Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/75

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I, by showing signs of existence, had been brought hither and restored to life, only to be the victim of some oblation of thanks- givin<T to the imaginary deity who had vouchsafed the victory to my foes. Ay, this was the true, but horrible solution of llie mystery! My friends were dead my foes had triumphed and for this (horrible thought !) I was about to be the sacrifice of rejoicing on a heathen shrine.

Was I alone? I listened, but could hear no sound indicating the presence of another. Not satisfied with this, I turned my head slightly, as much as my strength would permit, and in the center of the lodge, squatted on the ground, over a small fire, with a long pipe in his mouth, I beheld a little, old, dried up man, whom, but for now and then a slight motion, I might have taken for a heap of clay or a crumbled up Egyptian mummy so much did the skins worn around his body, and his own shrivelled and livid flesh resemble either.

Drawing in the smoke a couple of times, and puffing it out to the right and left, he arose and shuffled toward me. Curious to learn the object of such a visit, I thought it best to feign unconsciousness. Accord ingly shutting my eyes, but not so as to prevent my seeing him, I lay and watched his motions.

He was a miserable and loathsome look ing being, the very sight of whom sick ened and disgusted me, particularly as I fancied him my surgeon and jailor, who would heal my wounds, only to pass me over to the executioner. In bight he could not have exceeded five feet even in his palmiest days, and this was now much reduced by age and debility. He was thin and skinny, and his small, puekered- ap visage bore the complicated autograph of a century. His head was bald, save a few white hairs on the cro\vn, where had once been his scalp lock; hi.s nose and chin almost met over his toothless gums; and, to romplete, his trembling limbs and tottering frame exhibited a striking resem blance to the bony picture of death. Only one feature about him gave evidence of his being more than a mere walking automa- H>n; and that was his keen, eagle eye, rhose luster, apparently undimmed by fetus, still flashed forth the unconsumed

fires of what had once been a might j soul, either for good or evil.

As he approached, he fastened his sharp eyes upon me with such intensity, that in voluntarily I let mine drop to the ground, lest he should detect the feint. When I raised them again, I found him occupied with some mysterious ceremony, probably an incantation to lay the wrath or solicit the aid of some imaginary spirit.

Taking his pipe from his mouth, he blew a volume of smoke in a certain direction, toward which he pointed the stem of his pipe. This was done to the four cardinal points of compass, and then a volume was blown upward and another downward, after which he bent over me and went through a series of mysterious signs. Then taking one of my hands in his, he felt my pulse, during which operation I could perceive his face brighten with an expression of internal satisfaction. Then his bony fingers, were pressed upon my forehead and temples, and a single " Onh- chi," which I interpreted from his manner to mean " Good/' escaped his livid lips.

Thinking longer deception unnecessary, I opened wide my eyes and said :

"Who are you?"

"Cha-cha-chee-kee-hobah," was the answer.

Then straightening himself as much as age would permit, he placed his pipe again in his mouth, and turning his face toward the door of the hut, struck the palms of his hands three times together, and uttered in a cracked voice the single word :

"Leni!"

Wondering what all this meant, I turned my eyes in the same direction, and tba next moment, to my astonishment, beheld the beautiful form of the mysterious Prai rie Flower enter from without.

With a light, quick tread, her face flushed with animation and joy, she glided up to the decrepid old Indian, and in a silvery voice, such as one might expect from so lovely a creature, said a few words and re ceived a reply in a language to me wholly unintelligible. Then springing to me, she kneeled at my side, and turning her eye* upward, hor sweet lips seamed moving to an earnest prayer from a guileless heart.

I no longer had fears for my