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Chapter 4
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· 121 · CHAPTER 4 To our surprise it was late in the forenoon. Mother hastily prepared our simple woodland meal of “sheshep,” “kegon,” and “medawmin” (duck, fish, and corn), a right royal meal for kindred souls who had gone supperless all night. While eating, our guests informed us they expected “Aukewaze,” the old Ottawa trapper, down the “Sebe” during the day to take them home; as he had promised, when he brought them there, to be back “netawn tobikkezes” (the first full moon) in that month. After breakfast we all went down to the river’s shore to keep watch for the old trapper.About noon we caught sight of his long birch canoe rounding the river’s bend far up the stream. The old man was singing in his mother tongue, while bending to the oars with all his might. In front of him, on his knees, was a little boy with head erect, as if steering for some object far down the stream. On reaching a point opposite where we sat, the maid and her mother rising to their feet, waved their hands. The boat at once turned in midstream, landing on the beach close beside us. The old man and little boy both chimed out, “Boozhoo nicconog?” and both leaped from the boat.The old man seized Lonidaw’s hand, while her lips and the little boy’s together met; after which her mother kissed the lad, and shook the old man’s hand. He was now introduced to us as “omeshawayemaw” (uncle) Kawbenaw, their old “jikiwe” (friend), the Ottawa trapper. After · 122 · Simon Pokagon saluting mother and me with a nod of the head, he took great pride in telling us the little boy was only “metoswe” (ten) years old, and that he was “nedawnissesh nedawniss” (his daughter’s daughter’s) youngest child, “Nonneeonson” (little Nonnee). The aged man was rudely dressed in old-time Indian style, and judging from his long, gray hair, and the many wrinkles in his face, eighty years or more had left their impress there. Yet he was straight, tall, and active as a youth. His teeth were of perfect make, and white as snow.The boy wore cap and feathers trimmed in white and red, with a tanned fawn-skin about his hips, reaching to his knees. Its star-like spots of pure white, scattered through the light red hair, appeared in perfect harmony with his childlike face and acts of innocence. We urged the old man to stay with us all night and start back in the morning. He did not favor the plan, until Lonidaw told him “ninogawshemaw ” (my mother) was an old playmate of “ninogawshemaw” (her mother), and that each had supposed the other dead until the day before. Silently a while he stood and eyed us with suspicious looks; then gazing at his shadow, and then at the sun, slowly said, “Mano, ae (well, yes), nind inenda ningashkiton (I suppose I can stay), but would like to load binish tebecut (up tonight) so as to start gigi kesus waubung (with the sun tomorrow morning).”The girl and her mother assured him that they could do as he desired. He then took out of the boat a string of ducks and some fish, which he threw on the shore, saying, “Well, then, if we must stay all night, let us have wekaudewin (a feast).” He then picked up his bow (as long as he was tall), loosened the strings, and placed it back into the boat again across a pair of young deer horns. I said, “I see you have killed a deer, where is he?” “Io” (Oh), he replied, “they are nin totem (my mascot),” pointing to the deer that just came to the shore.“They are nind bibon eshkanog (his last year’s horns). Loda migiwe (gave them to me). Ne zhawg (I always) keep them in my boat; they bring papewewin (good luck).”While I was considering how the deer might feel toward the queer old man and little lad, he picked up the ducks and fish and threw them across the shoulders of the deer, saying, “You carry them, gete gawewinog (old jealousy).” Then turning to Lonidaw, he asked, “Has he nitaga oma” (killed anybody here)? Quickly the answer came,“He never killed anybody here, or elsewhere, as I know of.” “Io, kaw (Oh, no),” he said;“I can not say he has, but ashki smokemon (a young white man) told me the other...