Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1848-09-20

you love the Narragansett, and who sho'
: find it out as soon as 1? | give you bac
your heart, mine cannot, lfI whuld, re
call, for the blood is freezing in every pore
and | will die when another calls you wife
| will die praying the Manitou for bless
ings on your pathway-for happiness a
round the hearth stone of your wigwam
1t will die beneath the weight Of love, while
you, in your happiness, will forget it ha:
ever lived.' And his voice grew tremulous
with emotion, and he strove 10 unclasp his
hand from that of the princess before she
coniidd see how -wot11anl hissheart-e be.
coming.
Forget you,' said she, never, never,
Oneeta. | am yours heart and soul, in
life or death! have sworn it IN the deep
silence of night, and the oath went up with
the mist of the enchanted fountain, and
was written among the stars. | have sworn
by my mothers grave-ay, last night,
when they told me | should wed another.
| crept down there by her side heart-worn
and weary, and prayed that | might lay my
head on her bosom and weep. She heard
me Oneeta, for when knet, bright star
came slowly trailing from the spirit land,
and rested in the flowers upon her grave.
Then my heart was like bird, for | knew
the star was mothers Oneeta!'
'Die-dog Of a Lenape,' shouted fierce
voice by the side of the lovers, while q
tomahawk comes whizzing by, cutting the
moonbeams in its progress, and burying
itself up to the handle in the tree against
which they leaned.
The Narragansett. willy as he was, had
missed his aim, and exasperated at his fail
ure, the ferocity Of hungry tiger, he
sprang to the throat of his victim. The
conflict was short but horrible. The toll
worn Lenape was not equal for the savage.
1t was but the work Of moment to crush
to the ground, and plant his knee upon the
hunters breast Stronger and stronger
and stronger grew the death grasp around
his victims throat while his own became
livid with the contending passions of mall
Ice and revenge, presenting an awful con-
trast 10 the purple visage of the strangling
man.
Another minute and the victory would
have been complete, but the quick eye of
Natameeta had detected the hunting knife
in her lovers girdle, and with the bold
ness Of determination which never deserts
a woman in peril, she sprang forward, seiz-
ed the knife, and was on the point of strk-
ihgj but the Narragansarett becoming a.
ware of his danger, gave one shrill cry,
that arrested her arm, and sent the blood
rushing like fire upon her brain. Fearful
ly, the war whoop mingled with the scorn-
full laugh Of the Indian, and rolled through
the dim aisles OF the forest, and fearful!y
was it echoed by thousand savages, who
required but the thoughts of blood to arouse
all the revolving passions of their nature
Onward and onward pressed the food of
human beings, like waves of the sea, ag.
tated By some dreadful storm. Half ma
ked forms, hideous in their gloating mad
ness, were seen through the cracking BUSH
es. Torches woke up the sleeping shad-
ows, and illuminated the woods with an
awful briliancy. What was to be done?
The next minute would usher in q death
song for the hunter-a marriage chant for
the maiden! The thought was too horrible
for endurance. Die she might, and that
too without fear, if be6tting her daring
race; but TO wed the murderer of her low
er, even with the body Of that lover lying
pale and ghastly before her-never. 1t
was desperate resolve-an awful resolve
for woman's hand, that rushed upon her
brain with its maddening influence. She
had calculated upon the chances Of an in.
jury sufficient 10 prevent his pursuit, but
not on the death Of the Narraganset. Now,
this was her only hope Of escape, so, gath
ering up her strength for one desperate tri.
al, she managed by n willy movement to
throw the Indian off his guard, and before
he could recover himself, the knife was
buried in his heart, and without groan he
fell dead at her feet. up, up, Oneeta,
said she, rs the Indians hand loosened ir
, his death struggle from around the hunter:
throat. up to the great fountain. W.
will die as we have lived. with our heart:
BRAIDED together. up to the charmed waters
see how they glide over the rocks like G
shower Of stars from the spirit land! Ihos,
stars shall be our marriage bed of flowers.
, The glorious arches that encircles in th'
mist above them, shall bend over our path
| way as we sail on the home OF our braves
, Remember-N Natameeta must be married
tonight, and SO she will, and her head pill
, lowed on the bosom of her betrothed, be
nealh the waters of the enchanted foun
] tain.'
S 'Hark, Oneeta-they have scented tn
: blood Of the Narraganset-see where the
3 bend over him and now they are on ou
: path-one effort more and we are free, c
S neeta, free."-and a light silvry laug
S which told anything but terror, chimed il
e with the deep bass Of the cataract, Will
r the hoarse voices of their pursuers grew e,
d cry moment nearer and nearer; but tn
if lovers needed them not for they were ia
= up the rocks; by the bed Of the water
launched a fairy canoe of birch barl
=. which the Princess had seized and borne
g long with them in their flight.
d It was glorious night. A night th'
death would choose for the eternal spiri
l. union of the young hearts. A night to Fl
n the soul of intellect with vague longings
i. plant the flowers Of Immortality. n
.e wonder, then. that those vague longin,
- should so fill the hearts ofthese simple 70
,g est children. Beauty and sublimity cor
IN bined to fling halo of glory around tt
he wildness Of thescene Even the fierce war
be ors bent on blood, became silent and 81