Nebraska advertiser., 1864-07-07

upon the burning Goals v' howled broth
er Of the sorely wounded man. dancing
with fiendish gestures around the prisO-
ner, and menacing him with hs huge and
knotted war club,
"The dark angel Of death shall swoop
upon him like the black buzzard upon the
cowardly hare, and that quicklym said
Lsaping Thunder. Let the torture Of
the FIRE begin p Let the pale-face sing
his death song. and the spirits that dwell
in the pale mans hell fling open wide its
gates"
ut is well, responded the hoarss voice
of the Medicine, while the mystic en-
blems of his calling whirled around his
head like the fail of thresher, and the
satisfied passions of his heart glOwed
through his dark eyes
Many willing forms sprsng forward
to execute the orders Of the ehieftain;
but even as they turned towards the pile
If readily prepared wood, they started
back as If serpent.stung.
"a ghost! ghOst!' burss in terror
from every lip,
lie Sueur turned his eyes towards the
spot, and saw a painted warrior come
staggering along with the uncertain step
of drunken man. A deep cash was
visible on his shavsn head-shaven close
ly, with the exception Of the scalp-lock
and the blood that had oozed from its
ragged and gaping lips had streamed
over bis face and breas:, and had been
allowed to CONCEAL there in great ghastly
drops. As he came nearer, the cry of
the Indians changed from fear TO anger,
They ratified their weapons, and stamped
furiously in the whirlwind Of their pas
sion
"TRe Bulrush-no ghostF' resounded
from all parts Of the encampment.
1t was indeed the false-hearted warri-
or who had been struck down by the
hand of the trapper-the sworn friend
and companion of The prisoner. Long
had he lain helpless; but at length re-
covering, had crawled back to bis wig
wan. learned what was going on, and
that'lhe, daughter of the chief had not re-
turned, AMI so presented himself with q
ready forged tale to account for his iDiu.
ry.
He had been wandering in the forest,
he said, in search Of game, when sud
denly he heard the voice of FREELY,
shrieking IN terror. In the direction of
the sound he rushed, prepared 10 die for
her, when terrible thunder rocked the
earth; the red forked lightning rent the
heavens, and he was struck down insen-
sable.
by all that's wonderful" shouted lie
Sueur, IF lightning ever made such er
hole in er mans head. it must have used
eE rife lock for er bolt.''
~Swarthy eyes glared upon him at this
speech, and but little attention was paid
to it then, though it was we'll remember
ed in the hereafter.
The tumplt caused BY the arrival Of
the wounded brave ceased as suddenly as
it had begun. and the fagOts were piled
quickly around the condemned man.
Now look your last, brave traPper Of
the wilderness, upon the fair earth, the
master-work Of the Master Workman
whose own voice pronounced it "good. :"
The scathing FIRE she'll surrOnnd3 thee
the forked tongues of the flames lap up
thy bloOd-the yet throbbing heart shall
be torn from thy breast, and cast ppon
the glowing coals--,hy body shall be
consumed, and thy ashes scattered to the
winds!
"Firep
Sternly and sudden came the com.
mand from the lips Of the Medicine. but
the hand of the chief stayed its execution.
He had searched in vain for his beautiful
daughter, and with heart torn between
love for her and revenge upon ,hs pale
face, he knew not how to act.
FREELY! Firs-FlyT' burst in sOr-
rowful accents from bis lips.
'.Let the pale.facs die FIRST, and then
shall FREELY be found"
at must be so! Fire"
But even as the flames were being ap-
Piled, runner. faint from fatigue, burst
suddenly from the woods into the circle,
waving wildly a strip of silvery bark
above bis head In the hands Of Leap
ing Thunder he placed it. and then fell
head long to the ground, with the blood
gushing from nostrils and mouth, and
telling more forcibiy than words the
length and speed of his race. From one
to the other was the bark scroll passed in
vain. None could dacipher it. Then
at the suggestion of one of the elders. It
was taken to lie Sueur. With greet DIFF
( fcnltv even he read II. but at length be