Milford chronicle., 1889-02-22

evening, strange gleam OF savage Joy radi-
ated from his fierce dark eyes His step was
lighter than when he came. Grooming a
little Indian lullaby as he mounted his Ia
nous spotted pony, be was a picture 70
tempt an artist. Far different was the homo
ward ride from the sad, uncertain journey TO
the agency. He came with fear, he returned
with hope.
Slumber was a stranger to Rain-in-the-
Face that night, for he was planning bis
journey to the lower agency. Six weeks had
scarcely passed when be was ready to start.
Be had been informed as to the locality of
the tent in which bis truant wife and KoslLa
slept. He knew tho direction from which to
enter in order to avoid arousing tho camp
The morning for his departure having ar.
rived, Rain-in-the-Faee rode into Standing
Rock and with words Of gratitude thanked
the man who had assisted him In peIfecting
his plans. His breast swelled with emotion,
and his words were soft and low as he grasped
his friends hand and bid him adieu.
At the crack Of his rawhide the pony
dashed away to the southward, and be disap-
/ peared beyond the hills He had a long Jour
ney ahead Of him, but he did not spare the
/ pony. He knew the mettle Of the nervy
animal, and the pony, as if aware that he was
| going to his dimpled master, needed no spurs.
/ The long journey to the lower agency was
made in good time Rain-in-the-Face halting
/ twenty miles from camp, that be might
travel the remaining distance in the dark
/ As soon as the shadows gathered no
saddled his pony and started cautiously
for the camp He peered nervously here
and there to guard against meet.
ing one who might betray him. Every OBJ
ject loomed up before him Ikea approaching
4,
darkness seemed like a watching spy, yet
Rain-in-the-Facep pressed on Like famished
lion nearing prey, be kept his course towards
the camp where Koska slept. He had been
blessed by dense clouds that hid the moon
until he reached tho outskirts Of the camp /
and then, as if bursting forth to betray him, |
tho moon appeared in a clear and cloudless /
sky. Rain-in-the-Face dismounted hurriedly, (
and hitching his pony, be crouched behind a 1
friendly bush to make hurried survey Of tho 1
camp. He saw the tent which had been de 4
scribed to him as that Of his wife and child, 1
and noticed that it was somewhat isolated. /
This was good The fates were with him. .
He could hardly refrain from giving a shout I
Of joy as he gazed at the tent where Eoska I
slumbered He saw in imagination the in
terror Of the tent, and feasted his eyes on the /
little sumberer without whom the world to
him was chaos and life was death.
There was no one about Even the watch
full dogs were asleep, and the only sounds
were those Of the browsing beasts or Of the
rustling trees through which the balmy juno
breeze played. Rain-in-the-Facec crept slowly
to the tent Pausing outside and placing his
ear-near the opening In the canvas, he heard
tho low breathing Of the seepers He could
wait no longer and after peering about the
camp to see if he had been discovered. he
pulled back the loose blanket which served as
a door, and drew forth his knife He was
armed, for he knew not what he might en-
counter in his desperate work, and ho had
sworn that no power should cheat him of
success. lie placed one foot within the tent,
and again glanced back to make sure that ali
was unconscious Of his presence. In another
moment be was looking on tho face Of her
whom he had once loved, but his gaze rested
not there, It was a momentary glance, but
be recognized the face in the moonlight which
streamed through the openings in the tent.
he was stopping for Kos1a, when he discov-
cred that the object which he mistook for
the budding boy was simply a bundle Of
clothes He made a careful survey Of tho
interior Of the tent, but no Kosla was
there, Again had be met with sore and ter
rible disappointment Had the little one
rolled out Of his tent in his sleepl He would
see. fastening out, he crept about the tent
only to intensity his disappointment. He
could not understand the absence of Koska,
unless the boy had been left with playmates
at another tent. For moment he suspected
that he had been betrayed, but the success
with which he reached the tent dispelled this
suspicion, and he accepted the theory that
the boys absence was accidental Still con
ddent that be would succeed in stealing
IL gpaa bn har,r,r- o
As he was about to leave the tent be heard a v
faint, startled cry, and in an instant the wife.
who had been aroused by his prowlings, ap- Il
peared at the door Of the tent The crisis had 6
arrived. Rain-in-the-Face was discovered a
Raising his knife and springing forward, he &
a threat that if she awoke the G
camp she would pay the penalty. She knew G
him and was silent A few hurried words C
passed between the couple, and Rain-in-the- I
Face demanded the restoration of his boy. p
The wife answered in lower tones than those !,
Ia which she was wont to speak, and as she p
lid so the knife dropped from the hand Of tho r.
desperate chief, his head was bowed and with p
4 wave Of the hand he left the tent and re b
.wned TO his pony Remounting him, be o
lrove silently to the point indicated by his b
wife, paused beneath a tree, and there in the b
impid moonlight, kissed by tho saddened b
previous, and In accordance with the Indian 7
,ustom, his remains, with all his worldly t
lhects, were placed in the limbs Of the tree. F
Rain-in-the-Faco sat motionless, gazing g
ntO the tree There was the bow and arrow \
which he bad made for his boy even before a
he babe could walk; there was the little tC
jucl;slin coat the first that Koska wore, and hl
here the top that Rain-in-the-F Face had taught "
ho happy child to spin There, too, was d.
mall bronze face, pinched and sunkcn In 81
leath, but the laughing eyes were closed, tho III
ooing voice was stilled-Kosla was not h;
here. The weary, grief worn mother had dt
old Rnin-in-the-Face that Koska was in the hC
rec, but the crushed and sorrowing chief X
low knew that this was false. NJ
III Koska Is in the tree, why does he not II
nswer mer thought Rain-in-the- Face. "AIy pc
Aoska was a loving boy His pretty face di
vas round and dimpled, and wherever w
ound him his chubby arms were quick about
ny neck" Thus unused the broken chief.
ie saw in the tree the human frame with
Which his Koska used to walk and run; be r.,
aw the toys with which he made the mo No
lents merry-but be saw no Koska His ~
oy would not refuse to greet him. He was ~
OF in the tree, but had gone to the happy IN
uniting grounds whero sorrow is unknown a+
here he could become far greater than on -,
lrth, and where, when once they meet bo
lere viii be no separation. So thought ro
III
1t Is not considered manly among Indians M
) weep It has become proverbial that In II,
IAN men never shed tears Tears are woman
b, and are left to the squaws, but when
returned to Standing Rock
, did not speak He stunned his good, kind
lend for many days, and at last, when be Cl
d meet him and told him Of the death Of
ossa, he turned his back and walked away
r he did not wish to be called a woman is
NJ Quinn in Frank Leslie. un
go
l.,