The White Doe Part 5

And then sought to work his magic On the innocent Wi-no-na; Asked the maiden to go with him In his boat across the water.

"Come," said he, "to Ro-a-no-ak, Where the waves are white with blossoms, Where the grapes hang ripe in cl.u.s.ters, Come with me and drink their juices."

[Ill.u.s.tration: "Then a new canoe he fas.h.i.+oned"]

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

While with idle stroke they floated To the fragrant lily-blossoms, He a string of pearls gave to her, Smooth and polished, pied and purple.

'Round her snowy neck she placed them With no thought of harm or cunning; And with simple, maiden speeches Filled 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 sh.o.r.e she landed They would work their evil mission.

On the sh.o.r.e of Ro-a-no-ak Chi-co sent his boat with vigor.

Lithe and happy she sprang sh.o.r.eward, When,--from where her foot first lightly Pressed the sand with human imprint,-- On--away--towards the thicket, Sprang _a 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-gra.s.ses; 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 gladness The sad heart of stricken mother; Nevermore to hear the wooing Of 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?

Cannot _love_ thy fetters loosen?

[Ill.u.s.tration]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote W: Governor White, of the lost colony.]

[Footnote X: See Appendix, Note _n_.]

[Footnote Y: See Appendix, Note _o_.]

IV

THE COUNTER-CHARM

Man-te-o and all his warriors Long and far sought for Wi-no-na; Sought to find the sky-eyed maiden Sent 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 them Lamentations 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 lamentations When 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 hards.h.i.+ps 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-co Told his secret unto no one, While he listened to the stories, Strange and true, told by the hunters Of a fleet and graceful White Doe On the banks of Ro-a-no-ak.

And the hunters said, no arrow Howsoever aimed could reach her; Said the deer herd round her gathered, And where e'er she led they followed.

The old women of the nation Heard the tales about this White Doe.

Children they of superst.i.tion, With their faith firm in enchantment, Linked the _going_ of the maiden With the _coming_ of the White Doe.

They believed in magic powers, They knew Chi-co's hopeless pa.s.sion, 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 gentle Like 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 whispers Of the garrulous old women, Glad belief he gave unto them That the Doe on Ro-a-no-ak Was in truth the Pale-Face Maiden Wrung from him by cruel magic.

He was not a gabbling boaster, He could think and act in silence; And alone he roamed the island Seeking this White Doe to capture, So that he might tame and keep her Near him to a.s.suage his sorrow.

All in vain,--no hand could touch her.

All in vain,--no hunter won her.

Up the dunes of Ro-a-no-ak Still 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.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The magician of Po-mou-ik]

In his heart We-nau-don cherished Hatred for his rival Chi-co For some boyhood's cause of anger, For defeat in public wrestling; And because of this he welcomed Now the time to vent his malice.

So he promised from enchantment To 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 it Which should make true lovers happy; For to them true love was precious.

He who drank of it at midnight When the Harvest Moon was brightest, Using as a drinking-vessel Skull-bowl of his greatest rival Killed in open, honest combat, And by summer suns.h.i.+ne whitened, He gained youth perennial from it And the heart he wished to love him.

He who bathed within its waters, Having killed a dove while moaning, And had killed no other creature Since three crescent moons had rounded; Vowing to be kind and helpful To the sad and weary-hearted: He received the magic power To undo all spells of evil Which divided faithful lovers.

In this spring had bathed We-nau-don, And he held its secrets sacred; But a feeling ever moved him To make glad the heavy-hearted.

So he showed unto O-kis-ko Where to find the magic water; With this counter-charm, he told him How to free the charmed Wi-no-na:

"In a shark's tooth, long and narrow In a closely wrought triangle, Set three mussel-pearls of purple, Smooth and polished with much rubbing.

To an arrow of witch-hazel, New, and fas.h.i.+oned very slender, Set the shark's tooth, long and narrow, With its pearl-inlaid triangle.

From the wing of living heron Pluck one feather, white and trusty; With this feather wing the arrow, That it swerve not as it flyeth.

Fas.h.i.+oned thus with care and caution, Let no mortal eye gaze on it; Tell no mortal of your purpose; Secretly at sunset place it In the spring of magic water.

Let it rest there through three sunsets, Then when sunrise gilds the tree-tops Take 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 boldly Chi-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-hazel For the making of the arrow; From the heron's wing a feather Plucked 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 repeated While the sunrise touched the tree-tops; Then prepared to test its power.

[Ill.u.s.tration]