CHAPTER VII
CHITTA BECOMES A SEMINOLE
In order to account for the presence of the canoe of which Rene andHas-se had caught a glimpse, as it darted in among the black shadows ofthe cypress forest in the great swamp, we must go back to the nightthat followed the Feast of Ripe Corn.
After Chitta struck Has-se the blow that stretched him stunned andbleeding on the ground, he sprang into the forest, and gliding swiftlyamong the stately trunks of the solemn pines, made his way to theriver. On its bank were drawn up many canoes, over which Chittaglanced hastily, but with a practised eye. In a moment he selected onethat promised to combine lightness with speed, noiselessly launched it,and stepped into it. Grasping a paddle, he headed the stolen craftdown the river, and was quickly buried in the mist that rose from itssurface.
As the unhappy lad pursued his solitary way down the river, neitherknowing nor caring where he was going, so long as he placed distancebetween himself and those whom he knew would shortly search for him,his mind was filled with bitter reflections. He felt as though hehated all men, but especially Has-se and the white lad, who, he feltcertain, had taught the former the trick of wrestling, by means ofwhich the games had been won.
In destroying the great storehouse, with its winter's supply ofprovisions of his tribe, his desire had not been so much to injure hisown people as the white men, whom he knew were also dependent upon itfor food, and of whom Has-se's friend was one who would thus suffer.He had thought to escape detection after committing this wicked act,and that the fire would be supposed to be the result of an accident.This hope had been dashed by the unexpected appearance of Has-se, whohad overheard his muttered threats; and now he knew that he must be anoutlaw from his tribe forever, and that he would meet with a terriblepunishment if he ever fell into their hands.
Of all his bitter thoughts the one uppermost in his mind was the desirefor revenge upon the gentle but high-spirited Has-se, who had not onlywon from him his coveted position, but against whom he had just strucksuch a cruel and cowardly blow.
This is the way of the world, with white as well as with red men, andwith boys and girls as well as with grown people. The more we injure aperson, the more bitter do we feel against him; and the more we helpand do good to him, the more kindly do we feel towards him.
The deep scowl of hate had not left Chitta's face when he ran his canoeashore at the foot of the high bluff upon which Admiral Ribault haderected the stone pillar engraved with the French coat of arms.Securing his canoe, and carefully concealing it from those who mightpass on the river, Chitta made his way, by means of a narrow paththrough the tangled underbrush, to the summit. From here, by daylight,he would command a view of the river for miles in either direction, andwould be able to detect the approach of any who should come in searchof him while yet they were a long way off.
As it was still night, and nothing was now to be seen except what wasdisclosed by the moon, the young Indian gathered together a small heapof moss and leaves, and drawing his robe over his head, flung himselfdown for a few hours' sleep.
Tired as he was, Chitta fell asleep almost instantly; but it was fullyan hour after he had done so that a tall Indian rose, without a sound,from the clump of bushes, concealed by which he had all this time beenwatching the motionless figure, and cautiously approached it. In hishands the tall Indian held a slender cord of twisted deer-hide, in oneend of which was a noose.
Without a movement that could arouse the lightest sleeper, he knelt byChitta's side, and with great dexterity managed to pass the noose overboth his moccasined feet without disturbing his slumber. Drawing it astightly as he dared, the tall Indian made the other end fast to asapling, and sat down beside the sleeper to patiently await hisawakening.
At length, just as the sun was appearing in the far east, Chittastirred uneasily, yawned, threw the blanket off from his head, and satup. As his gaze fell upon the motionless figure beside him he uttereda sort of a gasping cry and sprang to his feet. He had hardly gainedthem before the noose did its work, and, tripped by it, he fell heavilyto the ground. The tall Indian had also sprung to his feet, and nowstood over the prostrate form of his victim, with a cruel smilelighting his dark features.
Although wicked, Chitta was no coward, and finding himself thus trappedby an unknown enemy, he coolly asked, as he lay there,
"Who art thou, and what have I done to thee that thou shouldst thussnare 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 ofRipe Corn by the lad who wears in his hair the To-fa chat-te" (redfeather). "Thou art he who set fire to the storehouse of corn. Aboveall, thou art now, like myself, an outlaw forever from thy people; forknow that I am that Seminole called Cat-sha" (the tiger).
At this name Chitta gave a start of surprise, for though he had neverbefore seen this Indian, the name of Cat-sha had been familiar to himfrom his childhood. It was one used by Indian mothers to frightentheir unruly children, and quiet them into obedience, for it belongedto the crudest, boldest, and most dreaded of all the outlawed Seminoles.
When still a youth, Cat-sha had, in a fit of ungovernable anger, struckone 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 anoutcast, whose hand was raised against all men, and who had becomefamed and dreaded for his deeds of savage cruelty. He had gatheredtogether and become chief of that band of Seminoles of whom Has-se hadtold Rene, and under his leadership it was rapidly becoming a scourgeto all the more peaceful inhabitants of that country. Knowing allthis, it is no wonder that Chitta gave a start of surprise not unmixedwith alarm when he learned into whose hands he had fallen.
Evidently gratified at the impression the mere mention of his nameproduced upon his prisoner, Cat-sha continued:
"For many days have I watched the place of the pale-faces from beyondthe great waters. I hate them, and would gladly drive them back intothe sea whence they came. It was to learn their strength and discoverin what manner they might be most successfully attacked that I came tothis place. Thy people, at their feasting and dancing, have I alsoseen, and I had thought to do with my own hand the deed accomplished bythee last night. Since thou hast relieved me of that labor, I aminclined favorably towards thee, and will spare thy life upon conditionthat thou renounce forever thy own people and become one of my band."
"Become a Seminole!" exclaimed Chitta, in a tone expressive of dislikeand contempt. He had never thought, even amid his wildest schemes forobtaining revenge upon those whom he considered his enemies, to makeone of this band of outcasts.
"Un-cah" (yes), answered Cat-sha, fiercely, angered by the tone of theother; "and why not? Art thou not already an outlaw and a runaway fromthy people? Having thus left them forever, to whom else canst thouturn save to the brave and warlike Seminoles? Besides, if thou dostnot join us, I will kill thee where thou liest, and none shall everknow thy fate. We Seminoles know but two kinds of men, those who areof us and those who are against us."
Thus Chitta had no choice left him between making one of the band ofoutlaws whose name was a term of reproach among all good Indians, andmeeting with a cruel death, from which he shrank. After a moment'ssilence he made up his mind, and said, "So be it then, Cat-sha. Fromthis hour call me Chitta the Seminole. From this hour the wisdom ofthe serpent shall be for them with whom he thus joins his fortunes, andhenceforth his fangs shall be held ready for all who are their enemies."
Cat-sha's dark face was again lighted by a cruel smile of triumph as helistened to these words, for he knew that one of China's nature wouldbe a valuable addition to his band. He released his new recruit,helped him to his feet, embraced him, and said,
"Chitta the Seminole, I welcome thee gladly to our number. The timewill come when we shall have increased to a great and powerful tribe,and when the name given us by our enemies shall be honored of all men.Let us
go."