Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-01-22
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your
Certainly not, but it will to you, If l
don't miss my reckoning and am not apt
to do 50 when there's any thing red-skln
about the matter. I've lived too long
among them not TO know them, root and
| branch"
"Wcll intend to marry her."
"You had better not. She's Just as
dangcrN US ana treacherous as q poison
| serpent"
"What makes you think so!'
| "Wbat would make me think rnere was
an otter around if saw q side, or a beaver
| if l saw darn: | always know what kind
! of an animal is about the minute see its
| trail,'
You are uch mistaken about her, Joe.
She loves INC to Distraction"
VERY well now, but reckon 1t won't al
ways be So You don t expect to remain in
these woods until you die"
mo, thank Heaven; another twelve
months will see nc clear of them forever"
And what arc you going to do with the
girl when you lcavc3'
"What makes you ask such questlonm
You can t well tule her home with you,
you know, and
II don t intend to. Hundreds have mar
riod-thc ceremony is only mere farce
married squaws before and left them when
ever thcJ pleased" -....,...
And you iatcnd TO do SOL"
"Ccrtainly Do you think would be fool
enough to take q copper skinned wife home,
AMI be made the laughng-stock of all my
fricnd3W
"Thcr. you had better look out for your
self That is all | have got to say, and
what n tho name Of thundcr was that!"
Joes quick car had heard slight rustl.
ing in the bushes and in a moment after
there was plunge in the lake,
II guess it was only Il frightened otter"
ne continued, as he proceeded to re-arrange
the wood upon the fire.
An otter! How quickly he would have
chan red his mind If he had seen the form
of the Indian girl, Bright Eyes, % she
craWlcd upon the shore at q little distance,
and dlrtcd along the homcward trail almost
rs swift alQ noi3lcss as the wind. She had
listened 10 every word-klrew that she was
TO be made wife and then deserted-kncW
that all the promises of her white lover
were hes All if there was over 4 hell
raging in q human bosom-ever a brow
blacl,cr than thundor-coud-it was hers,
as she rushed toward her wigwam, with
her fingers playing convusively with her
long sharp l;nifc.
Dut the next day. when she met Legarde,
she was as calm as summer morning.
She yielded TO his embraces; she returned
them with interest; she showed her love so
warmly that if ho had any doubt he was
moro than satisfied now.
Come" he said, "tell me when you will
&c my wifcN
Let the pale face be at yondcr rock she
'eplicd, pointing to distant one, "beforo
he sun has drunk up the dew. There let
aim remain until Bright Eyes comes. She
will not be long. Then she will answer"
And so it was decided, and the gray OF
morning found Lcgardc at the trysting
place. But the hours crept along and he
was vet alone. The sun rose and began
heating all around him. Something must
have detained the Indian girl, he fancicd,
and determined to wait yet longer. Sud
denly, however, he was aroused by Il start
ling hiss He turned and saw q huge rattle
snake crawling up the side of the rock
Fleeing toward tho other side for he was
unuII-ltu anu tuCIc NIS lUu CNCl ~ obIh
for defense ncar) he would have descended
but was mot by another serpent. For a
moment he stood ovcrpowered by fear
Then he saw the scaly monsters crawling
up toward him in every dirccton-kncW
that the hot suns rays had lured them from
their holes --kncW that he was standing
over their den. and thousands upon thou
sands were surrounding him.
ooh, my God, what shall I do9" burst
from his lips in the terrible agony Of the
moment.
A wild. ringing, almost flendish laugh
rang upon his cars as il in reply, and, look
ing up he saw Bright Eyes standing upon
rock high above him.
Bright Eyes! Bright Eyes! For Heav-
ems sake save mel" he shouted, and the
answer came back borne by the wind to his
ears:
1.-The pale faces tongue is as false as the
serpents. lie would have made her his
wife and then deserted her. The very
nght she promised to be his she crawled
near his wigwam and heard all. She told
him to come here-hcre to the very center
Of the scrpents' den-for his ancwer. The
poisoned teeth and fiery tongues will give
it to him. Scc!"
The pen could not if it would, and would
not if il could, describe tho scene that fol-
lowed. The Indian girl, from her lofty look.
out saw all-saw human form lighting
with countless serpents whose fangs were
driven deep into tho quivcring flesh. She
saw him fight with the courage of despair.
She heard his prayers for mercy, and an
swcred with horrid hooking laughter She
saw the maddencd wretch completely COW
cred with network of scaly coils, leap
headlong from the rock-kncw that she was
terribly rcvenged, and calmly sought old
Joe, and told him that his master wanted
him.
All! how the old man shuddered when he
found the disiigurcd corpse, and read at q
glance the true history Of the matter. His
eyes could not be deceived, no matter how
anothcrs might be. He made coffin Of
bark, buried the remains, and even as he
was doing so saw the incarnatc devil OF
woman standing at u little distance laugh
ing and making hooking gestures. That
sight was too much.
"God forgive me-" he muttered between
his teeth. 1T may be wrong to take HUI
man life, but" The ringing of rife cut
the sentence short, and at the same time
ended human existence.
He started forward, saw that the Indian
girl was dead, and then fastened to his
canoe and fed for his life. He had taken
the punishment into his own hands Read.
err, do you or do you not blame hImi-Ctn-
cin'idti Enquirer