Read Ebook: The White Doe The Fate of Virginia Dare by Cotten Sallie Southall

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Ebook has 127 lines and 13320 words, and 3 pages

So the young braves of the nation, Thrilled with love for fair Wi-no-na, Made rude ornaments to please her, Laid the red deer at her wigwam. Brought her skins of furry rabbits Soft and white as her own skin was; Robbed the black bear and the otter That her bed might soft and warm be. And the children of the forest Were uplifted by such loving Of a higher type of being, Who yet throbbed with human instincts.

Brave O-kis-ko loved the maiden With a love which made him noble; With the love that self-forgetting Fills the soul with higher impulse. As the sun with constant fervor, Heat and light to earth bestowing, Seeks for no return of blessing, Feels no loss for all his giving, So O-kis-ko loved Wi-no-na, Gave her all his heart's rude homage, Felt no loss for all his giving, Loved her for the joy of loving. Scorned he all fatigue and danger Which would bring her food or pleasure; And each day brought proof of fealty, For his deeds were more than language.

For her sake he tried to fasten To his rude canoe white pinions Like the winged ships of the white man, That with her he might sail boldly Out towards the rosy sunrise, Seeking for her lost grandsire For whose coming her heart saddened. Though his red companions mocked him, His endeavor pleased the maiden, And her eyes beamed kindly on him, Though no passion stirred her pulses. For sweet maiden hopes and fancies Filled her life with happy dreaming Ere her woman's heart awakened To O-kis-ko's patient waiting. Waiting for her eyes to brighten 'Neath the ardor of his glances; Waiting for her soul to quicken With the answer to his longing; Finding sweet content in silence, Glad each day to see and serve her.

Now old Chi-co, the Magician, Also loved the fair Wi-no-na, All his youth to him returning As he gazed upon her beauty. In his wigwam pelt of gray wolf, Antlers of the deer and bison, Hung to prove his deeds of valor; And he wooed the gentle maiden With his cunning tales of prowess.

She would not rebuke his boasting, Fearful lest her words offend him; For her nature kind and loving Could not scorn the vaunting Chi-co.

When he walked among the maidens, Gay with paint and decked with feathers, She would look on him with kindness That the others might not scoff him; She would smile upon his weakness, Though she did not wish to wed him.

Chi-co's love was fierce as fire Which from flame yields only ashes; Which gives not for joy of giving, But demands unceasing tribute, More and more to feed its craving. He grew eager and impatient, He would share with none her favor; All for him her eyes must brighten, Else his frown would blight her pleasure.

When the young men played or wrestled, If O-kis-ko came out victor; Or returning with the hunters He it was who bore the stag home; If with eyes abrim with pleasure Sweet Wi-no-na smiled upon him, Or with timid maiden shyness Drooped her eyes beneath his glances, Then old Chi-co's heart would wither With the fire of jealous fury, Till at length in bitter anger He determined none should win her, As from him she turned in coldness.

Wrapped in silence grim and sullen, Much he wandered near the water; With his soul he took dark counsel, Seeking for devices cruel For the torture of his rival And destruction of the maiden.

Though he rarely used his power, Chi-co was a great magician. He knew all the spells of starlight And the link 'tween moon and water; Knew the language of lost spirits And the secret of their power; Knew the magic words and symbols Whereby man may conquer nature.

Long he plotted,--much he brooded, While he gathered from the water Mussel-pearls all streaked and pied?d, All with rays like purple halos.

Such pearls are the souls of Naiads Who have disobeyed the Sea-King, And in mussel-shells are prisoned For this taint of human frailty. When by man released from durance These souls, grateful for their freedom, Are his slaves, and ever render Good or evil at his bidding.

Chi-co steeped each one he gathered In a bath of mystic brewing; Told each purple, pied?d pearl-drop What the evil was he plotted. Never once his purpose wavered, Never once his fury lessened; Nursing vengeance as a guerdon While the mussel-pearls he polished.

Then a new canoe he fashioned, Safe, and strong, and deep he made it; And then sought to work his magic On the innocent Wi-no-na; Asked the maiden to go with him In his boat across the water. "Come," said he, "to Ro-a-no-ak, Where the waves are white with blossoms, Where the grapes hang ripe in clusters, Come with me and drink their juices."

