FOOTNOTES:

"Then a new canoe he fashioned""Then a new canoe he fashioned"

And the innocent Wi-no-naListened to his artful pleading;Went with him in search of pleasure,Glad to show him friendly feeling.While with idle stroke they floatedTo the fragrant lily-blossoms,He a string of pearls gave to her,Smooth and polished, pied and purple.'Round her snowy neck she placed themWith no thought of harm or cunning;And with simple, maiden speechesFilled 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 landedThey would work their evil mission.On the shore of Ro-a-no-akChi-co sent his boat with vigor.Lithe and happy she sprang shoreward,When,—from where her foot first lightlyPressed the sand with human imprint,—On—away—towards the thicket,Spranga White Doe, fleet and graceful.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."O fair maiden! born and nurtured'Neath the shadow of disaster!Isle of Fate was Ro-a-no-ak,In the Land-of-Wind-and-Water.Nevermore to fill with gladnessThe sad heart of stricken mother;Nevermore to hear the wooingOf the brave and true O-kis-ko.Gone thy charm of youthful beauty,Gone thy sway o'er savage natures;Doomed to flee before the hunter,Doomed to roam the lonely island,Doomed to bondage e'en in freedom.Is the seal of doom eternal?Hath the mussel-pearl all power?Cannotlovethy fetters loosen?

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

While with idle stroke they floatedTo the fragrant lily-blossoms,He a string of pearls gave to her,Smooth and polished, pied and purple.'Round her snowy neck she placed themWith no thought of harm or cunning;And with simple, maiden speechesFilled 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 landedThey would work their evil mission.

On the shore of Ro-a-no-akChi-co sent his boat with vigor.Lithe and happy she sprang shoreward,When,—from where her foot first lightlyPressed the sand with human imprint,—On—away—towards the thicket,Spranga White Doe, fleet and graceful.

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."

O fair maiden! born and nurtured'Neath the shadow of disaster!Isle of Fate was Ro-a-no-ak,In the Land-of-Wind-and-Water.Nevermore to fill with gladnessThe sad heart of stricken mother;Nevermore to hear the wooingOf the brave and true O-kis-ko.Gone thy charm of youthful beauty,Gone thy sway o'er savage natures;Doomed to flee before the hunter,Doomed to roam the lonely island,Doomed to bondage e'en in freedom.Is the seal of doom eternal?Hath the mussel-pearl all power?Cannotlovethy fetters loosen?

FOOTNOTES:[W]Governor White, of the lost colony.[X]See Appendix, Noten.[Y]See Appendix, Noteo.

[W]Governor White, of the lost colony.

[X]See Appendix, Noten.

[Y]See Appendix, Noteo.

Man-te-o and all his warriorsLong and far sought for Wi-no-na;Sought to find the sky-eyed maidenSent 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 themLamentations 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 lamentationsWhen 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-coTold his secret unto no one,While he listened to the stories,Strange and true, told by the huntersOf a fleet and graceful White DoeOn the banks of Ro-a-no-ak.And the hunters said, no arrowHowsoever aimed could reach her;Said the deer herd round her gathered,And where e'er she led they followed.The old women of the nationHeard the tales about this White Doe.Children they of superstition,With their faith firm in enchantment,Linked thegoingof the maidenWith thecomingof the White Doe.They believed in magic powers,They knew Chi-co's hopeless passion,So they shook their heads and whispered,Looked mysterious at each other,"Ho," they whispered to each other,"Chi-co is a great Magician,Chi-co should go hunt this White Doe;He is not too old for loving;Love keeps step with Youth and Courage;Old age should not make him tremble.Timid is a doe, and gentleLike a maiden,—like Wi-no-na.Oho! Oho!" and they chuckled,Casting dark looks at old Chi-co,"He," said they, "has 'witched our maiden."When O-kis-ko heard the whispersOf the garrulous old women,Glad belief he gave unto themThat the Doe on Ro-a-no-akWas in truth the Pale-Face MaidenWrung from him by cruel magic.He was not a gabbling boaster,He could think and act in silence;And alone he roamed the islandSeeking this White Doe to capture,So that he might tame and keep herNear 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-akStill she led the herd of wild deer.Then O-kis-ko sought We-nau-don,The Magician of Po-mou-ik.[Z]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.

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-coTold his secret unto no one,While he listened to the stories,Strange and true, told by the huntersOf a fleet and graceful White DoeOn the banks of Ro-a-no-ak.And the hunters said, no arrowHowsoever aimed could reach her;Said the deer herd round her gathered,And where e'er she led they followed.

