The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-02-22

H4lW ~ Aa|A "tAAAa AN" ~NTr"H~
started as fron q dream Stepping
into the canoe With the agility q an
Indian woman. the shore was len and
the canoe shot away. not cleaFlnE. out
skimmlag over the waters Paul nAd
little need Of effort because the cur
rent vas strong. yielding 70 the sue
ton from the Calumette falls below,
where the water fretted itself into
Niagara. For a moment Louise ;
voice foafed out
-Cesl les avirons gut nous mont en
haut.
but. rec0liecting herself she said.
TEL ne the story of the grave on
Calumette Island We have iust leit.
You promised me 10 do 90 on OUT re-
turn"
II would rather talk % yon q watch
VOC Or hear you Or
~Oh PAUL she raised her hand dep
recatingly.
"Well, ma femmelette. here IL is.
Long years ago when the voyageurs
we're first exploring Canada the In
dians had been aroused and were hos
tile and the explorers made q practice
of camping on islands to escape the
savages just as the geese and ducks
do 70 escape the wolves and foxes.
Near where the grave stands a canoe
load Of men we're eamped- They naa
spent the night. breakfasted, and were
preparing TO leave. when half mile
away was seen a dozen canoe loaas
81 painted Indians making for them.
To remain was certain death. 80 they
abandoned everything and made
rush for their canoe. leaving one q
their number. who had strayed snort
distance from the camp. behind them.
Each man grasped his paddle. and
aided By the swift current the canoe
aew; but the Indians followed in close
pursuit and were gaining on the fugi-
tivas. TO stop meant death. TO land
was impossible because they Woe-d De
caught and massacred. Presently the
roar Of the falls was heard sounding
Ike a score Of angry lions. and pillar
Of spray was seen to rise. Death was
certain. but death BY being dashed
over the falls was preferable TO death
by torture al the stake, 50 they All lay
down In the bottom Of the canoe
commended their souls to God, and,
invoking the intercesslon Of the Virgin
Mother, by a farrent--
"'sainte Marie pIein de grace,
they awaited the end. The current
hurled them along and when the roar
Of the cataract had become deafening'
the terror-stricken occupants Of the
canoe saw a woman in white seat her
self IN the stern of the craft and take
a paddle In her hand Almost in
stantly the canoe shot over the preci-
pice. Down, down, down. A splash
and the heavlng Of the canoe told them
that they had passed the falls and
were now In the whirlpools and rap
ids below Still the woman In white
sat In her chosen position and In less
time than It takes to tell II the canoe
was moored Ia a quiet eddy below
The woman IN white cast a look Of
ineffable tenderness upon the recum-
bent yoyageurs and vanished. They
arose and discovered that they were
safe. Not a drop Of water was In the
canoe. Not 4 thing disturbed. The
miracle dumfounded them because
they knew a saw log or a stick" Of
timber could not pass the falls With
out being riven and splintered. Re-
gaining speech. they devoutly knelt
upon the rocks aud returned thanks
to God; then. lifting their canoe. they
proceeded over the weary portage de-
termined to see what had become Of
their comrade.
''The ransomed reached their camp
ing place on the island. but their com
panion. thinking them Indians. had
concealed himself. AS soon as he rec
ognlzed the voices he came forth and
IN an ecstasy Of Joy his emotions over
came him and he dropped dead. We
would call Il heart disease nowadays.
lie de en- est lete said the foreman.
and they buried the dead man. plac-
ing a rude slab to mark the spot. and
the grave has been the Mecca OF yoy-
ageurs ever since. And. said Paul.
looking into the dark and wondering
eyes OF the maiden before him, "C'esi
un vrais conte- "
Louise said nothing. A pallor spread
over her face and she Yisibly trembled.
paul. needless Of the fast increasing
current. laid bis paddle across the
gunwaies OF his canoe and, taking her
hand. said earnestly.
Louise. / am like the voyageurs In
the story. Since meeting you. rince
first hearing your voice. since first in
haling the odor Of your presence. !
have loved you. and unless you can Be
mine I must perish In the turbulent
stream Of life. Be my woman In
white. and save me"
The unheeded growlings Of the cat
aract broke into a roar and the young
/ girl lnstinctively grasped the paddle.
"Donnez-le-moii" Paul grasped the
paddle almost rudely from her hand.