by Kirk Munroe
CHAPTER XVII
DEATH OF HAS-SE (THE SUNBEAM)
On this night of storm and escape, Cat-sha, the Seminole chief, wasmore than usually restless. He tossed and turned on his couch ofrobes, but found it impossible to sleep. Finally he determined to makeone of his customary midnight visits of inspection to the severalguards, and to his sole remaining prisoner, the "young white chief."As he left his lodge Cat-sha bowed his head to the bitter storm, anddrew his robe more closely about him.
On approaching the hut, in which he imagined the prisoner to bespending his last hours of life, he found the guard standing before it,motionless, but wide-awake, and with one corner of his robe drawn overhis head to protect it somewhat from the pelting rain. Cat-shaquestioned him as to the safety of the prisoner, and the warrioranswered that he had looked in upon him just as the storm began, andfound him quietly sleeping and securely bound.
The rain had extinguished the watch-fire, which it was customary tokeep burning in the middle of the village during the night, and thus itwould be somewhat difficult for the Seminole chief to procure a lightwith which to examine for himself into the condition of the prisoner.He therefore accepted the assurance of the guard that he was stillsafely confined within the hut; for, indeed, how could it be otherwise?Such a thing as escaping seemed too utterly impossible to be worthy athought.
So Cat-sha passed on, and bent his steps in the direction of thesentinel who kept watch at the end of the trail. At first he was notto be discovered, nor did he answer when challenged, and Cat-sha wasrapidly becoming both angry and surprised, when all at once hestumbled, and almost fell over the prostrate form of him whom hesought. The warrior was still unconscious, for the terrible blow thatfelled him had been delivered but a few minutes before Cat-sha'sdiscovery of his condition.
At this state of affairs, the wily Seminole at once took an alarm. Tobe sure, he reflected that the sentinel might have been struck by alightning-flash or seized with a sudden illness. Still he might havealso received a blow from the hand of an enemy, and the mere thoughtthat such might have gained access to the island, and even now belurking within its limits, made the chief hot with anger.
His first thought was for the safety of the prisoner; and leaving theunconscious warrior where he lay, he hurried back to the hut he hadjust left, determined to trust only the evidence of his own eyes as tothe condition of its occupant. Having after considerable delayprocured a torch, he entered the hut, where a single glance revealedthe startling truth. It was empty, and the severed bonds lying on theground, and the hole cut in the rear wall, at once told the wholestory. The prisoner of whom he had been so proud, the young whitechief for whose torture such elaborate preparations had been made, andwhom he had thought to be so safely secured, had escaped. He could nothave done so unaided; and who had thus boldly penetrated the very heartof the village to save him? Such a thing was unheard of, and theknowledge that it had been successfully accomplished so angered theblack-browed chief that he rushed from the hut in a terrible passion.As he passed the warrior who stood guard at the entrance, and who wasstill unconscious that anything had gone amiss, the angry chief struckhim a staggering blow in the face as a punishment for his negligence,and then aroused the village.
While most of the angry and excited Seminoles searched the island andthe village itself, in hopes that the escaped captive would be foundsomewhere in the vicinity of his late prison-house, Cat-sha followedanother plan. Hastily gathering together a small band of his bestwarriors, he placed himself at their head, and they left the island bythe trail. This they followed at the top of their speed, hoping that,had the fugitive and those who aided him taken it, they might be caughtbefore they reached the canoes at the head of the little lagoon. Withthese went Chitta (the Snake), whose every instinct had by this timebecome that of the outlaws whose fortunes he had joined, and who wasrapidly gaining the reputation of being the most cruel and vindictivemember of their band.
Although these pursuers exerted themselves to speed, they would havemade still greater efforts could they have known that those whom theysought had passed that way but a quarter of an hour before, and wereeven then delayed in their progress by the necessity of supporting, andnearly carrying, him whom they had rescued.
As soon as the first excitement of escape had passed, Rene's swollenankles began to pain him so keenly that he found it almost impossibleto walk, and, when he and his three rescuers reached the place wherethe rest of the party had remained, he sank to the ground with a groan.
