ith the glittering beams, and the
hissing and the rattling re-commenced. Seemingly determined to take
instant vengeance upon the intruder, they were now seen making such
haste as their natural tardiness admitted of, towards the Muscogulgee.
From every part of the valley heads could be seen displaying forked
tongues, and all pressing towards the alarmed warrior. But he stood
invulnerable to them, though he knew it not, within the charmed circle
made by his protecting spirit. Their powers of fascination had been
taken away by the Maiden in Green, or rather the counter-fascination,
which kept him within the charmed space, was more powerful than the
influence of their eyes.

Calling to one of the largest of the Kind Old Kings to come near, the
Maiden in Green spoke to him thus:--"This youth is a brave youth, and
he is a Muscogulgee. He loves the beautiful daughter of the _powwow_
Chepiasquit, and has asked her of her father to wife. The father has
imposed on him the task to visit your valley, and make report whether
your eyes are dazzling meteors, or precious stones. And he has bidden
him bring a tooth from the jaw of a living King, and a rattle from his
tail, and an eye from his skull, the which, being faithfully and fully
accomplished, entitles him to claim, as a pledged boon, the hand of
the lovely Winona. What say you, chief of the kings, shall he return
and be made happy?"

The chief of the kings answered that he knew of no one who would
willingly spare an eye, or a tooth, or a rattle. For himself, he had
found them all of use, and could spare neither eye, tooth, nor rattle.
And he bade the Spirit remember, that though queen of both valley and
mountain, her sway extended but to protect, and not to injure. She had
no right to demand from the Kind Old Kings a thing which should
inflict pain or death upon them. And did she not know that, whenever
one of those eyes of light should be carried beyond the limits of the
valley, the transcendent power and brightness which their owners now
possessed should be enjoyed by them no more. Such was the will of the
Great Being; strange that the Maiden in Green should be ignorant of it.

The Spirit answered that she knew not this, yet she was prepared to
say that the decree should be revoked, if they would, without any
further molestation, impart to the Muscogulgee the required
information, and bestow upon him the gift which would make him happy
and prosperous in his suit to the Cher