68 CROCODILE ISLAND. 



an offended woman.' *It seems good to me,' be replied, *0 

 mightiest potentate on Alatamaha's banks ; and well pleased shall 

 I resign the victory to you, in hopes of concluding a whole week 

 with you on some future opportunity. With regard to Nem- 

 rooma — what is she but a silly flower, which will be too highly 

 honoured by being transplanted into the gardens of the mighty 

 Quinmolla?" 



" In pursuance of this resolution, the noble Sisquo Dumf ki 

 assumed every appearance of total inebriety ; he hiccuped, sang, 

 roared, and finally sank down in a state of apparent insensibility. 

 I confess I was astonished at the absence of Nemrooraa on this 

 interesting occasion. She came not near to cover her father with 

 skins or leaves, and the duty was left to me of casting over him 

 the royal mantle, and turning his feet towards the fire. With an 

 expressive grasp of the hand, I left him to provide for his safety ; 

 for my mother, I was well aware, would take every means in her 

 power to put him to death, in revenge for his victory over her 

 husband. On issuing from the tent, I was hailed victor by ten thou- 

 sand voices ; the whole combined nations which owned my sway, 

 seemed delirious with the triumph I had achieved. No conque- 

 ror returning from a successful expedition, with the imperial robe 

 purpled to a deeper die with the blood of thousands of his subjects, 

 was ever received with such an enthusiasm of attachment. Call- 

 ing aside the captain of my guard, I gave him the strictest in- 

 junctions to allow no one to enter the tent in which my illustrious 

 competitor reposed, and proceeded to the wigwam of the queen. 

 She was smoking when 1 entered ; and the clouds which circled 

 round her head, gave to her piercing, black eyes the likeness of 

 two brilliant stars shining in a lowering heaven. 



" * He is dead V she said ; * my son would scarcely venture 

 into the presence of his mother if the murderer of his father was 

 left alive.' 



" * No, my mother,' I replied, * he is sunk in deep sleep, and 

 we are sufficiently revenged by having conquered at his own 

 weapons the hero of the Chicasaws.' 



" * He sleeps ! — 'tis well. It shall be my care to see that he 

 never awakes — the tomahawk, in a woman's hand, is as sure as a 

 poisonous drug in the bowl — for, mark me, Quinmolla, no pow- 

 ers can persuade me. that the glorious Atta-kull-kulla met with 

 fair treatment at the hand of his rival at the feast. Have I not 

 seen him, often and often, drink not only for five days, but for 

 weeks and months together, and start up from his debauch as 



