Waltey
Dve maščevanji
206 Two Revenges
Myths and Legends of Our Own Land · Charles M. SkinnerO besedilu
Dve maščevanji
- Vir
- Myths and Legends of Our Own Land
- Avtor
- Charles M. Skinner
- Jezik branja
- Slovenščina
- Jezik izvirnika
- English
- Čas branja
- 2 min branja
- Obseg
- 2 strani
- Naslov izvirnika
- 206 Two Revenges
O izvirniku
Myths and Legends of Our Own Land
Obsežna zgodovinska zbirka ameriških legend, ki jih je Skinner zbral in avtorsko rekonstruiral. Bralni jezik je Slovenščina, izvirnik pa prihaja iz vira Myths and Legends of Our Own Land v jeziku English.
Besedilo
Dve maščevanji
Ravnanja Indijanca ni nič laže predvideti kakor ravnanja ženske. V Detroitu je živel Wasson, eden od bojevnikov strah vzbujajočega Pontiaca, ki je v srcu začutil nežno naklonjenost do dekleta iz svojega plemena. Mlinar iz starega rdečega mlina, ki je stal na koncu Štiriindvajsete ulice, jo je s privolitvijo njenih ljudi posvojil in se po svojih najboljših močeh trudil, da bi jo omikal. Toda Wasson je budno oprezal. Kmalu je odkril, da je vselej, kadar je bil mlinar zdoma, v oknu gorela sveča, dokler ni iz senc stopila postava, zavita v vojaški plašč, potrkala in bila spuščena v hišo. Tisto noč, ko je Wasson v svojem tekmecu prepoznal polkovnika Campbella, angleškega častnika, se je skozi okno prikradel v dekletovo sobo in jo s sekiro ubil. Prav tako je ubil polkovnika Campbella, potem ko je Pontiac zajel vojake iz garnizije. Odtlej so se ljudje mlina izogibali, kajti po njem je hodila prikazen dekleta s svečo v roki in prestrašila toliko ljudi, da so ga leta 1795 podrli.
Toda rdeči mož ni bil vedno sovražen. Kenen, Huron, je ljubil dekle mešane krvi, ki ga nikakor ni mogel pregovoriti v zaroko. Nekega dne je v gozdu po nesreči ranil belca, si ga naložil na ramo in z njim pohitel v tabor. Kmalu je spoznal, da nežni pogledi dekleta mešane krvi bolj pripomorejo k okrevanju njegove žrtve kakor zaklinjanja vrača, in nekega dne je v navalu jeze izvlekel nož ter planil nad dvojico. Njen nedolžno začudeni pogled ga je osramotil. Z izrazom prezira do samega sebe je odvihral in zalučal orožje daleč v reko. Kmalu zatem so belca ujeli Irokezi. Ravno so se pripravljali, da ga bodo začeli mučiti, ko je mednje skočil visok Indijanec in zavpil: »Jaz sem Kenen. Izpustite bledoličnega, kajti huronski poglavar bo stopil na njegovo mesto.« In ko so ujetniku z zapestij in gležnjev sneli vezi, je dodal: »Pojdi in potolaži Belo srnico.« Belcu so dovolili sesti v kanu in odveslati, toda med veslanjem ga je stisnilo pri srcu: do njegovih ušes so priplavale besede smrtne pesmi in prasketanje plamenov.
Izvirnik
206 Two Revenges
Naslednje strani prikazujejo izvirno besedilo za primerjavo.
It is no more possible to predicate the conduct of an Indian than that of a woman. In Detroit lived Wasson, one of the warriors of the dreaded Pontiac, who had felt some tender movings of the spirit toward a girl of his tribe. The keeper of the old red mill that stood at the foot of Twenty-fourth Street adopted her, with the consent of her people, and did his best to civilize her. But Wasson kept watch. He presently discovered that whenever the miller was away a candle shone in the window until a figure wrapped in a military cloak emerged from the shadows, knocked, and was admitted. On the night that Wasson identified his rival as Colonel Campbell, an English officer, he stole into the girl's room through the window and cut her down with his hatchet. Colonel Campbell, likewise, he slew after Pontiac had made prisoners of the garrison. The mill was shunned, after that, for the figure of a girl, with a candle in her hand, frightened so many people by moving about the place that it was torn down in 1795.
But the red man was not always hostile. Kenen, a Huron, loved a half-breed girl, whom he could never persuade into a betrothal. One day he accidentally wounded a white man in the wood, and lifting him on his shoulder he hurried with him to camp. It was not long before he found that the soft glances of the half-breed girl were doing more to cure his victim than the incantations of the medicine-man, and in a fit of anger, one day, he plucked forth his knife and fell upon the couple. Her look of innocent surprise shamed him. He rushed away, with an expression of self-contempt, and flung his weapon far into the river. Soon after, the white man was captured by the Iroquois. They were preparing to put him to the torture when a tall Indian leaped in among them, with the cry, “I am Kenen. Let the pale face go, for a Huron chief will take his place.” And, as the bonds fell from the prisoner's wrists and ankles, he added, “Go and comfort the White Fawn.” The white man was allowed to enter a canoe and row away, but as he did so his heart misgave him: the words of a deathsong and the crackling of flames had reached his ears.
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