Prev | Current Page 493 | Next

Cooper, James Fenimore, 1789-1851

"Oak Openings"

"
Le Bourdon gained a great deal of ground by this fortunate
corroboration of his own still more fortunate thought Matters were
pretty nearly desperate with him, and with all his friends, should
Peter really meditate evil; and as desperate diseases notoriously
require remedies of the same character, he was ready to attempt
anything that promised even the smallest chance of success.
"Yes, yes--" the bee-hunter pursued the discourse by saying--"bees
know a great deal. I have sometimes thought that bees know more than
bears, and my brother must be able to tell something of them?"
"Yes; my name is Bear's Meat," answered that chief, complacently.
"Injin always give name that mean somet'ing. Kill so many bear one
winter, got dat name."
"A good name it is! To kill a bear is the most honorable thing a
hunter can do, as we all know. If my brother wishes to hear it, I
will ask my bees when he is to kill another."
The savage to whom this was addressed fairly started with delight.
He was eagerly signifying his cheerful assent to the proposal, when
Peter quietly interposed, and changed the discourse to himself, in a
way that he had, and which would not easily admit of denial.


Pages:
481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505