The old women of the nationHeard the tales about this White Doe.Children they of superstition,With their faith firm in enchantment,Linked thegoingof the maidenWith thecomingof the White Doe.They believed in magic powers,They knew Chi-co's hopeless passion,So they shook their heads and whispered,Looked mysterious at each other,"Ho," they whispered to each other,"Chi-co is a great Magician,Chi-co should go hunt this White Doe;He is not too old for loving;Love keeps step with Youth and Courage;Old age should not make him tremble.Timid is a doe, and gentleLike a maiden,—like Wi-no-na.Oho! Oho!" and they chuckled,Casting dark looks at old Chi-co,"He," said they, "has 'witched our maiden."

When O-kis-ko heard the whispersOf the garrulous old women,Glad belief he gave unto themThat the Doe on Ro-a-no-akWas in truth the Pale-Face MaidenWrung from him by cruel magic.He was not a gabbling boaster,He could think and act in silence;And alone he roamed the islandSeeking this White Doe to capture,So that he might tame and keep herNear 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-akStill she led the herd of wild deer.

Then O-kis-ko sought We-nau-don,The Magician of Po-mou-ik.[Z]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.

The magician of Po-mou-ikThe magician of Po-mou-ik

In his heart We-nau-don cherishedHatred for his rival Chi-coFor some boyhood's cause of anger,For defeat in public wrestling;And because of this he welcomedNow the time to vent his malice.So he promised from enchantmentTo 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 itWhich should make true lovers happy;For to them true love was precious.He who drank of it at midnightWhen the Harvest Moon was brightest,Using as a drinking-vesselSkull-bowl of his greatest rivalKilled in open, honest combat,And by summer sunshine whitened,He gained youth perennial from itAnd the heart he wished to love him.He who bathed within its waters,Having killed a dove while moaning,And had killed no other creatureSince three crescent moons had rounded;Vowing to be kind and helpfulTo the sad and weary-hearted:He received the magic powerTo undo all spells of evilWhich divided faithful lovers.In this spring had bathed We-nau-don,And he held its secrets sacred;But a feeling ever moved himTo make glad the heavy-hearted.So he showed unto O-kis-koWhere to find the magic water;With this counter-charm, he told himHow to free the charmed Wi-no-na:"In a shark's tooth, long and narrowIn a closely wrought triangle,Set three mussel-pearls of purple,Smooth and polished with much rubbing.To an arrow of witch-hazel,New, and fashioned very slender,Set the shark's tooth, long and narrow,With its pearl-inlaid triangle.From the wing of living heronPluck one feather, white and trusty;With this feather wing the arrow,That it swerve not as it flyeth.Fashioned thus with care and caution,Let no mortal eye gaze on it;Tell no mortal of your purpose;Secretly at sunset place itIn the spring of magic water.Let it rest there through three sunsets,Then when sunrise gilds the tree-topsTake it dripping from the water,At the rising sun straight point it,While three times these words repeating:Mussel-pearl arrow, to her heart go;Loosen the fetters which bind the White Doe;Bring the lost maiden back to O-kis-ko.With this arrow hunt the White Doe,Have no timid fear of wounding;When her heart it enters boldlyChi-co's charm will melt before it."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-hazelFor the making of the arrow;From the heron's wing a featherPlucked 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 repeatedWhile the sunrise touched the tree-tops;Then prepared to test its power.

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 itWhich should make true lovers happy;For to them true love was precious.

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

He who bathed within its waters,Having killed a dove while moaning,And had killed no other creatureSince three crescent moons had rounded;Vowing to be kind and helpfulTo the sad and weary-hearted:He received the magic powerTo undo all spells of evilWhich divided faithful lovers.

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

"In a shark's tooth, long and narrowIn a closely wrought triangle,Set three mussel-pearls of purple,Smooth and polished with much rubbing.To an arrow of witch-hazel,New, and fashioned very slender,Set the shark's tooth, long and narrow,With its pearl-inlaid triangle.From the wing of living heronPluck one feather, white and trusty;With this feather wing the arrow,That it swerve not as it flyeth.Fashioned thus with care and caution,Let no mortal eye gaze on it;Tell no mortal of your purpose;Secretly at sunset place itIn the spring of magic water.Let it rest there through three sunsets,Then when sunrise gilds the tree-topsTake it dripping from the water,At the rising sun straight point it,While three times these words repeating:Mussel-pearl arrow, to her heart go;Loosen the fetters which bind the White Doe;Bring the lost maiden back to O-kis-ko.With this arrow hunt the White Doe,Have no timid fear of wounding;When her heart it enters boldlyChi-co's charm will melt before it."

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-hazelFor the making of the arrow;From the heron's wing a featherPlucked 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 repeatedWhile the sunrise touched the tree-tops;Then prepared to test its power.

