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Title: Tecumseh: A Drama
Author: Charles Mair
Release Date: November, 2004 [EBook #6843]

[This file was first posted on January 31, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TECUMSEH: A DRAMA ***

Produced by Georgia Young, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
This file was produced from images generously made available
by the Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions.

TECUMSEH
_A DRAMA_
BY CHARLES MAIR.

"When the white men first set foot on our shores, they
were hungry; they had no places on which to spread
their blankets or to kindle their fires. They were
feeble; they could do nothing for themselves. Our
fathers commiserated their distress, and shared freely
with them whatever the Great Spirit had given to his
red children."

DRAMATIS PERSONAE.
INDIANS:
TECUMSEH _(Chief of the Shawanoes)_.
THE PROPHET _(Brother of Tecumseh)_.
TARHAY _(A Chief in love with Iena)_.
STAYETA _(Chief of the Wyandots)_.
MIAMI, DELAWARE, KICKAPOO and DAHCOTA CHIEFS.

_Warriors, Braves, Josakeeds and Runners_.
MAMATEE _(Wife of Tecumseh)_.
IENA _(Niece of Tecumseh)_.
WEETAMORE, WINONA _and other Indian Maidens_.
AMERICANS:
GENERAL HARRISON _(Governor of Indiana

Territory)_.
GENERAL HULL.
COLONEL CASS.
BARRON _(An Indian Agent)_.
TWANG, SLAUGH, GERKIN and BLOAT _(Citizens of

Soldiers, Volunteers, Orderlies and Scouts_.
BRITISH AND CANADIANS:
GENERAL BROCK _(Administrator of the Government of

Volunteers_.
McKEE, ROBINSON, _Captains of Canadian Volunteers_.
LEFROY _(A poet-artist, enamoured of Indian life, and

_Two Old men of York, U. E. Loyalists, and other
Citizens, Alien Settlers, Officers, Soldiers,
Volunteers, Orderlies and Messengers_.

THE TIPPECANOE.
_Enter the_ PROPHET.
PROPHET. Twelve moons have wasted, and no tidings

Tecumseh must have perished! Joy has tears
As well as grief, and mine will freely flow--
Sembling our women's piteous privilege--
Whilst dry ambition ambles to its ends.
My schemes have swelled to greatness, and my name
Has flown so far upon the wings of fear
That nations tremble at its utterance.
Our braves abhor, yet stand in awe of me,
Who ferret witchcraft out, commune with Heaven,
And ope or shut the gloomy doors of death.
All feelings and all seasons suit ambition!
Yet my vindictive nature hath a craft,
In action slow, which matches mother-earth's:
First seed-time--then the harvest of revenge.
Who works for power, and not the good of men,
Would rather win by fear than lose by love.
Not so Tecumseh--rushing to his ends,
And followed by men's love--whose very foes
Trust him the most. Rash fool! Him do I dread,
And his imperious spirit. Twelve infant moons
Have swung in silver cradles o'er these woods,
And, still no tidings of his enterprise,
Which--all too deep and wide--has swallowed him.
And left me here unrivalled and alone.

_Enter an_ INDIAN RUNNER.
Ha! There's a message in your eyes--what now?
RUNNER. Your brother, great Tecumseh, has returned,