The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-03-12
TOCOSO HALO.

Down upon the banks OF that slug
gish body Of water with gloomy
shades. bright. green flags and broad
leaved yankapin. known as the north
cut cypress many years ago. sat
Tocoso Halo and Huchee Malta They
were Indians--the foEmera youth. the
latter maiden. They were sitting
beneath tho wide spreading branches
OF a great white oak. Before them
lay the black waters OF the Cypress
swamp To one who has never seen
this remarkable formation OF nature,
the cypress swamp presents an inter-
esting picture. Imagine to yourself
a body OF black water. about one mile
wide. which lies SO still that OBJ
jects are reflected upon it as upon the
face of great mirror; upon the sur
face OF which rest large water lilies
and broad-leaved. dark green yanks-
pins Then imagine the whole over
Swallowed by the tops OF gigantic
cypress trees, aud twilight darkness
In midday throughout the entire
region. and you have a feeble con-
ception OF the scene Then. when
you are told, that man nor beast can
cross through this shade and quag-
farther side you have before your
mind picture which reminds you
forcibly OF the river Styx and its en-
vlronments.
Tocoso Halo and Huchee Malta
were lovers The youth was srlen-
did type OF his race. tall. sinewy and
graceful as the wild deer OF the forest
The maiden, lacking the outlines Of
strength. resembled more the wild
fawn; possessing all the coynesS soft
ness grace and beauty OF that shy
denizen OF the wild wood. Both were
captives OF Tywappitty. the chief who
had recently invaded their territory.
defeated their tribe in battle and laid
waste their country. The tent OF the
chief was pitched on an elevation
short distance from the banks of the
cypress swamp. while to the right and
left surrounding the captives on three
sides, were the wig-wams OF the war
riors. All avenues of escape were
thus cut of from the unfortunate
lovers.
The youth sat in moody silence. his
eyes fixed upon the somber shades an d
black ooze OF The swamp. With bowed
head the maiden sat silently weeping.
Children of the forest wild and I'M
tutored they were-ignorant of tho
polished arts by which the poetry OF
love is depicted by civilized mankind,
yet theirs was the same experience
which kind nature gives to all the hui
man race. They loved one another.
Education could not have improved
upon that love. Art could not have
beautiied it. and science could not
have made IL more intense for love is
something above intellect 1t is loftier
than ambition. 1t is mightier than
reason. So when speak OF the love
OF Tocoso and Huchee, mean the
same indescribable, undefinable feeling
of the heart which is far beyond the
ken OF learning. knowledge and the
wisdom OF mana something which
binds one soul to another which dares
and suffers all things; which defies tor
ture and death, time and eternity.
In the sullen countenance OF the
youth fixed determination was de-
DlCttu. ITO WOih hhOW bhO idJO thdt
awaited his bride and himself Ac-
cording to the custom OF savages the
maiden became the prize OF the vic
torious chief and Tocoso must be u
slave. His mind was now busily oc-
cupied in devising plans by which to
escape this deplorable fate.
All OF his savage instincts were
brought into play his cunning and
strategy. but these. 1t seemed, failed
him in this emergency. AS the youth
surveyed. with furtive glance. the
hopelessness OF escape from his cap
tors his eyes lit up with the wild des-
peration OF lion at bay. He made
up his mind to take his bride and
brave the cypress swamp. He erasped
her in his arms threw her over his
broad shoulder and with q few
mighty bounds, landed in the inky
waters and treacherous mud. His
captors. at first astonished at his
temerity, now set up hideous yell
and started In pursuit but when they
reached the edge OF the mighty
swamp they stopped--bold and reck-
less as they were. here was feat that
made the heart OF the bravest quail.
The sky in the southwest now be-
came overcast with heavy clouds
Silently and sullenly they approached.
overshadowing the earth In their path
way. Now they become more agi-
tated and the sullen silence begins to
break A low, angry murmur reverb
crates from the caverns OF the storm
cloud. and its menacing tones CRATE
ominously on the human ear. Nearer
and nearer comes the black. growing
mass. Its pent up rage becomes more
aud more clamoroua The heavens
are turned into tho widest chaos,
mountains seem rolling jostling and
churning together in the darkened
vault above; and the lightning flashes,
like huge. fiery serpents. chase each
other In and out Of the caverns Of the
vaporous mountains