THE COUP STICK

THE COUP STICK

I was once told the story of when George was about fourteen seasons old. His father, Red Wolf, said to him, "it is time for you to become a warrior. You must take the coup stick and go to the camp of the Seneca and touch one of their warriors, then return here without being found out or end up in a fight with them. There is a camp of Seneca about one and a half days run northwest of here. Take your bow, George, and be on your way". As George moved toward the front gate of the village, Big Bear said, "Where are you going, George? Can I come with you?" George said, "No Big Bear, I have to prove myself'. "On your way, George" said Big Bear. George took his bow and arrows and ran towards the forest, headed northwest.

Red Wolf said to Big Bear, "I hope the Great Spirit watches over him. I am told there are eight to ten Seneca warriors in that camp". "George will do fine", said Big Bear. "He is one of the best of us in the forest. He can cover his back trail the best of all of the new braves". Red Wolf said, "Yes I know, Big Bear".

George moved northwest, watching his back trail, moving like a snake, in and out between the trees. You could only hear the movement of the wind in the trees. Watching his trail, the movement of the deer and the fox, he listened to the birds as he moved along the trail.

George stopped, the birds were moving south and they were moving fast. He must be getting close to the camp of the Seneca. He dropped to the ground and moved like his brother, the snake, sliding around the trees. In the dusk of the darkness he could see the camp. Something was wrong. They had two white women with them, the women bound on the far side of the camp.

"What should I do? If I do not try to help them, the white men will say that we, the Cherokee, did this but if I do, I will have failed my father and I will never become a warrior. My friend Big Bear is a warrior already, what should I do? Well, I have to do what I have to do. I will wait until the light hides, then I will move to help the white women".

George moved around the camp to the far side, where the white women were bound. It was very dark, only a small light from the fire that was in the center of the camp. "I came up behind the older white woman and placed my hand over her mouth and said, "I am going to get you out of here." I took my knife and cut the leather strips that bound her hands. Then I moved over to the younger white woman and placed my hand over her mouth, she was trying to make sounds. The other woman said to her, "it is alright." I cut her leather bands and we moved slowly into the forest, trying to put distance between us and the Seneca warriors. The younger white woman said, "They killed my father." You could hear the camp getting up and one of the Seneca warriors said, "The white women are gone".

George said to the one white woman, "Take her hand and don't let it loose, now run". It was very dark; they were running into the trees because they could not see in the darkness. next