FOOTNOTES:[Z]See Appendix, Notes.

[Z]See Appendix, Notes.

In the Land-of-Wind-and-WaterLong the Summer-Glory lingered,Loath to yield its ripened beautyTo the cold embrace of Winter.And the greenness of the forestGave no sign of coming treason,Till the White Frost without warningHung his banners from the tree-tops.Then a blush of brilliant colorDecked each shrub with tinted beauty;Gold, and brown, and scarlet mingledTill no color seemed triumphant;And the Summer doomed to exileFled before the chilling Autumn.While the glow of colors deepened,The proud Weroance Win-gin-a,Chief of Das-a-mon-gue-pue land,Made a feast for all his people;Called them forth with bow and arrowTo a test of skill and valor.He was weary of the mysteriesWhispered of the famous White Doe,Whose strange courage feared no hunter,For no arrow ever reached her."Ha!" said he, "a skilful hunterIs not daunted by a white doe;Craven hearts make trembling fingers,Arrows fail when shot by cowards.Iwill shoot this doe so fearless,Her white skin shall be my mantle,[AA]Her white meat shall serve for feasting,And my braves shall cease from fearing.From the fields the maize invites us,Sturgeons have been fat and plenty.We are weary of fish-eating,We will feast on meat of white deer."Messengers of invitationSent 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 charmèd White DoeWas Wi-no-na Skâ'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 mantleMade of skins of many sea-gulls,So that he could hide his arrow,And no mortal eye could see itTill he sent it on its missionWinged 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[AB]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 silverTo 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 powerFrom the mighty WeroanzaWhich would bring success unto him;And the warriors all would praise himAs 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 arrowWhich he thought would bring him praises.Where the deer were wont to wanderAll 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 lingeredThat he first might shoot his arrow,And thus have the certain gloryOf the White Doe's death upon him.By a pine-tree stood Wan-ches-eWith his silver arrow ready;While O-kis-ko, unseen, waitedNear by in his chosen ambush,Where he oft had watched the White Doe,Where he knew she always lingered.Soon the stalkers with great shoutingStarted 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 herAs she sprang away from danger.Through the tanglewood, still onward,Head uplifted, her feet scorningAll the wealth of bright-hued foliageWhich lay scattered in her pathway.Up the high sand-dunes she bounded,In her wake the whole herd followed,While the arrows aimed from ambushFell around her ever harmless.On she sped, towards the water,Nostrils spread to sniff the sea-breeze;Through the air a whizzing arrowFlew, but did not touch the White Doe;But a stag beside her boundingWounded 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 standingWhere the White Man's Fort had once stood;In her eyes came wistful gleamingsLike a lost hope's fleeting shadow.While with graceful poise she lingered,Swift, Wan-ches-e shot his arrowAimed with cruel thought to kill her;While from near and secret ambush,With unerring aim, O-kis-koForward sent his magic arrow,Aimed with thought of love and mercy.To her heart straight wentbotharrows,And with leap of pain she boundedFrom the earth, and then fell forward,Prone, amidst the forest splendor.O-kis-ko, with fond heart swelling,Wan-ches-e, with pride exultant,To the Doe both sprang to claim it,Each surprised to see the other.Suddenly, within the forest,Spread a gleaming mist around them,Like a dense white fog in summer,So they scarce could grope their pathway.Slowly, as if warmed by sunbeams,From one spot the soft mist melted,While within its bright'ning dimness,With the misty halo 'round her,Stood a beautiful white maiden,—Stood the gentle, lost Wi-no-na.Through her heart two arrows crosswisePierced the flesh with cruel wounding;Downward flowed the crimson blood-tide,Staining red the snow-white doe-skinWhich with grace her form enveloped,While her arms with pleading gestureTo O-kis-ko were outstretching.As they gazed upon the vision,All their souls with wonder filling;While the white mist slowly melted,Prostrate fell the wounded maiden.Then revealed was all the myst'ry,Then they saw what had befallen.To her heart the magic arrowFirst had pierced, and lo! Wi-no-naOnce more breathed in form of maiden.But while yet the charm was passingCame the arrow of Wan-ches-e;To her heart it pierced unerring,Pierced the pearl-inlaid triangle,Struck and broke the shark's tooth narrow,Charm and counter-charm undoing;Leaving but a mortal maidenWounded past the hope of healing.Woe to love, and hope, and magic!Woe to hearts whom death divideth!While upon her bleeding bosomFatal arrows made the Cross-Sign,Wistful eyes she turned to Heaven;"O forget not your Wi-no-na,"Whispered she unto O-kis-ko,As her soul passed to the silence.

