Radisson. We're in for it," says he, speaking
English too quick for Le Borgne's ear. "If we show the white feather
now, they'll finish us. They'll not harm us till they've done for the
English and got more muskets. And that red pirate is after these same
furs! Body o' me, an you hang back, scared o' battle, you'd best not
come to the wilderness."
"The white-men will go with the Indians, but the white-men will not
fight with the Little Sticks," announced Godefroy to Le Borgne,
proffering tobacco enough to pacify the tribe.
'Twas in vain that I expostulated against the risk of going far inland
with hostiles, who had attacked the New England fort and were even now
planning the slaughter of white-men. Inoffensiveness is the most
deadly of offences with savagery, whether the savagery be of white men
or red. Le Borgne had the insolence to ask why the tribe could not as
easily kill us where we were as farther inland; and we saw that
remonstrances were working the evil that we wished to avoid--increasing
the Indians' daring. After all, Godefroy was right. The man who fears
death should neither go to the wilderness nor launch his canoe above a
whirlpool unless he is prepared to run the rapids. This New World had
never been won from darkness if men had hung back from fear of spilt
blood.
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