The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1893-06-01
THE BLIND CHIEF.

/ Wampanoags, and the Nahigonsiks. The
| Wampanoags had won the battle and
were already shouting triumphantly,
when the woods about them suddenly
burst into great blaze. Everything
seemed turned to fire; it crept like reptiles
among the dry grass at their feet and
roiled around the trunks of trees, till,
reaching the topmost branches, it formed
a canopy of twisting, writing flames
Many of the warriors persisted that
night, among them Wahgumacut Tho
survivors, after undergoing many hard
rhips, reached the little camp where the
,quaws and children had been left for
,afety There they learned that on the
very night of their misfortune Naanash-
quaw, wife of their chief, had given
birth to II male child. Instead of the
usual rejoicing over such an event there
were scowls and lnutterings among the
warriors. A child of i'll omen they said
| he was, and to prevent his evil influence
doing further mischief they determined
to put him to death. But Naanashquaw
pleaded for the life of her little one and
was permitted under protest to keep
him.
The child grew, but he was blind, and
the Indians were filled with Il supersti-
tious fear of him. All sorts of misfor-
tunes were supposed to fall on the I'M
lucky individual ON whom his sightless
eyes might appear to rest.
Naanashquaw died, prophesying I'M
limited disaster to the tribe if her sight
less son should meet violent death at
their hands. So the boy. feared, Stunned
and despised, grew to manhood. He was
about 81, tall broad shouldered and
straight, when there came year of fam
inc. The earth was barren, the deer and
game apparently exterminated, Dark
grew the countenances of the red men,
They drew apart from the squaws and
children, who cried piteously for food
and while whispering together pointed
ominously at Chikkatabac, the blind
young chief.
Then they pretended TO have arranged
hunting trip, and soon the noise and
hustle usually attendant upon this event
was heard throughout the cauIp. Before
this Chikkatabac had always been left
with the squaws, but now he was in
vited to accompany the braves, and his
bosom swelled with pride. He imagined
they at last had realized he was man.
Dreams of taking his inherited right of
being sycamore of the tribe came to him.
For days they Travelled ont of their own
land over hot sandy deserts till, reaching
h dense forest beyond, they pushed their
way through the trees, brush and tangled
vines to its very heart. Here they paused,
md after refreshing themselves pretend
ed to rest. Chikkatabac unsuspectingly
| lay down and was soon asleep.
The bright eyes of his enemies could
be seen sparkling through the darkness
The dusky forms arose noiselessly and
stealthily retraced their steps homeward
In his dreams Chkkatabac WAS Il great
warrior. The place about him echoed
with the cries Of his victims and the war
whoop of his army. Onward, onward to
triumph he was leading them.
He awoke. y great sense of loneliness
oppressed him He could hear no sound
save the sobhing of the wind through the
trees. Was it day or night? AS If i'll an
swer bird caroled forth its morning
hymn, and thousands of sweet voiced
kongsters Joined in the melody. One by
Dne he called the names Of his compan-
ions. but none answered him. What had
/ happened? Had some terrible disaster
occurred and were their dead bodies "
i ing around him; Or We're they all sitting
hear him, grinning at his misfortune?
Angrily he arose and gesticulated wild
~, walking rapidly around and around,
stretching his arms out into space. Then
n feeling of helplessness and utter de
Bpair assailed him. With loud cry he
threw himself to the ground
Chikkatabac had been reared with the
women of his tribe; they and the chill
tlren had been his compani Hs Nothing
had arisen in his life before this to de-
Velop the moro rugged qualities Of man
hood. But when there broke upon him
how full realization of the enormous
cruelty that had been practiced upon
him the fighting spirit of his ancestors
burst it's leash within him, and uncon-
trollable fury ragged in his blood He
beat his head against the ground; he
tore the sod with his fingers; he sprang
to his feet, and waving his arms cursed
his betrayers, the echoes of his frantic
Sells mocking him from the depths Of
the forest.
Never before had the unrelenting cru
city of his blindness held him in bonds
30 CALLING. He darted hither and thith-
Ur. clutching the air for his vanished