The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-07-08

Il
daru laden with honeycomb, q plump
young wood duck and pieces cut from
the latest emu. These latter she placed
in the oven, covered with aromatic gum
leaves, heaped over with earth to re-
tain the heat. Windaru gazed on her
sadly. From time immemorial this
primeval people, when conquered, had
forfeited the flower of their womankind
to the conquerors--and he loved Oon-
dilla as few of his race had ever loved.
Sadness brooded in the air above the
camp. Instead of the gay, incessant
chatter of the women and children,
mingling with the deeper tones of the
men, there was q mournful hum as of
disturbed hive of bees. The old wo-
men kept up wailing corroboree chant,
beating with feeble hands the rolled
opossum rugs between their knees.
younger men taking no part in the de-
bate. but passing to and fro between
their own fires and where the gray
boards sat. Some, in an irresolute
manner, finished half-made weapons or
sharpened blunted spears, hardening
their points in the fire. AS the night
wore on the encampment became silent.
The fires grew dim. But the gray hunt
ers and warriors talked on.
On the morning following the evil
tidings of Windaru the camp of the Epoi
was early astir. A silent meal was
made from the fragments of the even
ing feast. As the sun appeared in the
east twelve graybeards of the tribe,
headed by W0rangou, chief of the E poi
and father of Windaru, stalked into the
open space reserved in the center of the
camp. Worangou planted his weapon
in the ground and stood beside it. Then
each of the eleven thrust his spear into
the earth, forming circle round their
chief. every man standing beside his
weapon in the inside of the ring.
At signal from Worangou the men
of the tribe drew near to hear the de-
cision of the wise men in this novel
danger. When all were present the
chief spoke:
"My children" he said, "you have
all heard the tale of sorrow told by
Windaru. A floating island has APP
preached our shores, from which have
landed men of different color. covered
with skins of animals unknown to us, and
bearing in their hands weapons which
destroy with fire. How shall our spears
successfully contend against warriors
who have but to hold forth an arm to
destroy their foes? Legends have
reached the wise men of Epoi from
tribes ON the northern shores of the
great water. These legends tell that
many years ago floating islands ap-
peared to them. Men, white in color.
and armed with the same strange weap-
ons, landed and made an encampment
upon their hunting grounds.
"What happened, o warriors of the
Epoi? The tribes of the mort hern shore
fell before the white men as leaves be-
fore the great dust storm. They OPP
posed them in vain. We, if we oppose
them, shall also be destroyed and our
women made prey. | and my old
men have. through the long watches of
the night, taken counsel as to how we
may save the hunting grounds of the
Epoi. Let us meet the strange people
with boughs of peace in our hands.
Should they become our friends, it will
be well. If our enemies, an Epoi can
die. /, with my old men and twelve
young men, will 60 forth to-day. We
will offer peace to the stranger
Worangou, having finished speaking,
selected, amid profound silence, twelve
hunters from the tribe to accompany
him. Among them strobe Windaru.
At sign from their chief, the hunters
sprang like squirrels into the branches
of the huge trees surrounding the
camp, and with their stone axes cut
from them large boughs.
Armed only with these weapons of
peace, the company of heralds set forth
to proffer vassalage to the white man.
On arriving within view of the sea, the
truth of the tale told by Windaru was
apparent. The floating island rested
quietly on the water, with the three
leahess pines upreared toward heaven.
Many tents were already pitched on the
shore, while pale, full-bearded. strong
men were gathering firewood and cook
ing food. Canoes of large size went
backward and forward between the
shore and the dreaded island. Woran-
gou placed himself at the head of his
little band, and all danced toward the
white men, waving their boughs high
over their heads aud chanting the song
of peace.
The strangers came forth to meet
them; and perceiving that the dark
sons of the soil were unarmed, laid
down their weapons. Then for the
first time, on the southern shores of the
great ocean, the black man and the
white man gazed at each others eyes.
With kindly signs the white men in
vited Worangou and his followers to
their camp. Food was offered to them.
They were presented with iron axes.
with mirrors. beads and gay-colored
handkerchiefs. The younger men, all
save Windarau, quickly lost fear of the
dreaded strangers. It was long before
they tired of encircling their heads with
the gaudy cloth and viewing their swart
cOuntenances for the first time in mir
rors.
Windarou and Worangou talked
apart. The future destiny of their hith-
erto free and beautiful country was ap-
parently revealed but to these two.
AS the father and son talked, youth
and age seemed wondrously alike.
Their souls appeared to have penetrat-
ed their bodies. These souls were fate
laden. Who shall decide which bore
the keenest agony? Youth, with with
cred future age. with its past erased?
No longer would Worangou sing TO
himself the war song of the Epoi, tell
ing of bygone glory, the wisdom of its
old men, the strength of its youth. The
white destroyer had come. The past
and the future of the black men died
on the same day.
Peace was established with the stran-
gers. The Epoi encampment was
changed to a spot within a short dis
lance of the tents. Generous of gifts
were the foreigners. for they needed
guides to point out the fertile plains
to lead them to the broad inland lakes.
Weeks passed away. The Epoi still
fingered by the tents of the strangers.
Other floating islands arrived. From
these came forth animals as strange to
the inhabitants of the land as were the
white men themselves - sheep with
woolly skins; cattle whose horns re-
sembled boomerangs; dogs swifter and
thN~ L.