The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1903-05-23

looks az well as IL your words Once
more, and ] am done. Let the white men
be exterminated! Let them be swept from
our land at once and foreyerp
On the next day messengers came
from Chopart, the commander Of the
French fort, to learn what the Natchez
had agreed upon. They were informed
that they had not yet been able to agree
upon place to which to move, and the
Great Sun asked two months in which to
prepare, promising, meantime, to pay
new tribute of corn to the French. This
message was conveyed to Chopart, and
he agreed to the terms, fondly believing
that in another spring his people should
share the rich land spoils of this fairest
Natchez village.
And now the work went on slowly but
surely. Word was sent to every tribe,
and all were solemnly pledged. The day
was fixed upon which the fatal blow was
to be struck; and that there should be
no mistake. bundle Of sticks was pre-
pared for each village, corresponding in
number to the days that must elapse be-
fore the death stroke. These bund eS
were placed in their respective temples,
and each day the chief was to go In and
take one stick away. And when they
were all gone-on the day that saw the
last stick removed-the avengers were to
strike.
From the shores of the Mexican gulf
to the Yazoo, and from the waters of the
Tombecbce to the Sabine. every warrior
was armed for the occasion, and eagerly
waiting the coming Of the fatal moment.
The whites were watched at every step,
and each red man had his victim marked.
Slowly, one by one, as each succeeding
sun rolled over, those fatal sticks were
removed, and Chopart only waited pa
tiently for his rich prize.
One of the wives of the Great Sun was
called "Bras Pique," or Pricked Arm,
from the many strange devices which she
had marked upon her arms. Pricked
Arm loved the French, and she failed not
to serve them on every occasion when
she could. She saw these secret meet
ings Of the warriors, and her suspicious
were aroused. She knew of the demand
that had been made for the village of the
White Apple, and she knew that these
meetings of the council were touching
that matter. She noticed the fierce loo.s
Of the men, their angry gestures, ami
their vengeful glances towards the
French fort, and she feared that some
calamity was to befall her white friends.
Pricked Arm made up her mind to save
the French IL possible, not only at
Natchez, but at all other points; and to
this end she must not only put Chopart
on his guard, but she must cause the
Natchez to give a premature alarm, and
thus the whites in other sections would
take warning, for she dared not attempt
to convey intelligence to other stations
for fear of being detected by her own
people. Her first movement was to make
her way to the temple, but she could not
gain access there, no woman ever being
allowed within the sacred building. Two
nights In succession she skulked about
the place, but the warriors within, who
watched the holy fire, were too vigilant
for her. In this extremity she thought of
White Hand, and late one night she went
to him and called him out.
white Hand" she said, when they had
reached the very tree under which the
Great Sun had once before spoken with
the youth, have you the courage Of a
warrior?'
II have the courage of a man." he re-
piled, in establishment.
Then can you keep an oath?"
"If it may be kept with honor"
1.-THE oath which l require may, but |
will not ask it of you, for your own safety
will hold you. Know. then, that there
is a plot on foot for the massacre-for
the entire extermination-of every white
III
And mark me-this plot is deep and well
founded, and 1t moves on to its cOnsum-
nation as surely as the now absent sun
moves on towards the morning"
"All-every onew uttered White Hand,
in alarm.
Yes. Every tribe has the signal, and
the one fatal day Is set. 1t is to be on
the day when our people pay their tribute
of corn. Every white man Is marked,
and unless something be done to thwart
the red men, the terrible blow must fall ~
Louis clasped his hands, for his
thoughts were of his father and of his
sister and of his friend st. Denis.
Can there be no stop to this?" he
asked.
"Yes-if you have courage"
"Then put me to it."
Listen. l can warn the people at
Natchez, but that will not save the 9TH
ers. In the temple there is a bundle of
cypress sticks. They are hung by two
thongs of bearskin back of the altar. In
that bundle there are a. many sticks MS
there are days between now and the fatal
blow; could we remove seven of those
sticks. the Natchez would make a prema-
ture attack. The people at the fort would
be prepared. In other places down the
river, and on the great salt lake, the red
men will mistrust nothing and while they
wait eagerly for the passing of the next
seven days, the alarm can be spread. Dc
| you understand"
Perfectly" returned White Hand.
"And will you do itT
II will try, even to the DEATH"
Good. But let it be soon.''
By different paths the two returned tc
the village, Pricked Arm retiring to hel
own dwelling, while the youth spent some
time in walking thoughtfully about the
great square. When he at length entered
his own dwelling he found his wife
asleep, but he did not join her. He spent
some time in walking up and down the
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