The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1851-01-09

taken, and then consoling his inner mar
with a swallow by way of annoying hi
antagonist The latter finally took to {
stump too, and drummed his freezing
heels against its sides most vigorously
at each pull made by R at The
quart conSoler.
Half an hour passed, and nothing
was seen of the seconds or the surgeon
The challenger grew momentarily
more impatient. His fingers and toes
were benumbered with cold, and his
ears were.tic king with the sharp biting
air. Three times he jumped down, as
if intending to leave the ground; but
at each essay cruel a-hem! from
R brought him again to the stump
"Too infernalw growled the little
man between his chattering teeth.
"What would he give for horn Just
now % soloquized R..
"Downright murder p continued the
freezing officer
"Twould help him amazingly said
R to himself.
"Oh, I won't stand it," at length ex-
claimed the sufferer. "D-n the
duel, and the seconds in particular"
And again he settled his understand
ings into the deep snow, with an evi-
dent design to return and look after the
loiterers himself.
"Hold on, my boyw said R;
"they'll be here in few minutes.n
Don't speak to me, sirn
"Well, but | will; come and take a
drink, there's no use of freezing your
SELF Glorious whiskey! brought it
from Plattsburg myself.n
And ne coolly took another turn at the
pistol.
The freezing officer looked at R,
and then at the bottle. He was unde-
cided.
"Come along, my boy. We can take
a drink or two before they return, and
then fight it out just as WE'LL"
The temptation was too much for the
freezing officer. He walked towards
his adversary, with look that spoke
no very satisfactory feeling, until he ar
rived within about yard of the stump.
sPll drink with you, but d--n me
if the fight shan't go on y
Certainly" said R, handing out
the bottle.
Take another' urged R. after
he had followed his adversary "'twon't
hurt you a bit, besides twill make you
steadier."
After about an hours absence the
surgeon anu SSCuiiuS IOtrtI AID, nd fannd
the deadly enemies very pleasantIy
seated upon Rs stump, with the
overcoat wrapped around both, and the
pocket pistol in the centre. In mo-
ment both alighted and started for
camp, the challenger merely remark
ing that there was no necessity for pre-
liminariesw and R swearing it
was his first and last duel. So il was.
INDIAN MYTHoLoGY.-An interesting
work respecting the Iroquois Indians, as
they were before the whites corrupted
them, is announced as forthcoming from
the pen Of L. H. Morgan, Esq, ofRoches-
ter, gentleman whose researches in In
dian history are already well and favora-
bic known amongst scholars. The Lit
erary World gives a foretaste Of the
quality of the promised book, which
will have the effect to whet into eager
ness the public appetite, and at the
same time surprise many with its dis
closure Of the beautiful and poetical
ideas of the mythology Of Iroquois.-
After stating their belief respecting the
Great Spirit, the Evil-minded, the Rain
spirit, or He-no, and the Spirit of the
Winds, Mr.. Morgan says:
Perhaps the most beautiful concep-
ton in the mythology of the Iroquois is
that in relation to the Three Sisters, the
Spirit of Corn, the Spirit of Beans, and
the Spirit of Squashes. These plants
were regarded as the special gift of
Ha-wen-ne-yu; and they believed that
the care of each was intrusted, for the
welfare of the Indian, to a separate
spirit. They are supposed to have the
forms of beautiful females, to be very
fond of each other, and to delight to
dwell together. This last belief is IL
lustrated by the natural adoption of the
plants themselves to grow up together
in the same field, and perhaps from the
same hill.
Their apparel was made Of the leaves
of their respective plants; and in the
growing season they were believed to
visit the fields, and dwell among them.
This triad is known under the name of
De-do-ka-ko, which signifies our Life,
or our Supporters They are never
mentioned separately, except by de-
scription, as they have no individual
names There 5 a legend in relation
to corn, that it was originally of easy
cultivation, yielded abundantly, and
had grain exceedingly rich with oil.
The EYil-minded, being enyious of this
great gift of Ha-wen-ne-yu to man,
went forth into the fields, and spread
over it a universal blight. Since then
it has been harder to cultivate, yields
less abundantly, and has lost its ORR
ginal richness. To this day, when the
rustling wind waves the corn leaves
with moaning sound, the pious In
dian fancies that he hears the spirit OF
Corn, in compassion for the red man,
still bemoaning, with unavailing re-