Life — May 2, 1895 — page 9: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

- LIFE: 291 “It's soft enough for my purpose,” growled Powhatan, for the first time showing an anxiety to get his work in. The chief braced himself, sighted along his club to get the proper distance, the band played “ Annie Laurie,” and he drew back his formidable weapon. A silence, broken only by the mournful music of the band, fell upon the scene, but it was for an instant only, then a wild cry pierced the stillness, accompanied by a swish of petticoats, and a fair girl stood between the Captain and the club. “Oh, Popper,” cried Pocahontas, for it was she, the “Heavens, MARIA! WAS THAT PHONOGRAPH OPEN DURING ACAT FIGHT?” “No. I TURNED IT ON LAST NIGHT WHEN YOU WERE SLEEP- ING. PERHAPS YOU WILL RELIEVE NOW THAT YOU SNORE.” chief's beautiful daughter. “Oh, Popper, what are you going todo?” “he shouted; “back I say, or you'll get it in the neck, sure.” “ Nay, nay, Popper,” she pleaded in sweet, cajoling tones, “Tshall not back. You know not what you are about to do.” “ Stand from under for a minute and you will see if don’t,” the chief answered sullenly, as he let his club fall by his side. “ But I tell you,” she insisted, “ that you don’t.” “Why don’t I? “ Because you don't.” “Because me no becauses, girl,” thundered Powhatan, reaching for his club. “Have you no other reason than a woman's reason ?” “ Being a woman,” she replied haughtily, “I don’t have to have.” “ Now Pokie,” said Powhatan, caressingly, “you get out of this and give your Papa a chance,” “No, Popper,” she responded as she threw her plump and tawny arm around the neck of the captive Captain, “ I came here to give Captain Smith a chance, and to give every American girl, for all time to come, a chance,” she added in almost tragic tones. “Come off,” he growled. “No, Popper,” she persisted, “Mr. Smith must come off—off of that stump. Willit be necessary for me to give youa map andadiagram before you will understand that Captain Smithisa foreigner, that lam an American girl of marriageable age and that the entente cordiale bewween the two must and shail be preserved ? Don’t you know that you owe something to posterity and the future social conditions of this great and glorious Republic? Popper, Popper,” she pleaded, “ can’t. you see that your Poca- hontas is endeavoring to establish a pre- cedent that will stand for all time?” Powhatan hesitated. A light as of a new day was breaking in upon his aboriginal perception. “Old man,” exclaimed Captain Smith, taking the stump with his feet instead of his head, * Pocahontas has called you and you've got to show down.” Powhatan dropped his gory club in supreme disgust. “Tell that confounded band to play ‘ Tommy Atkins,’ ” he commanded his private secretary. “1 guess I'll take you,” said Pocahontas to the Captain as he came down off the stump. “ Please guess again,” said John. But despite this ungallant and ungenerous rebuff, history records the fact that Pocahontas was the first American girl to marry a foreigner. W. J. Lampton. comicbooks.com