a mountain woman(山妇)-第22章
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pray； if you are a man like Father de Smet。 You go on to the next lodge
where the living yet are； and teach them how to avoid death。
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Besides； when you are young； it is much easier to act than to pray。
When the chil… dren cried for food； Father de Smet took down the rifle
from the wall and went out with it； coming back only when he could feed
the hungry。 There were places where the prairie was black with buffalo；
and the shy deer showed their delicate heads among the leafless willows of
the Papillion。 When they the children were cold； this young man
brought in baskets of buffalo chips from the prairie and built them a fire；
or he hung more skins up at the entrance to the tepees。 If he wanted to
cross a river and had no boat at hand； he leaped the uncertain ice； or； in
clear current； swam； with his clothes on his head in a bundle。
A wonderful traveller for the time was Father de Smet。 Twice he had
gone as far as the land of the Flathead nation； and he could climb
mountain passes as well as any guide of the Rockies。 He had built a dozen
missions； lying all the way from the Colum… bia to the Kaw。 He had
always a jest at his tongue's end； and served it out with as much readiness
as a prayer； and he had； withal； an arm trained to do execution。 Every man
on the plains understood the art of self…preservation。 Even in Cainsville；
over by the council ground of the western tribes； which was quite the most
civilized place for hundreds of miles； life was uncer… tain when the boats
came from St。 Louis with bad whiskey in their holds。 But no one dared
take liberties with the holy father。 The thrust from his shoulder was
straight and sure； and his fist was hard。
Yet it was not the sinner that Father de Smet meant to crush。 He
always supple… mented his acts of physical prowess with that explanation。
It was the sin that he struck at from the shoulder and may not even an
anointed one strike at sin？
Father de Smet could draw a fine line； too； between the things which
were bad in themselves； and the things which were only extrinsically bad。
For example； there were the soups of Mademoiselle Ninon。 Mam'selle
herself was not above reproach； but her soups were。 Mademoiselle Ninon
was the only Parisian thing in the settlement。 And she was certainly to be
avoided which was per… haps the reason that no one avoided her。 It was
four years since she had seen Paris。 She was sixteen then； and she
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followed the for… tunes of a certain adventurer who found it advisable to
sail for Montreal。 Ninon had been bored back in Paris； it being dull in the
mantua…making shop of Madame Guittar。 If she had been a man she would
have taken to navigation； and might have made herself famous by sailing
to some unknown part of the New World。 Being a woman； she took a lover
who was going to New France； and for… got to weep when he found an
early and vio… lent death。 And there were others at hand； and Ninon sailed
around the cold blue lakes； past Sault St。 Marie； and made her way across
the portages to the Mississippi； and so down to the sacred rock of St。 Louis。
That was a merry place。 Ninon had fault to find neither with the wine nor
the dances。 They were all that one could have desired； and there was no
limit to either of them。 But still； after a time； even this grew tire… some to
one of Ninon's spirit； and she took the first opportunity to sail up the
Missouri with a certain young trapper connected with the great fur
company； and so found her… self at Cainsville； with the blue bluffs rising to
the east of her； and the low white stretches of the river flats undulating
down to where the sluggish stream wound its way southward capriciously。
Ninon soon tired of her trapper。 For one thing she found out that he
was a coward。 She saw him run once in a buffalo fight。 That was when the
Pawnee stood still with a blanket stretched wide in a gaudy square； and
caught the head of the mad animal fairly in the tough fabric； his mus…
tang's legs trembled under him； but he did not move； for a mustang is
the soul of an Indian； and obeys each thought； the Indian himself felt his
heart pounding at his ribs； but once with that garment fast over the baffled
eyes of the struggling brute； the rest was only a matter of judicious knife…
thrusts。 Ninon saw this。 She rode past her lover； and snatched the twisted
bullion cord from his hat that she had braided and put there； and that night
she tied it on the hat of the Pawnee who had killed the buffalo。
The Pawnees were rather proud of the episode； and as for the
Frenchmen； they did not mind。 The French have always been very
adaptable in America。 Ninon was universally popular。
And so were her soups。
Every man has his price。 Father de Smet's was the soups of
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Mademoiselle Ninon。 Fancy！ If you have an educated palate and are
obliged to eat the strong distillation of buffalo meat； cooked in a pot which
has been wiped out with the greasy petticoat of a squaw！ When Ninon
came down from St。 Louis she brought with her a great box containing
neither clothes； furniture； nor trinkets； but something much more
wonderful！ It was a marvellous compound… ing of spices and seasonings。
The aromatic liquids she set before the enchanted men of the settlement
bore no more relation to ordinary buffalo soup than Chateaubrand's Indian
maidens did to one of the Paw… nee girls； who slouched about the settle…
ment with noxious tresses and sullen slavish coquetries。
Father de Smet would not at any time have called Ninon a scarlet
woman。 But when he ate the dish of soup or tasted the hot corn…cakes that
she invariably invited him to partake of as he passed her little house； he
refrained with all the charity of a true Christian and an accomplished
epicure from even thinking her such。 And he re… membered the words of
the Saviour； 〃Let him who is without sin among you cast the first stone。〃
To Father de Smet's healthy nature nothing seemed more superfluous
than sin。 And he was averse to thinking that any committed deeds of which
he need be ashamed。 So it was his habit； especially if the day was pleasant
and his own thoughts happy； to say to himself when he saw one of the wild
young trappers leaving the cabin of Mademoiselle Ninon： 〃He has been
for some of the good woman's hot cakes；〃 till he grew quite to believe that
the only attractions that the adroit Frenchwoman possessed were of a
gastronomic nature。
To tell the truth； the attractions of Made… moiselle Ninon were varied。
To begin with； she was the only thing in that wilder… ness to suggest home。
Ninon had a genius for home…making。 Her cabin； in which she cooked；
slept； ate； lived； had become a boudoir。
The walls were hung with rare and beau… tiful skins； the very
