The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-03-31

eageIness to penetrate the mystery OF
the broken Ratchet. The Great Spirit
often rewards in this life those who
strive TO suppress evil or idle desires
and have been sent from the happy
hunting grounds to safe thy curiosity"
had been SO terrified by the war
whoop ard the sayage's startling prox- :
unity that my knees trembled, and !
came near falling; but by a powerful
effort, / Gained my fears and the :
speech of the savage treasured me-.
took survey of my compAnRn while
listening to his words, which We're ie-
liyered with precision in deep, clear,
bell-like tone. Upon his head tall,
gaiIy-colored plumes waved in the soft
spring breeze. His form was athletic
and elegantly pfoportioned. About
him clustered urfpistakable graces OF
nobility and heloic traits.
While / gazed in wrapt wonder and
deep interest, the lordly savage again |
spoke: /
"Know, then, that am nephew of
Melora, the mighty and beautiful ca
Clique and princess of Cofachiqui, and
the remote ancestor of thy friend who
is of far more distinguished pedigree
than are the boosted descendants of
Pocahontas. My illustrious aunt and i
hover constantly in spirit around our
pale-f faced kindred, shielding them from
harm and aiding them to perform grea.
deeds.
among the followers of De Soto in
his march to our village, was proud,
handsome cavalier, Juan VasqueZ de
Gallegos, who became enamored of my
sister, the beautiful Mochifa. So blind
ed was he by his attachment that he
forgot his insatiate hunger after gold,
laid aside his sword and buckler, and
deserted his post as a warrior to become
the husband of the red maiden OF the
| forest.
"For time the simple inhabitants
of Cofachiuui were elated with the con-
quest Mochifa had made. Juan smoked
the pipe of peace, mingled in the dan
ces and Joined i'm the chase; bat the
bright noon-day of happiness was soon
beclouded, and dense curtains of doubt
hung about the minds of the Indians.
The treacherous De Soto rewarded the
trusting hospitality OF his red brothers
| by taking their beautiful queen Melora
into captivity. Suspicion was aroused
against Juan, and the grim warriors
SOU1Ul Ills lilt. DuL
were eluded by the watchful care of
Mochifa. At one time, Juan was bound
and secured to a spit before burning
Goals, that he might he slowly roasted
alive, while his tormentOrs Knocked his
agony by cruel ard insulting words
Juan's shrieks brought the poor wife to
the spot, and her entreaties procured
his liberation. MOchifa redoubled her
vigilance after this warning, seldom
t! suffering Juan to leave her presence.
In time she became the mother of a
daughter more beautiful than herself.
When this child was a few weeks old,
Mochifa sat in her wjgwam observing
Juan who was faShiOning some arrow
heads out of the horn of a stag he hid
slain the day before.
"Her face was full of contentment,
and her thoughts were far away, fan
ewing the skill Juan would show in
sending his polished arrows through
the hearts of the feet deer. Stealthy
steps disturbed her reflections, and ere
she could articulate an entreaty, par
ty of savages fell upon Juan and his
, head was cleft almost in twain, the
stone tomahawk remaining so firm y
fixed in the victims skull that the as
sassin fled without detaching it. Mo-
chifa sprung forward and clasped her
babe to her bosom as her husband sank
bleeding at her feet. The bereaved wife
named her daughter Nithlee, which in
the Indian tongue signifies night, in
token of the darkness that fell upon
her heart when she beheld her beloved
partner murdered in her presence.
Revenge is sweet incense to the nos
triis of the red man; and Mochifa
treasured her wrong, swearing by the
bloody Ratchet she withdrew from Ju-
ans CORY head to preserve it as relic
to he handed down to her posterity,
who should avenge her husbands
death.
"Mochifa died of broken heart, and
! Nithlee became the wife of young
chief of her own tribe. Sons and daugh-
tiers were born unto them, and the CORY
hatchet wreaked vengeance upon the
savage murderers of Juan Nasquez de
Gallegos, and did good service among
the foes of their tribe.
GAS the white settlers located i'm the
country, hunting the simple Indian like
deer, and wrestling his land from him,
the village Of Cofachiqui took the name
of Silver Bluff from the tradition that
De Soto and his followers searched for
silver in the bed of the river, and
among the strata of the bluff, some of
which resembled silver ore.
"Nithlee's eldest daughter married n
pale-faced resident of Silver Bluff; and
to her the stone hatchet was intrusted
with the solemn injunction that it
should be sacredly preserved, and the
horrible incident of which j. was a
mute but lasting memento, should be
related TO each new pOssessOr. In the
contentious between the white and red
man for several centuries, this Ratchet
figured in various deeds of blood,
avenging alike the butchery of poor
Juan Vasquez de Colleges, and the
wrongs of the children of the forest.
"F'rom this race of W arriorS of the
house of the illustrious Princes of COfa-
chiqui, thy friend is descended in di-
rect line; and the Ratchet on the man.
tel is tie ancient and CORY emblem of
the cruel murder of Don Juan NasgueZ
de Gallegos.
Daughter of the pale-face! Dost
thou wonder that thy friends cOunte-
nance blanches at the mention of thi.
bloody memento Of a past age? My
tale is done. Henceforth beware of the
indulgence of idle curiosity,r
With graceful infleXiOu of his body,
and lordly wave of his hand, the saw
age turned and disappeared in the dense
forest.
| opened my eyes, and with a start,
sat upright. | was upon the sofa in Mr..
Whitmarsh's parlor and my friend
stood smiling beside me.
In my enthusiasm | feel upon one
knee, eXclaiming:
"All hail. illustrious scion of the re-
gal house of the most beautiful Melora,
Princess OF Cofachiqui! Happy and
hOnOred am j to claim thee as friend
mo longer do | wonder at the store
set upon the 'Hdtchet on tie Mound -"
An incident similar to one which