by Kirk Munroe
CHAPTER XVI
HAS-SE RECEIVES THE TOKEN
Far away from the scenes of sorrow, suffering, savage cruelty, andsavage rejoicing of which the shadowy depths of the great swamp werewitness, in the pleasant land of the Alachuas, the close of the secondday after the one on which Rene de Veaux had been held a prisoner intothe Seminole village presented a picture of peace and happycontentment. A light breeze sweeping across the broad savannas broughtwith it the odors of countless flowers; from the moss-hung trees manybirds poured forth their evening songs in floods of melody, and allnature was full of beauty and rejoicing.
In the camp of deerskin lodges and palmetto huts clustered beneath thegrand trees, and occupied by those Indians who acknowledged the goodold Micco as their chief, all were in the open air enjoying the cool ofthe evening. The hunters had returned from the chase laden with game,and now lay in comfortable attitudes on the soft grass, indulging in awell-earned rest. The women were busy about the fires, preparing theevening meal, and the children frolicked among the lodges or around theedge of the great spring, as free from care and as happy as the birdsabove their heads. From the bank of the river but a short distanceaway came the shouts of a party of lads who were bathing in the clearwaters. To these the Indian mothers listened with a certain anxiety,fearful lest they should hear the shrill cry of warning that wouldannounce the presence of Allapatta, the great alligator.
In the middle of the camp stood a lodge larger and taller than theothers, and surmounted by the plume of eagles' feathers that showed itto be that of the chief. In front of this lodge, seated on outspreadrobes, and gravely smoking their long-stemmed pipes, were the old chiefMicco, several of the principal men of his tribe, and Yah-chi-la-ne,the young Alachua chief. Behind the old chief, and ready to do hisslightest bidding, stood a tall, slender, but remarkably handsomeyouth, in whose hair was braided a scarlet feather that shone againstthe dark tresses like a vivid flame. His face was lighted with a quickintelligence, and he evidently took a keen interest in the subjectwhich the others were discussing, though, as became his years, he tookno part in their conversation.
At length the old chief turned to the lad with a kindly smile and said,"What is thy opinion, my brave Bow-bearer? Can there be enmity betweenthese white friends of thine and others of their own color who alsocome from across the great waters?"
Very proud of having his opinion thus asked, Has-se--for it was noneother than the beloved Indian friend of Rene de Veaux--answered,modestly,
"It seems to me not unlikely that there should be. Do not differenttribes of our own race and color often war against one another?"
"Well answered, my son," replied the chief; "thou art right, and I aminclined to believe that what we have just learned is only too true.If it be, then am I deeply grieved for the sad fate of those who wereour friends."
The tidings of which Micco spoke had been brought that day by an Indianrunner from a far-eastern tribe. They told of the arrival upon thecoast of the Spaniards under Menendez, and of their destruction ofSeloy and capture of Fort Caroline. The runner had also told of thebrutal massacre by Menendez and his soldiers of Admiral Ribault and allwho escaped with him from the wreck of the French ships. These, whenthey were cast ashore by the fearful storm already described, hadthrown themselves upon the mercy of the Spaniards, and had met onlywith the mercy dealt out by the sword and the dagger.
That the pale-faces should thus destroy each other had been deemed sowonderful and of such importance by those eastern tribes who knew ofthese occurrences, that they had despatched runners to all the friendlytribes within hundreds of miles to acquaint them with the facts. Manyof Micco's warriors were inclined to doubt that such things could be,and it was to discuss the matter that he had summoned his advisers andprincipal braves to his lodge.
While the chief and his wise men thus talked and smoked with a gravitybecoming their years and position, and while Has-se, the Bow-bearer,listened to them with an eager interest, there came of a sudden loudshouts from the lads on the river-bank. All eyes were turned in thatdirection, and some anxiety was felt lest Allapatta had indeed made hisappearance, and was endeavoring to secure a meal off one of the bathers.
In another moment, however, all the lads were seen trooping towards thecamp, and surrounding a young warrior who came willingly with them, butwho was a stranger to all present. The lads conducted him directly towhere the little circle was formed in front of the chief's lodge. Hereone from among them explained that this stranger had come down theriver alone in a canoe, and had asked of them information concerningthe land of the Alachuas, and particularly for that tribe of Indiansled by a chief called Micco.
