Let us follow the steps of Sansuta.
Once out of sight, and conscious that she had eluded her father's
observation, she quickened her steps, not in the direction of the
spring, but towards a thick clump of live oaks which grew at the foot of
the hill.
As she approached the spot, her pace gradually became slower, until she
at length came to a stop.
As she paused, a shiver ran through her frame.
She was evidently in doubt as to the propriety of what she was doing.
The sun had sunk below the horizon, and darkness was rapidly falling
over the landscape.
A distant murmuring alone gave token of the proximity of the Indian
village upon the hill.
After a few moments, and while Sansuta still stood beside the grove,
these sounds ceased, and perfect silence reigned around the spot.
Presently a cuckoo's note was heard--followed by another nearer and
louder--that in its turn succeeded by three others.
Whilst the echo of the last still vibrated on the evening air, the
maiden was startled by a sudden apparition.
It sprang into view at her very feet, as if the ground had opened
suddenly to give it passage.
When the girl regained courage sufficient to look upon it, her fears
were in no way lessened.
Standing in a grotesque attitude, she beheld a negro, with arms
enveloped in a ragged garment, moving about like the sails of a
windmill, whilst a low chuckle proceeded from his huge mouth.
"He! ho! ho! brest if de ole nigga didn't skear de galumpious Injun.
He! he! he! 'gorry if de Injun beauty ain't turn white at de show of dis
chile!"
It was Crookleg who spoke.
He seemed to enjoy the fright he had given the maiden; for, after having
ceased to speak, his gurgling cachinnation was continued.
It was some time before Sansuta recovered presence of mind sufficient to
speak to the black deformity before her.
"What do you want?" was all she could gasp.
"Ha! ha! ha! It warn't dis ugly ole nigga what the big chief's chile
'pected to meet--war it? No, I know it warn't. But don't be skeared,
ole Crookleg won't hurt ye. He's as innercent as a angel. He! he! he!
as a angel."
Here another caper, similar to the one with which he had introduced
himself, placed him in a still more impish attitude.
The Indian girl had by this recovered from her first surprise, seeing
that some attributes of humanity appertained to her strange
interlocutor.
"Again, what do you want? Let me pass. I must return to the village."
"Gorry, an it arn't Crookleg dat will hinder you," the negro answered,
standing directly in her path. "He only want say a word to you--dat is
if you is de beautiful Sansuta, de darter of de chief?"
"I am the chief's daughter; that is my name. I am Sansuta!"
"Den de young gen'l'm'n tole dis old darkey true wen he say I find you
down by de live-oak grove at sunset--he told de old nigga true."
A blush overspread the girl's face as Crookleg spoke. She did not
answer him.
"He said to me," continued the negro, "dat I were to tell de _lady_"
(here he chuckled), "dat he de gen'l'm' couldn' come to meet her
to-night, on accoun' o' de ole man his bossy wot hab gib him somethin'
'tickler to do. He send ole Crookleg to tell her dat, and gib her
sometin' what I've got hyar in my pocket, he! he! he!"
Saying these words, the monster made a series of movements, having in
view the discovery of his pocket.
After a most elaborate and vigorous search for its aperture among the
multitudinous rags, he succeeded in finding it. Then, plunging his long
right arm therein up to the elbow, he drew forth a small parcel wrapped
in white paper, and tied with a string of dazzling beads.
With another acrobatic bound, he handed it to the trembling girl.
"Dere it am, safe and soun'. Dis ole nigga nebba lose nuffin and offen
find a good deal. Dat, says de gen'l'm', is for de most lubbly of her
seek, de Missy Sansuta."
The tender look accompanying this speech was something hideous to
behold.
Sansuta hesitated before taking the parcel from him, as if in doubt
whether she should not decline it.
"Da! take it," urged he; "'tain't nuffin as'll go off and hurt ye; dis
nigga kin swar to dat!"
Not so much this friendly assurance as a resolution the girl had come
to, decided her.
She stretched forth her hand and took the package.
This done, she essayed once more to move past the negro in order to
return to the hill.
Crookleg, however, still blocking up the path, made no movement to give
way to her.
He had evidently something more to say.
"Lookee hyar," he continued, "I war bid to tell the lubbly Injun lady
that the gen'l'm'n wud be at dis berry spot to-morrow mornin' early to
meet her, and I war 'tickler told say dat it war private, and not to be
told no 'quisitive folks wat might want to know. Now I think," here
Crookleg took off his tattered hat and scratched his wool. "Yes! dats
all dis nigga war tole to say--yes, dats all."
Without waiting for a reply, the monstrosity made a pirouette, then a
bound, and disappeared so suddenly, that he was gone before Sansuta
could recover from her surprise.
Once assured that she was alone, the maiden hastened to untie the
bead-string around the package, and lay bare its contents.
Her glance fell upon a pair of showy ear-rings, and affixed to them a
small slip of paper.
Though but an Indian maiden, the chief's daughter had learnt to read.
By the last glimpse of departing twilight she read what was written on
the paper.