The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1895-01-19
THE BLIND CHIEF.

Chiklgatabac. the blind son OF the In.
dian chief Wahgumacut. was borne dur
ing war between his fathers tribe. the
Wampanoags. and the Nahigonsiks. The
Wampanoags had won the battle and
We're already shouting triumphantly.
when the woods about them suddenly
burst into great blaze. Everything
seemed turned 10 fire. tcrept like reptiles
among the dry grass at their feet and
coiled around the trunks OF trees. till,
reaching the topmost branches. IL formed
"A canopy OF twisting writing flames.
Many Of the warriors persisted that
night. among them Wahgumacut. The
survivors. after undergoing many hard
ships. reached the little camp where the
squaws and children had been left for
safety There they learned that on the
very night OF their misfortune Naanash-
quaw. wife OF their chief. had given
birth 10 male child. Instead Of the
usual rejoicing over such an event there
were scowls and mutterings among The
warriors. A child of III omen they said
he was. and to prevent his evil influence
doing further mischief they determined
To put him to death Bnt Naanashquaw
pleaded for the life Of her little one and
was permitted under protest 10 keep
him
The child grew. but he WAS blind. and
the Indians were filed with supersti.
tons fear of him. All sorts of misfor.
tunes were supposed to fall on tho un-
lucky individual on whom his sightless
eyes might appear to rest.
Naanashquaw died. prophesying I'M
limited disaster 70 the tribe II her sight
less son should meet violent death ut
their hands So the boy. feared. Stunned
and despised. grew To manhood He was
about FL. tall. broad shouldered and
straight. when there came Il year of fam
inc The earth was barren. the deer and
game apparently externinated Dark
grew the conntenances of the red men
They drew apart from the sluaws and
children. who cried piteously for food
and while whispering together pointed
ominously at Chikkatabac the blind
yonng chief
Then they pretended to have arranged
a hunting trip. and soon the noise and
hustle usually attendant upon this event
was heard throughout the catup. Before
this Chikkatabac had always been left
with the squuws. but now he was in.
vited 10 accompany the braves. and his
bosom swelled with pride He Imagined
they at last had realized he was a 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
"a dense forest beyond. they pushed their
way through the trees. brush and tangled
vines TO itsvery heart. Here they paused,
and after refreshing themselves pretend
eel TO rest Chikkatahac unsuspectingly
lay down and was soon asleep
The bright eyes of his enemies could
be seen sparkling through the darkness
The dusl,y forms arose noiselessly and
stealthily retraced their steps homeward
In his dreams Chikkatabac was II great
warrior The place about HIM echoed
with the cries of ms victims and the war
whoop ~ his army Onward. onward to
triumph he was leading them
HeawOke a great SENSE of loneliness
oppressed him lie could hear no sound
save the sobbingof the wind through the
trees Was II day or nighty As II in an
swer n bird caroled forth its morning
hymn and thousands of sweet voiced
songsters Joined IN the melody One by
one he called the names of his compan-
ions. but none answered him What had
happencdY Had some terrible disaster
occurred and were their dead bodies ly
ing around himy Or were they all sitting
near HIM. prinning an his misfortune
Angrily he arnss aud gesticulated wild
~. walking rapidly around and around.
stretching his arms out into space. Then
n feeling OF helplessness and utter de
SPAR assaulted HIM With loud cry he
threw himself to the ground
Chikkatabac had been reared with the
women OF his tribe. they and the chill
dreu had been his companions Nothing
had arisen IN his life before tins to dc
velop the more rugged qualities of man
hood But when there broke upon him
now full realization of the enormous
cruelty thar had been practiced upon
him tho fighting spirit of his ancestors
burst its 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
yells hooking him from the depths OF
the forest.
Never before had the unrclenting cru.
city OF mis- blindness held him In bonds
SO CALLING He darted hither und thith-
CT. clutching the AIR for his vanished
foes He tore away great branches Of
trees. and with these Tor clubs he lay
about HIM with murderous energy. ours.
ing and yelling. The stupendons
strength which had lam sleeping in his
muscles was now awake for tho FIRST
time IN his life. and with thousand
Threats il clamored for exercise. This
he furnished. He hurled stones az ran
dom and gleefully listened as they went
tearing through the foliage He tore up
strong shrubs by the roots. dashed them
TO the ground and tranplod upon them.
For the man was mad. a scorchilg
fever sent unaccustomed flashes of light
into his sightlCss eyes and went into his
blood like wine From cursing and