The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-05-30
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THE NAMEbEsS CHOCKTAW.
li.AgcIIoCKTAWi sIIEGEND .a48 Y

| 2 LIE SSsCHOC,kIAW i
.2fi.AecIIoc IiEGESD. .asb " d
There once livedFin therroyalr Indi-
an town Of E;yashoT( Ia goo )ithe only
son of n war chief, who was eIninently
distinguished above, all his fellows sfor
his elegant form and noble bearing.
Tic old mon of the nationlooked upon
him with pride, and said that he ,ewas
certainly born to occupy a high positi.
ton as o warrior. Hewas anelequent
orator, and none ever though of doubt
ing his courage. But with all these
qualities, he was not allowed seat in
the councils of hisination, because he
had not distinguished himself in war
The renown' ofhaving slain an enemy
he could not claim, nor@had he oven
been unfortunate enough!to take q sin.
gle prisoner. He was universally be-
loved, ,and, ,as the name of his childhood
had been abandoned accordingto an am
cient custom, and he had notlyet sue.
cecded in winning a name worthy Of
his ability, he was known among his
hkindred2as the Nameless Ghocktaw. i
In tho town of E.ya-sho there also
once lived the most beautiful maiden of
her tribe. She was the daughter, of Ia
hunter, and the betrotlled ofthe Name,
less Chocktaw. They met often at
the great dances, but, because she hoped
to become his bride, she treated him, as
a stangcr. Often, too, did they meet
at the sitting Of the sun, but then they
listened to the song Of tho whippoorwill
or watched the rising ofthe. evening
star, When each could hear the throb,
bing ofthc others heart. They loved
with wild passion and were very hap,
py. At such times one thought alone
entered their minds to cast shadow
1t was this: They knew that the laws
of their nation were unaltcrable, and
that she could not become lis bride un-
tilhe had wona name. She know that
he could always place at the door cfher
lodge an abundance of game, and would
deck her with the most beautiful Of
shells and wampum; but all this availed
them nothing; that he must 90 upon
the war-path was inevitable. She be-
longed to proud family, and She nev-
er would consent to marry q man Who
had not loud sounding name, and Who
could not sit in the councils Of hergpeo-
pie. She was willing to become his
bride at any time, and therefore left
him, BY his proves, to decide upon that
time. Is s j. s>p e1i ,tsa
1t was now midsummer. and the eve
ming hour. The Nameless Lover had
met his promised bride upon the sum-
NIT of a small hill, covered with pines.
From the small centre of a,neighboring
plain arose the smoke ola largo watch
fire, around which were dancing par
ty Of four hundred warriors. They
had planned an expedition, against the
Osages, and the present was the fourth
and last night of the preparation cere-
monies. Up to that evening the Name
less Chocktaw had -been the leader in
the dances, and even now his absence
was only temporary, for he had stolen
away to expire 50 his parting'vows to his
beloved. The last embrace was given
and then the maiden was alone upon
the hill-top-lcoking down in sadness
upon the dancing warriors, among whom
she behcld none who commanded more
attention than the being whom she low
ed. a gs3ga a's "i a'tsaT 7sts
Morning dawned, and the Chocktaw
warriors were upon the ,wartpath lead
ins to the country oftheir enemies, tar
up on the headwaters Of the Arkansas.
Upon that stream they found a cave,
and in that cave, because they were on
prairie land, they secretcd themsel.
YES. Two men were then selected to
act as spies, one of whom (the Name
less Chocktaw) was to .reconnoitre in
west and the other in the east. Night
came, and the party in the cave, were
discovered by an Usage hunter, who
had travelled tither for the, purpose Of
sheltcring himself until morning from
the heavy deYs. BY the light, Of, the
stars did he then travel tothe nearest
village, and having warned his people
Of tho proximity Of their, enemies, they
hurried in large body TO the cave. at
| its mouth they built q fire, and when