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Show 244 her people ; and with :t sad fondness in her eyes, that drooped ever while looking upwards at the passionate gaze of mine, did she listen to the story of feelings and aff<Jctions to which her own young and innocent nature did now tenderly incline. Thus was it that she was delivered into my keeping by her sire, that I should conduct her to the young Mico Wa-ha-lo., my friend. And thus, with fond discourse of song and story, ,,-hich grow more fond with every p:u!Sing Lour-with me to speak and she to listen-did we commence our journey homeward to the dominions of the lord of Cales. Alas! for me, and ahs ! for the hapless maiden, that, in the fondness of my passion, I forgot my trust; forgot preciously to guard and protect the precious treasure in my keeping; and, in the increase of my blind lo\'e, forgot all tho lessons of war and wisdom, and all the necessary providence which these equally demand. Thus wli.S i~ that I was dispossessed of my clJargc, at the very moment when it was most dear to my delight. Didst thou ask me for the hope which grew with this blind passion, verily, scfl.or, I should have to say to thee that I had none. I thought not of the morrow ; I dared not think of the time when lstakalina should fill the cabin of Wa-ba-la. I knew nothing but that she was with me, with her dark eyes ever glistening beneath their darker lids, as she met the burning speech of mine; that we thriddcd the sinuous paths of silent and shady forests, with none to reproach our speech or glanceM ; our attendants, some of them going on before, and some followi 1;g ; and that, when she ascended t~c litter, which was borne by four stout savages, or sat in tho canoe as we sped across l::t.ko or river-for both of these modes of travel did we at times pursue- 1 was still the ncarc!';t to her side, drunk with her sweet beauty, and the sad t.cnderness which dwelt in all her looks and actions. l TII£ .ADVESTURF. OF t.E D.ARBU. 245 Nor was it less my madn1~ss that I fondly set to the account of her fondness for me, the very sadness with wl1ich she answered my looks, and the sweet sigh which rose so often to her softly parted lips. Verily, was never man and Christian so false and foolish as was I, in those bitter blessed momenta. Thus was I blinded to all caution--thus was l heedless of nll danger-thus was I caught in the snare, to the loss of all that ''l'as precious as well to my captor as myself. "How was this? How happened it?'' demanded Laudonnicre as Le Barbu paused, and covered his face with his hands in silence, a.a if overcome with a great misery. "Thou shalt hear, Senor. 1 will keep nothing from thee of this sad confession; for, verily, have I long since repented of the siu and folly which brought after them so much evil. Thou shalt know that, distant from the territories of the lord of Calos, a journey of some three d:\ys, and nearly that far distant also from the dwelling of Onathaquo., there licth a great lake of fresh water, in tho midst of which is an island named Sa.rropcc. This island and the country which surround::~ tho lake, is kept by a. very powerful nation, a fierce people, not so numerous a.a strong, because they have places of retreat and refuge, whither no enemy dare pursue them. On tho firm land, and in open conflict, tho lord of Calos Lad long before conquered this strange people ; bot in their secure harborage and vast water thickets, they mocked at the power of all tho surrounding kings. These, accordingly, kept with them a general peace, which was seldom broken, except under circumstances such as those which I shall now unfold. The people of this lake and island are rich in the precious root called the Coo11li., of which they ha\'C an abundance) of a. quality far superior to thnt of all the neighboring country. |