The Opelousas courier., 1898-10-01
AFRAID OF INDIANS
Terror Vanisted When the Red Men Began
to Sing a HYMN.

IGIFUT VdnlS !SN "uSA AHS NV iNSA OsS~
to Sing a Hymn. .
About sixty-ive years ago, says a
writer in the Montreal Witness, two
Youths came from Scotland, and struck
out for the Wilderness of Oxford
| County, in what was then Upper Can
| ada. They had heard that Indians
might be found in the region, and they
kept O sharp and somewhat fearful
watcn. Nearing their destination. they
encamped one chilly night by the side
of a stream. While they were getting
their lunch, lowering over the tire
| they were overwhelmed with aston
ig'ment and fear by seeing a small
bal. I of Indians suddenly arrive.
Aslit was too late to try to escape.
| and asothe Indians were too many to
fight, t'ne young fellows decided to
parley With the savages; 'ebut tlieir
"parleying ., was rendered. no effect
by the faco'tho Wv n1re the Indians
| spoke not a word of English She Scotch
boys were totally ignorant of the sign
language in which the Indians tried to
converse.
But presently the savages made a
| gesture which the boys understood.
1t was a reckoning sign and plainly
meant come along.
"Well," said one Of the boys to the
other, "it is evident that we have got
to die, and we may as well die at their
camp as here"
"In any event we will die like men,"
said the other.
"We will"
So they started along, following the
Indians, or rather followed by them.
Soon they reached a large Indian lodge
which they entered. The Indians beck
oned to them to sit down in front of a
large fire in the center Of the lodge,
which was directly beneath a hole IN
the roof that served for chimney, wins
dow and ventilator.
The Indians offered them food, but
appetite had been scared out Of them.
The Indians ate and then got out
hatchets and knives.
"Our time has come" said one Of tho
boys.
$50 it seems" said the other, "but
let US sell our lives dearly"
However instead of falling upon
them with the weapons, the Indians
procured a lot of strips of ashWood
and went to work making baskets,
stripping, measuring, splitting and
bending the wood. The boys were a
little treasured and yet they agreed
that probably the savages would pre-
tend to fall asleep and would murder
them in the night. They resolved that
but one Of them should lie down. while
the other would sit up and watch, each
taking his turn.
After the Indians had worked at
basket making for some time, che OF
them, who seemed to be a sort Of chief,
suddenly gave a yell that froze the
blood In both boys veins. The Indians
threw down their implements and
formed in a circle about the fire, and
the white boys. The terrible ceremony
of death was about to begin.
Then the chief Indian sounded a note
with his voice., and all the Indians be-
gan to sing. But what was it that
they were singing? The Scotch boys,
piously reared, knew the tune well; it
was the one to which they were accus-
toned to sing the words
How pleased and blest was !
To hear the people cry,
"Come, let us seek our God to-day"
The boys looked at each other in as
constituent, and when the Indians had
sung this song-in their own language,
of ~course-they sung a greater and
more thrilling one, "Rock Of Ages,
Cleft for Me-"
The fears of the boys were gone. In
their own tongue, they Joined in the
song with more JUNCTION, no doubt, than
they had ever before known in sing
ing it; and when the Indians had fin
ished their devotions, for it was with
a devotional purpose that they had
sung, the boys lay down to sleep and
slept soundly in the warmth Of the
fire.
The tribe was n which had been
visited by missionaries, and the men
had no other purpose than one OF
grateful hospitality in bringing these
wandering white youths to their lodge.
The next morning they ate with gus
to the food which their hosts offered
them. and expressing their thanks as
best they could, went their way.