Tecumseh: A Drama | Page 3

warriors struck his trail by chance, and found
His tent
close by the Wabash, where he lay
With sprained ankle, foodless and
alone.
He had a book of pictures with him there
Of Long-Knife
forts, encampments and their chiefs--
Most recognizable; so,
reasoning thence,
Our warriors took him for a daring spy,
And
brought him here, and tied him to the stake.
Then he declared he was
a Saganash--
No Long-Knife he! but one who loved our race,
And
would adopt our ways--with honeyed words,
Couched in sweet voice,
and such appealing eyes
That Iena, our niece--who listened near--


Believing, rushed, and cut him from the tree.
I hate his smiles, soft
ways, and smooth-paced tread,
And would, ere now, have killed him
but for her;
For ever since, unmindful of her race,
She has upheld
him, and our matrons think
That he has won her heart.
TECUMSEH. But not her hand! This cannot be, and I must
see to it:

Red shall not marry white--such is our law.
But graver matters are
upon the wing,
Which I must open to you. Know you, then,
The
nation that has doomed our Council-Fires--
Splashed with our
blood--will on its Father turn,
Once more, whose lion-paws, stretched
o'er the sea,
Will sheathe their nails in its unnatural tides,
Till blood
will flow, as free as pitch in spring,
To gum the chafed seams of our
sinking bark.
This opportunity, well-nursed, will give
A respite to
our wrongs, and heal our wounds;
And all our nations, knit by me and
ranged
In headship with our Saganash allies,
Will turn the mortal
issue 'gainst our foes,
And wall our threatened frontiers with their
slain.
But till that ripened moment, not a sheaf
Of arrows should be
wasted, not a brave
Should perish aimlessly, nor discord reign

Amongst our tribes, nor jealousy distrain
The large effects of valour.
We must now
Pack all our energies. Our eyes and ears
No more
must idle with the hour, but work
As carriers to the brain, where we
shall store,
As in an arsenal, deep schemes of war!
[A noise and shouting without.]
But who is this?
[Enter_ BARRON accompanied and half-dragged by
warriors. The_
PROPHET _goes forward to meet
him._]
BARRON. I crave protection as a messenger
And agent sent by
General Harrison.
Your rude, unruly braves, against my wish,
Have
dragged me here as if I were a spy.

PROPHET. What else!
Why come you here if not a spy?
Brouillette
came, and Dubois, who were spies--
Now you are here. Look on it!
There's your grave.
[Pointing to the ground at BARRON'S
feet.]
TECUMSEH. (Joining them.) Unhand this man!
He is a messenger,
And not a spy.
Your life, my friend, is safe
In these rough woods as
in your general's town.
But, quick--your message?
BARRON. The Governor of Indiana sends
This letter to you, in the
which he says (_Reading
letter_)
"You are an enemy to the
Seventeen Fires.
I have been told that you intend to lift
The hatchet
'gainst your father, the great Chief,
Whose goodness, being greater
than his fear
Or anger at your folly, still would stretch
His bounty to
his children who repent,
And ask of him forgiveness for the past.

Small harm is done which may not be repaired,
And friendship's
broken chain may be renewed;
But this is in your doing, and depends

Upon the choice you make. Two roads
Are lying now before you:
one is large,
Open and pleasant, leading unto peace,
Your own
security and happiness;
The other--narrow, crooked and constrained--

Most surely leads to misery and death.
Be not deceived! All your
united force
Is but as chaff before the Seventeen Fires.
Your
warriors are brave, but so are ours;
Whilst ours are countless as the
forest leaves,
Or grains of sand upon the Wabash shores.
Rely not
on the English to protect you!
They are not able to protect themselves.

They will not war with us, for, if they do,
Ere many moons have
passed our battle flag
Shall wave o'er all the forts of Canada.
What
reason have you to complain of us?

What have we taken? or what
treaties maimed?
You tell us we have robbed you of your lands--

Bought them from nameless braves and village chiefs
Who had no
right to sell--prove that to us,
And they will be restored. I have full
power
To treat with you. Bring your complaint to me,
And I, in
honor, pledge your safe return."

TECUMSEH. Is this it all?
BARRON. Yes, all. I have commands
To bear your answer back
without delay.
PROPHET. This is our answer, then, to Harrison:
Go tell that bearded
liar we shall come,
With forces which will pledge our own return!
TECUMSEH. What shall my answer be?
PROPHET. Why, like my own--There is no answer save
that we shall
go.
TECUMSEH. (To BARRON.) I fear that our complaint
lies all too
deep For your Chief's curing. The Great
Spirit gave
The red men
this wide continent as theirs,
And in the east another to the white;

But, not content at home, these crossed the sea,
And drove our fathers
from their ancient seats.
Their sons in turn are driven to the Lakes,

And cannot further go unless they drown.
Yet now you take upon
yourselves to say
This tract is Kickapoo, this Delaware,
And this
Miami; but your Chief should know
That all our lands are