Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-04-07

all Of them, and especially TO the medicine
men, magiclans and the prophets, that the
Thunder-God aud his seven giant sons,
who dwelt In The vast caverns under the
falls, aud whose awful voices swelled aud
deepened their roar, were angry. No hui
inan victim had propitiated them by an in
voluntary death for at least three years.
Darkly the old braves discoursed together,
suspecting there must be a doomed man In
the tribe, and proposing TO cast lots until
he should be discovered, and then given to
appease the just wrath OF the spirits Of the
cataract. All eyes were fixed on the Black
Cloud, all ears were open 10 listen to his
counsel.
He was a very old warrior, who had out
lived four generations, and become the
greatest magician, prophet and medicine
man among the Niagara Iroquois. What
hair he had was white as the snow-drift or
the foam of the cataract, and his eyes burn
ed like those of hunted wolf in a dark
cavern. His people held him 10 the utmost
dread and reverence. 1t was believed that
be knew the language of the animals, and
had the power of Transforming himself in
TO the shape of any beast or bird or fish,
and that under such metanlorphoses he had
visited tho island which divides the Two
falls, explored its mysterious woods and
gloomy recesses, and discovered won
drous cave, the birthplace of the winds,
and the home of the rainbows, where he
had conversed with The nee-ua-naw- baigs,
or water spirits, ir not with the Thunder
God and his seven giant sons. 1t was
known that be had journeyed far 10 the
north, TO the land of the White Rabbit, and
sailed on the Big Sea Water, or Lake Su-
perior, and beheld all the marvels of that
region-the striped rocks, painted in beau
tiiul vertical colors, by the long haired
Memogovissioos, or marine-men, who
haunt those intricate wave-worn caves and
translucent waters-the Thunder Cape, and
the island where dwelt the great serpent,
the cast-off skin OF which would renderany
warrior invulnerable. He lived in soli-
tary wigwam, some little distance above
the Horseshoe Fall, and had bewitchod the
water, sothat fire would flash out Of II when
ever lie chose. The spot retains that pecul-
iarity 10 this day, aud is known as the
Burning Springs.
The Black Cloud was also the great-great-
yiving relative. Consulted as TO the sup
posed necessity for sacrificing a victim TO
the spirits OF the cataract, he summoned all
the other magicians, medicine-men and
prophets 10 great pow-wow or council, at
Il sacred lodge, built especially for the pur-
pose in the depth of The forest. There they
performed their incantalions, beat their
drums, and shook their rattles and medi-
cine pouches, danced and chanted. and call
ed upon their familiar spirits, and at the
end of three days announced the result.
The TLunder-God demanded the immola-
tion Of one of the best aud bravest warri-
ors of the tribe. They had practiced their
arts OF divjnation 10 decide whom, and the
choice fell upon the Three Bears.
1t was difficult not 10 believe that the re-
lati0nship of the Agile Panther to his for
midable uncle, twice removed, had saved
him from the fatal selection, to which, as
the most renowned brave among the Mag
ara Iroquois, he was obviously liable, in
stead of his late friend. 1t was as impossi-
BILE not to suspect that the crafty Black
Cloud had controlled the choice, for he
loved nothing human but his young kins-
man, and VIGOROUSLY shared his enmity
towards his successful rival. That warri-
or, too, had once personally offended him.
But whatever might be thought or whis-
pered, there was no gainsaying such de-
cislon. The boldest warrior shrank from
disputiug the sentence, and incurring the
wrath of the Thunder-God and of the ex-
ponents OF his will, headed by the vindic-
tive Black Cloud.
We may fancy the grief, the despair OF
the Startled Fawn, aud how utterly una
vailing all she could say or do would prove
in such an emergency. Women are of but
small account in savage life, aud girl, an
orphan, and adopted s;ranger-what was
she that she should bias the judgment of
warriors and hoary sages? Let her forget
her lover and take another-follow the Ag-
lie Panther 10 his wigwam, and become the
mother of his brave children. For the Three
Bears, Indian fortitude, and his pride as
warrior, forbade complaint or remonstrance.
The selection was honorable to him, above
all others, as the most precious offering to
satisfy their grim requirements; and he
was, so TO speak, both the expiatory and
propitiatory sacrifice of his tribe. His
death would exonerate others, and reverse
the ill-fortune of the people. There was
nothing for it but 10 meet his fate like a
warrior and an Iroquois.
Tradition tells us but little of the Agile
Panther at this crisis, except that, after an
interview with the Startled Fawn, he sought
the woods, and stunned all company.
Who shall say what was passing in his
mind what struggles he underwent be-
tween the temptation TO avail himselfof an
opportunity involving at once the gratlfica-
tion of the two passions Of desire and jeal-
ousy, so potent in an untutored savage, and
an instructive conviction of their inherent
baseness, prompting him TO self-eonquest
and renunciationH thereby rising TO far
higher plane of action, but one not unprec-
edented in Indian life. His pride, too,
must have suggested that II the proposed
sacrifice took place, 1t would bestow upon
the Three Bears a posthumous immortall-
ty in tho sons of his tribe, while he himself
would forfeit his reputation as Its bravest
WaITioI' Dut niA 'uouSuts anu ieelinSs
can only be eonjectured from his subse-
quent behavior. The good and evil angels
within him, as in n'all of us, strove togeth-
er; and we shall see which won the victo-
ry.
Two days after the decision, all the Mag
ara Iroquois assembled on the banks of the
rapids Immediately above the greater cata-
ract IN wiLnasS the sacrifca II was hean.
tiful:day in spring, at sunrise. Thousands
of birds scared and sang from the unbrok-
en- virgin wilderness, the rich grassy banks,