Fire Cloud; Or, The Mysterious Cave. A Story of Indians and Pirates.

by Samuel Fletcher

  CHAPTER IX.

  When Captain Flint had decided to take possession of the cavern, andfit it up as a place of retreat and concealment for himself and hisgang, he saw the necessity of having some one whom he could trust totake charge of the place in his absence. A moment's reflectionsatisfied him there was no one who would be more likely to serve himin this capacity than the Indian woman who had rescued him from thefearful fate he had just escaped.

  Lightfoot, who in her simplicity, looked upon him as a great chief,was flattered by the proposal which he made her, and immediately tookcharge of the establishment, and Captain Flint soon found that he hadno reason to repent the choice he had made, so far as fidelity to hisinterests was concerned.

  For a while at first he treated her with as much kindness as it was inthe nature of such as he to treat any one.

  He may possibly have felt some gratitude for the service she hadrendered him, but it was self-interest more than any other feelingthat caused him to do all in his power to gain a controling influenceover her.

  He loaded her with presents of a character suited to her uncultivatedtaste.

  Her person fairly glittered with beads, and jewelry of the most gaudycharacter, while of shawls and blankets of the most glaring colors,she had more than she knew what to do with.

  This course he pursued until he fancied he had completely won heraffection, and he could safely show himself in his true characterwithout the risk of loosing his influence over her.

  His manner to her now changed, and he commenced treating her more as aslave than an equal, or one to whom he felt himself under obligations.

  It is true he would now and then treat her as formerly, and wouldoccasionally make her rich presents, but it would be done in the waythat the master would bestow a favor on a servant.

  Lightfoot bore this unkind treatment for some time without resentingit, or appearing to notice it. Thinking perhaps that it was only afreak of ill-humor that would last but for a short time, and then thegreat chiefs attachment would return.

  Flint fancied that he had won the heart of the Indian woman, andacting on the presumption that "love is blind," he thought that hecould do as he pleased without loosing hold on her affections.

  In this he had deceived himself. He had only captured the woman'sfancy. He had not won her heart.

  So that when Lightfoot found this altered manner of the captain'stowards her was not caused by a mere freak of humor, but was only histrue character showing itself, her fondness for him, if fondness itcould be called, began to cool.

  Things had come to this pass, when Hellena Rosenthrall was broughtinto the cave.

  The first thought of Lightfoot was that she had now discovered thecause of the captain's change of manner towards her. He had foundanother object on which to lavish his favors and here was her rival.And she was to be the servant, the slave of this new favorite.

  Flint, in leaving Hellena in charge of Lightfoot, gave strict chargesthat she should be treated with every attention, but that she shouldby no means be allowed to leave the cave.

  The manner of Lightfoot to Hellena, was at first sullen: and reserved,and although she paid her all the attention that Hellena required ofher, she went no further.

  But after awhile, noticing the sad countenance of her paleface sister,and that her face was frequently bathed in tears, her heart softenedtoward her, and she ventured to ask the cause of her sorrow. And whenshe had heard Hellena's story, her feelings towards her underwent anentire change.

  From this time forward the two women were firm friends, and Lightfootpledged herself to do all in her power to restore her to her friends.

  Her attachment to Captain Flint was still too strong, however, to makeher take any measures to effect that object, until she could do sowithout endangering his safety.

  But Lightfoot was not the only friend that Hellena had secured sinceher capture. She had made another, and if possible a firmer one, inthe person of Black Bill.

  From the moment Hellena entered the cavern, Bill seemed to beperfectly fascinated by her. Had she been an angel just from heaven,his admiration for her could hardly have been greater. He could notkeep his eyes off of her. He followed her as she moved about, thoughgenerally at a respectful distance, and nothing delighted him so much,as to be allowed to wait upon her and perform for her such little actsof kindness as lay within his power.

  While Hellena was relating the story of her wrongs to Lightfoot, BlackBill sat at a little distance off an attentive listener to thenarrative. When it was finished, and Hellena's eyes were filled withtears, the darkey sprang up saying in an encouraging tone of voice:

  "Don't cry, don't cry misses, de debble's comin arter massa Flintberry soon, he tell me so hisself; den Black Bill take care ob dewhite angel."

  This sudden and earnest outburst of feeling and kindness from thenegro, expressed as it was in such a strange manner, brought a smileto the face of the maiden, notwithstanding the affliction which wascrushing her to the earth.

  "Why Bill," said Hellena, "you don't mean to say you ever saw thedevil here, do you?"

