Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-03-15
VOL. 71.--3622. NO. %.

ract to witness the sacrifice II was beau
tiful day in spring, at sunrise. Thousands
Of birds SCARED aud sang from the unbroken
virgin wilderness, the rich grassy banks and
the inaccessible woods Of Goat Island, or
skinned with sportiye wing the surface Of
the waters, braving even the very edge Of
the falls the rapids rushed and rippled, and
shone like molten gold and the great cata-
ract flowed on in its wonted aspect of beauty
and majesty and terror the rainbow arch
/ ing its abysses and the cloud manting them.
/ while the accustomed thunder Of its multi
tudinous voices supplied the only appropri-
ate bass TO its tremendous music. To the
ears Of the tribe IL was the giant god and
his inexorable brood, roaring for their prey.
| Moored to the bank bya strong cord, made
of the bark Of the elm tree boiled, and dane
| ing in the rapids was birch-bark canoe. in
which the victim was to accomplish his short
and fatal voyage. II contained a supply of
food sufficient for four days journey, and
fuel for four night encampments, those be-
ing the supposed necessaries for spirits
passage to the happy hunting grounds
together with the warriors weapons-his
stone axe or tomahawk, his spear with its
head Of sharpened flint, and his tufted bow,
and quiver full of brilliantly-feathered ar
rows. Adjacent, in a semi-circle, sat the
medicinemen, magicians, and prophets, with
their drums and rattes. ready 10 raise the
death-wail, when the Black Cloud severed
the rope, and committed the occupant of the
canoe to his fate.
The Three Bears came forth from his wig
wan radiant, triumphant, for in accordance
with the Indian ethics, he believed that the
least manifestation OF fear or uneasiness
would forfeit the favor of the god, and i'm
peril his future happiness. lie was clad in
the gayesto of Iroquois fnery, wearing hunt
/ ing shirt of embroidered doeskin, fringed
with ermine and ornamented with beads aud
the parti-colored quills Of the porcupine,
and belted with gaudy wampum. On his
| head was a crest Of eagles feathers, and
round his neck his triple collar of bears
claws. His lcggings were decorated with
the hair Of scalps, shells and hedgehog quilts,
and his moccassins of buckskin, trimmed
with martens fur, glittered with beads like
/ the dew on the grass Of the meadow His
face was also brilliantly painted with stripes
of blue aud red aud yellow, as when upon
the war-path, or adorned for some savage
/ festival. The sages and warriors beheld him
in grave silence but the squaws and younger
braves could not repress cry of mingled
admiration and sympathy. twas not swelled
| by the voice Of lamentation from the Startled
/ a
cluded herself in her yigwam.
With look Of pride and lofty confidence
the Three Bears advanced towards the bank.
Suddenly there arose confused murmur
and movement on the outer edge of she
| throng; ii parted and made way for the Agile
Panther, also in the full costume of war
rior. His face, the cynosure Of all eyes,
| blazed with the enthusiasm of great reso-
luton. He uttered not word until he stood
| by the side Of his former friend, and then
7 turned aud confronted the crowd.
"lroquois Z" he said, raising his arm alofti
"warriOrs this task is mine. claim it as
my right. The Great Spirit has spoken to
me by the voice of the thunder in the will
| demess, bidding me come TO him, and alone,
that his face may be frightened towards you
and his anger ayerted Let my brother re-
turn to his wigwam, and TO her who weeps
for him. The time will come when their
children will speak of the Agile Panther.
| Who is there to mourn for him Net one"
| But there was a great camor at this, the
Black Cloud interposng with the voice of
authority, the Three Bears insisting on his
own prerogative of self-sacrfce, and the rest
crying some one thing some another. The
contention did not last long As though
simultaneously inspired with the same pur-
| pose, the two warriors made a sudden rush
for the canoe, coming into collision on the
very brink of the rapids. There they closed
in a desperate struggle, seemingly Of mortal
hatred rather than OF generous and heroic res
olution, the one to immediate himself for the
sake of the other. Terrible were their throes
and commissions, but the Three Bears was no
match for his antagonist; he was thrown.
lifted by sheer strength aloft, and hurled
backwards among the excited crowd A tri-
umphant war-whoop-a bound worthy of the
animal from which he derived bis name
and the Agile Panther was in the fatal bark,
had swung the ready axe and severed the
rope, and was gliding with horrible velocity
towards the fall
He went over, not like the craven victim
Of some wretched accident, lying prone and
with muiiled head, but erect, triumphant,
victorious; exhibiting generosity and a
magnanimity, the result of his pentent self
condemnation, which would have been adj
mirable in the child of civilization, but were
simply wonderful in child of the forest
Al The Year Round.