The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-27
THE EVENING STORY
NieddOnhd.

Nieddonba.
[By Cy Warman in the Chicago Post.]
The Iroquois of Canada, like the
Sioux of the American west. were al
ways disturbing element Where the
Sioux sat there was the seat of war,
and so with the Iroquois. Whatever
they saw they coveted. and what they
coveted they went after.
During the French occupation they
discovered that the Abenakis had q
spring of "bitter water which worked
wonders healing the sick would could not
be healed by the best medicine men,
even restoring, they claimed, the sight
to the blind They even went so far
as to name the bitter spring the Foun-
tain of Youth" Warriors bathed here
before battle, believing the wonderful
waters gave them not only renewed
strength but uncommon prowess.
Naturally, the Iroquois wanted these
springs and after the manner of Chris
| tian kings, they decided to kill off
sufficient number of their neighbors to
enable them to awe the balance and SO
possess themselves of the Fountain of
Youth"
In these dark days before the dawn
| of the great dominion eternal vigilance
was necessary; SO while the Iroquois
were planning their cruel war the spies
rying the news to the chiefs of that
band.
One woman there was among the Abe
nakis who worked day and night to
avoid the conflict. She was the magni-
f1cent daughter of a famous Abenakis
warrior and she left nothing undone
that, in her judgment, might help to
scatter the war clouds that were get
ting thick in the skies that arched the
valley of the ST. Francois. She plead
ed with her father and prayed to the
God of her fathers. but her pleadings
and PRAYERS fell upon deaf ears.
nj she knew the daV
was drawing near when she would be
forced by circumstances to choose be
tween her own people and Ralnwood'
the Irouuois warrior whom she loved.
lover was now, on the eve OF battle,
almost impossible, only added to her
confusion. She wondered if he, too,
were working for loves sweet sake to
avert the conflict, which must prove
embarrassing il not disastrous to their
little romance.
In time it became necessary to send
scout to spy out the camp and estl-
mate the strength of the Abenakis.
Rainwood asked for and received this
assignment; he longed hrst TO see ms
sweetheart. Niedonba. and to see that
no harm came to her, He managed TO
let her know of his whereabouts and
to lure her to the forest under the stars
Sheltered and screened by great elm,
queen of the Canadian Forest over
| shadowed in song and story by the
maple, yet infinitely more beautltul
than any other tree in the north, the
| lovers fingered, loath to part Nledonpa
| had tried at first to win him to her
cause and the cause of her people. And
| vet. when he reminded her that he had
won her love because of his bravery In
battle, and asked her if she could con-
tinue to love him if he were cow,
| ard and traitor, she put her mana
over his mouth to smother the sugges-
! ton. for these women of the wild were
| the bravest of the brave.
While the lovers talked beneath the
! elm. a faint rustic of leaves reached
| the ears of Rainwood. and a moment
later a lone Abenakis spy slipped past.
/ The low-bending boughs of the tree
boughs of a weeping willow. weeping
| as it were for the love that must be
sacrificed, or saved at the cost OF the
blood of her own people. Rainwood
| reached for his belt. but Niedonba
wound her arms about him. telling
| him. showing him, and making him
| feel how sweeter it is to live ana love
I than to fight, to conquer and TO XIII
For this, she told him. there Wouio De
! time. .,,4 -,
| lovers said under the elm, and when
| She watched his figure fade away In
| the forest she slipped tnrougn the tte
shadows and back to the camp OF the
! For three days, and as many nights,
she fought with love, and then, by ac-
|
| anticipating the Iroquois, were plan
ming to hide at the mouth of the
| F2iyer St Francois on Lake st. Peter,
to fall upon the enemy as they pad
| died up the stream, firing their arrows
| from either bank, when they hopeo
! bv this great advantage to annlhllate
| the Iroquois
THAT night, even as the Abenakis
| were enbarking In their war canoes and
gliding noiselessly down stream, love
| Fought the godo fight. When the OLD
| men. women and children retired for
! the night and the ungarded village
| drinking a last drink at the Fountain
of YOUTH stole silently away, never
| to return.
| At dawn she was on the snore OF
! the st. Lawrence; at sunrise she set
| a. smoke signal for the Iroquols on the
| other shore.
| The Iroquois were suspicious. While
a small party put out in canoes to
| parIey another crossed far down the
| river to reeonnoiter, for they bel1eved
| a trap had been set, and that TINS
| beautiful Abenakis was the Dalt- Tney
| stole up behind Niedonba, bound her
/ and carried her across to the Iroquois
1 camp. They accused her of being
spy. and were about to put her 10
| death when she spoke to ner TOR
1 mentors in her own tongue, saying:
| ssYes am spy and traitor.
have spied my own people ana am
about to betray them. Snow me TO
the tent of the brave RalnWooo anu
let him kill me. Death at his hands
/ would be sweeter than life while he
| is in danger
At this strange speech low muir
4 Van oro1rnd he row Of nafnt60