As the young warrior, whose person bore every evidence of long andhasty travel, stood silently before him, the old chief said,
"I am Micco. Who art thou, and what is thy errand here?"
The stranger answered, "I am known as E-chee, and am of that place bythe great waters called Seloy. He whom I seek most anxiously among thypeople is named to me as thy son, Has-se, the Bow-bearer."
"Then is thy search ended," replied Micco, "for Has-se, my son andBow-bearer, is even here in attendance. What is thy business with him?"
As Has-se, greatly surprised at being thus singled out, steppedforward, the stranger drew from his breast a scarlet flamingo feather.It was exactly like the one that glowed so vividly amid the darktresses of the young Bow-bearer, and from it hung a slender gold chain,to which was attached a golden pin. Handing it to Has-se, E-chee said,
"He who sends thee this token is in danger of speedily losing his life,and he prays that thou wilt come to his rescue."
Eagerly seizing the feather, Has-se exclaimed, "It comes fromTa-lah-lo-ko, the young white chief! Where is he, and in what danger?"
Then, while all present listened with the closest attention, E-cheetold of the destruction of Seloy and the capture of Fort Caroline bythe Spaniards; of his own capture, and that of Rene de Veaux and twoother white men, by the Seminoles; of his escape, and of the terriblefate now awaiting those still in the hands of the outlaws.
When he had finished, Has-se, who had followed the story withbreathless attention and flashing eyes, turned to the chief and said,
"My father, this pledge I would redeem with life itself, for he whosends it is my best beloved friend and brother."
"And if he still lives, and it can be accomplished, he shall yet besaved," answered the old chief, promptly, with the fire of a youngwarrior blazing in his eyes. Then of E-chee he asked, "Dost thou knowthe trail back to this den of wolves? and is thy strength sufficient toallow of thy immediate departure to guide a party of my warriors to it?"
"As the wounded deer knows the trail marked by his own blood, so know Iit; and if my strength should fail, hatred of these Seminoles wouldtake its place and still bear me on," was the answer.
"It is well spoken," said the old chief. Then turning toYah-chi-la-ne, his son-in-law, he said, "Take thou twenty pickedbraves, my eagle, and with them find out this hiding-place ofSeminoles. If Ta-lah-lo-ko still lives, effect his rescue, and that ofthe other prisoners, and return with them. I send no more with thee,for fear that with a stronger party thy hot blood would lead thee toattack this nest of swamp foxes. Such a measure could only result infailure; for if it be situated as this young man describes, not thewhole force of our tribe, together with that of thy brave Alachuas,could prevail against it. Therefore the rescue must be effected bycunning and not by mere valor; but take thou careful note of thelocality, and bring again word to me. If there is any chance ofsuccess in attacking it, we will then send forth a war-party that shallblot from existence this plague-spot."
Gladly did the brave Yah-chi-la-ne set about the execution of thisorder; and within an hour he and his war-party of twenty picked braves,of whom Has-se was the first chosen, were ready to start on theirdangerous mission.
During that hour E-chee, who was to be their guide, had bathed in thelife-giving waters of the spring and ea
ten a hearty meal; so that henow felt like a new man, and equal to any amount of fresh hardships andfatigue.
In the darkness of the early night the little party entered theircanoes, and with lusty strokes of the paddles started swiftly up thenarrow river towards the terrible swamp, and the more terrible scenesthat it concealed.
E-chee occupied the foremost canoe with Yah-chi-la-ne and Has-se; andas they sped onward he told them at greater length than before of thetragic events of the past few days, and of the captivity ofTa-lah-lo-ko.
He also told the story of his own escape, which would doubtless haveinterested the Seminoles greatly could they have heard it. Having madeup his mind that if he was to be of service to the young white chief hemust set about it immediately, he had determined to attempt an escapeon the very night of his arrival at the Seminole village. As he knewthat he would not be permitted on any account to pass the guard at theend of the trail, he conceived a plan that would draw the sentinel fromhis post for a few moments, and as soon as darkness came on proceededto put it into execution.