They found the braves who had been left behind so impatient of theirlong delay, and alarmed for their safety, that they had been about toadvance upon the village to learn, and if possible to avenge, the fatethat they feared had befallen them. These were overjoyed to see theirleader and his companions once more, and to learn of the successfulissue of their hazardous undertaking.
There was no time for the exchange of congratulations, andYah-chi-la-ne ordered the flight to be resumed with all haste, at thesame time directing two of the strongest warriors to support the almosthelpless Rene. He himself, with E-chee, occupied the post of danger inthe rear; while Has-se kept as close as possible to his newly recoveredfriend at the head of the little column.
The storm had by this time passed away, and their path was made easierby the light of the full moon, that shone with the wonderful brightnesspeculiar to southern latitudes from an unclouded sky. Although thisaided them, they knew that it also favored the pursuers, whom they feltcertain must ere this have started after them, and many an anxiousbackward glance did Yah-chi-la-ne and E-chee cast over their shouldersas they hastened onward.
In this manner, and without mishap, they finally reached the end of thetrail at the head of the little lagoon, where their canoes had beenleft. Here all breathed more freely, for they considered themselvesalmost safe from pursuit, and were jubilant over their success.Yah-chi-la-ne would, however, allow of no delay even here; but, afterseeing Rene placed tenderly in the foremost canoe with two of thestrongest and most prudent of his warriors, he ordered the rest toembark with all haste and follow it.
While they were doing this, he, with Has-se and E-chee, busiedthemselves with the canoes of the Seminoles, of which E-chee showed thehiding-place. In these they drove great holes, so that they would notfloat; or if they happened to lie in the water they cut them adrift,and pushed them far from the shore.
Just as they came to the end of their task, and had thus rendereduseless the last of the fleet, a wild yell of disappointed rage closeat hand warned them that their enemies were upon them, and that onlythe most instant and speedy flight could save them from their hands.
The Seminoles had uttered their yell of disappointed rage at seeing, bythe moonlight, the flashing paddles of those canoes that had alreadydeparted; for they did not at first discover the three who had lingeredto destroy or render useless the canoes of their own fleet. As thesesprang into the only one they had left uninjured, and shot out from theshore, the Seminoles uttered loud cries of exultation, and rushed tothe hiding-place of their fleet, in order that they might follow andcapture these three who were now so widely separated from their fellows.
When they discovered what had been done to their canoes, and that theywere indeed useless, their fury knew no bounds, and they sent flightafter flight of arrows whizzing after those who had thus outwittedthem. Many of these struck the canoe; but all, save one, fell asharmless to its occupants as so many drops of rain.
The one barbed shaft that sped so truly on its fatal mission wasdelivered with all the strength of venomous hate, just as the canoe waspassing out of the lagoon, and beyond bow-shot. It struck the gentleHas-se between the shoulders, and, piercing his body, protruded itskeen point from his breast. With a sharp cry the poor lad dropped hispaddle, and sank into the bottom of the boat.
At this moment the others dared not stop; but, with hearts torn withanguish at seeing their best and bravest thus stricken, they paddledon, until they had rejoined their pa
rty and passed beyond the reach ofSeminole pursuit.
A few hours later, on a grassy point that projected into the river,which was flecked by glints of the sunlight the lad had loved so well,and which sifted down upon him through the moss-draped branches of avenerable oak, Has-se (the Sunbeam) lay dying. Beside him, and holdingone of his hands, sat Rene de Veaux, so numbed by this great and suddensorrow that even the comfort of tears was denied him, and his eyes weredry and strained.
"Oh Has-se, Has-se!" he cried. "To think that it is for me that thylife is given, and that for my sake only thou art lying here thusstricken to thy death!"
"Grieve not so sorely, Ta-lah-lo-ko, my brother. A brave warrior fearsnot death in any form; and when it comes to him while he is trulyperforming his duty, it is to be hailed with joy for the honor itconfers."
"But thy life was so full of promise, and they whom thou lovest willmiss thee so terribly."
"If my life had promise, then is that promise fulfilled in my death.For those left to mourn I am truly grieved. It is for them that, whileI am still able to speak, I would ask a favor of thee, Ta-lah-lo-ko."
"Name it, my brother, and if it be a thing within my power to compass,it shall be granted, even according to thy wish," answered Rene.
