Year: 1861

CttCIl AIc III Ill uCSSSut, WING IL
had found myself in its "green arms,


| felt morally certain l must have re-


manned there till doomsday, provided
1 had only my own agility to trust tt
for swinging myself out Of them
But in what a situation was actually
placed! In such spot, and with q
being whose motives l was not only
still unable to fathom, but whose wild
caprice perhaps might urge him to,
knew not what, if spoke one un.
guarded word. After short pause,
however, L ventured to address him;
but while l cautiously gave express
sion to an opinion from which, il
confirmed, I looked, to extract conso-
lation for myself, l took especial care
to shape what l said as much to his
taste as l could possibly make it.


"And thus the oath of your child
hood was satisfied. You had not only
rcvcnged your fathers death upon the
race of white men, but you had offer
ed up his murderer, as a last sacrifice
to his memory, and your vengeance -


ga last sacrifcev' he exclaimed,
his features frightening with exulta-
ton. "Why was l bid to return, if
the great purpose for which 1 had
lived was completed. In my cabin,
| can count five scalps Of white men
struck by this arm since the murderer
sunk beneath these waters. "But," he
continued with a stern solelnlity of
manner. ''this day sees the last. !
have lived long enough; elsc-''
and he fixed his eyes steadfastlv upon
me, ..vou had not lived to hear me
say so. l tracked You last night
from the going down Of the s,rn.-
Twice my gun was levclled; twice l
drew my arrows head to its point;
once my hatchet glittered in the
moon. But my arm failed me, and
there was sadness over my spirits. l
watched you as you slept. Not even
the thought that so my father slept,
could make me strike. | left you;
and in the deep forest cast myself to
the earth, to ask the Great Spirit
what he would have me do, if it was
to be that l could not she'd your blood
\ voice like that which said Return ,
came again on the wind. l heard it,
l obeycd it. Follow. and behold my
last sacrliice.'


We now descended the eminence
on which we were standing, and again
proceeded along the intricate path
which conducted us back to the cabin.
When we entered it, he Invited me
to eat, by pointing to the rcpast which
was still spread upon the ground; but
l declined. He then motioned me-
that l should sit; and taking the hint
from his own infiexible silence, | did
so without uttering word, but watch
ing with intense anxiety all his move
ments. Divcsting himself Of his
robe and turban, he put on splendid
dress Of ceremony; after which tax
ing down the fifteen scalps, which
We're al strung upon a twisted cord,
made from the bark of n tree, he sus-
pended them round his neck. The
one from which hung those long glossy
tresscs of auburn was in front. and
spread itself with mournflll luxuriance
over his breast Thus accoutred,
and with his musket in one hand, and
his hatchct in the other, besides the
tomahawk, shot-pouch, powdcr-horn,
and scalping- knife, Which We're stuck
in his belt, he turned to me and said,
Follow; bring with you the buffalo
hide on which you sit


did so,though with some difficulty;
for the hide was both heavy and cum
brous to carry. We We're now once
more in the forest, and in the same
track Us when we set forth for the
whirlpool. The Indian instead of
strioing along with quick elastic
step, walked at a slow measured pace,
but with great dignity Of carriage
Wa hsj ,rncnnd,J 1boI,t a hupIrp6