In a community of red men, where everything is reduced, even in times of a temporary peace, to dull routine, it was not difficult to devise a plan of revenge. But it must be unnoticed, or go unpunished, for he had a wholesome dread of Wacora"s displeasure, and was not disposed to incur it.
Some days had elapsed since the interview described between the chief and his captive, during which time they had seen nothing of each other.
Wacora, with great delicacy, had avoided her, and she had kept herself within the dwelling a.s.signed to her, afraid to meet him, yet pondering deeply over what he had said.
In spite of a natural prejudice against the Indian race, she was startled and wonder-stricken at the n.o.bility of thought and rare talent he had exhibited. She did not doubt but that a portion, at least, of his argument was based on false reasoning, but she was not subtle enough, or perhaps indisposed, to detect the erroneous argument. We are very apt to acknowledge the truth of what we admire, whilst admitting its errors.
Alice Rody was in this predicament.
She had learned to respect the Indian chief, and her respect was tinged with admiration of his good qualities.
This mental ratiocination had occupied her during the days of her seclusion.
She endeavoured to divert her mind to other subjects, and to this end determined to pay another visit to the old fort. She was prompted to it by a thought of having too long forgotten the Indian maiden who slept within the ruins.
It was a glorious morning as she set forth for a walk to the place.
The way was through a belt of timbered land leading to a creek, spanned by a rude wooden bridge. On the other side lay the ruin.
The wood was pa.s.sed in safety, and she reached the water"s edge. To her amazement she found the creek greatly swollen; this often happened after heavy rains, though she had never before seen it in that condition.
She proceeded along the causeway leading to the bridge, that seemed to offer a safe means of crossing.
She paused to contemplate the current, bearing upon its bosom the torn trunks of trees caught in its rapid course.
In another moment she was upon the bridge, and had got midway over it, when a tremulous motion of the planks caused her to hesitate. As she stood still the motion ceased, and smiling at her fears she again proceeded.
Not far, however. Ere she had made three steps forward, to her horror the motion re-commenced with greater violence.
She saw it was too late to retreat, and sped onward, the planks swaying fearfully towards the water.
Believing it best to proceed, she took courage for a fresh effort, and kept on towards the other side. It was a fatal resolution.
Just as she had prepared for her last spring the planks gave way with a creaking sound, and she was precipitated into the stream.
Her presence of mind was gone, and in an instant she was submerged beneath the seething current of the flood.
She rose again, gave utterance to a shriek, and was again swallowed up, her wail of agony being uttered in the water.
At that moment a face that expressed fiendish delight appeared through the bushes, on the bank; nor did it vanish until a.s.sured that all was over, and Alice Rody had sunk below the surface, never more to return to it alive.
Then, and not till then, the form emerged from out the underwood, and scrambling to the rude pier from which the planks had parted, stood surveying the scene.
It was Maracota!
"Good!" cried he. "So perish all who would make the red man forgive the injuries of his race. She was the child of a villain--the sister of a fiend!"
He stooped down and examined the broken fragments of the bridge.
"Maracota"s axe has done the deed well," said he, continuing his soliloquy, "and he has nothing to fear. Her death will be attributed to accident. It was a great thought, and one that Oluski"s spirit will approve. Maracota was his favourite warrior, and to please his shade has he done this deed, and will do more. Death to the pale-faces--death to their women and children! Death and extermination to the accursed race!"
The vengeful warrior rose from his stooping position, cast one hurried glance upon the turbulent stream, and once more entering the underwood, disappeared from the spot.
CHAPTER FORTY TWO.
A SOLILOQUY.
Wacora came from the council chamber, where the warriors had a.s.sembled, and pa.s.sed over to the house where dwelt his white captive.
This was no unusual thing for him when he deemed himself safe from her observation. Upon the day in question, however, he had resolved to see her.
The time had come when active measures were about to be taken by the United States Government in order to "suppress" (such was the term used) the Indians in Florida, and although none could know at that moment how difficult the undertaking would prove, all were alive to the fact that the work was about to commence in earnest.
Information of this had reached the young Seminole chief; and he saw the necessity of removing his tribe from their present residence.
Hence the council--hence, also, his visit to Alice Rody.
He had determined to lay the facts fully before her, in order that she might name the time of return to her own people.
Thus reflecting, he walked on towards the house tenanted by his captive.
On arriving at the place he found she was not there; but some children playing near told him she had gone into the woods, and pointed in the direction she had taken.
The young chief hesitated about following her. He was unwilling to thrust himself into her presence at a time she had, perhaps, devoted to self communion and repose.
Turning in another direction, he wandered for some time purposelessly, taking no note of the locality, until he had reached the belt of the woods which Alice had herself traversed on her road to the old ruin.
Wacora, however, entered it at some distance farther off from the skirts of the town.
Once under the shadow of the trees he abated his pace, which, up to this time, had been rapid. Now walking with slow step, and abstracted air, he finally stopped and leant against a huge live oak, his eyes wandering afar over the sylvan scene.
"Here," he soliloquised in thought, "here, away from men and their doings, alone is there peace! How my heart sickens at the thought that human ambitions and human vanities should so pervert man"s highest mission--peace--turning the world into scenes of strife and bloodshed!
I, an Indian savage, as white men call me, would gladly lay down this day and for ever the rifle and the knife; would willingly bury the war hatchet, and abandon this sanguinary contest!
"Could I do so with honour?" he asked, after a pause of reflection.
"No! To the end I must now proceed. I see the end with a prophetic eye; but I must go on as I"ve begun, even if my tribe with all our people should be swept from the earth! Fool that I"ve been to covet the leadership of a forlorn hope!"
At the end of this soliloquy he stamped the ground with fury.
Petty dissensions had arisen among the people he deemed worthy of the highest form of liberty. By this his temper had been chafed--his hopes suddenly discouraged. He was but partaking of the enthusiast"s fate, finding the real so unlike the ideal. It is the penalty usually paid by intelligence when it seeks to reform or better the condition of fallen humanity.
"And she," he continued, in his heart"s bitterness, "she can only think of me as a vain savage; vain of the slight superiority education appears to give me over others of my race. I might as well aspire to make my home among the stars as in her bosom. She is just as distant, or as unlikely to be mine."
In the mood in which the Indian was at that moment, the whole universe seemed leagued against him.
Bitterly he lamented the fate that had given him grand inspirations, while denying him their enjoyment.