And the innocent Wi-no-na Listened to his artful pleading; Went with him in search of pleasure, Glad to show him friendly feeling.

While with idle stroke they floated To the fragrant lily-blossoms, He a string of pearls gave to her, Smooth and polished, pied and purple. 'Round her snowy neck she placed them With no thought of harm or cunning; And with simple, maiden speeches Filled the time as they sped onward.

To each pearl had Chi-co chanted, Each had bathed in mystic water, Each held fast the same weird power, Till the time grew ripe for evil. On the waves they could not harm her, There the Sea-King ruled them ever; But when on the shore she landed They would work their evil mission.

His revenge thus wrought in safety, Drifting seaward Chi-co chanted: "Go, White Doe, hide in the forest, Feed upon the sweet wild-grasses; No winged arrow e'er shall harm you, No Red Hunter e'er shall win you; Roam forever, fleet and fearless, Living free and yet in fetters."

FOOTNOTES:

THE COUNTER-CHARM

Man-te-o and all his warriors Long and far sought for Wi-no-na; Sought to find the sky-eyed maiden Sent by Man-to-ac, the Mighty, To the Cro-a-to-ans to bless them, And to make them wise and happy. As a being more than mortal, As a deity they held her; And when no more seen among them Lamentations filled the island. Through Wo-ko-kon's sandy stretches, Through the bog-lands of Po-mou-ik, Even unto Das-a-mon-que-peu, Hunted they the missing maiden; If perchance some other nation, Envious of their peace and plenty, Had the maiden boldly captured, For themselves to win her power. Louder grew their lamentations When they found no trail to follow; Wilder grew their threats of vengeance 'Gainst the tribe which held her captive.

While they wailed the Pale-Face Mother, She who once was brave for love's sake, Weak from hardships new and wearing, Utterly bereft of kindred, Her heart's comfort thus torn from her, Died beneath her weight of sorrow. And a pity, soft and human, Though he knew no name to call it, Thrilled the Red Man as he laid her 'Neath the forest leaves to slumber.

But the wary, wily Chi-co Told his secret unto no one, While he listened to the stories, Strange and true, told by the hunters Of a fleet and graceful White Doe On the banks of Ro-a-no-ak. And the hunters said, no arrow Howsoever aimed could reach her; Said the deer herd round her gathered, And where e'er she led they followed.

When O-kis-ko heard the whispers Of the garrulous old women, Glad belief he gave unto them That the Doe on Ro-a-no-ak Was in truth the Pale-Face Maiden Wrung from him by cruel magic. He was not a gabbling boaster, He could think and act in silence; And alone he roamed the island Seeking this White Doe to capture, So that he might tame and keep her Near him to assuage his sorrow.

All in vain,--no hand could touch her. All in vain,--no hunter won her. Up the dunes of Ro-a-no-ak Still she led the herd of wild deer.

Then O-kis-ko sought We-nau-don, The Magician of Po-mou-ik. Gave him store of skins and wampum, Promised all his greed demanded, If he would restore the maiden, Break the spell which held her spirit.

In his heart We-nau-don cherished Hatred for his rival Chi-co For some boyhood's cause of anger, For defeat in public wrestling; And because of this he welcomed Now the time to vent his malice. So he promised from enchantment To release the captive maiden.

In the days of pristine nature, In the dells of Ro-a-no-ak, Bubbling from the earth's dark caverns, Was a spring of magic water. There the Naiads held their revels, There in secret met their lovers; And they laid a spell upon it Which should make true lovers happy; For to them true love was precious.

He who drank of it at midnight When the Harvest Moon was brightest, Using as a drinking-vessel Skull-bowl of his greatest rival Killed in open, honest combat, And by summer sunshine whitened, He gained youth perennial from it And the heart he wished to love him.

He who bathed within its waters, Having killed a dove while moaning, And had killed no other creature Since three crescent moons had rounded; Vowing to be kind and helpful To the sad and weary-hearted: He received the magic power To undo all spells of evil Which divided faithful lovers.

