The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-05-02

dashed on toward the summit of the
bluff. AS they mounted it, they beheld
Wc-no-na at the very edge of the fearful
precipecc, looking back upon them with
determined glance. "Brave woman
chasers ?" she exclaimed, sslet me see
you follow !"
And, with the words, she sprang
from the cliff, some sixty feet far out
among the trees that slope from the
base of the wall Of rocks toward the
water; and before her pursuers could
reach the edge of the precipece, she had
swung herself from bough to bough into
the river.
There was an exclamation of horror
aud surprise from Ha o-kah and his
Young men as they Witnessed this intre-
pid leap. No one cared to risk his neck
by initiating it. They separated and
ran round each side of the bluff toward
the base; but to their amazemeut could
see no traces of We-no-na. Was it pos
sible that she had leaped so far as to fall
into the water? Incredible as this
seemed, it was the conclusion to which
they came.
Poor Ha-o-kah was good deal crest
fallen, as, with his wounded arm in a
sling, he rejoined the encampment. His
three wives at first exhibited much. cou-
Germ on seeing him wounded, and aq-
preached him with the servility he ha-
bitually exacted but on discovering
shat his arm was so shattered as to be
unfit for any future service, they taunt-
ed him with his misfortune, and mani
tested a wond erfIl ind difference to his
suiferings. He looked about for hatch
ct to throw at one cf them, but a slight
motion of the arm reminded him of his
Impotence, aud he changed his rough
tone to pleading treble. As his infu-
enee with his tribe was derived chiefly
from his physical strength and skill, and
not from his wisdom in council, he at
once fell into insignifeance, and soon
4Outlu HtliSGlL IestI4Ct " sAiIS 10 vic,
whom he never spoke to but in terms of
profound respect.
The pursuers all reported that We
mona was drowned it would have been
poor compliment to their speed and
sagaci'y 20 suppose otherwise. Almost
every version of the tradition of 6 We
no-na's Rock adopts their story. But
it docs not follow that, because they
could not find her, she was drowned
On the contrary, there is in the very
fact presumption that. she escaped.
The truth is, that We-no-na, who was
most adroit swimmer, did escape.
Swimming across the river, she conceal
ed herself awhile, and then took up her
journey toward the east. She crossed
the territory which now constitutes the
width of the State Of Wisconsin, and
arrived at Green Bay early in August.
Here, at the point where Fort La Baye
was subsequently erected, she found
French exploring party, under the con
duct of several Jesuit missionaries. She
attached herself to it, and soon made
herself useful.
A young Partisan of education and
refinement, and devout Catholic with
al, named La Crosse, was seriously i'll
of fever; and We-no-na was appointed
to watch and nurse him. This she did
with so much patience and fidelity, that
La Crosse was seriously impressed; and
no sooner was he restored to health than
he informed Father Duhesme of his de-
sire of espousing We-no-na. The wor-
thy father said that this could not be
done until the MAIDEN was made a good
Catholic; and they both forthwith APP
piled themselves to her conversion.
This was longer process than they an
ticipated. 1t was some time before We
mona acquired sufficient French to un-
derstand their purpose; and then she
had so many posing questions to ask that
the learned missionary thought she must
be especially instigated by Satan in the
unlooked-for difficulties she raised.
At length the maidens intelligence
seemed to pierce to the pith of the mat
ter, relieved of all its bewildering busks,
forms and wrappipgs. The beauty and
holiness of Christian morality dawned
upon her benighted soul, and reconciled
her fully and eordielly to the Christian
religion. 1t was to her, in truth, rev.
elation, and was received in earnestness
and faith She was baptized aud mar,
ried.
The party returned soon after to Mon
treal La Crosse became the chief man
of one of the beautiful villages on the
St. Lawrence. We-no-na adapted her
self eagerly to the habits and tastes of
civilized life Sometimes, as the happy
pair sat on their broad piazza amid ro-
ses aud honey suckle, with their little
half breeds playing before them, La
Crosse, to make his wife's eyes fash with
their old barbarian fire, would express
a pretended preference for the freedom
of savage-life, and signing, wish that
they were among the Dahcotahs; a wish
which never failed to call forth an in
dignant rebuke from We-no-na. On ono
occasion her husband, to please some
rapderino Troruois danbed his fa re with