"You must sign it."
"Never!" came the response, in a tone of emphatic determination.
"Never! Sooner than do that, I will linger among these logs till decay
has worn the flesh from my bones, and dried up the blood in my veins.
Sooner than turn traitor to my tribe, I will rush against the bayonets
of my jailers, and perish upon the spot. Never!"
"Patience, Powell, patience! You do not understand me--you, in common
with other chiefs, appear to misconceive the terms of this treaty.
Remember, it binds you to a mere conditional promise--to surrender your
lands and move west, only in case a _majority of your nation agree to
it_. Now, to-day a majority has _not_ agreed, nor will the addition of
your name make the number a majority."
"True, true," interrupted the chief, beginning to comprehend my meaning.
"Well, then, you may sign, and not feel bound by your signature, since
the most essential condition still remains unfulfilled. And why should
you not adopt this ruse? Ill-used as you certainly have been, no one
could pronounce it dishonourable in you. For my part, I believe you
would be justified in any expedient that would free you from so wrongful
an imprisonment."
Perhaps my principles were scarcely according to the rules of moral
rectitude; but at that moment they took their tone from strong emotions;
and to the eyes of friendship and love the wrong was not apparent.
Osceola was silent. I observed that he was meditating on what I had
urged.
"Why, Randolph," said he, after a pause, "you must have dwelt in
Philadelphia, that famed city of lawyers. I never took this view
before. You are right; signing would _not_ bind me--it is true. But
think you that the agent would be satisfied with my signature? He hates
me; I know it, and his reasons. I hate _him_, for many reasons; for
this is not the first outrage I have suffered at his hands. Will he be
satisfied if I sign?"
"I am almost certain of it. Simulate submission, _if you can_. Write
your name to the treaty, and you will be at once set free."
I had no doubt of this. From what I had learned since Osceola's arrest,
I had reason to believe that Thompson repented his conduct. It was the
opinion of others that he had acted rashly, and that his act was likely
to provoke evil consequences. Whispers of this nature had reached him;
and from what the captive told me of the visit of the aide-de-camp, I
could perceive that it was nothing else than a mission from the agent
himself. Beyond doubt, the latter was tired of his prisoner, and would
release him on the easiest terms.
"Friend! I shall act as you advise. I shall sign. You may inform the
commissioner of my intention."
"I shall do so at the earliest hour I can see him. It is late: shall I
say good night?"
"Ah, Randolph! it is hard to part with a friend--the only one with a
white skin now left me. I could have wished to talk over other days,
but, alas! this is neither the place nor the time."
The haughty mien of the proud chief was thrown aside, and his voice had
assumed the melting tenderness of early years.
"Yes," he continued, "the only white friend left--the only one I have
any regard for--one other whom I--"
He stopped suddenly, and with an embarrassed air, as if he had found
himself on the eve of disclosing some secret, which on reflection he
deemed it imprudent to reveal.
I awaited the disclosure with some uneasiness, but it came not. When he
spoke again, his tone and manner were completely changed.
"The whites have done us much wrong," he continued, once more rousing
himself into an angry attitude--"wrongs too numerous to be told; but, by
the Great Spirit! I shall seek revenge. Never till now have I sworn
it; but the deeds of this day have turned my blood into fire. Ere you
came, I had vowed to take the lives of two, who have been our especial
enemies. You have not changed my resolution, only strengthened it; you
have added a third to the list of my deadly foes: and once more I
swear--by Wykome, I swear--that I shall take no rest till the blood of
these three men has reddened the leaves of the forest--three white
villains, and one red traitor. Ay, Omatla! triumph in your treason--it
will not be for long--soon shalt thou feel the Vengeance of a patriot--
soon shalt thou shrink under the steel of Osceola!"
I made no reply, but waited in silence till this outburst of passion had
passed.
In a few moments the young chief became calm, and again addressed me in
the language of friendship.
"One word," said he, "before we part. Circumstances may hinder us--it
may be long ere we meet again. Alas! our next meeting may be as foes in
the field of fight--for I will not attempt to conceal from you that I
have no intention to make peace. No--never! I wish to make a request;
I know, Randolph, you will accede to it without asking an explanation.
Accept this token, and if you esteem the friendship of the giver, and
would honour him, wear it conspicuously upon your breast. That is all."
As he spoke, he took from around his neck a chain, upon which was
suspended the image of the Rising Sun--already alluded to. He passed
the chain over my head, until the glistening symbol hung down upon my
breast.
I made no resistance to this offering of friendship, but promising to
comply with his request, presented my watch in return, and, after
another cordial pressure of hands, we parted.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I had anticipated, there was but little difficulty in obtaining the
release of the Seminole chief. Though the commissioner entertained a
personal hatred against Osceola--for causes to me unknown--he dared not
indulge his private spite in an official capacity. He had placed
himself in a serious dilemma by what he had already done; and as I
communicated the purposed submission of the prisoner, I saw that
Thompson was but too eager to adopt a solution of his difficulty, easy
as unexpected. He therefore lost no time in seeking an interview with
the captive chief.
The latter played his part with admirable tact; the fierce, angry
attitude of yesterday had given place to one of mild resignation. A
night in the guard-house, hungered and manacled, had tamed down his
proud spirit, and he was now ready to accept any conditions that would
restore him to liberty. So fancied the commissioner.
The treaty was produced. Osceola signed it without saying a word. His
chains were taken off--his prison-door thrown open--and he was permitted
to depart without further molestation. Thompson had triumphed, or
fancied so.
It was but fancy. Had he noticed, as I did, the fine satirical smile
that played upon the lips of Osceola as he stepped forth from the gate,
he would scarcely have felt confidence in his triumph.
He was not allowed to exult long in the pleasant hallucination.
Followed by the eyes of all, the young chief walked off with a proud
step towards the woods.
On arriving near the edge of the timber, he faced round to the fort,
drew the shining blade from his belt, waved it above his head, and in
defiant tones shouted back the war-cry, "Yo-ho-ehee!"
Three times the wild signal pealed upon our ears; and at the third
repetition, he who had uttered it turned again, sprang forward into the
timber, and was instantly lost to our view.
There was no mistaking the intent of that demonstration; even the
self-glorifying commissioner was convinced that it meant "war to the
knife," and men were hurriedly ordered in pursuit.
An armed crowd rushed forth from the gate, and flung themselves on the
path that had been taken by the _ci-devant_ captive.
The chase proved bootless and fruitless; and after more than an hour
spent in vein search, the soldiers came straggling back to the fort.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gallagher and I had stayed all the morning in my quarters, expecting the
order that would confine me there. To our astonishment it came not:
there was no arrest.
In time, we obtained the explanation. Of my two duelling antagonists,
the first had not returned to the fort after his defeat, but had been
carried to the house of a friend--several miles distant. This partially
covered the scandal of that affair. The other appeared with his arm in
a sling; but it was the impression, as Gallagher learned outside, that
his horse had carried him against a tree. For manifest reasons the
interesting invalid had not disclosed the true cause of his being
"crippled," and I applauded his silence. Except to my friend, I made no
disclosure of what had occurred, and it was long before the affair got
wind.
Upon duty, the aide-de-camp and I often met afterwards, and were
frequently compelled to exchange speech; but it was always of an
official character, and, I need not add, was spoken in the severest
reserve.
It was not long before circumstances arose to separate us; and I was
glad to part company with a man for whom I felt a profound contempt.