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Show ( 2G ) pr'ri l'hcd in the rnr nn tin1 c duri nr; t l1c ' ·int er. Let me return to my \'.ire ;1nd <' hil d, that l may n l ~o die ncar thr.ir c or·p ~c s!' '• .My lame nt at ion · pr;Hlllt!<' rl those of all the SCJU'lWS \\:lw ~ou lo b"; r llle, "~ hile lh c W;\rr iors, old ancl y oung, t: '( pre ..., :wd th c1 r frJ end ' y M} 1:1pai11y ~ h y g r oa n~ or pity, in \Vhi ch tl.le old. chi ef hi mselt j •.• i H.:d . By l1is orde r, m:r nrrns and hor,e wen! Itn ?lcd t~ttc ly hr_ou~hl . rpH~ h tt •r w:1.:: \\'Cil fed , ITIIIC'h iwtt cr than nt y:;c.: Jt. h vcry lund (tf pn )' i ·inn-., -: kil t. and IJlankets app<' :t rt'd in a few rr: in ut.cs, ::t nd aho· :t :t du1~e n well-mo unted warri o.rs dcda1 cJ vu lul Jta rlly to :1 r r on1pan_v l ! H.: to n1v rc !rc;,t in the wilde rn ess ami back to the ir \'illagc, if I w Hd rl afl.ct'i' ani:-; rct.um " ith tl1cm. " Altt· r 1:11\irq~ a fr ie 1ldly lc;n·c of all th ose ll rou nd rn c, who htnyed the n', l ~ t a rt c d with 11l .Y eornp;111ions for the north . Seven ti llles had the moon chnngnd its li !-!;ht sin ee rny se paration h om my bc lovecl w1 fe and chi ld! On tl1e eveni ng of the 25th day after 'OII f" depn r- · turc, I kne v , by t.IH' ap pea ranc:e of the rrJOUtllai ns in the cast, tha t we were within 0110 day's ride from my den r ones I prevailed np o~l zny friendly corn p1 nions to all ow thcn1selvcs a 1-!;00d night's rest-~. 1v c them the ncces:.;;Jry in formati on to follow ancl to f1r :d me ae;a in on the ne xt dar, and ~ 1a rt ed for the last time with my fai thfulr11n ner. "I rode 011. for the whole ni ,u; ht withou t in terruption, and wit lt d r~y-li .~ht I approach ed o11r cave In the rock. I saw nowhere ::t round it any trace of a humau b in!!;! B1 cat. hl ess I stood before the c ntr. t ncc t.o the cavern, while I cotdd di.·tinctly hear my heart beat, li':lten ing ancl looking for some signs of life, but I heard and saw not! ) i I) .~· "• I>inr:1,' whispered I wit.h a f;1inting voice; no answer. 'fd y dear wif'e, Dior.1!' ~a id [a Iitt.le louder, oft · r taking some breath, not yet able to st 'P fonvard; still no an swer. 'Diora!' cried I at length with d0f'jHt ir. Li s teni11~ again for some reply, when I hcll rd in a faint whi~pcr, 'Wa:walaa!' In tbe same instant I stoou near my poor Diora. " (Jh! never, never shall I think without a shudder of the drendful s i~ht which my beloved wi fe and our dear child presen ted to my eye ' ! T hey w<Te both ! y in~ on our C'OIJCh of nw •.' , hoth ema iat e.1l like skcl ·tons, bo th stai ned wi th blood, whic l1 led me to the condu. · i·U il t h<.~ t th t·y h·td been wound ed; but, with horror, I soo n disco \ · cn~d n1y n1 i lalt ·, when I ~aw t.he dr;,in ed breast of the unhappy rno•. h_cr a1!d h(!r sucklinu; bnby wi.th hi little mouth upon h r left nrm, o ( wh 1ch ~'h e had (lp ·ned the art.ery to let him drink her life's bl ond , t hi 1il< i n~ 1l1 at hi~< life miu; llt be preserved !"rum star vati on , as long; as jJ•J;.;: JIJ ie, aCtc r the l alt.~.; r should hare J est.royed her own, which ·was 110\V a i i'<' atly 11 earl y ex li 11ct. '' \ \T hen Dio i'i!l cast a~ain fur the fir. L time her sunken eyes :tt me, h~ r· lll\'c ly fr~a tures lm;,!; .Hcncd with a smile, and she whispered, ' .\fy d<·ar Wua nat;ta,' but I shut her mo~rtlt '·vith n kiss, and said,' My d l':ll· D1o,. a! Let Ill , first. ~ive you a drink, and th en prepare some~ lhll.l!!; to eat. !.fetched some vvater inn leather cup from our· little !