Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1879-04-09

They carried her beneath tn
palm trees which bordered tn
shore. With her arms entwine
around her brother, she east OF
him glances of love; but from tim
to time looked rcgretfully towarl
the island.
"Who viii bring my shellF
she cried, at last.
And, as if she had the power Il
command the elementary spirits
there suddenly arose a deep
strange voice, which exclaimed
81"
A man Of copper hue, gray eyes
bushy brows, long hair, dripping
with salt water, came forth from
the waves, bearing the wished-foI
she'll.
Father Sassa!" cried all the
negroes.
Father Sassa was neither white,
mulatto, nor black. He was of the
Indigenous Carib race. His family.
last remnant Of the original
tribes found by the Spaniards had
escaped the massacres of civiliza-
ton, and taken refuge among
the rocks of our wild peninsula.
But the family hal been sadly re-
duced under the English rule of
the island, and Sassa alone surviv-
ed. lie bore the title Of cacique,
though without subjects to rule.
His name was Sassagari, but the
blacks, following their custom Of
giving diminutives, always called
him Father Sassa.
He had brought the longed-for
shell to Julie. When he had first
heard her cry, he had plum ged into
the waves.
"Ah! what q horrible shell - l
cried, preceiving a dark mass in the
hand of the Carib. "Why, 'tisn't
worth the pains it has cost. Throw
it back into the sea, Father Sassa."
"To the sea =! to the sea :" cried
all the negroes.
But the Carib, deaf to these
murmurs, advanced with us under
the shade of the cocoa-trees.
"Little whites" said be, "you
love what shines, and for that rea-
son do not throw away this shell.
It is colorless on the surface, but it
CLEANS within. The stars of night
has marked It's heart"
"What, Father Sassa," we cried,
do You mean to say that you can
zee through the shell 7"
The cacique stretched out
rand toward the last rock of the |
where his little hut |
cleaned out and vanished every
moment in the frequent lightning.
"Come there" said he, "And you
sill learn more"
And entering his canoe, he dis
The lightning grew more brill
ant; large drops quickly falling
nnounced coming tropical hur-
icane. We FASTENED homeward,
caring the shell.
The next morning the banana
'ees beaten down in the fields,
he uprcoted trees borne afar by
'rrents, were the only indications
the storm of the previous night.
he heaven and the sea rested,
llm and beautiful, after their wild
lssion had been gratiied. !
We started for the cabin of {
lther Sassa. S
We found the Carib seated on I
rye stone before his dwelling, 4,
'eparing nets for fishing. Seeing
he raised his heavy eyebrows 6
5 strange eyes CLEANED, as with {
'atifed feelings that we had re- ,
him and what he told us {
e evening before. q
"Who gave me this Irvine to
end my net within he said. y
81, Father Sassa," replied Julie. t
"Who gave me this good knife r
cut the twine, make me wooden [
edles, cover my cabin with reeds, d
rye my canoe ?" @
81, Father Sassa," replied Fran Il
;. "
"And for that" continued the {
Clique, "Sassagari follows you
lerever you go. Sassagari would
the sharks eat him before a r
ir of your heads should be in a
ed. Sassagari saw the little c
lster and mistress yesterday Il
against the sea: he "