The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-09-11

"Death :" was The brief, but com
prehensive answer.
"Never! | will die myself sooner!"
said the Jesuit, his clear eye dilating
as he spoke.
SIT is well !'-and the chief turn
ed away.
It lacks half an hour of full noon.
The Indian children have left their
sports on the frozen river, and stand
silent about the door of the council
house. The warriors are met in
judgement; the club whose blow
upon the earth, is the signal of death,
stands beside the great war chief
the Dcep-River. Opposite are the
pale priest, and the wondering, but
undaunted boy Emanuel.
An aged Wyandot chief rises a
long tried friend of the French.
"Brother," he says, 81 have some
thing to say. My father over the
big waters fought, and his red chill
dren with him, but the Long knives
were strong, and my father fell
asleep. Then his red children fought
alone they took many scalps they
took prisoners they drunk the life
blood of the enemies of their father.
Was this wrong? My father has a
religion, and worships the Great
Spirit in a way Of his own. The
Long-Knives hate his religion, |
have heard ;hat they killed the
friends of my father, because they
prayed with him. Was it lying
bird that told me this? Brother,
the boy you hold by the hand, hates
my fathers religion, and would shed
his blood. Look. does not my BROTH
err put serpent in his bosom ?-
Brother, our chief would crush that
serpent, but he will not tear it from
him who shelters it; he will crush
both together. lie tells us my broth
er wills it so. See, when the sun is
on this line, it is noon. Till then,
my brother may think if he will get
hold the reptile; or he may show us
why he holds it. When it is noon
the club must 90 round, and my
brother must live or die, as the coun-
ell pleases."
For some moments the breath of
the Jesuit came too fast for him to
find words to express his feelings,
but his enthusiasm was too pure, too
deep, to let the weak body rule long ;
and, dropping the boys hand, and
throwing back his robe, he answer
ed them in their own tongue.
81 had thought you brave; / had
heard of bold deeds done by you
but | must have been mistaken.
Perhaps it was the Senecas that did
these things, and the Wyandots sit
at home, and spill the blood priests
and children. No?-no you say !?
What means this council? Is not the
Deep River strong enough to tear
this child from me if he wishes it T?
Does he fear white man that he
does not do it? Let him do it, and
he shall see that | can die in the boys
cause. But my brother says that
the boy is my enemy. Why then did
he come to me for help? No human
being is my enemy who asks my as
sistance, red or white, man or child.
| care not what tongue he speaks or
what dress he wears; if he is help
less, he is my friend. My brother
says this boy hates my religion.
Does my brother care for that re-
ligion? If not why came ! to this
place? To make him care for it.
love him, even though he, in his ig-
norance, hates it. My brother wor-
ships the Master of Life worship
him; the boy worships him; farther
than that | am not to know. Ny
brother and | have one father in
France, and SO we are brothers,
though we live diferently-dress
differently, and speak not the same
language, and he, and |, and the
Long-Kmfe, have one Father in
Heaven, and let us differ as we may,
we are brothers still. 1t is enough.
He is helpless, and is my friend, he
is, like me, child Of the Great Spi-
rit, and cannot give him up TO
death, if die for him"
Many minutes passed, and not a
word was spoken in that assembly.
Then the hands Of the priest were
bound together, and belt drawn
=, over his eyes. That was a moment
of agony! In the darkness of that
moment, his fathers cottage rose
before him, and he saw the old man
knceling, and heard his prayer for
his chosen, and best beloved one in
the wilderness. Then indeed was
the heart of the missionary faint.
All that he had labored for, and look
ed forward to, was lost forever. But
the hand Of Emanuel sought his a.
gain, and the touch was relief. He
felt that he died for great princi-
pie, and his death would no. be in