Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser., 1846-02-07

The other officers also started IN II
alarm, and asked the cause Of this siprula,
demeanor, but still for the space Of min.
ute or more, the Refugee Captain stood
there, more like dead man, suddenly re.
called to life, than living being.
That moment past, he sat down with a
cold shiver, made strong effort as if te
command his reason, and then gave .
forced laugh.
''Ha, ha! See how I've frightened you!'
ne said, and then laughed that cold, unnat.
uraI hollow laugh again.
And yet, half;n hour from that time he
frankly confessed the nature Of the horrid
picture which he had seen drawn upon
that blank wainscoted wall, as If by some
supernatural hand.
But now, with the wine cup in his
hand. he turned from one comrade to an.
other; uttering some forced Jest, or looking
towards the doorway, crowded by off
GERS and ladies', he gaily invited them Ia
share in this remarkable argument: Which,
were the most beautiful women in the
world?
X
Twelve o'clock was there, and with Il !
footstep, and then bold Indian form came
urging through the crowd Of ladies thronp-
ing yonder doorway. ~
Silently, his arms folded ON his war
blanket, look Of calm stoicism 81, lis dus-
Ky brow, the Indian advanced along tie
room, and stood at the head Of The table,
There was no lady with him!
Where is the fair girl? She who is to
De the bride Tomorrow! Perhaps the In
dian has left her in the next room, or in
one Of the other halls of the old mansion.
or perhals--but the thought is foolish
one-she has refused to obey her lovers
reqnest-refused to come to meet him!
There was something awful in the deep
silence that reigne through the room, a.
the solitary Indian stood there, at the head Of
the table, gazing silently in the lovers face.
"Where is she?' at length gasped the
Refugee. "She has not refused to come?
Tell me-has any accident befallen her by
the way? know the forest is dark and
the wild path most difiicult-tell me where
is the lady for whom ! sent you into the
rebel lines?" t N
For moment. as the strange horror of
that lovers face was before him, the In
dian was silent. Then, as his answer
seemed trembling on his lips, the ladies in
yonder doorway, the officers from the
ballroom, and the party round the table,
formed a group around the two central
fgures-the Indian standing at the head
OF the table his arms folded in his war
blanket-that young officer, half rising
from his seat, his lips parted, his face ashy,
his clenched hands resting on the dark ma
hogany Of the table.
The Indian answered first by an action,
tiaen by y word.
First the action: Slowly drawing his
right hand from his war blanket he held it
in the light. That right hand cIutclled
with blood-stalned fingers bleeding scall,,
and long and glossy locks Of beautiful dark
hair!
Then came the word. sYoung warrior
sent the red man for the scalp OF the pale
faced squaw. Here it isl"
Yes, the rude savage had mistaken his
message! Instead Of bringing the bride to
her lovers arms, he had gone on his way,
determined to bring the scalp of his victim
to the grasp of her pale-face enemy.
Not even groan disturbed the deep ST.
lence Of that dreadful moment. Look
there! The lover rises, presses that long
hair-so black, so glossy, so beautiful.
to his heart, and then, as though huge
weight, falling on his brain, had crushed
him, fell with one dead sound on the hard
floor.
He lay there-stiff, and pale, and cold
his clenched right hand still clutching the
bloody scalp and the long dark hair fall
ing in glossy tresses over the floor!
This was his bridal eve!
Now, tell me friends, ye who have heard
some silly and ignorant pretender pi,ifully
Of the destitntion of legend, Of
poetry, romance, which characterizes our
national history--tell me, did you ever
read tradition Of England, or France, or
Italy, or Spain, Or any land under the
heavens, that might, in point Of awful
tragedy, compare with the simple history Of
David Jones and Jane M'Crea? For it is
but scene from this narrative, with which
you have all been familiar from childhood,
that ! have given you. iaa
When that bridegroom, flung there on
the floor. with the bloody scalp and long
dark tresses in his hands, arose again to
the terrible conciousness of lJe-these
words trembled from his lips, in faint and
husky whisper:
"Do you remember how, half an hour
ago, ! stood there BY the table, silent and
pale, and horror stricken, while you all
started up around me, asking what horrid
sight saw? Then, oh then, ! beheld the
horrid scene-that home, yonder on the
Hudson river, mounting 10 heaven in
smoke and flames! The red forms Of In
dams going to and fro, amid flame and
smoke, tomahawk k and torch in hand!-
There amid dead bodies and smoking en-
bers, / beheld her iorm-my bride--ior
whom | had sent the mes>enger--kneeling,
pleading for mercy, even as the tomakawk
crashed into her brain!"
AS the horrid picture again came Ger
his mind, he sank senseless again, still
clutching that terrible menorial--the bloody
scalp and long black hair!
That was an awful Bridal eve!
We observe, by letter in the Philadel-
IL L-A D.