While the glow of colors deepened,The proud Weroance Win-gin-a,Chief of Das-a-mon-gue-pue land,Made a feast for all his people;Called them forth with bow and arrowTo a test of skill and valor.He was weary of the mysteriesWhispered of the famous White Doe,Whose strange courage feared no hunter,For no arrow ever reached her."Ha!" said he, "a skilful hunterIs not daunted by a white doe;Craven hearts make trembling fingers,Arrows fail when shot by cowards.Iwill shoot this doe so fearless,Her white skin shall be my mantle,[AA]Her white meat shall serve for feasting,And my braves shall cease from fearing.From the fields the maize invites us,Sturgeons have been fat and plenty.We are weary of fish-eating,We will feast on meat of white deer."

Messengers of invitationSent 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 charmèd White DoeWas Wi-no-na Skâ'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 mantleMade of skins of many sea-gulls,So that he could hide his arrow,And no mortal eye could see itTill he sent it on its missionWinged 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[AB]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 silverTo 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 powerFrom the mighty WeroanzaWhich would bring success unto him;And the warriors all would praise himAs 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 arrowWhich he thought would bring him praises.

Where the deer were wont to wanderAll 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 lingeredThat he first might shoot his arrow,And thus have the certain gloryOf the White Doe's death upon him.

By a pine-tree stood Wan-ches-eWith his silver arrow ready;While O-kis-ko, unseen, waitedNear by in his chosen ambush,Where he oft had watched the White Doe,Where he knew she always lingered.

Soon the stalkers with great shoutingStarted 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 herAs she sprang away from danger.

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

On she sped, towards the water,Nostrils spread to sniff the sea-breeze;Through the air a whizzing arrowFlew, but did not touch the White Doe;But a stag beside her boundingWounded 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 standingWhere the White Man's Fort had once stood;In her eyes came wistful gleamingsLike a lost hope's fleeting shadow.

While with graceful poise she lingered,Swift, Wan-ches-e shot his arrowAimed with cruel thought to kill her;While from near and secret ambush,With unerring aim, O-kis-koForward sent his magic arrow,Aimed with thought of love and mercy.

To her heart straight wentbotharrows,And with leap of pain she boundedFrom the earth, and then fell forward,Prone, amidst the forest splendor.O-kis-ko, with fond heart swelling,Wan-ches-e, with pride exultant,To the Doe both sprang to claim it,Each surprised to see the other.

Suddenly, within the forest,Spread a gleaming mist around them,Like a dense white fog in summer,So they scarce could grope their pathway.Slowly, as if warmed by sunbeams,From one spot the soft mist melted,While within its bright'ning dimness,With the misty halo 'round her,Stood a beautiful white maiden,—Stood the gentle, lost Wi-no-na.

Through her heart two arrows crosswisePierced the flesh with cruel wounding;Downward flowed the crimson blood-tide,Staining red the snow-white doe-skinWhich with grace her form enveloped,While her arms with pleading gestureTo O-kis-ko were outstretching.

As they gazed upon the vision,All their souls with wonder filling;While the white mist slowly melted,Prostrate fell the wounded maiden.

Then revealed was all the myst'ry,Then they saw what had befallen.To her heart the magic arrowFirst had pierced, and lo! Wi-no-naOnce more breathed in form of maiden.

But while yet the charm was passingCame the arrow of Wan-ches-e;To her heart it pierced unerring,Pierced the pearl-inlaid triangle,Struck and broke the shark's tooth narrow,Charm and counter-charm undoing;Leaving but a mortal maidenWounded past the hope of healing.

Woe to love, and hope, and magic!Woe to hearts whom death divideth!While upon her bleeding bosomFatal arrows made the Cross-Sign,Wistful eyes she turned to Heaven;"O forget not your Wi-no-na,"Whispered she unto O-kis-ko,As her soul passed to the silence.

FOOTNOTES:[AA]See Appendix, Notep.[AB]See Appendix, Notel.

[AA]See Appendix, Notep.

[AB]See Appendix, Notel.