-~pr1_11f!:, poured 1t over a hand-full of corn-meal, ~tirred it up with halt as much maple sugar, and presenteu the potion to my poor Di· ( 27 ) ora, who, with the natural, self-denying love of a tender m_othcr, ~a ve her starving baby first to drink, b~f01:c she thought of cJo1ng s<, herself, while I knc1t and wept by thetr sHle, unable to speak .. l\Iy best endeavours were all in vain; I coulcl not save_ the }p;e~ of my deur onef!! At stm-set t~e. sun a?d. the ~tar of m>: l1fe ~vere ex: t it1g11i shed by the Gre3t Sp1nt. V\· hrle my poor D10ra ~mbra c e o ,,vith her left hand our dying baby, she drew sl.o\vly t~er. Tlj!;ht t1anu from mine, and rai~ing it with all l1er last strength, porlltin~ ul? w1th ~w r fing er to the Great Spirit, she once more suuled anJ s ig,h cd , • V\T aanataa !' "\Vhcn my companions, after continuing their journey in the moonf'h ine, reacheJ about rnid-night my cave, now a vault of d<: a_t.h, they found me sitting and weeping be:;ides the corpses of my Dwra and our Diaro! " "l\'Ty new friends had the manly delicacy not to 1n.tcrfcre wi th my mourni11 g ; they lef~ me alone In my gnef _all the ?'~J:t, obse rvino- an awful sile nce while th ey by eucampcd 111 the VlC JilJt y . Collt. n~·v to the custom of the ~ioux, whu gent:rally wr1:1p a c o rp~c in u h lat;ket or " skin , ar.1d put it on the tops oC fout· t1'ces, where it de cnvs in the open air, I buried the corpses of my cl ea r on es in OL1r r.a~ e, which thus bcc[lrnc a real v:lult. or death; and. in ~l1 e cxlren 1e of my grid, that nothin~ of nny valu e _should ren~atn \'-' Ilh me, ofiL·r 1he loss of all that w:ts dear to me, I lulled n1y Ltitltful runner by a l'hot of my rifle, and huried hi 111 too in the \'~1ull of d ~:~ th . ~T y eom ~ pn nion~ mnde a \var-like funeral ~alut e , by a t hrC'e tiOH'.' dl~char~ tof th eir riHes in honour and in memory of the dcrea scd. l th a11k r•l them with Hll my heart for their kindnes-., ~nd .had<! farevv c_ll, re fu ~in< r once for :;t]l Lo return with 1h ·m to th e1r vlllage , nnt.wrlh sta tl(l j llg th _ir friCI!dly entreaties, which I answered by repeating my r ·- quest, t.o let me alone in my mourning. . . . ''After one change of the moon, the Gr~ ·1 t Spt.nt ~ n v e me :l ~Dl ll the necessary strength to revive, and to th1 nl< of doJ1 1,g &f)n Je tl: ll1 {1;: or to go somewhere. The idea of r e tur~in g 1o my people f1ll t·cl me with di sgust. 1 would have refused, 1f ~hey_ und all the otl_1 L' J' Indians had unanimously elected me for their h1ghest Great Chtcf "As poor as a Cheyenne, but too proud for beg;~ing, I wen_t dO\\' tl alono- the Missouri living upon what game I could shoot wtth my rifle,t-till I reached ~'St. Louis, where a noble-minded ~~ hitc 111 ~ rchant. to whom I related my misfortunes, procured rne a free passage on hoard a steamboat down the Missis. ippi to New Orleans, \vL cre 1 would embark for Vera Cruz, to take ~ervice in the United States Army, during their war with_ Mexico.. ~11t ;nY patron at ' t. ,Lt l U i:-~ had recommended me to a fnend of hts 1n New Orl e an~. a F 1cnch hanker, whose ~ood advice prevailed up~n me n?t to_ be?omc a ~oldier, or 'a privileged homicide,' as he s:•H_l-wl_llle h1~ loncln c ~s pm viued me with the means of a decent lJvlll!.!;. for \Vhtch he de .... JrC'd me sometimes to relate my adventures to him and his family or friends. At length he recornmendeu. ~e to you, my brot~1ers .! "But now let me entreat you, my lrwnd~, never to mentron~ 1fyo_u can help it, the names of Diora and Dmro m my presence. flws 1'~ |