by Lilian Bell
CHAPTER XXII.
IN THE VOODOO'S CAVE
As Carolina felt the rain drenching her to the skin, the thought came toher, "This is the first time in all my life that I ever was thoroughlywet with rain, yet to how many of the less favoured ones of earth thismust be no unusual occurrence. How sheltered my life has been!"
And the thought of God's protection went with her as she approached themotionless figure under the pines.
At first Carolina took the woman to be a quadroon, but, on a nearerview, she saw that none of the features was African. Rather the highcheekbones and sombre eyes suggested the Indian.
The woman held out her hand, and, as Carolina yielded hers, the womansaid, in a voice whose tones vibrated with a resemblance to Flower's:
"You must come with me. You will not be afraid. You are a Lee. I havebeen waiting a long, long time to get speech with you, but your wetclothes must be dried. Will you follow me?"
"Willingly," said Carolina, gently.
The woman did not smile, but her face lighted.
"You will not be sorry," she said, tersely. Then she turned and led theway.
The rain still came down in torrents, but, as Carolina was already wetthrough, she thoroughly enjoyed the novel sensation. She remembered howoften, as a child, she had begged to be allowed to go out and getsopping wet--just once!--and had been denied.
Suddenly the woman paused.
"Do you know where we are?" she said.
Carolina looked around, but could see no possible place of concealment.The ground was flat and somewhat rocky. The river made a sudden bendhere, and in this clearing lay huge pieces of rock half-embedded in thesoil. The timber had been cut, and now a second growth of scrubby treeshad grown up, hedging the spot in a thicket of underbrush.
"No," said Carolina. "I never was here before."
"But you will come many times again," said the woman. "Look!"
She knelt in the sand and scratched away with both hands at the base ofa great rock, until she came to its edge. Then with one hand shepushed, and the great boulder was balanced so neatly on its fellow thatit slid back, revealing a natural cave.
The cool, underground air came in a wave to Carolina's nostrils, ladenwith mystery. Only one moment she hesitated.
"You are sure we can get out?" she said.
"I am sure. From where I stand I can see through this undergroundpassage the sail of a ship on the ocean. But this rock will not slip.Watch me."
She was already in the cave, and she reached out, and, with apparentlylittle effort, pulled the boulder into place, closing herself in.Carolina put her hand under the rock and felt its perfect balance give.She herself opened the cave again.
"I will come," said Carolina. "Have you a light?"
Never could she forget the hour which followed. She sat in this cavern,wrapped in an Indian blanket, watching her thin clothes dry before thefire the woman had kindled and listening to the following story:
"I have watched you," said the Indian, "ever since you came, and when Ifound that you were the one to cause my daughter to take her rightfulplace in the La Grange family--you start. Flower is my own daughter. Iam a half-breed Indian. My name is Onteora. Both my grandfather and hisfather were chiefs of the Cherokee tribe. I am a direct descendant ofthe great chief Attakullakulla, friendly to your people, who, in 1761,made peace between the Cherokees and the great war governor, Bull. Myfather married a white woman of good family, named Janet Christopher.I, too, married white blood. I was married by Father Hennessey, theJesuit priest, to a Frenchman named Pierre Pellisier, who died inCharleston in 1889. I have the documents to prove all these things.Here, I will show them to you.
"I am educated beyond my class. I speak French. I can read and write,but no one knows what I can do, because I have lived as an Indian womanin order to avert suspicion from my child. All my children died exceptFlower. She was my baby,--pure white, as you see, and so pretty! MissLe Moyne, who educated Flower, knew the truth. We agreed upon terms.Miss Le Moyne would have gone to the poorhouse if it had not been forthe money I gave her every week for the care of Flower. And yet shewould have betrayed the secret she swore by her crucifix to keep, ifdeath had not struck her dumb just in time!"
"But why," interrupted Carolina, "did you not come forward afterFlower's marriage and tell the La Granges of her honourable birth? Itis a proud heritage to have the blood of kings run in her veins."
Onteora shook her head.
"The time was not ripe. _It needed you to open their eyes_. Now theywill listen because Fleur-de-lys has found a friend! You have rescuedher from their contempt. You have rescued my grandson from blindness--ablindness I knew the moment I looked at him. And for that reason I havea gift for the daughter of the Lees--a gift she will not despise!"
Onteora disappeared and when she came back she held in one hand twosilver coasters, beautifully carved and inscribed in French, "From theMarquis de La Fayette to his friend Moultrie Lee, Esquire, of Guildford,1784." And in the other a large silver tankard engraved, "ToMajor-General Gadsden Lee, of Guildford, from his obliged friend, GeorgeWashington, 1791."
Carolina's shining eyes were lifted from the massive silver pieces toOnteora's face. The woman nodded.
"The famous Lee silver! I have it all! It was I who removed it and hidit here. It was in 1866, before I was married. I tracked 'Polyte andher husband to its hiding-place and took it away. No one ever knew--noteven my husband! I never knew why I kept it secret. I saw the rewardsoffered. I could have been rich. I could have dowered Fleur-de-lys sothat even the La Granges would have welcomed her. But something told meto wait. Wait! Wait! Now, I know why. It was to give it to you inreturn for my child's happiness! If I had returned it for the money,that money would have gone to help ruin the La Granges, and I shouldhave come to you empty-handed!"
The woman was barbaric in this speech. She showed her Indian blood, herIndian power, her Indian patience.
Carolina reached out her hand and Onteora took it in both of hers.
"What do you wish me to do?" Carolina asked, gently.
"Take these," said Onteora with sudden passion, thrusting the documentstoward Carolina, "and show them to the La Granges!"
She sprang to her feet and folded her arms in a matchless pride.
She was, in truth, an Indian.
The rain had ceased and Carolina's things were dried. Onteora helpedher to dress, her eyes shining with delight at Carolina's beauty, butshe expressed nothing in words.
"Come and see your silver," she said.
She led Carolina to a smaller cavern, where, by the light of a candle,Carolina could see the black shapes of all the silver Cousin De Courceyhad described to her. But so cunningly was this cavern concealed, thateven one who discovered the cave wherein they stood would never havefound the cavern.
"It reminds me of Monte Cristo!" she said to herself in the breathlessdelight every one feels at the touch of the romantic and mysterious in ahumdrum daily life.
Then, as she realized the boundless Source of Supply whence thisprecious silver and thrice precious information had come, Carolinaturned and put her arms around Onteora.
At this sign of human love, tears filled the eyes of the Indian.
