New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-07-13

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.Es 4gitliaaE Hsht vljaA s3AtiaaAi aaiiraiaisited
,afoU khout the night
! The unbr0ken stiffness which reigned nrou nj
9eemed both awful and mex xplcable Not a
sound betokened the existence Of living being
/ IN place which from its extent and appear
I ance they conjectured TO he filled with inhabi-
tants. The warder still poised his lance in the
attitude in which they first beheld him, and ~
| his garments glistened in the light which shone
around his motionless form, their wild imagina-
tons began to summon up all the dark and fear
fu images with which they were we'll stored
The warriors would rather have faced singy a
hostile tribe than be exposed to enchantments
which they fancied only waited for sleep in order
10 exercise their fearful power
AH that weary night they dared not close
their eyes, but when the morning dawned the
Prophet rose from his seat with more cheerful
aspect than he had worn since the city an
pearel to his astonished view. He suggested the
necessity Of renewed efforts in order to gain ad-
mission, and proposed cireling the walls to dis
cover some inlet, or at least finding a wardsr
who might testify more Of human sympathy
than the figure before them He told them that
1t would be impiety to seek any other passage
across the valley than the one which lay through
the city, for the Great Spirit had thrown those
difficulties in the way in order to prove the per-
severance and fearlessness which would be their
passport to the happy hunting grounds"
1t was time to speak the language Of encour.
agement for the spirits Of the Indians were be-
ginning to flag under the sutferings Of body and
mind which they had lately undergone.
Faith or credulity is the leading Characters
tic of the savage. They listened and believed,
ana haa their path been enveloped in flames not
an men would they have swerved from it.
As they approached the Qate, which seemed
/ tn haze hanv Ia-v
the gigantic trees Of the adjacent forest il was
| heavily thrown open, and an old man with
| long white beard and a costume which. although
resembling those they had already seen. far
surpassed them in richness, emerged from the
gate and approached the strangers The war.
| rior who stood nearest the entrance gazed with
curiosity at the scene thus unexpectedly dis
/ close1 to view. He saw a confused mass Of
| buildings glistening in the light Of the mornings
/ sun, but his attention was soon riveted upon a
multitude of people who stood in a semi
around an open space directly in front Of the
gate. Not the slightest perceptible motion
! among them betrayed the existence of active
| breathing life, but with fixed unwinking stare
their eyes rested upon him The warrior shud-
dered when he met their stony gaze, which
chilled the blood within his veins, and when the
old man, by a courteous gesture, invited the
| Prophet and his companions to enter, he shrunk
hack with an undefnable feeling of dread
gate closed behind them. The heavy sound
aroused him and he sprang forward to share
| their fate, whatever that might be, but too late
| In vain he called loudly for admttance, no an
swering sound met his ear; in vain in his agony
he appealed to the warder; a vacant stare was
his only answer. For two most miserable days
and nights he remained before the walls with
every sense painfully and acutely strained to
catch some token of the continued existence OF
his friends but he wa. at last forced to the
bitter conclusion that they had met with fate
within the city only the more dreadful from the
ystery surrounding it. Sick at heart, he pre-.
pared TO retrace his solitary road, but, before
his departure, some degree Of sympathy was
testified by the wardsr, who, as if aware of his
intentions, lowered to him greater quantity of
provisions than at any previous occasion.
His homeward journey was but recapitua-
ton Of all previous difficulties, enhanced ten
fold by his solitary situation. However, on his
course he met with several wandering tribes OF
Indians, and remained long enough with them
to recruit, in some degree, his failing strength.
and to gain sufficient knowledge Of their dialect
5 to question them about the mysterious city
They had never heard of the existence of such
place. and, in fact, seemed to give little ere
dcnce to his strange history.
His own tribe, however, we're more credulous
! The sagest among them decided that the city
was merely a portal to the "happy hunting
grounds" which lay back Of the mountains
They censured severely the unfortunate traveller
, for his hesitation at entering the gate, which
they pronounced proof of his unworthiness to
, secure the reward no doubt gained by his bolder
, companions Had their destruction been in
tended lie was asked, contemptuously, Uhy
should he have been less unharmed' This un-
tlattering conclusion soon forced itself upon the
t mind Of the poor Indian, who passed the re-
e mainder of a scorned and wretched life in
t lamenting the unlucky hesitation which had
forever barred against him the gates of his long
sought paradise.
/ TO BE Continued