Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 20 — page 20: what you’re looking at

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

¢,* * or ; si ra 4 e 7 AY ‘od r Wy. 7 a The New York Library. ‘Valentine bowed in acquiescence. “ We will say something here about the fire of Montecuhzoma, which is not without in- terest to the reader. ‘This singular custom has been handed down from age to age, especially among the Comanches. They state that, at the period of the conquest, and a few days prior to his death, Montecuhzoma, having a presentiment of the fate that surely awaited him, lit a sacred fire and ordered their ancestors to keep it up, never allowing it to expire until the day when he returned to deliver his pepe from the Spanish yoke. The guard of this sacred fire was confided to picked warriors ; it was placed in a vault in a copper-basin, on a species of small altar, where it constantly smolders under a dense layer of ashes. Montecuhzoma announced at the same time that he would return with the Sun, his father; hence, at the first hour of day, many Indians mount on the roof of their huts, in the hope of seeing their well-beloved sover- eign reappear, accompanied by the day- planet. . Thes¢ poor Indians, who constantly main- tain in their hearts the hope of their future regeneration, are convinced that this event will be accomplished, unless the fire go out, through sonie reason impossible to foresee. Scarce fifty years ago, the persons ap- ointed to maintain the sacred fire were re- ieved every two days, thus passing eight- and-forty hours without eating, drinking or sleeping. It frequently happened that these poor wretches, asphyxiated by the carbonic gas in the narrow space where they stopped, and weakened by the long fast, succumbed to their religious devotion. Then, according to the Indians, the bodies were thrown into the den of a monstrous serpent, which de- voured them. At the present day this strange belief is beginning to die out, although the fire of Montecuhzoma may be found in nearly all the pueblos; but the old custom isnot kept up 80 vigorously, and the serpent is obliged to obtain his food in a different fashion. The Comanches are divided into a number of small tribes, all placed under the orders of a special chief. When this chief is old or infirm, he sur- renders the military command to the one of his sons most distinguished by his bravery, only retaining the civil jurisdiction; on the father’s death, the son attains the complete sovereignty. The chief summoned an old Indian who was leaning against the wall of the lodge, and bade him assemble the council. In the Comanche villages the old men in- capable of active service, and whom their merits have not raised to the rank of chief, perform the office of crier. ‘hey undertake to announce the news to she population, transmit the orders of the sa- zhem, organize the ceremonies, and convene the council. They are men gifted with powerful voices; they mount on the roof of a hut, and from this improvised pulpit per- form those duties, with an extraordinary quantity of shouts and gestures. When the chiefs were assembled, Pethon- ista humbly led his guests to the council- lodge, called the great medicine-lodge, It was a large cabin, completely without iture, in the midst of which an enor- m fire burned. Some twenty chiefs were assembled, and gravely crouched ina circle; they maintain- ed the most profound silence. Ordinarily, no stranger is admitted to the council; but on this occasion the rule was departed from, owing to Valentine’s quality as an adopted son of the tribe. The new-comers took their places. A chair of sculptured nopal was placed in a corner for Dona Clara, who, by a privilege unprecedented in Indian manners, and through her double quality of white woman and stranger, was present at the council, which is never permitted a squaw, except in the rare instance when she holds the rank of a warrior. So soon as each was comfortably settled, the pipe-bearer entered the circle, holding the calumet, which he presented ready-light- ed to Pethonista. The chief pointed it to the four cardinal “ay and smoked for.a few seconds ; then, ) Ilding the bowl in his hand, he offered the , stem to all present in turn, who imitated him. When all had smoked, the chief returned the pipe to the bearer, who emptied it into the firey while pronouncing some mysterious words addressed to the Sun, that great dis- penser of all the good things of this world, and walked backward out of the circle. ‘‘Our ears are open, my brother; the $e pale hunter can take the word. We ve removed the skin from our heart, and the words his bosom breathes will be care- fully received by us. We impatiently await, the communications which he has to make as,”? the chief said, bowing courteously to Valentine. ‘* What I have to say will not take long,” the hunter answered. ‘“‘Are my brothers still the faithful allies of the pale-faces ?”’ ‘‘ Why should we not be so?” the chief sharply interrupted him. ‘“* The great pale- hearts have been constantly good to us; they buy Me our beaver-skins and ae robes, giving us in exchan npowder, bullets, and Réaiuing-Inives e When we are ill, our pale friends nurse us, and give us all weneed. Whenthe winter is severe—when the buffaloes are gone, and famine is felt in our villages—the whites come to our help. Why, then, shall we no longer be their al- lies? The Comanches are not ungrateful they have anoble and generous heart; they never forget a kindness. We shall be the friend of the whites so long as the sun lights the universe.”’ “Thanks, chief,” the hunter answered; “Tam glad that you have spoken in that way, for the hour has come to prove your friendship to us."’ ‘* What does my brother mean ?”’ ‘“*The Apaches have dug up the hatchet against us: their war-parties are marching to surround our friend, Bloodson. I have come to ask my brothers if they will help us to repulse and beat back our enemies.”’ There was a moment’s silence, and the In- dians seemed to be seriously reflecting on the hunter’s words. At length, Pethonista said, after giving the members of the council a glance: “The enemies of Bloedson and of my brother are our enemies,’’ he said, in a loud and firm voice. ‘* My young men will go to the help of the pale-faces, The Comanches will not suffer theirallies to be insulted. My brother may rejoice at the success of his mission. nicorn, I feel convinced, would not have answered differently from me, had he been present at the council. To-morrow, at sunrise, all the warriors of my tribe will set out to the assistance of Bloodson. I have spoken. Have I said well, powerful chiefs ?”’ ‘*Qur father has spoken well,” the chiefs replied, with a bow. ‘* What he desires shall be done.”’ ‘Wah !”’ Pethonista went on; ‘*my sons will prepare to celebrate worthily the ar- rival of our white friends in their village, and prove that we are warriors without fear. The Old Dogs will dance in the medicine- a ee Shouts of joy greeted these words. The Indians, who are supposed to be so little civilized, have anumber of associations, bearing a strong likeness to Freemasonry. These associations are distinguished by their songs, dances, and certain signs. Before be- coming a member, the novice has certain triuls to undergo, and several degrees to pass through. The Comanches have eleven associations for men and three for women, the scalp- dance not included. We will only allude here briefly to the Band of the Old Dogs, an association which only the most renowned warriors of the na- tion can join, and whose dance is only per- formed when an expedition is about to take aces in order to implore the protection of atosh. The strangers mounted on the roof of the medicine-lodge with a multitude of Indians, and when all had taken their places, the cer- emony commenced. Before the dancers ap- peared, the sound of their war-whistler, made of human thigh bones, could be heard; and at length ninety Old Dogs came up, at tired in their handsomest dresses. A portion were clothed in gowns or shirts of bighorn leather; others had blouses of red cloth, and blue and scarlet uniforms they had given them, on their visits te the fron- tier forts. Some had the upper part of the body naked, and their exploits painted in reddish brown on their skin ;others,and those the most renowned, wore a colossal cap of raven-plumes, to the ends of wh.ch small tufts of down were fastened. This cap fell down to the loins, andin the center of this shapeless mass of feathers were the tail of a wild turkey and that of a royal eagle. Round their necks the principal Old Dogs wore a ne strip of red cloth, descending behind to their legs, and forming a knot in the middle of the back. They had on the right side of the head a thick tuft of sereech- ow] feathers, the distinctive sign of the band. All had round the necks the long thko- chekas, and on the left arm their fusil, bow or club, while in their right hand they held the chickikoui. This is a stick adorned with blue and white glass