
sight Of this warrior armed, SO remote
from The residence of the nearest tribe,
and in a time Of peace. He was ac-
quainted with the Indian character in
the old wars, and his suspicious were
heightened and confirmed, when he
heard the young chief ask the landlord
in a io,c aud indifferent lone if zone Cham
berlin d,ceH in the rIlage? The land
lord pointed cut to him the mill where
the old man labored, and the village
where he dwct. The Indian took his
gun and went out.
Some Of tho blood Of old Paugus,'
said the hunter, and I'll venture my
life, come to avenge the death Of that
chief upon Chamberlin. I'll give tho
old man warning He hastily stepped
out and followed a winding foot path
that led down 10 the saw mill, where the
old man was still at his tolls. He reach
ed the mill and told Chamberlin, that
young Paugus from Canada, had come
with his rife and his tomaka,ck to avenge
upon him, the fall Of that chief Cham
berlin's cheek turned ashy pale. and he
siernly replied, tel. young Paugus ]
have the gun that slew his father, and
he had better return to the forests than
modest me in my old age and as he spoke
he pointed 10 the long gun as il hung up
on prongs Of the moose horn, driven in
10 the saw mill plate, and near il was
suspended the bullet pouch and powder
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