Fear seized on the bold Wan-ches-eWhen he saw the Pale-Face maidenStanding where had poised the White Doe,Where the White Man's Fort had once stood.He knew naught of magic arrows,Nor O-kis-ko's secret mission;He saw only his own arrowPiercing through her tender bosom,Never doubting but the wonderWhich his awe-struck eyes had witnessedHad been wrought by his own arrow,Silver arrow from a far land,Fashioned by the skill of Pale-Face,Gift of Pale-Face WeroanzaTo a race she willed to conquer.All his hatred of the Pale-Face,Fed by fear and superstition,To him made this sudden visionSeem an omen of the future,When the Red Man, like the White Doe,Should give place unto the Pale-Face,And the Indian, like the white mist,Fade from out his native forest.All his courage seemed to weakenWith the dread of dark disaster;And with instincts strong for safetyFled he from the place in terror.Love hath not the fear of danger,And O-kis-ko's faith in magicKept him brave to meet the changesWhich had each so quickly followed.For he saw the human maidenWhere had stood the living White Doe;And he knew his hazel arrow,Charmed with all We-nau-don's magic,Had restored the lost Wi-no-naTo reward his patient loving.But the conflict oftwoarrows,Bringing death unto the maiden,Was a deep and darksome myst'ryWhich his ignorance could not fathom.All the cause of his undoingSaw he in the silver arrow;So with true love's tireless effort,Quick he strove to break its power.From her heart he plucked the arrow,Hastened to the magic water,Hoping to destroy the evilWhich had stilled the maiden's pulses.In the sparkling spring he laid itSo no spot was left uncovered,So the full charm of the waterMight act on the blood-stained arrow.As the blood-stains from it melted,Blood of Pale-Face shed by Red Man,Slowly, while he watched and waited,All the sparkling water vanished;Dry became the magic fountain,Leaving bare the silver arrow.Was it thus the spell would weakenWhich had wrought his love such evil?Would she be again awakenedWhen he sought her in the thicket?Must he shoot this arrow at herTo restore her throbbing pulses?Must he seek again We-nau-donTo make warm her icy beauty?While he of himself sought guidance,Sought to know the hidden meaningOf the mysteries he witnessed;Lo! another mystic wonderMet his eyes as he sat musing.From the arrow made by Pale-Face,As th' enchanted water left it,Sprang a tiny shoot with leafletsPushing upward to the sunlight.Did the arrow dry the fountainWith the blight of death it carried?Or in going, had the waterLeft a charm upon the arrow?Did the heart-blood of the Pale-FaceFrom the arrow in the waterCause the coming of the green shoot,Which reached upward to the sunlight?All O-kis-ko's love and courageCould not give him greater knowledge.Savage mind could not unravelAll the meaning of this marvel.Fear forbade him touch the arrowLest he should destroy the green shoot;So he left the tender leafletsReaching upward to the sunlight,Sought again the lifeless maidenFor whose love his soul had hungered;Knelt beside her in the forest,With the awe of death upon him,Which in heathen as in ChristianMoves the human soul to worship.All his faith in savage magicTurned to frenzy at his failure;And the helplessness of mortalsPressed upon him like a burden;While a mighty longing seized himFor a knowledge of the Unknown,For a light to pierce the SilenceInto which none enter living.And unconsciously his spiritRose in quest of Might Supernal,Which should rule both dead and living,Leaving naught to chance or magic;Which should seize the throbbing pulsesEbbing from a dying mortal,And create a higher beingFree from thrall of earthly nature;Almost grasping in his yearningKnowledge of the God Eternal,In whose hand the earth lies helpless,In whose heart all souls find refuge.But no light came to O-kis-ko;Still the burden pressed upon him,And a pall of hopeless yearningWrapped his soul in voiceless sorrowAs he gazed upon the maidenWith death's mysteries enfolded.Then he made upon her bosomThe strange Cross-Sign she had taught him;From his shoulders took the mantleMade of skins of many sea-gulls,Gently wrapped the maiden in it,Heaped the tinted leaves about her;Leaving all his own life's brightnessWith her where the shadows darkened.

All his hatred of the Pale-Face,Fed by fear and superstition,To him made this sudden visionSeem an omen of the future,When the Red Man, like the White Doe,Should give place unto the Pale-Face,And the Indian, like the white mist,Fade from out his native forest.All his courage seemed to weakenWith the dread of dark disaster;And with instincts strong for safetyFled he from the place in terror.

Love hath not the fear of danger,And O-kis-ko's faith in magicKept him brave to meet the changesWhich had each so quickly followed.For he saw the human maidenWhere had stood the living White Doe;And he knew his hazel arrow,Charmed with all We-nau-don's magic,Had restored the lost Wi-no-naTo reward his patient loving.

But the conflict oftwoarrows,Bringing death unto the maiden,Was a deep and darksome myst'ryWhich his ignorance could not fathom.All the cause of his undoingSaw he in the silver arrow;So with true love's tireless effort,Quick he strove to break its power.

From her heart he plucked the arrow,Hastened to the magic water,Hoping to destroy the evilWhich had stilled the maiden's pulses.In the sparkling spring he laid itSo no spot was left uncovered,So the full charm of the waterMight act on the blood-stained arrow.

As the blood-stains from it melted,Blood of Pale-Face shed by Red Man,Slowly, while he watched and waited,All the sparkling water vanished;Dry became the magic fountain,Leaving bare the silver arrow.