beads, completely covered with animals’ hoofs, having at the upper end an eagle’s feather, and at the lower a piece of leather embroidered with beads and decorat- ed with scalps. The warriors formed a wide circle, in the center of which was the drum, beaten by five badly-dressed men. In addition to these there were also two others, who played a species of tambourine. When the dance began, the Old Dogs let their robes fall behind them, some dancin in a circle, with the body bent forward, an leaping in the air with both feet at once. | he other Dogs danced without any or- der, their faces turned to the circle, the majority collected in a dense mass, and bending their heads and the upper part of the body simultaneously. During this period, the war-whistles, the drums, and chickikouis made a fearful row. This scene offered a most original and in- teresting sight—these brown men, their varied costumes, their yells, and the sounds of every description produced by the de- lighted spectators, who clapped their hands with grimaces and contortions impossible to describe, in the midst of the Indian vil- iage, near a gloomy and mysterious virgin forest, a few paces from the Rio Gila; in desert where the hand of God is marked in indelible characters—all this affected the mind, and plunged it into a melancholy reverie. The dance had lasted some time, and would have been probably prolonged, when . the fierce and terrible war-cry of the Apa- ches re-echoed through the air. Shots were heard, and Indian horsemen rushed like lightning on the Comanches, brandishing their weapons, and uttering terrible yells. Black Cat, at the head of more than five hundred warriors, had attacked the Coman- ches. ee was a frightful disorder and confa- sion. The women and children ran frantically in every direction, pursued by their ferocious enemies, who pitilessly scalped and massa- cred them, while the warriors collected, mostly badly armed, in order to attempt a desperate, but almost impossible, resistance. he hunters, stationed, as we have said, on the top of thehut whence they had wit- nessed the dance, found themselves in a most critical position. Fortunately for them, thanks to their old habits as wood- rangers, they had not forgotten their weap- ons. Valentine understood the position at a glance. He saw that, unless a miracle oc- curred, they were all lost. Placing himself with his comrades before the terrified maid- en, to make for her a rampart of his body, he resolutely cocked his rifle, and said to his friends, in a firm voice : ‘* Lads, the question isnot about conquer- , but we mustall prepare to die here !”’ ‘We will,’’ Don Pablo said, haughtily. And with his clubbed rifle he Killed an hg who was trying to escalade the ut. CHAPTER XX. A HAND-TO-HAND FIGHT. In order to explain thoroughly to our readers the sudden attack on the Comanche village, we are compelled to return to Red Cedar. Black Cat had left the council to proceed to the Pirates, who. were ready to follow him; but as Red Cedar had noticed that the agitation prevailing in the camp on his arrival had increased instead of diminishing, he could not refrain from asking the chief what it all meant, and what had bappened, Black Cat had hastened to satisfy him by narrating the nriraculous flight of Dona Clara, who had disappeared with her companions, and no one could imagine what had become of them. Since the morning, the most ex- perienced warriors of the tribe had been on the search, but had discovered nothing. Red Cedar wus far from suspecting that the maiden he had left in his camp was the one so eagerly sought by the Apaches. He reflected for some moments. ‘‘ How many white men were there ?”’ he asked. “Three.” ‘‘Was there no one else with them?” ‘‘ Yes,”’ the chief said, frowning, and his eyes flashing with fury. ‘There were also two red-skin warriors, one of them a coward- ly Coras, a renegade of his nation.” ‘* Very good,’’ Red Cedaranswered. *' The chief will lead me to the couneil, and I will tell them where the prisoners are.”’ “My brother knows it then ?”’ Black Cat asked, quickly. Rea Cedar threw his rifle on his back, and whistled softly, but gave no answer. They reached the council-lodge. Red Cedar, taking the responsibility on himself, undertook to answer the questions addressed to him by the Indians. Since Black Cat’s departure, not a word had been uttered in the coun ‘ The Indians were patiently os emtcaee | the result of the promises made by the chief.- _ (Elo) aCe erere) - in, . j Ps. — ~~ > ‘ a s ? *. oa ie