The Shreveport weekly news., 1861-04-29

into the deep ravine below, through
which the vexed stream beloved and
whirled till it escaped through an
other chasIn, and plunged into the re-
cesses of the wood. 1t was an awful
moment! The profound gloon Of the
place-the nproar Of the eddying
vortex beneatl-the dark and rugged
abyss which yawned before me,
where huge trees might be seen toss
ing and writhing about like things Of
life tormented by the angry spirit Of
the waters-the unknown purpose Of
the being who had brought me hither
and who stood by my side in sullen
silence, prophetic, to my mind, of
thousand horrible neutrality-suspicious.
ed altogether combination of circum-
stances that might have summoned
fear into bolder heart than mine was
at that instant. At length the Indian
spoke.
..Do you mark that cedar, shooting
out midway from the rock? Hither
l brought the white man, who DOOM
ed me to be born on fathers grave.
/ said to him, you slew my father!'
He shook, as my mother had done;
for the fear of death was upon him.
NV fathers blood has left stain
upon you which must be washed out
in these dark waters He would
have fled to the woods, like wounded
panther; but I grasped him thus,
winding his sinewy arm tightly
round me,) and cried, Come with me
to the Spirit World and hear me tell
my father how / have clothed myself,
as with robe, in the blood of white
men, to revengehis death. Come and
see him smile upon Inc, when / point
TO the blood Of his slayer!'
"How he shrieked when I sprung
with him into the abyss! He rolled
from me, and I heard the plunge of
his body into the roaring gulf below,
but the Great Spirit spread forth that
cedar, to catch me in my own descent,
for | lay in its green arms, as the
Young bird in its sheltered nest. Why
was kept from my father! | could
not go to him, The branches clung
10 me; and from the depths of the
forest there came voice on the wind,
saying. .Return!' / planted my foot
on the rock; at one bound ciutched
yon topmost bough; ( swung myself
on that ,iutting crag, and reached the
spot where now ] stand
As be spoke these words he quilted
his hold Of me, to my infinite relief.
We were so near the edge Of the
precipice, and his manner was SO en-
ergetic, might say almost convulsed.
from the recollection of his consum-
mating act Of revenge, that l felt no
small alarm lest an accidental move
ment should precipitate Us both into
the frightful chasm, Independently Of
very uncomfortable misgiving as to
what his real intentions might be,
while holding me so firmly. In either
case. / should have had no faithin the
Great Spirit spreading the cedar to
catch me in my descent; while if l
had found myself in its green arms, -
| felt morally certain l must have re-
manned there till doomsday, provided
| had only my own agility to trust to
for swinging myself out of them
! But in what Il situation was | actually
/ placed! In such a spot, and with q
| being whose motives | was not only
still unable to fathom, but whose wild
{ caprice perhaps might urge him to,
knew not what, if l spoke one un,
guarded word. After a short pause
/ however, l ventured to address him.
( but while I cautiously gave expres
sion TO an opinion from which, i,
/ confirmed, | looked. to extract conso
Iation for myself, ! took especial care
10 shape what | said rs much to his
taste as could possibly make it.
And thus the oath of your child
hood was satisfied. lou had not only
revcngcd Your fathers death upon til,
race OF white men, but you had offer
ed up his murderer, as "A last sacrifice
to his memory, and your vengeance.
a last sacrificed" he exclaimed
his features frightening with exulta
ton. why was 1 bid to return,
the great purpose for which I ha'
lived was completed! In my cabin
| can count five scaips of white mel
struck by this arm since the murdere
sunk beneath these waters. But" b
, continued with a stern soIcmnity @
manner, this day sees the last.
, have lived long enough; else
and he fixed his eyes steadfastiy upo
me, .'you had not lived TO hear m
say so. l tracked you last nigh
, from the going down of the sun
Twice my gun was levelled; twice
: drew my arrows head to its poin
{ once my hatchet glittered in tn
| moon. But my arm failed me, an
= there was sadness over my spirits.
= watched you as you slept. Not eve
&. the thought that so my father slep
1 could make me strike. ! left yo'
: and in the deep forest cast myself I
: the earth, to ask the Great Spir