The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1857-04-22
A LEGEND OF NEW ENeLASD.
By yoHs Q. wHrrnsa.

Ooe hundred years ago!--,he hNisr who
ranged the hills and forests Of New England,
fought against other enemies than be brown
bear and the panther. The husbatiman, a.
he toiIed on the plain, or the narroVcleafing,
kept closely al his side loaded wspon, and
wrought diligently and firmIy in ,hi midst OF
peril. The frequent crack Of the ldian's ri.
fle was heard in the still depths of the forest
the death knell Of the unwary hnier and
ever and anon, the flame of soHb devoted
farm house, whose dwellers had ben slaugh-
tered BY some merciless Zoe, roaeredly upon
the darkness of night tinss- S1he wild fiery
eyes of the heaIhsn slsamst through the
thick underwood OF the foFss,, upon the pass
ing Of the worshippes of,he only true God:
aud the war whoop rang brill and loud uu-
der the very walls of thesanciuary Of prayer.
Perhaps no part Of New England affords a
wider field for the researches Of legendry,
than tha, portion of Massachusetts, Bay, for
merly known as the rovince oil Maine
There the ferocIous Nogridgewock held his
stern councils, and there the Tribes of Penob-
scot went forth with song and dance 10 do
battle upon the white nan. There, the ro-
mantle and chivalrous Casiine immured him
self in tie forest solitudes, and there the high
hearted Ralle-the mind-giited Jesui,--gaih-
cred together the broken strength of the Nor
ridgewock, and built up in. the great wilder
ness temple of the true God. There, too,
he perished in the dark onslaught of the Col
onists--pershed with many wounds, q, the
very foot of the Cross, which his own hands
had planted. Aud there the Norridgewocks
fell-one after another, asking nor giving
quarter, as they resisted the white spoiler up
on The lhreshhold at their consecra,ed place
of worship, and in view Of their wives and
children.
The following is one among the many le-
gends of the strange encounters of the White
Man and The Indian, which are yet preserved
in The ancient records and traditions of Maine.
The simple and unvarnished narrative is only
given:
II was a suliry evening towards The last OF
June, 1922, that Capt. Hefmon and the East
sm Rangers, urged their canoes up the Ken.
nebec river in pursuit Of their enemies. Four
hours they ysoiled diligently at the oar. The
last trace of civilization was Left behhd, and
-shs s5ong shadows of me. kkirra2 toresi met
and blended in the middle OF, the stream,
which wound darkly through Them. AT ev-
cry sound from The adjacent shores-lhe rust
ling wing of some night bird, or the quick
footsteps of some wild beas,--Ihs dash of The
COR was suspended, the rangers grasp tight
ened on his rife. All knew the peril uf the
enterprise and that silence which is natural
Of jeopardy settled like cloud upon the mid
night adventurers.
"Hush-soflly, menp said the waichful
Hsrmon, 10 voice which scarcely rose above
hoarse whisper, as the canoe swept around
a rugged promonlory,i "there is light a.
head W
All eyes were bent towards the shore. A
tall Indian figure CLEANED up amidst great
oaks, casting red and sitons light upon the
dark waters. For single and breaihless
moment the operation ot The oar vas sus-
pended, and every ear listened with painful
earneslness TO catch the well known sounds
which seldom failed to indicate the propin.
iquily of the savaees. But all was now ST.
lent With slow and faint movements of the
oar, the canoe gradually approached the sus'
pected spot. The landing was effected in
silence. After moving cautiously for cop.
siderable distance in the dark shadow, the
party a, length ventured within the broad
circle of the light, which al first attracted thei
attention. Hermon was at the head, with an
eye and hand as quick as those of the saw
age enemy whom he sought.
The body of fallen Tree lay across the
path. As the rangers were on the point o.
leaping over ii, the coarse whisper Of Hermor
again broke the silence:
"God of heaven p be exclaimed, pointing
! 10 the tree. "See here !-'tis .bs work Of ihe
cursed red skinsln
A smothered curse growlsd on the lips o
the rangers, as they bent grinly forward ia
the direction pointed out by their command
or. Blood was spnnklsd onlhe rank grass
and the hand of white man hy on the bloody
log.
There was not a words poken, but every
counienance worked with terrible emotion
Had the rangers followed their own desperate
inclination, they would have huried reck
lessly onward to the work Of vengeance, bu
the example Of the leader, who had regainee
his usual calmness and selfcommand, pre-
pared them for less speedy, but more Ger
tain triumph. Cautiously passing over the
fearful obstacle in the pathway, and closei!
followed by his companions, he advances
stealhily and cautiously upon The light, hi
ding himself and his party as much as pos
sible behind the lrees, In few moment
they obtained full vieu q The object o
their search. Stretched 1t their length aroun'
huge fire, but . convenient distance froz
il, lay the painted and half naked forms o
twenty savages. II was evident from ,hei
appearance that they bad passed the day i
one Of their horrid revels, and that they wer
now suffering under the effects of inioxics
lion. Occasionally grim warrior anon
them started half upright, grasping his ioma
hawk, as If 10 combat some vision OF the dis
ordered brain, but unabls 10 shake off th
/ stuDor from his seusee. uniformlv fell hac