Was it thus the spell would weakenWhich had wrought his love such evil?Would she be again awakenedWhen he sought her in the thicket?Must he shoot this arrow at herTo restore her throbbing pulses?Must he seek again We-nau-donTo make warm her icy beauty?

While he of himself sought guidance,Sought to know the hidden meaningOf the mysteries he witnessed;Lo! another mystic wonderMet his eyes as he sat musing.

From the arrow made by Pale-Face,As th' enchanted water left it,Sprang a tiny shoot with leafletsPushing upward to the sunlight.

Did the arrow dry the fountainWith the blight of death it carried?Or in going, had the waterLeft a charm upon the arrow?Did the heart-blood of the Pale-FaceFrom the arrow in the waterCause the coming of the green shoot,Which reached upward to the sunlight?

All O-kis-ko's love and courageCould not give him greater knowledge.Savage mind could not unravelAll the meaning of this marvel.Fear forbade him touch the arrowLest he should destroy the green shoot;So he left the tender leafletsReaching upward to the sunlight,Sought again the lifeless maidenFor whose love his soul had hungered;Knelt beside her in the forest,With the awe of death upon him,Which in heathen as in ChristianMoves the human soul to worship.

All his faith in savage magicTurned to frenzy at his failure;And the helplessness of mortalsPressed upon him like a burden;While a mighty longing seized himFor a knowledge of the Unknown,For a light to pierce the SilenceInto which none enter living.And unconsciously his spiritRose in quest of Might Supernal,Which should rule both dead and living,Leaving naught to chance or magic;Which should seize the throbbing pulsesEbbing from a dying mortal,And create a higher beingFree from thrall of earthly nature;Almost grasping in his yearningKnowledge of the God Eternal,In whose hand the earth lies helpless,In whose heart all souls find refuge.

But no light came to O-kis-ko;Still the burden pressed upon him,And a pall of hopeless yearningWrapped his soul in voiceless sorrowAs he gazed upon the maidenWith death's mysteries enfolded.Then he made upon her bosomThe strange Cross-Sign she had taught him;From his shoulders took the mantleMade of skins of many sea-gulls,Gently wrapped the maiden in it,Heaped the tinted leaves about her;Leaving all his own life's brightnessWith her where the shadows darkened.

Thus the ancient legend runneth, with its plaint of hopeless doom,Bearing in its heart the fragrance of the Truth's enduring bloom,Standing in the light of knowledge, where developed ages meet,We can read the mystic omens which O-kis-ko's eyes did greet.And to us they seem the symbols of what coming ages brought,Realization gives the answer, which in vain the Savage sought.For we know the silver arrow, fatal to all sorcery,Was the gleaming light of Progress speeding from across the sea,Before which the Red Man vanished, shrinking from its silvery lightAs the magic waters yielded to the silver arrow's blight.And the tiny shoot with leaflets, by the sunlight warmed to life,Was the Vine of Civilization in the wilderness of strife;With no friendly hand to tend it, yet it grew midst slight and wrong,Taking root in other places,[AC]—growing green, and broad, and strong,Till its vigor knew no weakness, with its branches flower-fraught,Till a prosp'rous land it sheltered where th' oppressed a refuge sought,Till its fruit made all who labored 'neath its shade both bold and free,Till a people dwelt beneath it strong to meet their destiny.Now beneath its spreading branches dwells a nation brave and free,Raising glad, triumphant pæans for the boon of Liberty;Holding fast the Holy Cross-Sign,—Heirs of Duty and of Light,—Still they speed the arrow, Progress, on its civilizing flight;Keeping bright the Fires of Freedom, where Man, Brotherhood may know,For God's breath upon the altar keeps the sacred flame aglow.

Now beneath its spreading branches dwells a nation brave and free,Raising glad, triumphant pæans for the boon of Liberty;Holding fast the Holy Cross-Sign,—Heirs of Duty and of Light,—Still they speed the arrow, Progress, on its civilizing flight;Keeping bright the Fires of Freedom, where Man, Brotherhood may know,For God's breath upon the altar keeps the sacred flame aglow.

FOOTNOTES:[AC]Jamestown and Plymouth Rock.

[AC]Jamestown and Plymouth Rock.

Notea.—"We viewed the land about us, being where we first landed very sandy and low towards the water side, but so full of grapes as the very beating and surge of the sea overflowed them, of which we found such plenty, as well there as in all places else, both on the sand and on the green soil, on the hills as in the plains, as well on every little shrub, as also climbing towards the tops of high cedars, that I think in all the world the like abundance is not to be found."—First voyage of Amadas and Barlowe, 1584. From Hakluyt.

