Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-12-07
TIE ISLAND PRISONER.
"a Story OF King Phillips War.
by j. II. SPENCER.

III Is beautiful July evening in tn
.sear 1876. The wooded hills of New
England raise their green summit
aaainst ::he intense crimson of The sun
set sky A light breeze ripples the s11l'
face ~ small lake, surrounded b,
high falas and moss grown clifCs-on.
Of the tairest pictures that human eve
ever rested upon.
Near the center of the lake is a small
and heavily wooded island containing
eaghf or ten acres, and which rise.
abruptly from the water in the form O
q miniature mountain. Upon this
island, few yards from an Indian vii
aage, with his back against straight
yossng sapling, to which he is securely
s,o1ne2s stands a young man gazing out
~ae.ross the lake.
He rs tail of stature, and of powerful
6nflds his long. wavy hair falls ovel
his broad shoulders, and his dark ewes
fash from beneath a pair of well-formed
ass'spz- A deep, healthy color is upon
his check. His Drowned complexion
bears evidence that the greater part OF
has lite is passed in the open air.
Sssch is d picture of Harold Grayson.
who. only few hours before, was at
lacked by a party of twelve Indians,
and. after severe struggle,
wss opotpowered by them and brought
10 their island home-a captive.
The purple light dies out in the west.
and quiet reigns at the Indian camp.
~shere all slumber except Harold Gray
SOC, TO whom, in his anxiety, sleep is
denied He has been informed that lie
is TO be burned at the stake on the nor
row, and his hopes of escape are small
indeed.
After a time his attention is attracted
by peeniiar sounds breaking upon the
Stiffness of the hight These, at first
falni' and distant gradually grow nearer
ard lender: till, at last, he recognizes
tt'e gells OF a party of savages, who, in
their canoes, are returning across the
sake rejoicing over the atrocities they
have committed. The women, aroused
by the noise. come forth from their
dwellings and begin to prepare for the
wanderers, who, springing to the shore
and dragging their canoes after them.
soon burst into the village aud throw
themselves Oh, the ground in front of
tbs, wigwams, calling upon the women
,fcy food and drink.
Nxu1tjngly they tell their tale OF hor-
Tor. iheir painted faces and blood
es.ainnl garments looking CHASTITY i'll the
naes>s1sligEt. One man throws an orna-
men1, torn from the person of
. white woman, to his squaw; and an
other, with a fendish laugh, shakes a
scalp at Harold, calling out in broken
Esnelish, Young pale-face warrior scalp
,hang beside this tomorrow"
Toward midnight, when tile savages,
weary with carousing. have fallen into a
heavy slu,nber, Harold is suddenly
startled by the form of young girl,
dressed i'll Indian costume, appear
lng like phantom OF his side.
Hist, she whispers; II have come
4t, release you.
And moment later she has cut his
bands and is leading him toward the
.Isore.
tMc you speak English" he asks, in
Che same language.
as, it is my native tongue" she re-
piles.
You are English. then" he says.
Dut how came you here?"
MY parents were slaughtered six
gears ago, when l was 10 years old, by
Indians. she replies. "Ninigret, the
ssacl.em of this village, had me brought
hern, whore have lived ever since. In
sl1rss, n. cons he intends to make me his
.sts1lsw. ! will drown myself in the lake
7,efort. submit to such q fate. would
have escaped from here long ago, had l
known the way to any OF the white
settlements, But you are losing time.
Some oil the Indians may awake and
discover you.
But you must come with me-" says
Harold. My sister will gladly vel
COME gen TO her home at Warwick"
Silently they seat themselves in a
canoe, and Harold paddles out across
the n1oon1it waters Of the lake.
The story of the fair captive has
strangely excited his symathy, and as
&hey glide from the dark shadows Of the
arees a a the bright moonlight fails
s1pon Gu >sn, he is surprised :. 'he Won
.szrous beauty OF h..: form ard I.> lures