Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1848-11-11
LEGEND OF OWL CREEK.

|
II was year long since forgotten BY the
natives OF those forests, unmarked and un-
recorded save the innermost lines of the oak
tree OF five centuries or more, that steady
soleinn record, Of the storms OF years--il
was year which must be nameltss, since
we X ow nothing OF it, that a chief of the
Wyandotts, wdlid' ring n lrdiI trail, came
INTO this beautiful country. The home of
ms tribe was OIL the southern bank of the
Onio. Wh,re tn, re thousands owned a
royal land. stood, not long ago, on the
grave OF tn lr chlei,alns. | stood with re-
ference on the mound winch press d on
the giant forms and stout hearts of the
lightly dead. had ent red 9th, mounds,
but l shrank from that. /, for sJme strange
ason Which l cannot now explain, avoid
cd penetrating into its silent secrecy and
called away my workmen who were with
me-, and turned their spades into similar
pie, in WI ich we found but few bones
and arrowheads. know rot but that was
the grave OF the chief who figures in this
history. But l must r,turn to It.
The stranger lldidn look d with longing
eyes on the brown neck and ruddv cheek,
the Ii ;ht form and beautiful foot OF the mai
d' n, the dausht, OF the old Chief, in whose
lodge h. ate velison brought by her own
hands; and before he had completed hi,
first m al, with the haughtiness of ,ne ac-
rus.omed TO command, he asked her in
marriage. But she had long been promised
t. Chi .f.ain OF her wn kindred, and may.
hap had learned to love him. She and her
filth ak refused the Wyondottc, and he
+ turned to his tribe in wrath. He came
a ain. And it was with thousand warri-
orS at his back to take his brii'. One OF
those long and bloody wars ensued, in
which the Indians are SO often engaged
1t lasted through the winter and in the
spring, and as the summer sun grew warm
cr, the stranger had made his home in the
lod re Of the old chieitain. But his bride
was not yet won. In faith it is easier,
many men have found, to conquer nations
than win an unwilling bride. Somewhere
in th-' forest fingered atrusty band, guard
ing with jealous care the maiden daughter
oi III ir slau Uttered chief. In vain the in
val,rs ar, he'd, in vain sought trails of
tn ir en ,,i s. The latter never left tn, ir
,astn IS ut Tor food, aud then conceal, d
th lr tri with a skill which was match
l,ss. | tn Aa,il OF huge rock were
gath thirty warriors, aud the I tr-
mat attendants OF the maiden, guarding her
r tr a.. The ground in the angles OF tn
r. was coy, + d with rich panther and
w,i skins, AM the little nook was rooted
W.ti III SAN amt ri Il, AMI the whole was
5 .ov.r d with brrsI as to defy d-tecti IN.
''rps ay a,ross the outlet OF the basin,
Who's denss laN,s wholly concealed it,
aid tn ONLY rYress anI entrance was by
Swin'i ilI through narrow opening. Fro n
this op'nipr every ight more or less OF
tie guard issu swan out into the stream
down the creek into the river, up or down
the river, halt a mile before they touched
land. Thus deiying all skill to find trail
to their conCealment.
A Wyandotte, setting one niaht on the
bank of the river, saw something in the
water which did not look like any animal
he had before seen. Hrwatched it closely
as it turned into the creek, and followed it
stealthily till he saw mans hand grasp the
! limb OF tree that lay across the water.-
The next night as the first man issued from
the retreat, hatchet hurled with unerring
aim ent, red his brain and with yell that
woke the whipoorwll that slept on the
Il ad oak over him he sprang from the wa
er, irll back, and his body iloated down
lhr bloody stream. An instant aitera dark
. ct ent rid at the same opening from
which the slain hal issued. The chief OF
hc W stout ralr lSnln, saw the red frath-
rs in the TUT o. the Wyandotte and watt
ed til h. + ach' d an eddy in the current,
and then stru a swift blow, and spriaging
into the water grasp d his scalplock, and
Or, W his stone krf;r around his skull. (lt
is marvellous what a pas ion Indians have
always had for those seal locks,) Ano'h'r,
aad another, followed their ltad,r into the
basin, and followed him to bis fate. The
wells OF the com a'ants rang hi lrously in
ihe forests, but the cry OF tha alta far sur
passed the cry o! tn" invaders, and the la
| TT Shra k rom The ii r,enrss of the wolf
in his DIT.
But the sealu,l was fear rn. No mode
o. alta k availrd, and the Wyandotts sat to
Isl &c and starve out the gallant little
and. One by one they yielded to grim
4 a'h, now inevitable. Th'ir mournful
4 ath sonrs wrre h ard day and night in
the calm for st arches, and one by one theil
liant bodies went floating down the stream
Fh y met IL ath boldly in those days
At length the maiden and her betrothet
r,mai ned with but ten warriors, gaunt ano
ia. inc stricken, vet ion like in their hun
,er. They then devised plan of escape
The girl was bold swimmer, as all IndlaI
5irs are, and was accustomed to being, lon:
under water. II was supposed that th'
besiegers would not trouble themselves, t'
regard the deal body of a warrior fioatin'
ay; so while the ten old warriors chaunte'
death song, the young chief lay on tn
water, and the maiden grasping his han,
with one Of hers, swan under him as hi
oody foated out at the oprning and dow
the river. A Wyandotte with low grun
of contempt, threw stone which struc
his br asst but he was firm, and so tn
f,ithful two noatpd away i'm the solem