A grateful smile lighted the face of the dying lad, and Rene felt afaint pressure of the hand clasped in his, as Has-se said, almost in awhisper, so weak was he becoming,
"Thou hast lost thy people: my people are losing a son. Take thou myplace. Be to the old chief, my father, a son, faithful and true, andto Nethla a brother."
Then after a pause, during which he gasped painfully for breath, headded, and a questioning look passed over his face--"And thou wilt wearthe Flamingo Feather?"
"Gladly will I be thy poor substitute for son and brother to those whoare dearest to thee, if they will accept of me as such," answered Rene."As to the Flamingo Feather, didst thou not say that its wearing wasreserved for the chiefs and sons of chiefs of thy people?"
Very faint came the reply, "One adopted of a chief is adopted to allthe honors of an own son. His wearing of the chief's token is a signthat he will never leave nor desert his father until death shall partthem. Ha--"
The effort of making this explanation was too great for the weakenedframe of the dying lad, and it was followed by such a terrible flow ofblood from the wound that those who witnessed it made sure that the endhad come.
But once again the tender eyes were opened, and once more came thewords to Rene de Veaux, faint but clear,
"And thou wilt wear the Flamingo Feather?"
"I will, Has-se! I will!" exclaimed the boy, choked by the great sobsthat at length came to his relief--"and with my life will I be true toits meaning."
A smile passed over the face of the dying lad, and there came into itsuch a look of great joy and perfect peace that it was glorified in theeyes of those who saw him. Then Rene felt once more the gentlepressure of his hand and heard one soft sigh.
With its utterance the brave soul of Has-se (the Sunbeam) took itsflight, and, at the same moment, the sun sank from view, amid theunspeakable glories of the western sky.
Death of Has-se.]
Very tenderly they lifted the lifeless form, and carefully laying it inthe bottom of a canoe, resumed that journey towards the land of theAlachuas which had been thus sorrowfully interrupted.
The withdrawal of the arrow that had pierced Has-se's body had causedhim the most intolerable agony; but he had borne it without a murmur,and only his drawn features and clinched hands had indicated hissufferings. A stream of his life's blood that could not be whollychecked had followed the arrow upon its removal, and the same day thatwitnessed his receipt of the wound also witnessed his death.
He never knew whose hand had sped the shaft upon its deadly flight;but, when it was withdrawn from his body, the others had noted, rudelycut upon it, the form of a serpent, which was the token of Chitta (theSnake). Thus had the Snake gained a bitter revenge for his overthrow,months before, in the games at the Feast of Ripe Corn.
Sad indeed was the return of Yah-chi-la-ne and his party to thepleasant village beside the great spring, in the land of the Alachuas.The sight of the rescued captive was indeed greeted with joyous shoutsof welcome; but they were hushed, almost ere they were uttered, asthose assembled on the river bank noted the black paint with which, intoken of mourning, the returning warriors had covered their faces.
In heavy-hearted silence did his comrades carry their dead back intothe circle of lodges, from which he had departed so bravely and loyallyto the rescue of his friend. As they bore it into the lodge of Micco,his father, the old warrior sat as though all hope and joy had departedfrom his life forever; while outside, the air was rent by the wailingsand bitter lamentations of women.
They laid him to rest, after the manner of his people, in a tomb builtof great tree-trunks, so cunningly fashioned that no wild beast shouldever disturb its contents. Beside him they laid whatever he hadpossessed of value, and the things he had prized most highly. Theyoung girls of the tribe threw over the sleeping form great handfuls ofsweet-scented wild flowers; and, ere the tomb was closed, Rene de Veauxplaced in the calmly folded hands the scarlet feather, with the slendergold chain and pin attached to it, that had been a token between them.
As they finished the simple rites, and were about to turn away from thespot, the old chief, thus bereft of the pride and hope of his decliningyears, took the hand of the white lad in his, and, in a voice thatfaltered with his strong emotion said, so that all present could hearhim,
"I have lost a son, and I have gained a son. Has-se has gone from me,but Ta-lah-lo-ko has come in his place. It is your chief who speaks,and as the son of your chief shall this lad dwell among you."
