Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-09-11
White HarldI
"A Tale Of the Early Settlers !
, of Louisiana. !
e
BY AUSTIN c. 8uRplCK
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CHAPTER X.-lContinued.l

SH intern theu tNF princess, Al IN
abrupt, but yet kind tone. You must
not urge me beyond Wit have assured
you. Coqualla speaks Mt without
thought. and hence she speaks not the
second time, must nor stop NV.
know the character Of some Of your peo-
pie, and their words do not come from
their hearts So you might BE- led ANY,,
and think Stung Serpent meant dark
thing when he spoke fair. iou will not
forget Cocualla."
With these words she turned a'gay.
and ere the youth could detain her she
was gone. lie saw the heavy door tlose
after her light and graceful form, md
then he sank down again upon the cod
earth. What could be- the meaning Of
her yisitF Why should she have come
to him thus to warn him Of a danger
threatened by her father: Ii was a
strange circumstance, and afforded the
prisoner plenty of food for thought.
The morning dawned. the prison door
WAS opened. and Stnng Serpent entered.
and with him came two others, ole Of
them an old man, decrepit with age. and
the other a tall athletic man, only a
little older than Stung Serpeut. White
Hand quickly recognized tbis latter indi-
yidual as the Great Sun king of all
the Natchez, not only from his noble
bearing and his resemblance to his broth
er. bat also from the eurionsly wrought
circlet Of feathers. with its elevated
plume Of horse hair, that adorned his
head
The youth arose as these men entered,
but he did not speak, His arms were
folded across his breast. aud with i
steady. calm look. he returned the gaze
TIA was bent upon him.
White Hand. spoke the prince. list
en- TO the words that the Great Sun shall
speak TO thee"
At these words the king stepped for
Nserd. The prisoner had seen many proud
men, and many of the great men among
his people, but he had never sc,n one 50
purely noble in his look aud bearing as
the Gre Sun OF the Natehe2.
Son Of the pale faced invader spoke
the chieftain, thy people have come up
on us with evil intent. and their feet al
ready tread upon lauds not their own.
They have come with smooth tongue and
smiling face, and while they whispered
words Of lore, they have robbed Us of
that which the Great Spirit had given
Us. The white man says the Nstehez
are treacherous; but falsehood Was not
here until the white man came. lie says
the Natehez are cruel: bal tie dove Is
cruel when her nest is despo led by the
serpent. Whence art thou aere ia the
village Of the White Apple! nost thou
know
No. ne. uttered the prisoner.
lis because Of the evil that dwells
in the bosom Of your people. We sought
a child Of the white man to send him on
a mission 10 the white mans God, and
while we sought such an one, 10, the wish
was met by cue who wished to be free of
an circumference upon him. You will
not fear 70 20 upon the mission We would
have you perform Every year many Of
our peopt 70 voluntarily to the world Of
spirits TO accompany their beloved rela-
tiyes Then why should you fear since
you. too, will ascend at once to the home
0C your God? Child Of the pale face.
listen! Go tell your God that he shall
send no mssa vengearce upen the
Natcbez for thu deeds they have done
to the white man. Tell him how the
white man has come 10 despon US. Tell
him this. Once the Natchez were happy
and peaceful; their homes we're pure. and
their hearts were glad. Plenty smiled
upon them, and jcy was theirs. But by
and by a strange boat. with wings like a
great bird, came over the great salt lake,
and the white man was in It, Tie came
with FIRE in his guns and FIRE in his bar
rels and when a multitude had landed
here, they began to place their foot upon
cur necks And now eur jog il gone. for
rottenness has crept over our homes: vice
haa festeFed like great sores in our vii
lagos; eur warriors have drunk of the
Accursed tirewateF until they have be-
come Ike old wouen, our domain is be-
coming esjod from us and sorrow sits
like a b ack spirit broodjng over our de-
ca5. ell vour God ali this. ana then
ASK hAu not To answer the white mans
prayers when they ask 70 vengeance
against the Natchez Remember my
words, and forget not one Of them"
Thus speaking, the Great Sun folded
has arms and gazed silently into q i
youths face. White Hand was moved
ieep,y moved by the speech he had
heard. for there was a depth OF pathos
ia tt tnat appealed directly to the heart.
lie knew we'll what each word of the
chieftan meant, and he knew how true
il was. Bat beyond this there was a
meaning That struck terror e lae youths
soul lie was just upon the point Of fall
iug npon his knees, when the Great sun
turned away and stslked from the place
Pale and trembling. White Hand watch.
ed him until he was gone. and then turn.
Ell 10 Stung Serpent.
White Hand. you have heard the
words Of the Great Sun, He has spoken
TO You the truth. Now follow me"
Then Stung Serpent walked slowly
from the prison house. and the old man
took White Hand by the arm and said
Come InStinctiyely he obeyed the
summons, though his steps tremhled as
he walked forth. When he reached tho
open air. the prisoner looked around hut
not living thing could he see save the
stout prince who walked On ahead and
the old man who led him
Next 10 the prison. ana distant some
five rods. stood the temple White Hand
knew it by the rude imitation Of the blaz-
ng sun that adorned the roof at the ga
bic. Into this te4;s, he he was led. AMI
here he found some twenty men, eight OF
whom were those warriors whose duty
il was TO attend the sacred FIRE Tais
fare was burning upon an altar aud very
rurioHsiy wrought with strange devices
Bat The youth took but little notice OF the
altar His attention was arrested by the
appearance Of two stout men who stood
near ne altar with knives ia their haIls,
and with farg, howl between them
which was blooa-staiaed both outside and
in