Poetry

THE SIOUX CHIEF'S DAUGHTER.

Joaquin Miller


  • Two gray hawks ride the rising blast;
  • Dark cloven clouds drive to and fro
  • By peaks pre-eminent in snow;
  • A sounding river rushes past,
  • So wild, so vortex-like, and vast.

  • A lone lodge tops the windy hill;
  • A tawny maiden, mute and still,
  • Stands waiting at the river's brink,
  • As eager, fond as you can think.
  • A mighty chief is at her feet;
  • She does not heed him wooing so
  • She hears the dark, wild waters flow;
  • She waits her lover, tall and fleet,
  • From out far beaming hills of snow.

  • He comes! The grim chief springs in air—
  • His brawny arm, his blade is bare.
  • She turns; she lifts her round, brown hand;
  • She looks him fairly in the face;
  • She moves her foot a little pace
  • And says, with calmness and command,
  • "There s blood enough in this lorn laud.

  • "But see! a test of strength and skill,
  • Of courage and fierce fortitude;
  • To breast and wrestle with the rude
  • And storm-born waters, now I will
  • Bestow you both.

  • "..........Stand either side!
  • And you, my burly chief, I know
  • Would choose my right. Now peer you low
  • Across the waters wild and wide.
  • See! leaning so this morn I spied
  • Red berries dip yon farther side.

  • "See, dipping, dripping in the stream!
  • Twin boughs of autumn berries gleam!

  • "Now this, brave men, shall be the test:
  • Plunge in the stream, bear knife in teeth
  • To cut yon bough for bridal wreath.
  • Plunge in! and he who bears him best,
  • And brings yon ruddy fruit to land
  • The first, shall have both heart and hand."

  • Two tawny men, tall, brown and thewed
  • Like antique bronzes rarely seen,
  • Shot up like flame.

  • She stood between
  • Like fixed, impassive fortitude.
  • Then one threw robes with sullen air,
  • And wound red fox-tails in his hair;
  • But one with face of proud delight
  • Entwined a wing of snowy white.

  • She stood between. She sudden gave
  • The sign and each impatient brave
  • Shot sudden in the sounding wave;
  • The startled waters gurgled round;
  • Their stubborn strokes kept sullen sound.

  • Oh, then uprose the love that slept!
  • Oh, then her heart beat loud and strong!
  • Oh, then the proud love pent up long
  • Broke forth in wail upon the air!
  • And leaning there she sobbed and wept,
  • With dark face mantled in her hair

  • She sudden lifts her leaning brow.
  • He uears the shore, her love! and now
  • The foam flies spouting from the face
  • That laughing lifts from out the race.

  • The race is won, the work is done!
  • She sees the kingly crest of snow;
  • She knows her tall, brown Idaho.
  • She cries aloud, she laughing cries,
  • And tears are streaming from her ej-es:
  • "O splendid, kingly Idaho!
  • I kiss thy lifted crest of snow.

  • "My tall and tawny king, come back!
  • Come swift, O sweet! why falter so?
  • Come! Come! What thing has crossed your track?
  • I kneel to all the gods I know
  • Great Spirit, what is this I dread?
  • Why, there is blood! the wave is red!
  • That wrinkled chief, outstripped in race,
  • Dives down, and, hiding from my face,
  • Strikes underneath.

  • "...He rises now!
  • Now plucks my hero s berry bough,
  • And lifts aloft his red fox head,
  • And signals he has won for me. . . .
  • Hist, softly! Let him come and see.

  • "Oh, come! my white-crowned hero, come!
  • Oh, come! and I will be your bride,
  • Despite yon chieftain's craft and might.
  • Come back to me! my lips are dumb,
  • My hands are helpless with despair;
  • The hair you kissed, my long, strong hair,
  • If reaching to the ruddy tide,
  • That you may clutch it when you come.

  • "How slow he buffets back the wave!
  • O God, he sinks! O Heaven! save
  • My brave, brave king! He rises! see!
  • Hold fast, my hero! Strike for me.
  • Strike straight this way! Strike firm and strong!
  • Hold fast your strength. It is not long
  • O God, he sinks! He sinks! Is gone!

  • "And did I dream and do I wake?
  • Or did I wake and now but dream ?
  • And what is this crawls from the stream ?
  • Oh, here is some mad, mad mistake!
  • What, you! the red fox at my feet?
  • You first, and failing from the race?
  • What! You have brought me berries red?
  • What! You have brought your bride a wreath?
  • You sly red fox with wrinkled face
  • That blade has blood between your teeth!

  • "Lie low! lie low! while I lean o'er
  • And clutch your red blade to the shore. . .
  • Ha! has Take that! take that and that!
  • Ha! ha! So, through your coward throat
  • The full day shines! Two fox-tails float
  • Far down, and I but mock thereat.

  • "But what is this? What snowy crest
  • Climbs out the willows of the west,
  • All dripping from his streaming hair?
  • Tis he! My hero brave and fair!
  • His face is lifting to my face,
  • And who shall now dispute the race?

  • "The gray hawks pass, O love! and doves
  • O'er yonder lodge shall coo their loves.
  • My hands shall heal your wounded breast,
  • And in yon tall lodge two shall rest."