Noteb.—"The second of July we found shoal water, where we smelled so sweet and so strong a smell as if we had been in the midst of some delicate garden abounding with all kinds of odoriferous flowers, by which we were assured that the land could not be far distant."—First voyage of Amadas and Barlowe, 1584.

Notec.—"Deer, in some places there are great store: near unto the seacoast they are of the ordinary bigness of ours in England, and some less: but further up into the country where there is better feed, they are greater."—Harriot's Report.

Noted.—"The Governor (John White) with divers of his company, walked to the north end of the island, where Master Ralph Lane had his fort, with sundry necessary and decent dwelling houses, made by his men about it, the year before, where we hoped to find some signs, or certain knowledge of our fifteen men. When we came thither we found the fort razed down, but all the houses standing unhurt, saving that the neather rooms of them, and also of the fort, were overgrown with melons of divers sorts, and deer within them, feeding on those melons; so we returned to our company, without hope of ever seeing any of the fifteen alive."—Hakluyt.

Notee.—"At our first landing they seemed as though they would fight with us, but perceiving us begin to march with our shot towards them, they turned their backs and fled. Then Manteo, their countryman, called to them in their own language, whom, as soon as they heard, they returned, and threw away their bows and arrows, and some of them came unto us embracing and entertaining us friendly, desiring us not to gather or spoil any of their corn, for that they had but little. We answered them that neither their corn nor any other thing of theirs should be diminished by any of us, and that our coming was only to renew the old love, that was between us and them at the first, and to live with them as brethren and friends; which answer seemed to please them well, wherefore they requested us to walk up to their town, who there feasted us after their manner, and desired us earnestlythat there might be some token or badge given them of us, whereby we might know them to be our friends," etc.

"And also we understood by them of Croatoan, how that the fifteen Englishmen left at Roanoak the year before, by Sir Richard Grenville, were suddenly set upon by thirty of the men of Secota, Aquoscogoc, and Dasamonguepeuc, in manner following. They conveyed themselves secretly behind the trees, near the houses where our men carelessly lived, and having perceived that of those fifteen they could see but eleven only, two of those savages appeared to the eleven Englishmen, calling to them by friendly signs that but two of their chief men should come unarmed to speak with those two savages, who seemed also to be unarmed. Wherefore two of the chiefest of our Englishmen went gladly to them; but whilst one of those savages traitorously embraced one of our men, the other with his sword of wood, which he had secretly hidden under his mantle, struck him on the head and slew him, and presently the other eight and twenty savages shewed themselves; the other Englishman perceiving this, fled to his company, whom the savages pursued with their bows and arrows so fast that the Englishmen were forced to take the house, wherein all their victuals and weapons were; but the savages forthwith set the same on fire, by means whereof our men were forced to take up such weapons as came first to hand, and without order to run forth among the savages, with whom they skirmished above an hour. In this skirmish another of our men was shot into the mouth with an arrow,where he died; and also one of the savages was shot into the side by one of our men, with a wild fire arrow, whereof he died presently. The place where they fought was of great advantage to the savages, by means of the thick trees, behind which the savages through their nimbleness defended themselves, and so offended our men with their arrows, that our men, being some of them hurt, retired fighting to the water side where their boat lay, with which they fled towards Hatorask. By that time they had rowed but a quarter of a mile, they espied their four fellows coming from a creek thereby, where they had been to fetch oysters; these four they received into their boat, leaving Roanoak, and landed on a little island on the right hand of our entrance into the harbor of Hatorask, where they remained awhile, but afterwards departed, whither as yet we know not."—Hakluyt.

Notef.—"The thirteenth of August, our savage, Manteo, by the commandment of Sir Walter Raleigh, was christened in Roanoak, and called Lord thereof, and of Dasamonguepeuc, in reward of his faithful services."—Hakluyt.

Noteg.—"The eighteenth, Eleanor, daughter to the Governor, and wife to Ananias Dare, one of the assistants, was delivered of a daughter, in Roanoak, and the same was christened there the Sunday following, and because this child was the first Christian born in Virginia, she was named Virginia."—Hakluyt.

Noteh.—"The twenty-second of August, the whole company, both of the assistants and planters, came to the Governor, and with one voice requested him to return himself into England, for the better and sooner obtaining of supplies and other necessaries for them; but he refused it, and alleged many sufficient causes why he would not.... The next day, not only the assistants, but divers others, as well women as men, began to renew their requests to the Governor again, to take upon him to return into England for the supplies and dispatch of all such things as there were to be done.... The Governor being at the last, through their extreme entreating, constrained to return into England, having then but half a day's respite to prepare himself for the same, departed from Roanoak the seven and twentieth of August in the morning, and the same day about midnight came aboard the Fly-boat who already had weighed anchor, and rode without the bar, the admiral riding by them, who but the same morning was newly come thither again. The same day both the ships weighed anchor and set sail for England."—Hakluyt.