  "Never seed him, but heer'd him doe, sometimes," replied Bill.

  Now, Hellena, although a sensible girl in her way, was by no meansfree from the superstition of the times. She believed in ghosts, andwitches, and fairies, and all that, and it was with a look ofconsiderable alarm that she turned to the Indian woman, saying:

  "I hope there ain't any evil spirits in this cave, Lightfoot."

  "No spirits here dat will hurt White Rose (the name she had given toHellena) or Lightfoot," said the Indian woman.

  "But the place is haunted, though!" said Hellena.

  "The spirits of the great Indian braves who have gone to the land ofspirits come back here sometimes."

  "Do you ever see them?" asked the girl, her alarm increasing.

  "Neber see dem, but hear dem sometime," replied Lightfoot.

  "Do they not frighten you?" asked Hellena.

  "Why should I be afraid?" said Lightfoot, "are they not my friends?"

  Lightfoot perceiving that Hellena's curiosity, as well as her fearswere excited; now in order to gratify the one, and to allay the other,commenced relating to her some of the Indian traditions in relation tothe cavern.

  The substance of her narrative was as follows:

  She said that a great while ago, long, long before the palefaces hadput foot upon this continent, the shores of this river, and the landfor a great distance to the east and to the west, was inhabited by agreat nation. No other nation could compare with them in number, or inthe bravery of their warriors. Every other nation that was rash enoughto contend with them was sure to be brought into subjection, if notutterly destroyed.

  Their chiefs were as much renowned for wisdom, and eloquence as forbravery. And they were as just, as they were wise and brave.

  Many of the weaker tribes sought their protection, for they delightedas much in sheltering the oppressed as in punishing the oppressor.

  Thus, for many long generations, they prospered until the whole landwas overshadowed by their greatness.

  And all this greatness, and all this power, their wise men said, wasbecause they listened to the voice of the Great Spirit as spoken tothem in this cave.

  Four times during the year, at the full of the moon the principalchiefs and medicine men, would assemble here, when the Great Spiritwould speak to them, and through them to the people.

  As long as this people listened to the voice of the Great Spirit,every thing went well with them.

  But at last there arose among them a great chief; a warrior, who saidhe would conquer the whole world, and bring all people under his rule.

  The priests and the wise men warned him of his folly, and told himthat they had consulted the Great Spirit, and he had told them that ifhe persisted in his folly he would bring utter ruin upon his people.But the great chief only laughed at them, and called them fools, andtold them the warnings which they gave him, were not from the GreatSpirit, but wer
e only inventions of their own, made up for the purposeof frightening him.

  And so he persisted in his own headstrong course, and as he was agreat brave, and had won many great battles, very many listened tohim, and he raised a mighty army, and carried the war into the countryof all the neighbouring nations, that were dwelling in peace with hisown, and he brought home with him the spoils of many people. And thenhe laughed at the priests and wise men once more, and said, go intothe magic cave again, and let us hear what the Great Spirit has tosay.

  And they went into the cave, as he had directed them. But they cameout sorrowing, and said that the Great Spirit had told them that he,and his army should be utterly destroyed, and the whole nationscattered to the four winds.

  And again he laughed at them, and called them fool, and deceivers.

  And he collected another great army, and went to war again. But bythis time the other nations, seeing the danger they were in, unitedagainst him as a common enemy.

  He was overthrown, killed, and his army entirely cut to pieces.

  The conquering army now entered this country, and laid it waste, astheirs had been laid waste before.

  And the war was carried on for many years, until the prophesy wasfulfilled that had been spoken by the Great Spirit, and the people ofthis once mighty nation were scattered to the four winds.

  This people as a great nation are known no longer, but a remnant stillremains scattered among the other tribes. Occasionally some of themvisit this cave, to whom alone its mysteries are known, or were,Lightfoot said, until she had brought Captain Flint there in order toescape their pursuers.

  "Is the voice of the Great Spirit ever heard here now?" enquiredHellena.

  Lightfoot said the voice of the Great Spirit had never been heardthere since the destruction of his favorite nation, but that thespirits of the braves as he had said before, did sometimes come backfrom the spirit-land to speak comfort to the small remnant of thefriends who still remained upon the earth. To those she belonged.

  This narrative of the Indian woman somewhat satisfied the curiosity ofHellena, but it did not quiet her fears, and to be imprisoned in adreary cavern haunted by spirits, for aught she knew, demons, was toher imagination, about as terrible a situation as she could possiblybe placed in.