Tannhahorens did not look at Mercy. The tip of his knife advanced and the Frenchman backed away from it. He was a very strong man, possibly stronger than Tannhahorens. But behind Tannhahorens were twenty heavily armed braves.
The Frenchman kept backing and Tannhahorens kept pressing. No sailor dared move a muscle, not outnumbered as they were. The Sauk let out a hideous wailing war cry.
Mercy shuddered with the memory of other war cries.
Even more terrified, all the French took another step back--and three of them fell into the St. Lawrence River.
The Sauk burst into wild laughter. The hooted and booed. The sailors threw ropes to their floundering comrades, because only Indians knew how to swim. Tannhahorens took Mercy's hand and led her to one of the pirogues, and the Sauk paddled close, hanging on to the edge of the dock so that Mercy could climb in. Mercy could not look at the Sauk. She had shamed Tannhahorens in front of them.
Mercy climbed in and Tannhahorens stepped in after her, and the men paddled slowly upstream to Tannhahorens's canoe. The other pirogue stayed at the wharf, where those Sauk continued to stand, their weapons shining.
Eventually the French began to load the ship again.
"Daughter," said Tannhahorens, "the sailors are not good men."
She nodded. He bent until he could look directly into her eyes, something Indians did not care for as a rule. "Daughter."
She flushed scarlet. On her white cheeks, guilt would always be revealed.
"The cross protects," said Tannhahorens. "Or so the French fathers claim. Perhaps it does. But better protection is to stay out of danger."
Did Tannhahorens think she had gotten lost? Did he believe that she had ended up on the wharf by accident? That she was waving the cross around for protection?
Or was he, in the way of Indians, allowing that to be the circumstance because it was easier?
When he had thanked the Sauk sufficiently and they had agreed to tell Otter that Mercy had gone home with her father, Tannhahorens paddled back to Kahnawake. His long strong arms bent into the current. Her family had not trusted her after all. Tannhahorens must have been following her.
Or, in the way of a real father, he had not trusted Montreal. Either way, she was defeated. There was no escape.
If there is no escape, and if there is also no ransom, what is there for me? thought Mercy. I don't want to be alone. A single star in a black and terrible night. How can I endure the name Alone Star? "Why do you call me Munnonock?" she asked.
She wanted desperately to go home and end this ugly day. It was still a word of warmth and comfort. Still a word of safety and love.
The homes she had known misted and blended and she did not really know if it was Nistenha in the longhouse or Stepmama in Deerfield or her mother in heaven whose home she wanted.
"You are brave, daughter," said Tannhahorens without looking at her, without breaking his rhythm, "and can stand alone. You shine with courage, and so shone every night of your march. You are our hope for sons and daughters to come. On you much depends.
The Frenchman kept backing and Tannhahorens kept pressing. No sailor dared move a muscle, not outnumbered as they were. The Sauk let out a hideous wailing war cry.
Mercy shuddered with the memory of other war cries.
Even more terrified, all the French took another step back--and three of them fell into the St. Lawrence River.
The Sauk burst into wild laughter. The hooted and booed. The sailors threw ropes to their floundering comrades, because only Indians knew how to swim. Tannhahorens took Mercy's hand and led her to one of the pirogues, and the Sauk paddled close, hanging on to the edge of the dock so that Mercy could climb in. Mercy could not look at the Sauk. She had shamed Tannhahorens in front of them.
Mercy climbed in and Tannhahorens stepped in after her, and the men paddled slowly upstream to Tannhahorens's canoe. The other pirogue stayed at the wharf, where those Sauk continued to stand, their weapons shining.
Eventually the French began to load the ship again.
"Daughter," said Tannhahorens, "the sailors are not good men."
She nodded. He bent until he could look directly into her eyes, something Indians did not care for as a rule. "Daughter."
She flushed scarlet. On her white cheeks, guilt would always be revealed.
"The cross protects," said Tannhahorens. "Or so the French fathers claim. Perhaps it does. But better protection is to stay out of danger."
Did Tannhahorens think she had gotten lost? Did he believe that she had ended up on the wharf by accident? That she was waving the cross around for protection?
Or was he, in the way of Indians, allowing that to be the circumstance because it was easier?
When he had thanked the Sauk sufficiently and they had agreed to tell Otter that Mercy had gone home with her father, Tannhahorens paddled back to Kahnawake. His long strong arms bent into the current. Her family had not trusted her after all. Tannhahorens must have been following her.
Or, in the way of a real father, he had not trusted Montreal. Either way, she was defeated. There was no escape.
If there is no escape, and if there is also no ransom, what is there for me? thought Mercy. I don't want to be alone. A single star in a black and terrible night. How can I endure the name Alone Star? "Why do you call me Munnonock?" she asked.
She wanted desperately to go home and end this ugly day. It was still a word of warmth and comfort. Still a word of safety and love.
The homes she had known misted and blended and she did not really know if it was Nistenha in the longhouse or Stepmama in Deerfield or her mother in heaven whose home she wanted.
"You are brave, daughter," said Tannhahorens without looking at her, without breaking his rhythm, "and can stand alone. You shine with courage, and so shone every night of your march. You are our hope for sons and daughters to come. On you much depends.
( Caroline B. Cooney )
[ The Ransom of Mercy Carter ]
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