XXXIX. "If, then, my brother can subdue his foes Or Maqua yells resound these hills among. "Hearken a space XL. Deem not the Yengee weak; Betwixt him and Haup's chief the chain is bright; If thou on him a finger's vengeance wreak, The conscious chain will vibrate to the White, And, roused from slumber, will the big guns speak, And flames will flash from every woodland height. Pause, brother, pause and to the pale-faced train Extend thy friendship, and keep bright the chain. XLI. "But hearken still Thy brother knows no guile; His tongue speaks truly what his heart conceives; Against the Pequots do your bosoms boil, And for the Pequot deeds Awanux grieves; Soon will the big guns to their nation speak, XLII. "Thou would'st compel the Wampanoag's aid To guard thy borders, and chastise thy foes; Will not my brothers let me them persuade To get them warriors armed with more than bows? Even Awanux, in his strength arrayed, Whose thunder roars and whose red lightning glows? Make him your friend and victory, follows sure, And Narraganset rests in peace secure.” XLIII. The old chief downward gazed; the warriors round, With piercing eyes, full in the visage viewed Our anxious Founder. "Thou dost speak," he said, "The words of wisdom, but these ears are dead; XLIV. "Dead to a Yengee's voice. When did the tongue And lay the falsehood of his bosom bare? "If true he speak XLV. that should his actions show; May not his heart be darker than yon cloud, And yet his words white as its falling snow? Still, if his speech were true, and not a shroud XLVI. 'Twas for our Founder now in turn to pause XLVII. At this, the Sachem from his girdle took His snow-white pipe, and snapt the stem in twain: "They came intruders, and the pipe was broke," Said the stern Sachem, and it snapt again; "Our subject chiefs their ruling chiefs forsook, And they were sheltered by the stranger's train. This fragment shows the serpent's skin they sent, Filled with round thunders to our royal tent. XLVIII. "This shows, they raised their bulwarks high and proud, And poised their big guns at our distant home. This, when at Sowams* raged our battle loud, How their round thunders made that battle dumb. This, the fire-water how they have bestowed, And with its madness have our youth o'ercome. This, how amid the Pequot nation they XLIX. "This, with the Maqua how a league they made, * See note to stanza XXXIII. This, how the earth grows pale, as fast they spread It crowns the hills and whitens through the vales. L. "Take thou the fragments - count their numbers well- LI. Williams the fragments took, and, counting ten, He promptly answered with this calm reply: "Sachem, some charity is due to men Who tread upon thy pipe unwittingly. Long had the waters tossed those wanderers, when, LII. "And this they found in that deserted strand, Where slept the dead where living men were not; They knew no wrong in this— a rightful hand Appeared, and welcomed to the vacant spot; They took his belt, for t'was a token brought LIII. "Bound in the skin of the great sachem snake, My brother sent his barbs. - but to his foe, Awanux took the challenge by mistake, And let his bullets for an answer go; They deemed the Sachem angry, and did take LIV. "No leagues have they with the fierce Maqua made, LV. "To these six fragments of the pipe I've spoke ; Thee upon Haup― of claims thou canst not brook, These will I ask Awanux to explain. LVI. “This fragment tells me that his numbers grow, That they are spreading fast, from glade to glade ; If the Great Spirit does increase bestow, Will the wise Sachem that great Power upbraid? |