Then the beautiful Nethla, taking Rene's other hand, kissed him gentlyon the forehead, and said,
"In the name of him who has gone from us I welcome thee, Ta-lah-lo-ko,as a brother."
As she spoke she offered him a Flamingo Feather, the same that hadgleamed among the dark tresses of the dead lad. Rene took it, andtwining it in his own sunny curls, said, in a clear voice,
"As the son of a chief I wear this emblem. Its significance has beenmade known to me, and, even as I vowed to him who lies yonder, I will,from this time forth, endeavor to act truly the part of a son to thisold man. I will never fail him or desert him until death shall partus."
So Rene de Veaux became, to all intents and purposes, a member of thistribe of Indians. The Flamingo Feather which he wore proclaimed hisposition among them to all men, and obtained for him that regard andrespect which his own manliness and ready tact enabled him to retainand increase. He became a skilful hunter, and from his Indiancompanions he soon acquired all their knowledge of woodcraft. Inreturn for this he taught them so many of the useful arts of his owncivilization, that his reputation for wisdom spread far and wide overthe land, and many from distant tribes came to learn of him.
From time to time rumors were brought to these Indians of the terriblecruelties practised by the Spaniards upon such natives of the countryas fell into their hands. For this reason the tribe into which Renehad been adopted returned not to their own lands in the far east, butremained in the land of the Alachuas. With these people they became soclosely united by ties of kinship and mutual interest that after awhile no distinctions were drawn between them. Thus, upon the death ofthe Alachua chief, the good Micco was chosen to succeed him; and fromthat time he ruled over the united tribes. Among his wise men andprincipal advisers, those upon whom he relied the most wereYah-chi-la-ne and Rene de Veaux.
At the time of Has-se's death, Micco's tribe and the Alachuas haddetermined to be no longer annoyed by the neighborhood of the Seminoleoutlaws, and had despatched a powerful war-party against them. When,however, this party reached the island village in the depths of thegreat swamp, they found it deserted. By some means the Seminoles hadobtained a knowledge of their coming, and had fled from that part ofthe country. The
Alachuas destroyed their village, and from that timefor more than a year they were heard of no more, save by rumor, whichlocated them among the savages of the far south.
Upon a certain occasion, after he had been for many months a member ofthe tribe, Rene led a hunting-party, who sought to secure a largenumber of alligators, to the edge of the great swamp. One night asthey sat about their campfire, gravely smoking their stone pipes, andlistening to some of the wild traditions of their race, related by theoldest member of the party, they were suddenly startled, and all butRene were greatly alarmed, by a flash of light and a loud explosion.It sounded from a small grove of trees not far from them, and Reneinstantly recognized it as the explosion of a fire-arm.
As it had been followed by a loud cry of pain, and as groans were stillto be heard, he succeeded in convincing his companions that theterrifying sound was of human origin, and in persuading them to go withhim in search of its cause.
In the grove they found a young Indian writhing in agony upon theground, while near him lay the shattered remains of a Spanish arquebuseor musket. He had evidently attempted to discharge it at some memberof the hunting-party, and, either because it was over-loaded or was toobadly rusted to be of service, it had burst in his hands. Although hehad escaped other wounds, an examination of his face showed that hiseyesight had been totally destroyed by the burning powder, and it wasthe pain thus caused that had drawn from him the cries and groans theyhad heard.
In spite of the disfiguration of his face Rene knew him the moment hewas dragged within the light of the camp-fire, and it was withsensations of dread and horror that he gazed upon the once familiarfeatures. When he explained to his followers the nature of the weaponthis enemy had attempted to use against them, they were filled withrage, and would have instantly slain the wretch, but Rene bade themspare his life.
"I know him," he said, "and he is too vile a being to be worthy to meetdeath at your hands. Besides, if he be now released, a lifetime ofblindness will prove even a greater punishment than any you caninflict. Lead him far out upon the trail, and there leave him. Othersmust have accompanied him, and they will doubtless find and care fortheir own."
So it was done as Rene had ordered, and on the following day no traceof the wounded man could be found; but the imprint of other moccasinedfeet, near where he had been left, showed that his friends haddiscovered and borne him away.
When Rene was afterwards questioned as to who he was, he answered,
"Chitta, the Seminole."