He simply procured a billet of heavy water-soaked wood, that would sinklike a stone, and carried it, undiscovered, to a thicket on the edge ofthe island near the end of the trail. There he flung his Seminolehead-dress of feathers upon the ground, chanted a few notes of adeath-song, cried out that he was thus about to rejoin his own people,and threw the billet of wood into the dark waters, where, with a loudsplash, it instantly sank from sight. Then he crept noiselessly fromthe spot, and when the sentinel reached the thicket he had gained theunguarded trail, and, without waiting to listen to the comments uponhis supposed suicide, made off with all speed. He had happilysucceeded in retaining his footing upon the uncertain pathway, and insafely reaching the spot at the head of the lagoon where the Seminolecanoes were hidden. Taking possession of one of these, he hadtravelled night and day towards the land of the Alachuas, guided by thedirections given him by Rene.
Has-se and Yah-chi-la-ne listened attentively to this tale, and at itsconclusion commended E-chee highly for the skill and bravery with whichhe had effected his escape and made his way to their encampment. Thenthey talked of their chances of still finding Rene alive, and of howthey should rescue him, until E-chee, utterly exhausted by hisprolonged efforts, dropped into a profound slumber, from which he didnot awaken until daylight.
Meantime, in the Seminole village, the preparations for the great Feastof Rejoicing had been completed, and it had been begun on the very dayof E-chee's arrival in Micco's camp, and of the setting forth of therescuing party. For two days Rene de Veaux listened with a sickeningdread to the sounds of savage revelry that penetrated the hut in whichhe lay. He heard the continuous beating of the kas-a-lal-ki, or Indiandrum, and the rattle of the terrapin shells, filled with dried palmettoberries, that accompanied the dancing. He heard the fierce, wildshouts and yells of the savages and shuddered at them. Above all heheard, and attempted to close his ears to the sound, the cries of agonyforced from those of his own race who suffered torture at the stake.Of all these sounds he could only guess the meaning; for none came nearhim save the guard who brought him food and water, but who refused tospeak to him, and once Chitta came and stood over him with a smile oftriumph lighting his dark features. As he turned away he said, asthough speaking to himself,
"On the morrow we shall see of what stuff pale-faced chiefs are made."
This was all, but to the quick understanding of the captive boy itmeant everything. He knew at once that his turn had come, and thatwith the light of another day he would be led forth, and by hissufferings afford a brief amusement to a horde of yelling savages.
Could he endure it? Would his strength bear him bravely to the bitterend? Or would he too break down and cry out as he had heard theothers? The agony of such thoughts was too great for the poorfriendless lad, and, throwing himself face downward upon the ground, heburst into bitter tears.
How long he lay thus he knew not. At last, after passing what seemedlike hours of anguish, he rose slowly to his knees and poured forth hiswhole soul in prayer to One who had also been tortured, and knew theagony that preceded such sufferings. His prayer was for deliverance;or if that might not be, then for His presence to support andstrengthen him in the hour of trial.
Having thus resigned all care of his own affairs, and placed them withthe only One who could bring him peace and strength, the boy feltgreatly comforted, and as though he should bear bravely whatevertortures might be devised for him.
His cheerfulness astonished the guard who brought in his supper ofsof-ka (soup) and koonti-katki (starch-root), and he thought withinhimself, "He cannot know what awaits him on the morrow; but he willwear a different face when he sees the stake."
Rene had hardly finished eating with a good appetite his rather scantymeal, when the guard again entered and loosened his bonds, and he wasled forth from the hut for the first time since his arrival in thevillage. Guarded by a tall warrior on either side, he was forced tohead a sort of triumphal procession, and, accompanied by the sound ofthe rattles and the kas-a-lal-ki, to march through and around thevillage, to be gazed at and taunted by its entire population.
The lad walked with a firm tread, in spite of his painfully swollenankles, that had been cruelly bound for so long a time that they nowhardly supported him. His head was proudly lifted, and his youthfulcountenance bore so brave and fearless a look that all who saw himmarvelled at it. It also caused them great joy, for they said one toanother, "He is so brave that the tortures must be many and long beforehe will cry out, and we shall have rare sport with him on the morrow."
As this noisy procession passed on that side of the village nearest theend of the trail that led away from the island through the swamp, itattracted the attention of the warrior who was there on guard. Sogreat was his curiosity to see what was going on that he allowed it tocarry him a few yards from his post to a point where he could obtain abetter view.
While he thus stood, neglecting his duty for a moment and with his backturned to the trail, three dark figures, hardly distinguishable fromthe twilight shadows, glided noiselessly and swiftly from it. Aninstant later they had vanished in the little thicket from which E-cheehad flung his billet of wood into the water on the night of his escapefrom the Seminoles.
