The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-03-28
THE
BRIDE OF DACOTAH.
A TALE OF THE DELAWARES.

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and the oath was administered to her 10
Indian fashion, swearing by her god, the
sun, as she looked for happy hereafter In
the eternal hunting fields OF his glory. AS
the solemn words fell upon her ear her head
bowed she seemed deeply moved. All ear.
were steamed TO catch the anticipated mega
tive; but, strange to say, no sound came
from those palhd lips. With a look of ter
rible anguish she regarded Daco.ah. Hi
aspect was calm, unmoved; he gave NJ
sign, he showed no emotion. Oh, whs
should she do? Should she periure hersel
and lose all hope OF the heaven of her people
or should she sacrifice her lover when on
word would save him ?
Tremendous excitement now reigued il
the court The question was again put &c
Rosy Morn but still she remained perfectly
dumb, giving neither reply or gesture
which could be interpreted into one. The
old mans face was positively iendish in iii
malicious Joy He had laid this trap for her
knowing how the Indians regarded the oath
administered in the name of their own DEITY
The result had even been better than he had
expected. All efforts to obtain a reply from
Rosy Morn were futile, She stood like an
exquisite statute of Griet's deepest pangs,
psllid. fearful, imploriDg, and humble, but
not dumb. 1t clear that she could not
negative the question but 1t WAS also plain
that no affirmative was 10 be extorteo from
her, and without that the Judge would no,
pass the sentence OF death upon the prisoner
The Judge was an officer of the British
Crown and the prisoner, Red Indian though
he WAS, claimed to be British subject. The
only course therefore would be to take time
aud by Furnishing Rosy Morn BY severe
Imprisonment for her contempt. wiring from
her the answer upon which he could be
condemned.
The threats of the Judge were thrown
away upon Rosy Morn. What was a prison
TO her compared with the life of Dacotsh ?
With this thought she readily submitted to
be led away and incareerated in a solitary
cell. The order Off the Judge, 1.-TWO seperate
cells, far apart sank into both their souls,
and gave them glimpse of the bitter trial
in store for them But as they were led
away by different doors, their ewes were
riveted upon each other as if IN long, deep
tsrwell. The look spoke all that words
could utter of sorrow, of love and of hope.
As they quilted the crowded court the spec
ta,ors felt pity for the pair, who were BY
nature SO lovely and so noble. Bat the oil
man, with his vindictive smile, still watched
the doors through which they had passed,
muttering to himself, IAN eve for an eye,
and q tooth for tooth"
CHAPTER VII.
Long and tedious we're those sad hours in
the peniteutiary at Cooper's Falls to Daco
tan and Rosy Morn, and the more SO be
cause of the wesrisome, solitary confne.
ment; for although the establishment con-
sisted OF but five cells, and these quite con.
Il
plying those at each extreme end Of the
passage, were as completely separated as
though oceans rolled between Them. Bot
they were separated only in name, for their
souls were constantly united, and each was
happy in the perfect confidence that they
were the monerchs supreme of each other 3
heart.
The cells in which the lovers were incar-
cers!ed were of the toughest and most
comfortless kind. Constructed OF stone.
and with small window high up in the
WALL they could catch only small portion
Of the suns rays during the day; but
whenever the brilliant MONDAY sun did
peep in at his grating, Dacotah would kneel
down 20 receive the light, as though it were
q blessing descending upon him from the
god he worshipped, and be prayed that his
beloved might be guarded through her cap
uvity, and that she might yet call him her
husband. And that majestic and beautiful
creature, as she lay awake through the long
watches OF the night, wondering whether
Dacotsh were still IN his cell, and wishing
that she could but see through the barriers
Of stone which kept her from him, would
raise her eyes to the planet which peercd in
at her grating, and with looks of passionate
and deep appeal, would silently invoke a
blessing on her beloved chief, wherever he
might be.
AS time passed on, and the voluntary
silence of Rosy Morn had assumed still
bound her tongue, the influences of continu
ed solitude and confinement IN an unhealthy =,
damp dungeon, was grad ualiy undermining
her, and, amongst the symptoms that ensu
ed, was weakness OF the muscles of the
throat. From such long disuse, the organs
Of speech lost their vigour and tongue be
came unable TO perform It's functions. Rosy
Morn was herself conscious of this, an al
tempt which she had made once or twice to
cheer herself with a snatch of that old
music which she loved having revealed to
her the awful truth that her dumbness WIS
% longer feigDed, but that Nature had re
yenged itself upon her by depriving Der of
speech. Hers was indeed noble and en-
during devotion, defying affection, ignoring
suffering, following, mistaken, the path of
affection, wherein glimmered afar off a
cheering ray OF hope. More than once the
Judge. interested In her behalf, endeavored
to wiring from her some confession of the
facts, that the struggle, which could avail
nothing, might be ended, and herself set at
liberty but he could not succeed in draw
ing from her the slightest response. The
a.. r
the tewnspeople as possessing certain
amount of romance, and many inquiries
were made as to the fate of the lovers.
At the termination Of three years it be-
came painfully apparent that unless Rosy
Morn were released her life would probably
be jeopardized and she therefore received
her liberty. 1t is Questionable whether she
would not have preferred still to remain in
her solitary cell near Dacotsh; but the de
sire to live for him was very strong in her,
AMI for this reason she was glad to feel
again the fresh air, and again hear the
songs of the birds. Her love, however.
would not permit her to leave the vicinity Of
the city, and, like female hermit she took
mp her dwelling 10 ruined hut on hill
close to and overlooking Coopef's Falls.
Here she would sit and look forth upon the
city, and reflect upon the hardness of Fate,
and the cruel perversity of man in marring
the harmony of Nature: and still as she
gazed. she would wonder when, if ever.
Dacotah would pass from those gloomy
walls.
Such simple wants as Rosy Morn re
CURED were supplied by the sale of osier
baskets, in the making of which she was
adept. Oh now sad it was to see this sweet
creature literally victim to lovel-.his
beautiful forest flower, plundered from the
peaceful abodes of her people, thrown upon
the charity or pity of strange and hated
race, and stricken dumb in her loneliness
and desoiation! Well might the tears
course down her pallid cheeks; well might