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Show 248 pared myself to use it 11pon the most forward warriors; but when I expected that they would ass:1.i! me with war·club and spear, tho cunning savages thrust their great prow ngtlinst our little boat, amidships, :md even while my m:tcana lighted ou the head of one of the assailants, smiting him fatally, I fell over into the lake with t!Jo upsetting of our vessel. In a moment l1ad tlu•y grasped Jstablina from the lake, and taken her to themselves in their own canoe, and as I raised my head from the water, beholding this mishap, a hca\'y stroke upon my shoulder, which narrowly mis.!led my head, warned mo of my danger. Then, seeing that I could no longer save the captive maiden, I dived deeply under, makin·g my way like an otter, beneath the water, for the shore. A flight of arrO\vs followed my rising: to take the air, but they were hurriedly delivered, with little uirn, :u1d only one of them grazed my check. The mark is still hero ns thou seest. Again 1 dived beneath the water, still swimming: shoreward, and when I next rose into tho light and nir, 1 w:u1 amon~ the people of the lord of Calos. 'fhey 1vere now rtSscmbled along the banks of tho lake, 38 near as they could go to tho onemy, some of tl1em, indeed, hnving wnded 1nist deep in their wild fury and dc~perate defin.nee. llut of what avail were their weapons or their rage? The maiden, Istakalioa, tho princess and the betrothed of Wa-ha-la, Wtl.fl gone. The people of tho Sarropec l1nd borne hor off, heeding me little even as thoy l1ad tnken her. She was alrendy far off, mo,·ing towards tiHl centre of the lake, nod faint were tl10 cries "hich now came from her, tl1ongh it delighted my poor vain heart, in that desperate l10ur, to perceive that, in her last cries, it w::loS my unlmppy name that sl10 uttered. They bore her away to the secret i.sland where they d1velt, in secure fastneSS(!s; nod long and fruitless, though full of despera- ,. 249 tion, was the war that followed for her reco,·ery. But, though I myself fought in this war, as I never have fought before, yet did I not dare to do battle under the eye, or among the warriors of the lord of Cales. 1 fled from his sight nud from the reproaches of my friend, tho :i\Jico Wa-ha-Ia, for, in my soul, I felt how deep had been my guilt, and my couseicuce did not dare tho encounter with their eyes. I took refuge with Ouathaqua, the father of lstakalina; and when he knew of the valor with which 1 strove against the captivity of tho maiden, be forgave mo that I lost her through my own imprudence. Of the blind and selfish passion which prompted that imprudence, he did not dre:un, and he so forgave me. Under his lead, I took up arms against the tribes of Snrropce, and for two years did tho war continue, with great slaughter and distress among the several nations. But, in all our battles, I kept ever on the northern side of tho great Jake, and never allowed myself to join with the warriol's of Cales. They but too well conceived my guilt. The keen eyes of mine escort distinguished my passion, and saw that it was not ungracious in the sight of Istakalina. Too truly did they report us to the lord of Cales, nnd to my friend, the young Mice \Va-ha-la. Bitter wa.s the reproach which he made me in a. last gift which he sent me, while I dwelt with Onathnqua. It eon· sist.cd of a single arrow, from which depended a snake skin, with the \Varning rattles still hnngiog thereto. 'Say to the bearded man,' said the 1\fico, 'when you give him this, that it comes from Wn-ha-la. Tell him thnt his friend scuds him this, in token that he knows how much he hath been wronged. Say t-o the bearded man, that Wa-ha-la had but one flower of the forest, and that his friend hath gathered i~. Let his friend beware the arrow of II' |
