Plymouth banner. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1852-1855, 1854-03-30
WHOLE NO. .1OS.

Though each warrior stalked with immov-
able features after the chief who bore the
medicine bag the wild ornaments worn
By each. the feathers, and dyed skins and
faUnting tails of animals. gave the pro-
cession a queer appearance. To civil
lied eye. it would have appeared party
of outlandish masqueraders. grim for wan
toness. but their purpose was OF blood.
The great medicine man-and a wild pro-
phetess. crazeAcreature, of whom more
presently-had had most propitious
dreams. All the signs of the sky and for
es:. the sigh.s, sounds and wonders. in
dicated victorious .oray on the whites.
who were now crowding into Kentucky
and few of whom were taking sdventu-
rous steps north of the Ohio, and hacking
down the old kings of The woods.
OAe of the last Of tho party was n
young man Of slight figure, but whose
skin, where not disfigured By the paint, and
the cast OF his features, easily marked him
as of another race. He was on his FIRST
war path, and had been named. for his ac-
tiviiy, color, and impe;uosity. the White
Panther.
On The second day Of their march. when
the warriors drew ncar the Ohio, as they
passed along a narrow valley. through
which small stream hurried 10 the beau
ii'ul river; the form OF woman. so sui-
denly rs to star;le even that weary bas6.
giided from screen of bushes, and put
her hand upon The White PanIher's shoul-
der. The hand was n fair one. ami ono
Of the fingers was circled by q slender
gold ring.
1, was such hand Us could not belong
to an Indian beauty. It's owner was
strange,appenring creaiure-,all, hnggard.
wiid-eyod. with long tangled black locks.
robed in fine skins disposed in fantastic
taste. AMI delicate but proudly turned fea-
tures. Her eyes blazed and sparkled with
queer light, very changeful but always
shining, and at times burning steadily,
Though vaguely, from IN unsearchable
depth. The White Panther called her
'Sallie, and she called him Richard and
they converse6 in the language of white
men.
The party gathered about them as they
spoke. 'SaIlle. said the young man, rs
she pressed her hand upon his shoulder. Il
feared tina. you were lost
Lost, me lost know all these woods
and more than these: better than you or
any of The hunters. have been on the
trail of the bad men over the river. 1
surprised them, too. at their comp. and
have been pursued by them, but fed. How
foolish they were to chase me- Her eve
became fixed on some distant object, and
took wandering expression as she said.-
'and saw him, hun who long ngo-ah!
curses on nll-but, but they, and they are
gone. gone
How many followed you, where. and
whenf'
"A little party. five, six, oas. saw
one. But there were more. several shad-
ows. The one would have crept out of
the ground to scare me, but | drove him
back--lhere by the river-by the river
in tho night by the river"
Oliier questions were asked her. but
she was in confused mood, and answer
ed at random. AT last springing from the
group Of warriors she leapt upon rock by
the brook which was hear. and pointing
South, gave a scream peculiar to her,
1t had tone Of pain or mourn(ullness,
and was keen and shrill so that il might
have been heard far off. The woods re-
turned the scream in a volly Of feeble ech-
oes, and the war party again fell into line
and continued the march, while the crszed
white woman. who was the Hag Of the
wilderness. took an opposite direction.
The Indians Eegarded this strange crea-
ture with a singular mixture Of pity anu
reverence. Her lunacy they esteemed
sort of inspiration, and we're awed accor-
dinghy; and the wonderful endurance she
displayed in irequen! rowing excursions
they considered marvellous. None ofthe
strong limbed warriors could walk with
her. and she was when running, fleet MS
a deer, and was perfectly fearless too Of
wild beasts. or darkness, or storms, or
any form or combination Of peri,s. She
came from they knew not where. nni
was to them mystery and prophecies
She wandered. they knew nc; how lar.
and often not in what direction, ond they
could no. calculate her arrivals or depart
uros, though each was TO them an eveai
and an omen.