The record-union., 1899-01-22

the exciting chase continued until dark
and by that time Umola, was vexed and
weary; so he made his bed on the
prairie grass, but his sleep was troubled
with visions of the red buffalo.
/ When the shafts of morning light fell
upon his eyelids Umola awoke and
looked around him like one bewildered,
for his last hour had been one OF
troubled dreams. The first sight that
filed his eyes was the red buffalo,
which grazed quietly about a hundred
yards away. The hunter sprang to his
horse and began the chase, but the buff
falo flew before him as a feather flies
before a strong gale.
"I'll pursue you until one of us dies, y
said Umola, for your skin shall be a
! prize for no other tribe than the See
| mokahs.''
But when night fell black and still,
! UmOla was weary, his horse was
winded, and the red buffalo, apparently
fresh as the morning, and not hair
wet after the chase, peacefully ate the
long grass, as on the first day.
And for many days did Umola strive
to kill the scarlet beast but his arrows
fell short, his horse could never gain
in the chase, and Umolas heart was
heavy at nightfall.
He was now far from the wigwams
of his people, in land of flowers and
trees. The forests were dense, and the
! air was laden with the perfumes of
strange bouquets. Seeing the red buf-
falo ever before him, Umola remem-
bered with fear that his mother had
once told him how the Chief of Dark
ness often changed his form to do
works of evil, and he knew that the
red buffalo was a bad spirit; so Umola
remembered his mothers sorcery for
| overcoming the. Chief of Darkness by
destroying his magic powers.
And the lone hunter mixed a potion of
| blood-red berries with the Juice of
certain strange vines that cling to the
forest trees. He placed these in the
hollow of a great stone, and rendered
a prayer to departed chiefs. After that
ceremony he walked around the mix
ture nine times, dipping his arrows into
the juice until their heads were red
with the waxy compound.
Il shall not miss the red buffalo
now he said, as he bent the bow with
all his strength and sent the magic
arrow into the flesh of his enemy Then
the crimson beast staggered and fell
dead, pierced to the heart; but there
sprang before Umola, as if from the
invisible chambers of the air, the paint
ed face and war plumes of Massatonga,
the Chief of Darkness, who had lured
Umola there to de him wrong, but soon
the devil departed, and swiftly a. pleas
ant picture took his place.
The day was now ripe, so that dark
ness was about to fall, and Umola did
not know the land his feet were press
ing. While thus troubled Umola beheld
q beautiful maiden coming toward him.
wild flower in her hair, cloak of
wampum upon her. They greeted each
other and the handsome maiden asked
Umola the name of his tribe, saying
that she had seen no such people in the
land she knew.
Il am from the far north,' he said,
''and of the Seemokahs, which, judge,
are not known to YOU
Il have never seen their faces here"
she said.
Umola then told the story of his re-
cent adventures, and of the dead buff
falo, also of. the vision of Massatonga
his painted face and evil eye
81 am Una, of the Coneka tribe"
said the maiden, with a voice full of
tenderness and melody. land if you will
come with me where the earth is sweet
and the air delicious, my father, Chief
Tuscona, will reward you for your deed
of valor, which has served my people
so well that l am drunk with joy
Sc the two with arrows of love pierre
ing their hearts, passed on together,
through the wildwood and to the camp
fires of the Conekas. Una hastened to
the side of old Chief Tuscona, and told
of Umola's brave deed in overcoming
Massatonga in the valley by the wild
wood. There We're shouts of joy, as the
story of the deed was told among the
braves and women of the village; but
Umola's joy was of another kind-and
he told old Tuscona how he loved Una,
and how his heart was lost from the
moment that he first saw her among the
trees and vines.
But 1 forbid your wooing," said the
Chief, 'for my lovely daughter is dearer
than the scalps of the Teeponahs,
sweeter than all else to me, and I can
not let her leave my side"
In vain did Umola plead and recite
the story of their romantic meeting by
the body of the dead buffalo. Una
blushed and cast her eyes downward as
she told old Tuscona how her love for
the brave Umola was born at their
meeting in the valley. But Umola was
courageous anad honorable, and he
looked fate in the face with the cour-
age of true Seemokah. 1t was set
tied that there could be no marriage
until old Tuscona passed to the land of
happy hunting. The lovers parted
tenderly. but they knew that their
hearts must remain sealed during Tus-
conas life. With bitter disappoint-
ment (yet with the star of hope be-
fore him), Umola started for the land
of his people, in the far north. After
wandering for many moons he came to
his home land, and rested by the camp
fires of his kinsmen.
Uma's life was one of devotion to her
father. but her heart bounded often at
the prospect of union with her lover.
She would wed him a4-ter the sorrow Of
parting from her father forever, but
her days were those of waiting. Though
she wanted Tuscona to live, yet his life
bore the fruit of sadness, because it
separated her from Umola-and she
pined for her lover during the weary
hours of waiting.