In this spring had bathed We-nau-don, And he held its secrets sacred; But a feeling ever moved him To make glad the heavy-hearted. So he showed unto O-kis-ko Where to find the magic water; With this counter-charm, he told him How to free the charmed Wi-no-na:

Every word O-kis-ko heeded, Hope, once dead, now cheered his spirit. From the sea three pearls he gathered; From the thicket brought witch-hazel For the making of the arrow; From the heron's wing a feather Plucked to true its speed in flying. Patiently he cut and labored, As for love's sake man will labor; Shaped the arrow, new and slender, Set the pearls into the shark's tooth, Fastened firm the heron's feather, With a faith which mastered reason. In the magic spring he steeped it, Watching lest some eye should see it; Through three sunsets steeped and watched it; Three times o'er the charm repeated While the sunrise touched the tree-tops; Then prepared to test its power.

FOOTNOTES:

THE HUNT

In the Land-of-Wind-and-Water Long the Summer-Glory lingered, Loath to yield its ripened beauty To the cold embrace of Winter. And the greenness of the forest Gave no sign of coming treason, Till the White Frost without warning Hung his banners from the tree-tops. Then a blush of brilliant color Decked each shrub with tinted beauty; Gold, and brown, and scarlet mingled Till no color seemed triumphant; And the Summer doomed to exile Fled before the chilling Autumn.

Messengers of invitation Sent he to the other nations, Saying, "Come and hunt the White Doe, Bring your surest, fleetest arrows; We will eat the meat of white deer, We will drink the purple grape-juice, Burn the uppowoc in pipe-bowls, While we shame the trembling hunters."

But the Cro-a-to-ans kept silence, Sent no answer to his greeting. They believed the charm?d White Doe Was Wi-no-na Sk?'s pure spirit, Who in freedom still was happy, And they would not wound or harm her, They would shoot no arrows at her, Nor help feast upon her body.

Then O-kis-ko answered boldly; "I will go and hunt this White Doe, I will shoot from my own ambush, I will take my fleetest arrow." And the men and women wondered, For they knew his former loving.

But O-kis-ko kept his secret, Showed no one his new-made arrow; 'Round his shoulders threw a mantle Made of skins of many sea-gulls, So that he could hide his arrow, And no mortal eye could see it Till he sent it on its mission Winged with magic, fraught with mercy.

Thus he went to Ro-a-no-ak, Love, and hope, and faith impelling, Conscious of his aim unerring, Trusting in the arrow's power.

From Po-mou-ik came Wan-ches-e, For the hunt and feast impatient, Boasting of his skill and valor, Saying in his loud vainglory: "I will teach the braves to shoot deer, Young men now are not great hunters, Hearts like squaws they have within them, Nothing fears them but a papoose."

Wan-ches-e had crossed the water In the ships with wings like sea-birds, And the Pale-Face Weroanza, Whom he saw in her own country, Him to please and show her friendship, Gave an arrow-head of silver To him as a mark of favor.

This he now brought proudly with him, As of all his arrows fleetest; Bearing in its lustrous metal, As he thought, some gift of power From the mighty Weroanza Which would bring success unto him; And the warriors all would praise him As around the feast they gathered, Saying as he walked among them: "There is none like brave Wan-ches-e, He can bend the bow with firmness, He has arrow-points of silver, And the White Doe falls before him." And he polished well the arrow Which he thought would bring him praises.

Where the deer were wont to wander All the hunters took their stations, While the stalkers sought the forest, From its depths to start the deer-herd.

Near the shore Win-gin-a lingered That he first might shoot his arrow, And thus have the certain glory Of the White Doe's death upon him.

Soon the stalkers with great shouting Started up the frightened red deer; On they came through brake and thicket, In the front the White Doe leading, With fleet foot and head uplifted, Daring all the herd to follow.

Easy seemed the task of killing, So Win-gin-a twanged his bow-string, But his arrow fell beside her As she sprang away from danger.

Through the tanglewood, still onward, Head uplifted, her feet scorning All the wealth of bright-hued foliage Which lay scattered in her pathway. Up the high sand-dunes she bounded, In her wake the whole herd followed, While the arrows aimed from ambush Fell around her ever harmless.

On she sped, towards the water, Nostrils spread to sniff the sea-breeze; Through the air a whizzing arrow Flew, but did not touch the White Doe; But a stag beside her bounding Wounded fell among the bushes, And the herd fled in confusion, Waiting now not for the leader.

On again, with leaping footsteps, Tossing head turned to the sea-shore; For one fatal minute standing Where the White Man's Fort had once stood; In her eyes came wistful gleamings Like a lost hope's fleeting shadow.

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