midnight
The government presently took occasion to made some valuable presents to the tribe , not as indemnity , for it could recognize no responsibility in the strange disaster , but for the sake of seeming to comply with the form of offering satisfaction for the loss , which otherwise the Indians would retaliate with massacre . Nilaque Great with this cloud upon it grew dreary . The strange disappearance of its cheera-taghe was canvassed again and again , reaching no surmise of the truth . Speculations , futile as they were continuous , began to be reinforced with reminiscences of the date of the event , and certain episodes became strangely significant now , although hardly remarked at the time ; people remembered unexplained and curious noises that had sounded like muffled thunder in the deep midnight , and again , scarcely noted , in the broad daylight . The `` sacred fire '' remained unkindled , and sundry misfortunes were attributed to this unprecedented neglect ; an expert warrior , young and notably deft-handed , awkwardly shot himself with his own gun ; the crops , cut short by a late and long-continued drought , were so meagre as to be hardly worth the harvesting ; the days appointed for the annual feasts and thanksgiving were like days of mourning ; discontents waxed and grew strong . Superstitious terrors became rife , and at length it was known at Charlestown that the Cherokees of Nilaque Great had settled a new place farther down upon the river , for at the old town the vanished cheera-taghe were abroad in the spirit , pervading the `` beloved square '' at night with cries of '' _ A-kee-o-hoo-sa ! A-kee-o-hoo-sa !