The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-03-14
THE
BRIDE OF DACOTAH.
A TALE OF THE DELAWAREs.

Dy the OLD nag, the Drink wOrSnlper DAco
tab warriors behold northward they
have gone. Will our warriors not follow
upon the track? Will they not do to the
hated psle-fa even as this poor hand hus
awarded unto thee 2" cried the angry,
naughty woman, spurning with her foot the
awful evidence of crime and retribution, the
robber and the traitor whom her hand had
slain. Then turning again to the warriors
her eyes flashing FIRE, her figure drawn up
to it, full height, like veritable demon
she Numbered forth, "Wsrriors do YOU
hear me? Even now are our maidens in the
town of the pale faces? Shall they remain
there forever?"
Darling her defiant glance on every man
present, like lioness which has lost her
young-6erce, sulien, naughty in her sorrow
she stalked back to the fire, and crouched
again before Its dying embers.
The other squsws, surrounding the warri-
ors, quickly told the rest of the tale. Inc
intelligence fell like a thunderooit upon
them. For a time it seemed to crush fhem
beneath its sudden and terrific shock. ~
Dacotsh, especially, its effect was \.
ev;den: In addition TO the loss oi net
Iovsd bsvond all earthly things, ne tortured
h;u,s.If witb the reflection that, but TOR the
daIav caused BY his rsshuess and subsequent
accident, the party might have returned
soon enough to have rescued the msidens
from the hands Of the white people.
Dacotah knew that the time was too
precious to be wasted in the indulgence OF
idle sorrow. A council of war was at once
held, at which it was decided that general
attack of the Indians upon the settlement
would at present be useless, as it was I'm
known TO them in what particular houses
the girls were Imprisoned. The only one
about whom there could be any
certainty was Rosy Morn; and she,
it was surmised, was tolerablv
sure 10 have been taken to
Msrgold's residence. 1t was therefore
thought best that one of the party should,
when the settlement was wrspt in slumber,
steel into it, and, il possible, enter Margolds
house, and manage the rescue of Rosy
Mora, or, if that was not feasible, obtain
from her the whereabouts of the other girls
In order to compass her rescue, the secret
murder or assassination of Msrgold would
probably be necessary, and, to insure the
success of the scheme, all must be done
without the slightest noise. Rosy Morn,
once rescued, could indicate to party
placed IN ambush the required information,
This party could then make either secret
inroad into or an open dash at the settle
ment, as they shonld think best. This was
the best plan which the council of war
could decide upon in the heat of the mo.
ment, and they were unwilling to waste time
in further elaboration
The brave young chief, fstigued as be
was in body and mind by the days adven
lures. woold hear Of no one but himself be-
ing the prime mover in this scheme. 1t was
a fierce pleasure to him to undertake the
rescue OF his beloved, and to compass the
death Of the rutfsn who had stolen her from
him, and he would allow no other to sup
plant him in the task. The Delawares,
fearing for the chief endeavored 10 diss
usde him from this fresh exertion and
danger, but he would yield to no entreat:es
and, remem boring his courage and wisdom
ana recognized his authority, they ceased to
discourage him in the undertaking. Fallin 2
on his knees in the midst of the council, he
swore, after the Indian fashion, TO his goo,
the sun, that he would that night rescue his
betroshed from the pale-fsces and send the
soul Margold to its awful account; then,
raising, he chose six OF the best mount ed
aud most reliable of his warriors to accom-
pany him to the confines of the town, and
there to wait his return with Rosy Morn.
CHAPTER V.
The shades Of the forest darkened, and
advancing night threw her sombre mist oyei
the camp of the Delawares. AS darkness,
crept on, and swept away the last vestige o
the day that had proved SO calsmitous te
Dacotah, a dark object, whose shape wa.
not easily distinguishabIs from the surround
ing foliage Of the forest, glided through it,
sIIppr nlteys than nthpr and har iii
seven of these mysterious phantoms could be
counted. But so silent was their passage, sc
noisess the tread of their feet, 30 vague anG
underlined their shape that very close indeed
mnst have been the eye or ear which could
note their presence. At rapid pace the
passed on, and were soon following track
which led directly to the settlement of the
pale faces. AS the number of tree trunks
gradually diminished, denoted that the Dor.
der of the forest were at hand, the last cloud
rolled away from the eastern zenith, and
the moon bursting forth in all her splendour
flooded forest and glade with her light. Oh
how lovely was that scene = Moonlight is
always sublime. Its soft, misty sheen influ-
euces the sonl with lofty and gentle feelings
snd leads the reflection to worlds and sys-
tsms beyond the narrow limits of our mortal
N45iOu Dut iLIOIO csptIihli1 IN
light when bathing in the calm bosom Of &
valley, or, like the heaped up crystal of "a
snow shower, lining the many branches and
crowded foliage of a forest.
Only one of the strange dark forms gliding
through the forest emerged from its shade.
The rest of the mysterious band seemed 10
have "melted into thin air" except taat there
appeared to be upon the ground some gnar-
led and distorted trunks of trees, and it did
not appear likely that these logs could have
any connection with the phantoms which had
30 suddenly vanished.
One strange looking figure, however,
s.alked out into the bright moonlight.
Grotssque as was its appearance. there was
yet look of majesty about this figure; and
soon it's face for it was clearly human dis
played q faint similitude to certain well
known features. Yes, it was, without doubt
the face of Dacotah, the Delaware chief.
But how metamorphosed Great bars Of
brilliant red crossed the face little below
the eyes, and the sockets of the eyes, them
selves were painted livd white. Dacotah
was painted for war; nay, more, he was
painted so as to present one of the most
skillful, but withal hIdeous, DISCUSSES which
mortal eye ever Deheld Into what strange
attitudes, too, did he put his body, depriving
it by some strange art OF all semblance to
the human form, and becoming, as he crept
along from object to object, mixed up in feI-
lowship of shapelessness with the trees,
bushes, and stumps in his path.
The chief had thrown off all his trappIngs,
and wore now only the tunic OF moose
leather, without bead or ornament OF any
kind ; but in his belt shone the keen blade
OF poinard; and every now and then he
turned his eyes to it, to make sure OF its
safety 1t was plain he had set oat upon
his errand of rescuing Rosy Morn and her
maidens.
As the first house of the white settlement
came in sight, Dacotah became serpent, an
alligator, a panther-anything but the erect
and stately image of man. So steai,hy and
noiseless was his passage that not bird
was disturbed from its rest by his move
ments. In this way, no crept on through
the silent and deserted village, until he ar
rived at house which he knew to be
Moroold's