The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-06-14

IA u. blttcS III -NUfLu LdlOllila l nlVprSltV
Magazine.l
The legend of the milk white doe
has been doubted by some, and you
may believe it or not, as you please.
1t is better to believe too much than it
is to believe too little.
In the early part of the seventeenth
century, that is, about the year 1915
or 1910, the Indian hunters, who
lived on Roanoke Island, where greatly
excited by seeing a milk white doe
among the herds Of deer, that were
then commonly found on the island.
1t attracted the attention of the
hunters, because it was the most
beautiful one of all the herd, and be-
cause it was the feetest, and because
the most skllliul marksmen had never
been able to kill it with an arrow
Okisco, noted hunter who lived
among the Chawanooke tribe, was sent
for, and he drew his bow upon the
beautiful, milk white doe, but he could
never do her harm.
She came to be we'll known to the
Indian hunters of Roanoke Island,
and was often found on the site of the
old city of Raleigh, apart from the
herd of deer, with her sad face turned
to the East Again and again she
was hunted, but all the arrows aimed
at her life fell harmless beside her.
She bounded over the sand hills with
the swftness of the winds, and always
turned in the direction of CrOatan.
Hunting parties of Indians were
made to entrap her by stationing
themselves along the tracks of her
flight, which had become known to the
hunters by her always taking the same
course. But all their efforts were
without avail. The swift white doe
seemed to have a charmed life, or 10
be under the protection of some divine
power
Every one now talked of the white
doe and every Ole had his own opinion
about her, The braves, the squaws
and the papooses talked of the milk
white doe. Some had fears of evil
tom the strange apparltlon. Some
thought she was the omen of good,
and some thought it was the spirit of
some sad departed one.
Sometimes she would be seen on the
high grounds of Croatan, sometimes
IN the swamps of Durant's Island,
sometimes upon the cranberry bogs of
East Lake, often on Roanoke Island
near Raleigh city, and sometimes,
though rarely on the sands Of Kill
Devil Hills, sometimes alone, always
SD and beautiful.
The news of the white doe had
spread far and wide, and old Wingina
determined to call a council of chiefs
to determine what to do. Okisco,
chief of the Chawanookes, Cuskatenow
and kilkonancn, of the Yeopoms, and
others attented the council. They all
came with attendants, all armed with
their war weapon, the bow and arrow.
They determined to have grand hunt
III tHC tdIiy iLtldii Su!liiiS-, dii'i Will
out delay.
In November, when the leaves had
fallen and the earth was Carpeted with
its brown and russell covering of forest
leaves, all the friendly chiefs came to
Roanoke Island to join the fierce
Nngina in his appointed hunt for the
milk white doe, and each with his
chosen weapon of the chase.
The chiefs, after their feast prepared
by the wife of Wingina, agreed that
they should station themselves along
the course of the white doe when
pursued by the hunters, and either
exhaust her in the chase or slay her
with their deadly arrows.
Wingina, the most powerful of all,
took the place at Raleigh city, where
the doe always passed and always
stopI d.
Old Granganlmeo, the brother of
Wingina, took his stand at Croatan
Sound, where she crossed to Roanoke
Island
Okisco took his stand up in in the
goodly land of Pemoulk, in the low
grounds of Durant's Island
Kind old Manteo went up into the
shaky land of Wocoken, among the
prairies and cranberry bogs of East
Lake.
Menatonon, the fierce chief who
made his home at Sequaton, took his
stand at Jockeys Ridge by the sea in
the land of the COritooks.
WancheSe, took his stand at Kill
Devil, in the country of Secotan. They
had all brought with them their best
bows and arrows, and also their chosen
arChers.
But the arrow of Wanchese differed
from the others. When, long ago, he
had gone over the sea to England, the
great Queen had given HIM an arrow
head made of solid silver, like the
stone arrow head that Amadas carried
to Sir Walter Raleigh, with his other
Indian Curi0slties. 1t was made by
her most expert workers in silver, and
she told him it would kill the bearer
of 4 charmed life that no other arrow
could wound. WanChese carried this
with his other weapons and determined
to test its power upon the swift white
doe.
Manteo started the doe in the shaky
land of WOCoken. She started un-
harmed at the twang of the bowstrlng.