It was perhaps fortunate for the bee-hunter, that neither
Crowsfeather, nor any other of the Pottawattamies, was present at
this first rencontre, or he might have fallen on the spot, a victim
to their disappointed hopes of drinking at a whiskey-spring. The
chiefs present were strangers to le Bourdon, and they stared at him,
in a way to show that his person was equally unknown to them. But it
was necessary, now, to follow the Indians back to their circle,
where the whole party soon collected again, the wolves having gone
off on their several routes, to put up some other animal, and run
him to death.
During the whole of that excited and tumultuous scene, which would
probably now be termed a "stampede" in the Mexican-Americo-English
of the day, Peter had not stirred. Familiar with such occurrences,
he felt the importance of manifesting an unmoved calm, as a quality
most likely to impress the minds of his companions with a profound
sense of his dignity and self-command. While all around him was in a
tumult, he stood in his tracks, motionless as a statue. Even the
fortitude of the worthy missionary was shaken by the wild tempest
that momentarily prevailed; and the good man forgot the Jews in his
alarm at wolves, forgot the mighty past in his apprehensions for the
uncomfortable and ill-boding present time.
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