Notek.—"Our boats and all things filled again, we put off from Hatorask, being the number of nineteen persons in both boats; but before we could get to the place where our planters were left, it was so exceeding dark, that we overshot the place a quarter of a mile, where we espied towards the North end of the island the light of a great fire through the woods to the which we presently rowed: when we came right over against it welet fall our grapnel near the shore, and sounded with a trumpet a call, and afterwards many familiar English tunes of songs, and called to them friendly; but we had no answer, we therefore landed at daybreak, and coming to the fire we found the grass and sundry rotten trees burning about the place. From hence we went through the woods to that part of the island directly over against Dasamonguepeuc, and from thence we returned by the water side round about the north point of the island, until we came to the place where I left our colony in the year 1586. In all this way we saw in the sand the print of the savages' feet of two or three sorts trodden in the night; and as we entered up the sandy bank, upon a tree, in the very brow thereof, were curiously carved these fair Roman letters C. R. O., which letters presently we knew to signify the place where I should find the planters seated, according to a secret token agreed upon between them and me at my last departure from them; which was, that in any way they should not fail to write or carve on the trees or posts of the doors the name of the place where they should be seated; for at my coming away they were prepared to remove from Roanoak fifty miles into the main. Therefore at my departure from them in An. 1587, I willed them that if they should happen to be distressed in any of those places, that then they should carve over the letters or name, a cross † in this form; but we found no such sign of distress.... And having well considered of this, we passed towards the place where they were left in sundry houses, but we found the houses taken down, and the place very stronglyenclosed with a high palisade of great trees, with curtains and flankers, very fort-like, and one of the chief trees or posts at the right side of the entrance had the bark taken off, and five feet from the ground in fair capital letters was graven CROATOAN without any cross or sign of distress.... I greatly joyed that I had safely found a certain token of their safe being at Croatoan, which is the place where Manteo was born, and the savages of the island our friends."—From Governor White's account of his voyage in search of the colonists, after the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Hakluyt, Vol. III.

Notel.—"We brought home also two of the savages, being lusty men, whose names were Wan-ches-e and Man-te-o."—First voyage by Amadas and Barlowe.

Notem.—All authorities agree in the statement that the favorite time among the Indians for an attack on an enemy was at, or about, daybreak.

Noten.—"Into this river falls another great river called Cipo in which there is found great store of mussels in which there are pearls."—Voyage of Amadas and Barlowe.

"In her ears she had bracelets of pearls, hanging down to her middle, and these were of the bigness of good pease."—Voyage of Amadas and Barlowe.

"Sometimes feeding on mussels, we found some pearle, but it was our hap to meet with ragges, or of a pied colour; not having yet discovered those places where we heard of better and more plenty."—Harriot's Report.

Noteo.—"The manner of making their boats in Virginia is very wonderful. For whereas they want instruments of iron or others like unto ours, yet they know how to make them as handsomely, to sail with where they list in their rivers, and to fish withal, as ours. First they choose some long and thick tree, according to the bigness of the boat which they would frame, and make a fire on the ground about the roots thereof, kindling the same by little and little with dry moss of trees, and chips of wood that the flame should not mount up too high, and burn too much of the length of the tree. When it is almost burnt through, and ready to fall they make a new fire which they suffer to burn until the tree falls of its own accord. Then burning off the top and boughs of the tree in such wise that the body of the same may retain his just length, they raise it upon poles laid over cross wise upon forked posts at such a reasonable height as they may handsomely work upon it. Then take they off the bark with certain shells; they reserve the innermost part of the bark for the nethermost part of the boat. On the other side they make a fire according to the length of the body of the tree saving at both the ends. That which they think is sufficiently burned, they quench and scrape away with shells, and making a new fire they burn it again and so they continue, sometimes burning and sometimes scraping until the boat have sufficient bottoms."—Harriot's Report.

Notep.—"They are a people clothed with loose mantles made of deer skin, and aprons of the same round about their middles."—Harriot's Report.

Notes.—"They have commonly conjurers or jugglers, which use strange gestures, and often contrary to nature in their enchantments: For they be very familiar with devils of whom they inquire what their enemies do, or other such things."—Harriot's Report.

Pagexiii: Changed thay to that(Tradition relates thay they transplanted this vine).Spelling variations:Page55: Das-a-mon-que-peuPage63: Das-a-mon-gue-puePages83,84,86: DasamonguepeucPagesxii,xiv: HariotAppendixNotes: Harriot

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