The Jennings daily record., 1902-07-07
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BY EDWARD KEMEys.

plain; when all wind creatures
thronged the woodland aisles or
roamed the treeless prairies: when the
waters teemed with FISH. and the air
was full and sweet with the rush of
wings and songs of birds. there lived
IN the Seneca tribe of the Iroeuois ma
ton warrior of great fame named
Little Panther. He was mighty upon
the warpath and as hunter In all
that nation of braves his prowess stood
nnequaled And in the tribe there en-
listed for long time a legend regard
ing his birth.
The old chef. his father. whose
name was White Thunder. was a man
of ability and sage counselor. but
while ruling his people with determine
tion and wisely. his voice was never
for war.
In tribe like the SenecaS his dis
position was almost unDa rdona hle The
savage warriors clamored against their
chief and !on"ed for ruler who would
lead them against their enemies and
along the red path: hut the Senecas
knew not what they desired: they only
felt their savage instincts sursinc
within them and the wild desire for
blood grow uppermost in their hearts.
Even the wife of the old chief baca me
affected by the murmurs about her
and in her fierce nature uplifted hey
voice in supplcation to the Great
Spirit. and prayed that the Senecas
might one day have a chief as savage
as a panther.
In the beautiful early autumn when
the pepperidge trees We're just begin
ming to turn red in the SwampS. when
the few leaves lodged in the brooks
changed their clear tinkie to a low
gurgIe. which mingled with the first
chirpingS of crickets. Somewa. the Old
chiefs wife. strayed off from the vii
lage alone. TO wander in the silent
woods. perchance to offer up to the
Great Spirit a prayer: for her heart
was heavy and the presence Of her
people was irkSome to her.
So, forth she went among the forest
aisles and by the borders o. clear
lakes. where the deer. startled by her
approach went plunging Off from
among the lily-pads where they had
been feeding. All through the long
day she travelled. unthinking. unti1 ar
last she noticed by a ionc s:!alcw
across her path that the sun was
slowly going down; she also became
aware by the rouchenin9 Of Q small
lakes surface that the Wind was ris-
ing. its voice was making music high
up among the towering pines. and as
it circled dOwnwards it swept q wave
of her black hair across her face and
sent a nameless shudder through her
frame She wrapped her robe closer
and. looking about. turned her face
homewardS.
Through the trackless and somhre
woods she passed. with the ever-in-
creaSing movement of the coming
storm all around her. The great pines
tossed their plumes as that harper.
the wind. struck his chords among
them and sent the wailing minor over
all the land. On pressed Somewa her
mind filed with miSgivings. for she
had passed the day in wild and mys-
terious longngs which raised within
her breast q strange and weird sense
of some evil to come. of which the
impending storm seemed the dread
forerunner.
The surface of the earth was as vet
dry. and there fingered anon. the
trees at j. .ervalS some belateG. slant
ing rays of sunshine. but these. too,
We're soon absorbed by the oncoming 2
twilight which slowly enwrapped the
forest in its darkening pail. The dis
tant SUBMITS of the hills We're gone
from sight. and naught remained but
the unending ranks of the trees which
seemed. now that they We're moved by
the wind: to be endoN, ed with super
natural life. and to hang hhreatening-
ly above the hurryng woman rs She
toiled beneath. Darker yet grew the
sky as she sped along. following, as it
were, some few dry leaves which kept
whirling in her advance as if beckon-
Ing her OnwarGS.
AT length. born of the storm. a blaze
Of lightning fused a mountain top.
then darting earthwards fell just in
front of Somewa with a binding glare.
and shiyered monster pine. whose
fall was on the instant drowned by the
pealing thunder, The woman paused.
her Indian instincts almost bewildered
by the tumult which arose on all sides
about her as the forest rocked and
shouted in the wind and binding rain.
A vivid fash for moment i'umined
the scene, and she saw a rocky wall
near at hand. to which she ran; and
feeling uncertainty along its side,
found cleft. into which she crawled
and crouching beneath an Overhanging
shelf. was protected from the storm.
Weary and overwrought witt exer.
ton and haunting terror which pos
sessed her, she yielded to nature and
sunk into a deep sleep.
ho in, ho,