The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1840-05-23

threshold, while its mistress caught hold
of her fathers coat and anxiously walt
ed the denoumcnt For a moment not a
word was spoken-but the good preacher
recovering his composure sooner than the
rest, said in his mild tone, whoever you
are that wander in such a night as this, |
bid you welcome. 4
No sooner had the words fallen from
his tongue than the door opened, and a
tall Indian nearly intoxicated, with a bag
gard face and a blood shot eye, entered,
and with a bare good evening seated hun
self in the vYaR corner, and IN drunk
en- voice calldAgrumly for food and drink,
The worthy minister told him to begone,
that there was an inn at the next door,
where he would be well taken care of {;
and finally when the savage refused to
depart, babe the servant aid him in put
tng him into the street. AT that moment
the daughter in,crceded, and recalling to
her father the incidents of one of the tales
he had related that evening, which went
to show that the Indian never iorgave an
injury nor never forgot favor, urged him
with simple eloquencc to Jet HIM remain
until morning.
I The savage in the mean time, having
by the genial influence of the fire recov-
cred his almost bcnumcd limbs, and hay
ing also nearly recovered from his drunk
en- fit, put on the proud mien of his race,
and raising himself from the floor in ma
tive majesty, walked deliberately towards
the door. The good feelings ofthe preach
er at this moment, seconded by the en-
treaties of his beautiful daughter, got the
better Of his fears, and bidding the Indian
return to his seat, commanded the servant
to place before him the remains of his
homcly dinner This was soon done
The Indian a'e yoraciously, and taking
a large drought of hard cider, laid himself
down upon the mats that had been spread
out for his accommodation and was soon
lost in sleep, dreaming no doubt of his
distant hills, where rested the remnant Of
his once powerful tribe.
As the night advanced the family retir-
led, and al was silent. At the first blush
of dawIfssthe'storm having subsidized, the
minister and his family again assembled
III the dining room, and the Indian, who
had slept off all traces of the nights de-
hauch, partooS ofa hearty breakfast, then
rising he advaneedso the minister, grasp
ed him warmly ~ the hand. and then
each membersof The family. A. he ap-
proched Julia, he drew from bis breast
an eagles feather dipped in bloc, $50
putting il in her hand said. aounny eye d
fneP iSrt, Ne'p the gift of Wankinco
and when the red hand Of the Huron is
lifted against YOU and yours, show him
this war plume aud you shall not be harm.
ed. go'--and nticring the Indian gut.
mral, 'Ugh! departed, and was soon
lost in the paths of the wilderness.
The years rolled on, and their savage
neighbors instigated by the arch fend
Philip Of Mount Hope, united for the
destruction of the whites. Indian run
ners had been seen by hunters crossing
their tracks, and the inhabitants at dusk
had been startled by the fiery eyeballs of
the painted savage as hs skuIked amid the
QS<gn brakes on the forest border.
1t was midnight. A December snow
fell heavily upon the sleeping town, and
the wild winds wall as it played with the
snow drift and swept through the lonely
streets, seemed like the shrek of the su;r-
II OF the storm. - pause cnsucd, and
then arose thousand heIish yeIls. The
town was attacked by Indians husbands
and wives, brothers and sisters were rous-
I'd from their beds to be butchcred at their
loors, or to be pursued thro' the mighty
drifts and then murdered, while their half
clothed bodies were tossed into the flames
of the burning houses. Soon the whole
town was sheet oil ilame the mothers
shrek and the infants wall had no power
over the beast like savage ; the pleading
cry and the look of anguish were answer
ed by the swift descept'of the tomahawk
and war club, or the deep cut of the more
terrible scalping knife. AT that moment
a body of sayxps efsepd the house of
the worthy gfisier, MreDavcnport, and
were dragging the good old man and his
wife and daughter to the door, to massa-
ere them with the general mass. A tall
savage, apparently the chief of the tribe
was dragging the beautiful Julia by the
hair. At this moment her dress became
dlsordered, and an eagles feather dropped