This chief, with Red Jacket and one or two
others, were once passing from their settlement on Canandaigua lake, to
the old Seneca Castle, near the foot of Seneca lake. On their way they
encountered a large grizzly bear. Little Billy and the others in the
company, were frightened and began to run. Red Jacket who was
distinguished as a hunter, and an excellent marksman, drew up his rifle,
and brought the monster to the ground.
It so happened, on one occasion sometime afterward, that Little Billy was
very pertinacious in calling Red Jacket a coward. The orator did not
appear to notice him at first; but finding that he persisted in the
charge, he turned to him and coolly and sarcastically said,--"_Well, if I
am coward I never run unless it's for something bigger than a bear_."
[Footnote: Conversation with Seneca chief, Wm. Jones.]
It is hardly necessary to add, that nothing more was heard from Little
Billy concerning his cowardice on that day.
This charge of cowardice was owing in a great degree to the orator's
position. He was not on the popular side. The majority of his people were
against him. Had he acted in accordance with their wishes, it is a
question whether anything would ever have been said about his deficiency
in courage. And this supposition is strengthened by the fact, that at a
subsequent period in his history, a little display of courage, when acting
in accordance with the wishes of his people, gained for him a marked
degree of approbation, and gave rise to the affirmation, "_the stain fixed
upon his character, was thus wiped away by his good conduct in the
field_.
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