Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-10-26

were removed. His hands were lOOSed
and he was invited 10 sing. A hush
fell upon the multitude as he arose to
give utterance to his death-song.
Straight and firm he stood with out
stretched arms, from which the folds
of beaver skin fell in graceful lines.
His head was proudly raised, his eyes
looking above the crowd eastward to-
ward the land of his birth. His voice,
now quavering in a strange, weird
minor cadence, rising and falling, lin
gering on the words with pathetic
tenderness, now full and strong in
sonorous monotone, rapidly delivered,
penetrated to the farthest ranks of his
foes.
Il see afar the wigwams of my peo-
pie. The smoke rises from thousand
camp-fires and the woods are filled
with the countless moccasin prints OF
the hunters. They creep here and
there through the forests. The deer
and bear fall in multitudes before
them Where are the waters dark
with fish but yesterday? The streams
are there, but the fish have gone, for
ltlG MOHGSdHS ndNO pdooCu NY anu
taken them all. There are no hunters
like them anywhere. All other ma
tions are but as children whom they
have taught to use the bow and spear.
Were they to leave their own coun-
try, all the rest of the world would
starve, for there would be no game
left The sun here is dim, but there it
is always bright, for my people do no
evil and the sunlight never fails them.
The wind blows fresh and bends the
tops of the waving maize fields, for
there the harvests are ever full. The
Iroquois plants his seed and but one
appears. The Mohegan drops his into
the ground and 10! a thousand sprout
from one. | see the council fires
ablaze, and around them sit the wisest
of all men. To their feet come the
chiefs of other nations and crouch
waiting to hear the wisdom that falls
from their lips. There is the source of
all knowledge and cunning; that of all
other people is but foolishness. Above
their heads hang the scalp-locks of
their enemies, thick as the leaves of
the forest in summer, for there are
none so brave as they, the sound Of
whose name makes their enemies to
tremble and be afraid"
Thus sang the helpless prisoner,
boasting in the presence of his foes
of the prowess of his tribe. AS his
song progressed, his body swayed to
the rhythm of his voice. Soon he
moved in stately measure to and fro,
as he described the delights of his own
country, the pleasures of his own peo-
pie. Then the theme was changed,
the steps were quickened, and the
words flowed faster as the deeds of
the mighty warriors were rehearsed
and his own achievements were boast
fully proclaimed.
But among them one place is
empty. 1t is that of Akiesko, the
greatest sachem of them all. Where
is Akiesko, our brother?' they ask of
one another. There is none so brave
or wise as he He is gone says one,
to the wilderness where live the igno-
rant Iroquois. He has taken pity on
their blindness and will teach them
many things. They cannot hunt; they
cannot fish; they are but squaws fit
only to sit and pound the maize be-
tween two stones. He will show them
how to live. They have no courage.
At the barking of wolf they run; the
sound of an owl at night causes them
to tremble."
The movements of the singer became
more rapid and he passed gradually
around the open space. One by one
the fires were lighted, and each of the
surrounding crowd armed himself with
a piece of bark; lighting one end of
this, they waited. The motion of his
dance gradually loosened the robe
around the prisoner, which he allowed
to slip off and he continued his steps
naked. AS he passed along, the wait
ing blazing bits of bark in the hands
of his tormentors were applied to his
back, his arms, and his legs, inflicting
painful burns. The victim did not
vince, but went on faster and faster,
never stopping his song for an instant.
"Akiesko will show the poor Iroquois
how to live. He will also show them
how to die. They will drink of his
blood; and their own, which is only
water, will become thick and red.
They will eat his heart and it will
make them men; they will be squaws
and children no longer, but will be-
come warriors. My brothers, Akiesko
is going to die. Amuse yourselves
boldly around him; he fears neither
tortures nor death"
The dance became fsster and more
furious. A growing excitement moved
the throng, shout of delight went up
as one buck ran behind the prisoner,
and pressed against his back the red
hot head of an ak; the sight of the
smoke arising from the burning flesh
and the odor that was waited to their
nostrils served further TO stimulate
the minds of the onlookers. Renee
shuddered and closed her eyes. Miron
noticed it. and, turning to Tonti, said