The procession passed on, and the careless sentinel returned to hispost, filled with thoughts of what was to take place on the morrow, butas utterly unconscious of the three pairs of eyes that regarded himfrom the thicket as though no human beings save himself existed. Couldhe have seen them, he would have instantly known them for those ofenemies, for he would have recognized E-chee, though Has-se andYah-chi-la-ne were strangers to him.
It was indeed these three friends and would-be rescuers of Rene deVeaux, who had thus been fortunate enough to gain the island withoutopposition and without bloodshed. From the time of their starting theyhad made no stop until they had reached the head of the little lagoonand taken to the trail through the swamps. Under E-chee's guidancethey had followed it safely and without meeting a soul, so taken upwere the Seminoles with their festivities. Within a short distance ofthe island Yah-chi-la-ne had halted his men, and bade them remain wherethey were while he, with Has-se and E-chee, approached more closely tothe village, to discover the best mode of operation.
Unperceived, they had stolen close up to the warrior who guarded theend of the trail, and for some time they lay hidden within bow-shot ofhim, discussing in the lowest of whispers how they should pass him.The timely approach of the procession, with Rene at its head, had, bydiverting his attention for a few moments, offered an opportunity toogood to be neglected. They had seized it, slipped past theunsuspecting guard, and thus safely accomplished the first stage oftheir difficult undertaking.
As they lay concealed in the thicket, awaiting a later hour of thenight, and for the revellers in the village to seek their lodges,fortune again favored them. Dense black clouds gradually spread overthe sky, one by one the stars disappeared, the
air grew thick andheavy, until at length, with a blinding flash, a terrific thunder-stormburst upon the village. Taking advantage of the intense darkness, thethree made their way swiftly, but with every precaution againstdiscovery, among the now silent lodges until, guided by E-chee, theyreached the rear of the palmetto hut in which Rene was confined.
The lightning revealed to them the motionless figure of a warriorstanding in front of it, and E-chee, lying flat on the wet ground, witha keen-headed arrow fitted to the string of his bow, was left to watchhim. Upon the slightest alarm being given, the arrow would have foundits way to his heart, and the three, taking Rene with them, would haveattempted a desperate flight. As long, however, as all remained quietand they could work undisturbed, they were to try another plan.
While E-chee kept watch, Yah-chi-la-ne and Has-se, with the knivesgiven them by Rene, attempted to cut an entrance to the hut through thethick thatch at its rear. Fortunately the rain, which beat upon themin torrents, prevented any slight sounds they might make from beingheard, and also moistened the palmetto leaves so that they did notcrackle, as they would have done had they been dry. Thus, though theyworked but slowly, they worked silently, and gradually cut their wayinto the interior.
Upon returning to his prison, after the trying ordeal of beingsubjected to the taunts and stares of the whole village, Rene threwhimself upon the ground to gain what rest he might. Supposing thatthis was his last night of life, his mental sufferings kept him longawake, but at length he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. Suddenly hefound himself sitting bolt-upright, as wide-awake as ever in his life.At first he supposed his sudden awakening to have been caused by aterrific burst of thunder that crashed overhead, but in the deepsilence that followed he heard his own name pronounced in a whisper--
"Ta-lah-lo-ko!"
Could he be dreaming? No; it came again--
"Ta-lah-lo-ko!"
Truly he was called, and he whispered in reply, "I am here."
A slight rustling followed, and then the captive boy, whose wildlybeating heart seemed like to burst from his breast, knew that a friendwas beside him, cutting the bonds from his wrists and ankles, andwhispering,
"It is Has-se, and thou art saved, oh my brother!"
Then tremblingly, and guided by the gentle hand of the Indian lad, Renecrept through the opening made by the keen knives of his friends. Inspite of all precautions, his passage through the leaves rustled themso loudly that only a violent thunder-clap coming at the same momentprevented the noise from being heard.
Without a word being spoken, the four made their way as swiftly asmight be to where the trail left the island.
The guard at this point was suddenly petrified by superstitious fear atthe sight of E-chee, whom he supposed to have been drowned. The figurestood in front of him, and, as revealed by a flash of lightning, washaggard and dripping, as though it had just risen from a watery grave.
Ere the frightened warrior could give an alarm, a stunning blow frombehind felled him to the wet earth, where he lay motionless andapparently devoid of life.