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Show TALES r 'By OF THE Editha CHIEFS l 1 Watson POCAHONTAS AND MILLY Her real name was Mataoka, and she was the daughter of Wahunsona- ' " j Pocahontas cock, chief of the Powhatan confederacy. confeder-acy. She was a frolicsome frol-icsome child, and her playfulness earned her a nickname from the father: I'okahan-tes I'okahan-tes (she is playful). The adventures of Capt. John Smith his perils among the hostile Indians, his capture, the sentence to death, and his rescue res-cue by the maiden, scarcely in her teens, are told in song and story. But that is only the beginning be-ginning of the narrative of Pocahontas. Pocahon-tas. John Smith returned to England in 1G09. The promises of the English were not fulfilled, and the Indians were kept unhappily busy by the exactions exac-tions of the white people. There was intrigue among the Indians In-dians also. Lured by the false stories j of a treacherous chief, Pocahontas went aboard the ship of Captain Ar-gall, Ar-gall, in the Potomac river. She was held on board while the boat sailed away from land, and for some time she was kept a prisoner and ransom was asked for her. "Powhatan," as her father was known, had become openly hostile wdien his favorite daughter was thus kidnaped He agreed to a kind of peace, however, to effect her return, but was ready for trouble a dangerous neighbor for the whites. But Pocahontas had not spent all her time in English hands bewailing her fate. One of the Englishmen had found favor in her eyes, and she saw that her affection was returned. She accepted Christianity, partly, perhaps, because of this personable gentleman, and was baptized as the "Lady Rebecca." Rebec-ca." Her savagery' thus transmuted, John Rolfe no longer delayed, and in April, 1013, the two were married. This alliance pleased Powhatan. The old chief (he was sixty when he first met the white men) had great ambitions ambi-tions for his beloved daughter. Three years after the wedding, the Rolfes and several of the Powhatan Indians set sail for England. Pocahontas' Poca-hontas' story had preceded her, and since her father was a powerful ruler, the daughter was everywhere acclaimed ac-claimed as a princess. Her visit was a triumph ; her portrait was painted ; people crowded around her In admiration, admira-tion, and her romantic story was on every topgue. Happy over her reception, yet eager to return to her own people, Pocahontas Pocahon-tas prepared for the trip back to America. She was aboard the ship, lying at Gravesend, when an unfor-seen unfor-seen calamity occurred. Smallpox, an enemy which rarely spared Indian victims, vic-tims, attacked her. Everything possible pos-sible was done in the hope of saving the young "princess," but nothing availed. She was only twenty-two when she succumbed to the scourge, leaving her husband and their son to mourn her. While Pocahontas Is perhaps the most romantically famous Indian girl in history, there have been other rescues res-cues by other Indian maidens. That of McKrimmon by the Seminole Hilly Is also well-known, and has a happier ending. In December of 1817, McKrimmoc, an American, was captured by the Indians In-dians and taken to Mikasuki, Hillis Hadjo's town. This famous chief ha a been on the British side in the War of 1S12, and was still a foe to the Americans. He ordained that the captive cap-tive be burned to death like any other enemy. The American, his head shaved, was bound to a stake, and wood was piled around him, ready for the "burnt-offering." Then began a hideous dance. The Seminoles circled round and round their captive, uttering cries of contempt, con-tempt, and of joy at his capture. We are not told how the American stood the ordeal. However, our national na-tional pride in our countrymen, as well as Milly's intercession, speak well for him, for if he had begged for mercy, no doubt the Seminole maiden would have steeled her heart against him. Just as the fatal spark approached the wood, the young and lovely daughter daugh-ter of Hillis Hadjo rushed to her father. fa-ther. At his feet, she begged for the life of the captive, but the chief was stern and denied her request. Finally she treatened to die with him unless he were liberated. Not until he was convinced that his daughter meant what she said, did the chief order the captive unbound. Although McKrim-mon's McKrim-mon's life was safe, he was not free, however. The Seminoles held him as a prisoner until he was bought by some Spaniards for seven and a half gallons of rum, and these "owners" released him. Shortly after these events, the chief was captured by Americans and hanged. His wife and daughters, among wdiom was Milly, surrendered. surren-dered. The Americans paid marked attention to the brave and beautiful young Indian girl, and McKrimmon offered of-fered to marry her. After a long courtship, In which McKrimmon finally persuaded her that he nad not made the offer from gratitude, but from love, they were married, and so, as the fairy-tales say, they lived happily ever after. . 1932, Western Newspaper Union.) ) |