“You forget,” replied Cleorita, prompted by her grandfather, “the eminent services of the most favored of the magicians, who has controlled the savage ‘instincts’ of the river Indians?” With Correliana’s asservation, that the Heracleans were so universally indebted to the united members of the corps, and its adjuncts, the personal distinction of preference was resolved into the grades of adaptation for the parts enacted, they separated, with mutual congratulations, to engage in the allotted avocations of the day.
In view of their peaceful prospects, enhanced with food bestowed by their late foes, the Heracleans recovered rapidly from the pestilential flux, so that in a few weeks they were able to enjoy the liberty of the open country, and enter upon the reënjoyment of the boon of self dependence. The households enlivened by their reappearance, assumed the renovated impression of a happy vitality breathing outward for the kindred invocation of reciprocal goodwill. Correliana, with renewed vivacity and mysterious facility, had conjured the ability for conducting her own correspondence with Captain Greenwood in English, also for ready communication with the members of the corps. Her Kyronese companions, Cleorita and Oviata, had with her revived a speaking impression of the language derived from their father.
On the morning of the 7th of October, after the journey had been prolonged far beyond the time set for its accomplishment, from the grateful desire of the valley Indians to honor the people of the mayorong, the Kyronese remainder arrived under the conduct of Abdul, his grandson, and padre Simon. Their reunion and reception was joyful in the extreme. The compendic ejaculation of the padre, in sanction of the corps’ expressions of happy satisfaction, will prove ample for the exposition of the prevailing impressions of renewed goodwill. “By my soul’s salvation,” he exclaimed, “I have by the same tokens come to a belike conclusion! For surely I would have as soon thought to see the lion and lamb lay down peaceably together, as to have been entertained as I have been by these same Indians. It was so unnatural, for you know the delegations from the tribes brought on to Washington are exhibited as specimens of wild beasts indigenous to the soil? But I can tell you, I never was treated more kindly in my life, bating I could not speak their language, nor they mine.”
Mr. Welson inquired, whether in the item schedule of good treatment they asked him to take something, or smoke a weed? The padre happily averred, with a blush, that he had neither tasted of spirit or tobacco since his departure from the Tortuga. In testimony of the improvement from his abstinence all bore witness.
“But,” asked Mr. Welson, “had you no fear of being bitten again?”
The padre smilingly expostulated, “I see that you have not left off all your bad habits, yet, notwithstanding the good example of the Heracleans! Why not let bygones be bygones? My own thoughts are a sufficient torment, without having my friends poke fun at my lameness.”
“It is from no ill intention that we keep the crutch in view, but rather to prevent the necessity of its future use,” suggested Mr. Welson. The padre closed the sally port of banter, by quoting the saw, “Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof.”
CHAPTER X.
While the chiefs of the valley tribes of Indians were entertained in the city, one from the Vermejo petitioned the prætor for permission to settle with his tribe on the vega of the lake expanse of the Boetis below the temple grove. This petition awakened a pleasing smile in the expression of the prætor’s face, who, without consulting his associates, requested his daughter to proffer his fealty to the united chiefs and their tribes of the valleys, in behalf of the citizens of Heraclea, with the hope that they would trustfully extend their permission for the continued occupation of lands alienated by the cruel oppressions of their ancestors of old Heraclea. When, with some difficulty, Correliana was able to make them understand the nature of this request, they pondered, and looked upon each other in bewildered silence. At length, one of the oldest Betongese chiefs, “saw the approaching ends of the long severed thread of unity that had caused the siege of hatred, and the concession offered by the prætor for uniting it with the durable bonds of privileged equality.” His explanation was received by his compadric chiefs with smiling assent, assured that it was for mutual behoofment. With united sanction, evidences of mutual understanding were passed in tokens of goodwill, until the rays of the sun, in decline, were cast aslant from the brink of the precipice of the falls, covering with its bright canopy the shadows that enveloped the city beneath, then in strengthened concord the pæan hymn of thanksgiving rose in unison from every Heraclean threshold, and after it a responsive refrain repeated in swelling harmony from group to group. Of its import M. Hollydorf gave the following rendition,—
“Neighbors good-night, good-night;