Louisiana capitolian., 1880-05-29
q young Indian warrior he made ges

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q young Indian warrior he made a ges-
ture of attention.
"Windaru, 0 my son, and Oondilla,
my daughterw said the grey chieftain
solemn]y "the only ones, of SO many,
who have not cast the traditions Of the
Epoi behind you, listen: My soul will
linger but little while in the land Of
my love and of my birth. Last night
my soul was in spirit lanc. l have
looked upon the future of our race.
II saw the tribe Of Epoi, with its mia
mias scattered over many hills. The
hunters spread over the plains and
thread the forest. Kangaroo and emu
fell befo2e the swift.aying spear. The
bees rendered up their treasure OF yel-
low. shoney. The rivers and lakes offer
ed their fish, the earth its roots ard
herbs. The women of the tribe were
busy all through the long days trim
ming and soltening the skin of the ami
mails slain by hunters, fashioning them
into warm rugs for the cold of winter.
The children were many and rolled
with the dogs on the grassy slopes, or
played with the "witchie-witchie'
among the mia.lnias. The ovens were
gaping with fiery teeth of red-hot glow
ing stones for the ever ready feast.
Peace and plenty filed the laud. The
Epo; were free and happy.
Suddenly from the East rose cloud
on the sea, with three leafess pines up
reared to the heavens. Swiftly the
cloud travelled till it rested in the air
over the hunting ground of the Epoi'
In the centre of the cloud stood form
white as the down Of the black swan,
but with a cold and cruel countenance.
"He looked on the lands Of the Epoi.
He saw that they were good. He
stretched forth his hands over the hills
and valleys and there flew from him
two white owls. These darted into the
plains and multiplied into myriads. The
air was fnll Of them. They killed and
deyoured all the ground game-bandi-
coots aud water rats, iuanas, field mice
and opossums-they left not one alive.
When there were 10 more, the owls
disappeared, save two, which returned
to the Cloud.
''The Cloud Form again raised his
hand. Fishing nets descended and
raked the fish from every river and
lake, leaving them to rot in the sun.
The nets were again drawn back to the
Cloud.
"The hand was again nplifted. The
kangaroo and cum were seized with a
pestilence. They went blind-they
killed themselves against trees and
were drowned in the rivers and lakes
until none were left.
"Then the hand of the Cloud Form was
again stretched forth to sprinkle the
wide land with liquid fire. The Clack-
men, as it tonched them, went mad.
They fought-they slew one another.
There We're no animals for food-no fish
no skins to make coverings from the
cold. The woman bore no children,
while those not slain by their brethren
died Of cold and madness.
my soul gazed far and near over the
beautiful land Of Epoi. There was
living to be seen, such as have
seen in my youth, my manhood, my old
age.
Again the Form spread bis hands
forth above the land. 1t became COW
cred with sheep in countless numbers.
Droyes of cattle and horses fed on the
plains. White men built great camps
OH the hills and in the valleys. Every
where there was Life; but everywhere
that Life was WHITE. Then a voice
said unto my soul, 'Worangou return
unto the earth and sing the last song of
thy race-a race without a future, with
out history This, my children, is the
vision which my children saw in the
Spirit Land"
When the sun rose the mia-mias of
Worangou and Windaru We're empty.
The tribe of Epoi never more set eyes
lpon their chief or upon his son and
lis sons wife.
A THRILLING STORY.
From tke Griffin Ne-ts