The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1845-08-05

continued silent. The Unrelenting proceed
ed in lower tone. fearful that they had al
most broken the slumber Of their guest.
10 Listen!' said he, "you know part, but
not all the cause of the hatred there is be-
tween our nation and the abhorred enemies
whose name / mentioned. Longer back
than / can remember, they did mortal wrong
to your fathers. The scalps Of two OF your
near kindred hang in Kansi lodges, and |
have sworn, my son, 10 bear them never
ending hatred.
y "On the morning Of which spoke, l
started with fresh limbs and a light heart TO
search for game. Hour after hour, roam
ed the forest with no success; and at the
setting Of the sun, / found myself weary,
and many miles from my fathers lodge l
laid down at the foot Of tree, and sleep
came over me. In the depth Of the night, a
voice seemed whispering in my ears; it call
ed me to rise quickly-to look round. lstart-
ed to my feet, and found no one there but
myself: then | knew that the Dream-Splrit
had been with me. AS cast my eyes about
in the gloom, saw distant brightness
Treading softly, l approached. The light
was that of fire, and by the fire lay two
sleeping figures. o l laughed the quiet
laugh af deadly mind, as saw who they
were-a Kansi warrior and child, like you,
my son, in age. | felt the edge of my TOM
ahowk-it was keen as my hate. / crept
towards them as the snake crawls through
the grass. bent over the slumbering boy;
raised my weapon to strike. But | thought
that were they both slain no one would car
ry the tale to the Kansi tribe. My ven
geance would be tasteless to me if they
knew it not-and | spared the child. Then
| glded to the other; his face was of the
same cast as the first, which gladdened me,
for then knew they were of close kindred.
| raised my arm-I gathered all my strength
i struck, and cleft the warriors brain in
quivering halves!' :,
The chief had gradually wrought himself
up to pitch of loudness and rage, and his
hoarse tones at the last part Of his narration,
rang croakingly through she lodge.
At that moment, the deer-hide curtain
kept all within in darkness; the next, it was
lifted up, and flood of moonlight filled the
apartment. A startling sight was back there.
then! The strange Indian was sitting up on
his couch, his distorted features glaring TO-
ward the unconscious ones in front with a
look like that Of Satan to his antagonist an
gel. His lips were parted, his teeth clench-
ed, his arm raised, and his hand doubled
every nerve and sinew in bold relief. This
spectacle of fear lasted only for moment;
the Indian at once sank noselessly back, and
lay with the skins wrapped around him as
| before. a4- .:...
1t was now an advanced hour of the night.
Wind Foot felt exhausted by his days travel;
the father and son arose from their seat at
the door, and retired TO rest In a little
while, all was silence in the tent; but from
the darkness which surrounded The bed OF
the stranger, flashed two fiery orbs, rolling
about necessarily like the eyes of an angry
wild beast The lids of those orbs, closed
not in slumber during that night.
Among the former inhabitants of this con-
tinent, it was considered rudeness. of the
highest degree, to annoy a traveller or a
guest with questions about himself, his late
abode or his future destination. Until he
saw fit to go, he was made welcome TO stay,
whether for short time or a long one.-
Thus on the morrow, when the strange Indi-
an showed no signs of departing, the chief
expressed not the least surprise, but felt in
deed compliment indirectly paid to his
powers of entertainment.
Early the succeeding day the Unrelenting
called his son to him, while the stranger was
standing at the door. He told Wind-Foot
that he was going short journey, TO perform
which and return, would probably take him
till nightfall. He enjoined the boy TO omit no
duties of hospitality towards his guest, and
bade him be ready at evening with well
come for his father.
The sun had marked the middle of the
afiernoon-when the chief, finishing what
he had to do sooner than he expected, came
back 10 his own dwelling, and threw himself
on the floor to obtain rest-for the day,
though pleasant, had been a warm ene.-
Wind-Fo was not there, and after a little
interval the chief stepped 10 lodge near by
to make inquiry after him.
"The young brave," said the woman, who
appeared 10 answer his questions, went
away with the chiefs strange guest many
hours since"
The Unrelenting turned to go back to his
tent.
"I cannot tell the meaning of it, added
the woman, G but he of the fiery eye, bade
me, should the father of Wind-Foot ask fol
him, say to the chief these words, /" Unless
your foe sees you drink his blood, that blood
loses more than half its sDeetness."
The Unrelentng started as if a scorpion
had stung him. His lip trembled, and his
hand involuntarly moved to the handle o
his tomahawk. Did his ears perform the
office truly? Those sounds were not new
to him. Like floating mist the gloom o
past years rolled away in his memory, ane
he recollected that the words the woman