The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1871-05-18
sTRoUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY, PA, MAY l8, 1871

\
through the little square windows, they
fell on a stricken household bowed in
prayer. But there was no time to lose.
| Plans of escape were at once laid, and
it was decided that John and Mary should
start that night yet for the nearest fort
AS soon as the moon sunk behind the
hills, Mr.. Heller went to the barn, sad
died the horses, and was leading them
out, when the towering form Of Kaskee-
wawa emerged from the gloom with the
same stately tread it had entered, and
pausing, said, " Kaskeewawas eyes are
on the white man and his warriors sur
round the village, take heed on my
words" and he was gone. The fitting
forms now and then seen in the darkness
told too plainly the truth of bis words,
and that all hope of escape was vain A
deeper gloom was now east over them and
In sadness and tears they awaited the
morning, when a messenger appeared
from the old Chief =" That when the
sun went down he should bring his pale
faced beauty to the Council Ground by
the Top Rock.
There was no sound of labor in the
village or fields that day. A solemn,
Sabbathlike stiffness reigned. The
music of the feathered songsters had lost
its gayety and now was plaintive and low,
and even the winds that had sounded so
sweetly through the branches of the pine
trees the evening before now only swelled
in long, deep drawn sighs. All day long
they were held close prisoners, all at
tempts at escape being cut off and when
the sun, all swollen and red, as if in rage,
rolling down amid the gorgeous glories
of the western sky, had nearly run his
course, the savages suddenly withdrew,
except halfa dozen warriors, who ap-
preached Mr.. Heller's house and bade
him and his /" brighteye beauty" follow.
The villagers, willing to risk their lives
for one they so dearly loved, advised re-
sistance, but Mr.. Heller, calm and collect
ed, came from his closet where he had
spent most of the day in prayer, and bid
ding his darling follow they set out for
the old Council Ground. Mary confded
as implicitly in her father as he did in
the God of has fathers. He went like
Abraham of old to the sacrifice of his only
child, but with faith as firm that in this
hour of trial he would not be deserted
Slowly they wended their way up the
winding path, arched by the overhanging
hemlocks, festooned by the wild grape,
crapeted with moses, pictured by wild
flowers, past rocks gray with lichens and
by cool dripping springs, till at last as
they emerged from the dense forest and
neared the appointed place strange scene
lay before them. To the eastwared
stretched the dark waters of the Delaware,
and the last lingering rays of the sun
guided the already autumn. crowned hill
tops beyond. In the foreground the
whole tribe sat in solemn council and in
front of them the huge form of Kaskee-
wawa in fercest rage was dragging his old
squaw toards the edge of the precipice
that yawned below the Top Rock. He
had accused her Of crime and condemn.
ed her to death. Murmurs of disapprob-
alton ran through the assembled braves,
and many hand involuntarily grasped
tomahawk but among those sons Of the
forest Kaskeewawa reigned supreme no
one dared to question his acts
AS he was about hurling her down the
dizzy height she reproached him for not
permitting her to sing her death song to
the Great Spirit. The angry Chief for
an instant relaxed his grasp, while the
aged squaw began shrill scrceching
song which echoed wildly among the
rocky cliffs ; but his rage returned, his
visage grew dark, his veins swelled out,
and with one blow from his ponderous
fist he attempted to send her to the depths
below. The fire of youth for an instant
flashed in those dim eyes, and with
quick movement, avoiding his blow, she
threw heresf fiat on her face upon the rock
but Kaskeewawa, the proud and naughty
Chief unguarded through passion, lost his
balance, and with a fearful yell of min
gled rage aud terror fell headlong down the
awful abyss. When they raised the still
PROSTATE form of Hushahooa, they saw
that the light of life had gone out of
those old orbs forever.
The noble Delaware flows on as majes.
tically as then; the grass on the old |
Council Ground is as green as beautiful
wild flowers bloom, and birds sing as
sweetly. But when Indian summer
comes with its dreamy days, and the fields
and forests are tinged with crimson and
a different assemblage gathers there
They are the happy children and grand
children Of John and Mary.