The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-04-30
|WhiteHand.
"a Tale Of tho Early Settlers
( Of Louisiana.
: sYAUsTIN c. BURDIcK
RYAUsTIN G. BURDIcK
CHApTER xIx-(Coutinued.l )

true you are in heart and how yet you
long for the home of your childhood. l
do not think your father has fallen IN
this general massacre, for his place Is
strong, and the red men owe him no
grudge. Yet he may have fallen with
the rest. II he has, you may sometime
find opportunity to reach your native
land. But you are under no oath now
OF what has now happened | will not
speak, only to say that you cannot see
nor understand all that has led us to this
fearful work. The story Of the white
mans rule is everywhere the same.
Where a tribe, or a people, have made
peace and accepted the friendship OF the
French, they have become weak and
puny. White Hand, | have a strange
love for thee, but ! hate thy people. And
that thy father almost hates them too
has drawn my heart towards him. But
we could not see our people being grad
ually swept away, and our homes torn
from us, without striking this blow. Yet
Stung Serpent has fallen. The bullet Of
the white man has found his life. But
he dies content The white man has fall
en-, too"
The old chieftain sank back exhausted
as he ceased speaking, and for some mo-
ments he remained with his eyes closed.
When he opened them again, White
Hand spoke.
''My father" he said, "ere the hand Of
death has done its work upon thee, wilt
thou not tell me why | was taken from
my fathers house2 Surely you cannot
object to tell me all now?"
''No, my child, / have no objections,
for never promised not to tell. And
when / sent for thee now, meant to
tell thee all. Do you remember when
your father met me in the woods near
his dweling?"
"Yes," returned White Hand, bending
over with eager interest.
"Well, had then been to see Simon
Lobois. By some means he learned that
was down the river, and he sent for
me. He had heard that was a savage
chleftain, and lover of gold. | met him
In the woods, and he proposed to me
that | should seize st. Julien's son and
slay him, and for this he offered to pay
me a hundred pieces of gold. But |
spurned the offer and left him. | came
home, and told my brother what Lobois
had said to me, and he pondered upon
the subject In new light You know
the Natchez often send messengers to
the Great Spirit, and the Great Sun had
wished to send white messenger to the
white mans God, even as we told you
when you first came here. At length
fell in with his views, and. knew Of no
one whose spirit would be surer Of ad-
mission to your God than the spirit of
Louis st. Julien, for | knew him to be a
good youth. So returned to your faith
ers house and saw Lobois again, and he
told me he had hired party of Chicka-
saws to kill you, but that you and your
companion had killed them all-six Of
them. then offered to do what he wish
ed. But this time his wants had receiv-
ed an addition. He not only wanted the
son killed, but he wanted the daughter
captured and carried off towards New
Orleans. l agreed to this; but | made
him give me a written promise to pay
me the money when the work should be
done. He hesitated at first, but at length
he wrote the pledge and signed 1t; AMI
then 1t was arranged that Louise should
be left upon the bank of Lake Pontchar-
train, at the end of the middle trail, and
pledged myself to take you with me and
kill you, for you know this had been my
purpose in seeking you"
But the paper-the pledge-you had
of Lobois-where is it?" uttered White
Hand.
1T is safe. CoQualla go to my closet
and you will find 1t in the oaken casket." :"
The princess went, and in the box she
found the paper, which she handed to
. her father. He took it, and having open!
ed it, he handed Il to White Hand, say
Ing, as he did so:
"Here-it is yours. And now all ask
is pardon
"FOr all that you have done to me-"
murmured the youth, Il pardon you
from the bottom Of my soul; for you may
have been an instrument In the hands of
heaven for saving my life. Had you not
taken me, another would, and l should
not have lived. So | shall, after all, re-
member Stung Serpent with more of
gratitude than of complaint or anger"
"Do you mean that?"
81 do"
Stung Serpent raised himself upon his
elbow, and caught the youth by the hand.
"Coqualla," he whispered, where art
thouT
Here, my father"
81 have been kind to thee. II 1t lays
in thy power, help White Hand to his
people. Is 1t Coqualla | seeT'
"Yes. Are you falntr
"Faint? Stung Serpent faintI mol
Up, warriors of the Natchez, and strike
for your honest Who shall fear the das-
tards now3 My braves, remember the
trophies you have won under Stung Ser
pent's lead. Strike-strike, now, for your
honor, your homes, and for the tombs of
your ancestors! Sink your blades to the
pole, and leave not a man Of them all to
tell their king the tale Now! Onto
the deathr'
One long, loud warcry followed this
paroxysm, and as it ended in a low, gurg-
ling sound, the chieftain sank back. Co
Qualla moved to his side and knelt over
him. and in a moment more the loud cries
OF the women rent the air, for Stung Ser
pent was deadl