Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-17
which this exposure of Colonel Ores
ans doingS caused him.

APPS doings caused him.
AS for me, of course vaguely un-
derstood the breach of faith committed
by Colonel Cresap in invading the land
Of our allies and the danger we might
run should this Cayuga chief go to our
Mohawks and Oneidas with war belts
and infammatory appeals for venge-
ance on Cresap and his men.
That he had instead come to us, BRAY
ing all dangers, losing indeed all his
comrades, on this mission of peace,
most splendidly attested to the power
and influence of Sir William among
these savages, whose first instinct is to
draw the Ratchet and begin the horrid
vengeance which they consider their
right when unjustly molested.
1t is seldom the custom to reply to
speech before the following day.
Custom and tradition rule among the
Six Nations.
was prepared, therefore, when Sir
William, holding in his right hand
the three belts of wampum, rose and
thanked the Cayuga for his talk, prais-
ing him and his tribe for resorting to
arbitration instead Of the Ratchet, and
promising an answer on the morrow.
The Cayuga listened in silence, then
resuming his blanket turned on his
heel and passed slowly and noiselessly
from the room, leaving Sir William
standing beside the @armchair, and me
erect in the embrasure of the case
ment.
bent and arranged the three belts
on the table near him.
THANK you, Michael" he said heart
lily. land must say that in this mat
ter of the Cayuga you have conducted
admirably. Mr.. Duncan has told me
all; 1t was wisely done. Had you re-
ceived the Cayuga with less welcome
or more suspicion, or had you met him
haughtily, do not doubt that he
would have made mischief for me
among my Mohawks."
He had war sticks painted red in
his pouch, sir" replied.
mo doubt! No doubt! And q red
war belt, too, belize! They were meant
for my Mohawks had he met with a
rebuff here. Oh, know them, Michael,
I know them. A painted war belt
flung between that Cayuga and the
sachems Of my Mohawks would have
set the whole Six Nations per-
haps. the Understanding up rifle
and Ratchet for Cresap and his men!'
Sir William struck the mahogany
table with clinched fist.
Hang Cresap," he bawled, in one
Of his familiar fits of fury, fits which
were never witnessed outside his fam
lily circle Hang the fatuous fool to
go a-meddling with the Cayugas in
their own lands, held by them in SOL
emn covenant forever inviolate! What
does the sorry ass want? A border
war, with all this trouble betwixt king
and colonies Matching? Does Colonel
Cresap not know that single scalp
taken from the Cayugas will set the
Six Nations on fire-aye, the Lenape
too?" , }s%
Sir William slapped the table again
with the fat of his hand.
Look, Michael, Should warscome be-
twixt king and colonies, neither king
nor colonies should forget that our
frontiers are crowded with thousands
of savages who, if adroitly treated,
will remain neutral and ,inoffensive.
Yet here is this mailman Cresap, on
the very eve of struggle with the
greatest power in the world, turning
the sayages against the colonies by his
crazy pranks on the Ohiow
But" said /, Sin his blindness and
folly Colonel Cresap is throwing into
our arms these very savages as allies!'
Sir William stopped short and stared
at me with cold, steady eyes.
Michael" said he presently, when
this war comes-as surely it will come
choose which cause you will en-
brace and then stand by it to the end.
AS for me, 1 cannot believe that God
would let me live to see such a war,
that he would leave me to choose be-
tween the king who has honored me
and mine own people in this dear land
of mine!
He raised his head and passed one
hand over his eyes.
But should he in his wisdom de-
mand that choose, and If the sorrow
kills me not, then, when the time
comes, I shall choose"
"y. hich way, sir?" said in sort of
gasp.
But he only answered, "Nait!"
Stupefied, watched him. 1t had new
er entered my head that there could be
any course save unauestioned loyalty
to the king in all things; that there
could be any doubt or hesitation or
bordering or praying for light when it
came time to choose between king and
rebel.
! recalled what Sir William had said
to me in the schoolroom. Putting this
with what he now said, or left unsaid,
together with his anger at Colonel
Cresap for endangering the peace be-
twixt the Indians and the colonies, l
came to the frightened conclusion that
Sir Williams loyalty might be ques-
toned. But by whom? Who in Amer
lea was great enough to call Sir Will
Iio,,, -, Nof