Florida -- History -- Huguenot colony, 1562-1565 -- Juvenile fiction
At length, just as the sun was appearing in the far east, Chitta
stirred uneasily, yawned, threw the blanket off from his head, and sat
up. As his gaze fell upon the motionless figure beside him he uttered
a sort of a gasping cry and sprang to his feet. He had hardly gained
them before the noose did its work, and, tripped by it, he fell heavily
to the ground. The tall Indian had also sprung to his feet, and now
stood over the prostrate form of his victim, with a cruel smile
lighting his dark features.
Although wicked, Chitta was no coward, and finding himself thus trapped
by an unknown enemy, he coolly asked, as he lay there,
"Who art thou, and what have I done to thee that thou shouldst thus
snare me like Pet-che?" (the pigeon).
For answer the tall Indian said, "I will first tell thee who thou art.
Thy name is Chitta. Thou wast overthrown but yesterday at the Feast of
Ripe Corn by the lad who wears in his hair the To-fa chat-te" (red
feather). "Thou art he who set fire to the storehouse of corn. Above
all, thou art now, like myself, an outlaw forever from thy people; for
know that I am that Seminole called Cat-sha" (the tiger).
At this name Chitta gave a start of surprise, for though he had never
before seen this Indian, the name of Cat-sha had been familiar to him
from his childhood. It was one used by Indian mothers to frighten
their unruly children, and quiet them into obedience, for it belonged
to the crudest, boldest, and most dreaded of all the outlawed Seminoles.
When still a youth, Cat-sha had, in a fit of ungovernable anger, struck
one of his young companions a blow, from the effects of which he died.
For this he was driven from his tribe, and from that day he had been an
outcast, whose hand was raised against all men, and who had become
famed and dreaded for his deeds of savage cruelty. He had gathered
together and become chief of that band of Seminoles of whom Has-se had
told Rene, and under his leadership it was rapidly becoming a scourge
to all the more peaceful inhabitants of that country. Knowing all
this, it is no wonder that Chitta gave a start of surprise not unmixed
with alarm when he learned into whose hands he had fallen.
Evidently gratified at the impression the mere mention of his name
produced upon his prisoner, Cat-sha continued:
"For many days have I watched the place of the pale-faces from beyond
the great waters. I hate them, and would gladly drive them back into
the sea whence they came. It was to learn their strength and discover
in what manner they might be most successfully attacked that I came to
this place. Thy people, at their feasting and dancing, have I also
seen, and I had thought to do with my own hand the deed accomplished by
thee last night. Since thou hast relieved me of that labor, I am
inclined favorably towards thee, and will spare thy life upon condition
that thou renounce forever thy own people and become one of my band."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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