The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-09-03

O~dAuuOuoC Wu0il NuO oG0bNu Jul
selves at the end. II was a Lowell,
: simmer night, with cIoudless sky
There was no moon, but the bril-
liant stars bathed the landscape il
a flood of mellow light, and reflect
ed themselves in the calm water
around us the sea breeze had not
yet sprung up, still it was COO
enough to be pleasant aud comfort.
able. We were enjoying ourselves,
engaged in conversation, when Que
OF the young ladies suddenly inter.
rupted by asking me:
Did you ever hear the mysteri-
ous music, sir ~
NO. | replied, though | have
often hoped an opportunity would
occur to crafty a wish | have long
expressed
Listen! Keep quiet girls. Now
you eau hear it. There it cOmes,'
she continued, nov you'll get your
wish
We listened. Softly, tremulous
and low, from afar out on the spark
ling water came to our ears the dull
Get notes, notes, not unlike the
SWEET STRAINS OF AN EOLIAN
HARP.
Nearer and palmer breathed the be.
wltching melody higher and clear
er seemed the invisible musician !;
stronger aud louder grew tue notes,
until passing Owe our heads, aud
changing to something like The
drouing of a bagpipe, it seemed to
ascend higher and higher, aud
growing fainter aud sweeter, 1t
seemingly almost lost itself among
The stars, then returned as it had
gone, soft and sweet, now rising to
the highest notes with the most
delicate touch, then with "a gradual
and measured cadence would fall to
the lowest bass.
First 10 our right, then to our
left, in the air around and above us,
aud in the water beneath our feet,
changlng-first here then there
came the sweet aud emrapturing |
melody, following no set rules nor
striking any known tunes, yet with
out Il diScOrd; and keepiugt the most
astonishing time. 1t played around
us, holding MS Spcll-bound with its
luagic sweetness, until at las, as if
exhausted with its efforts TO bring
encore from an unappreciative
ludiance, It's notes grew softer aud
sweeter until il vanished from our
hearing and lett lS alone. My wish
was realized. | hal often heard
and read of The my stpriouS music oil
Buy; but now had
heard it and sad then, aS | say
now, 10 pen can do it Justice.
Next day | met an old citizen
here who related to me an
INDIAN TRADITION
respecting this mystery, which for
he sake of brevity / will give in my
,wn words, ut the same time alher-
ng with fidelity to the original
story The scene is laid near the
spot where l heard the music. An
,bIupt bluff jutS into The water not
from The bath house wharf. On
he top OF II grow many very Ia gp
I've oak trees, teSlOOncd with dense
of Spanish moss trailing
rom their giant bou2hS, aud sway ,
10 aud fro in the breeze. TllrSr
are nO doubt many centuries !
i'd, aud beneath their shade the
vents which | am about to relate
ranSpired hence the place has ii
strange fascination. II weird inter
which ut ii distance perhaps il
would not possess.
The tradition runs that long ago, ,
The fleets of BienvIlle had
vhitened the bay with then sails,
Il young chief of the PaSca /
with his beautiful bride, ,
together with II large mum. ,
Der OF braves and maidenS OF the :
ribe, had assembled under the -,
arge oaks above referred to. II
vas shortly after nightfall in spring
ime. The crescent moon hung /
li9h above them tue bright stars :
parked like gems in the blue vault !
'fheaveu, aud glinted down through !
he branches of the immense oaks, ;
Which served as IA shelter from the :
Lamp night air. AlIght wind blew !.
rom off the Calf and raised the :
White caps on the bay to chase each
ither onward to the shore. Break. .
r after breaker dashed upon the !,
or in "a subdued thunder met !,
With harder shock the bluff almost !
'eneath the feet Of those vino had :
altered to celebrate tue nuptials =
f their chief. The torches had :
'een lit, a grand feast prepared, :
nd Whihe il the midst OF the fes- =
of the occasion the apall :
ng war-whOOp of their dreaded !,
pes, the powerful Biloxis, came i
own like Il tornado upon that hap !,
y and unsuspecting assem- blagr. +,
o arms! spraug the brave Pascal. !,
Oulas with a whOOp OF desperation. =
hey =
FOUGHT LIKE DEMONS, /
the conflict was of short il
uratiOn and a thousand braves lay Q
cad upon the field. Only about /,
fly of the heroic PascagOulas u
smained alive, but they were mas r,
srs of the situation. The few n
smaining Blocks, unable to mo- n
ing the contest, bad retired a short n
istauce, aud a shout of victory rang =