The Dickinson press., 1905-07-29

accident this fearful catastrophe hap
pened, and the nation was consequent.
" suffering from superstitious depres-
sion. It was therefore that they fell
comparatively easy prey tosthe superior
arms and discipline Of the European
invader.
In their struggle for existence after
an obstinate defense they were first
driven from the banks Of the river;
but, again rallying, they gathered for
their final struggle at the base Of the
great mound. AS soon as the tribe
thought themselves sufficiently pre-
pared they provoked attack, and their
last great battle took place. The sun
chief was killed, and the survivors, be-
.lieving that the dark prophecy that
rested upon the Natchez had been full.
Allied, 90 a crowd of flying fugitives
retreated west Of the Mississippi and
after various misfortunes were lost or
became absorbed among the Onmas,
the Tensas and other friendly tribes.
The enlightened mind in speaking Of
the Natchez explains their destruction
upon philosophical reasons. 1t was the
weak giving way to the strong, but
their fate appealed to more sympa-
thizing and more imaginative hearts,
who have softened the story Of their
ruin, stripped 1t of Its harsher fea.
lures and left It so interviewer with
golden. light that we half forget the
unwelcome truth and think hopefully
Of the departed. The southern Indians
Of u day when sitting beside their
council fires and speaking of the times
that r past tell us that a young
Natchez chief famed for his virtue
and bravery became enamored of a
beautiful maiden and that his passion
was returned. His interviews were
stolen one and few and far between.
On n occasion, when the young chief
was keeping his night watch over the
sacred fire Of the temple. he heard the
plaintive song of q day bird and, flying
to the neighboring groves. there met
his mistress and exchanged the sol.
emn VOWS of eternal love. Returning
to the temple. the young chief, to his
horror, discovered that the flame had
expired in his (unconsciously to him)
long absence, and the affairs which had
ever glowed with living fire were cold.
Alarm filled the young warriors
breast despair was impressed upon his
features, and as the sun illumined the
hills and made the homes of the Match
ez glisten in its refreshing and Ito
them sacred radiance there was no re-
Spouse OF ascending sacrifice, and the
chief priests rushed with precipitation
to the temple to learn the cause.
Terrible indeed were the wailings
that assembled from the soul stricken
worshipers. It q deemed that a
curse had fallen upon the nation, that
its speedy extinction was Swallowed
forth. and, amid the excitement, by
order of the great sun, the young maid
en- was sacrificed not only as a pro-
pitiation, but that her surprising
beauty should M longer tempt the
guardians Of the sacred affairs to neg
lect their vigils.
The young chief was doomed to make
expiation in, HASTINGS and prayers, and
after due ceremonies he was impris-
oned in the center Of the great mound,
there to remain until he wooed back
the lost fire from heaven. 1t was in
vain that he essayed the comparative
" easy task Of lighting the proper com
bustibles by rapid friction. Over
whelmed by religious fear, his strength
of arm appeared to have departed,
and, even when from long and patient
labor the fire was about to descend, a
tear of regret for the memory Of his
mistress would fall upon the just ig.
hitting wood and leave his interminable
task to be again renewed.
Although years-yea. centuries-have
passed away, although the entrance to
the great mound was crumbled indis-
tinguishably into the surrounding mass
and huge trees have usurped the places
Of the ascents and the affairs, yet the
old Indians in their day dreams visit
the young chief, who is still in the
center of the mound, p~erseveringly en-
gagged in his labor, and confidently as
sert that when he RECEIVERS the sacred
fire he will again appear u the altar
and that the Natchez, in all their for
mer glory, will take possession of their
now desolated homes.-Cor. Kansas
City Times.