Tecumseh: A Drama

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Title: Tecumseh: A Drama
Author: Charles Mair
Release Date: November, 2004 [EBook #6843]
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January 31, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
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0. START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TECUMSEH:

A DRAMA ***
Produced by Georgia Young, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the
Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
This file was produced from
images generously made available by the Canadian Institute for
Historical Microreproductions.
TECUMSEH
A DRAMA
BY CHARLES MAIR.
"When the white men first set foot on our shores, they
were hungry;
they had no places on which to spread
their blankets or to kindle their
fires. They were
feeble; they could do nothing for themselves. Our

fathers commiserated their distress, and shared freely
with them
whatever the Great Spirit had given to his
red children."
From_ TECUMSEH'S _speech to the Osages.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE.
INDIANS:
TECUMSEH _(Chief of the Shawanoes)_.
THE PROPHET _(Brother of Tecumseh)_.
TARHAY _(A Chief in love with Iena)_.
STAYETA _(Chief of the Wyandots)_.
MIAMI, DELAWARE, KICKAPOO and DAHCOTA CHIEFS.

Warriors, Braves, Josakeeds and Runners.
MAMATEE _(Wife of Tecumseh)_.
IENA _(Niece of Tecumseh)_.

WEETAMORE, WINONA and other Indian Maidens.
AMERICANS:
GENERAL HARRISON _(Governor of Indiana
Territory)_.
GENERAL HULL.
COLONEL CASS.
BARRON _(An Indian Agent)_.
TWANG, SLAUGH, GERKIN and BLOAT _(Citizens of

Vincennes)_.
_Five Councillors of Indiana Territory, Officers,
Soldiers, Volunteers,
Orderlies and Scouts_.
BRITISH AND CANADIANS:
GENERAL BROCK _(Administrator of the Government of
Upper
Canada)_.
COLONEL _(afterwards General)_ PROCTOR. GLEGG,

MACDONELL, Aides-de-camp to General Brock.
NICHOL, BABY, ELIOTT, _Colonels of Canadian
Volunteers_.
McKEE, ROBINSON, Captains of Canadian Volunteers.
LEFROY _(A poet-artist, enamoured of Indian life, and
in love with
IENA.)_
_Two Old men of York, U. E. Loyalists, and other
Citizens, Alien
Settlers, Officers, Soldiers,
Volunteers, Orderlies and Messengers_.
TECUMSEH

ACT I.
SCENE FIRST.--THE FOREST NEAR THE PROPHET'S TOWN
ON
THE TIPPECANOE.
Enter the PROPHET.
PROPHET. Twelve moons have wasted, and no tidings
still!
Tecumseh must have perished! Joy has tears
As well as grief, and
mine will freely flow--
Sembling our women's piteous privilege--

Whilst dry ambition ambles to its ends.
My schemes have swelled to
greatness, and my name
Has flown so far upon the wings of fear

That nations tremble at its utterance.
Our braves abhor, yet stand in
awe of me,
Who ferret witchcraft out, commune with Heaven,
And
ope or shut the gloomy doors of death.
All feelings and all seasons
suit ambition!
Yet my vindictive nature hath a craft,
In action slow,
which matches mother-earth's:
First seed-time--then the harvest of
revenge.
Who works for power, and not the good of men,
Would
rather win by fear than lose by love.
Not so Tecumseh--rushing to his
ends,
And followed by men's love--whose very foes
Trust him the
most. Rash fool! Him do I dread,
And his imperious spirit. Twelve
infant moons
Have swung in silver cradles o'er these woods,
And,
still no tidings of his enterprise,
Which--all too deep and wide--has
swallowed him.
And left me here unrivalled and alone.
Enter an INDIAN RUNNER.
Ha! There's a message in your eyes--what now?
RUNNER. Your brother, great Tecumseh, has returned,
And rests
himself a moment ere he comes
To counsel with you here.
[Exit Runner.]
PROPHET. He has returned!
So then the growing current of my

power
Must fall again into the stately stream
Of his great purpose.
But a moment past
I stood upon ambition's height, and now
My
brother comes to break my greatness up,
And merge it in his own. I
know his thoughts--
That I am but a helper to his ends;
And, were
there not a whirlpool in my soul
Of hatred which would fain ingulf
our foes,
I would engage my cunning and my craft
'Gainst his
simplicity, and win the lead.
But, hist, he comes! I must assume the
role
By which I pander to his purposes.
Enter TECUMSEH.
TECUMSEH. Who is this standing in the darkened robes?
PROPHET. The Prophet! Olliwayshilla, who probes
The spirit-world,
and holds within his ken
Life's secrets and the fateful deeds of men.

The "One-Eyed!" Brother to the Shooting Star--
TECUMSEH. With heart of wax, and hands not made for
war.
PROPHET. Would that my hands were equal to my hate!
Then would
strange vengeance traffic