The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-01-26

Face that night, for he was planning III.
Journey to the lower agency, Six weeks nad
scarcely passed when he was ready to start
He had been informed hs 10 tho locality or
the tent in which his truant wife and hoSin
slept. He knew the direction from which Ia
enter in order 10 avoid arousing tho camp
The morning Cor bis departure having ar
rived. Rain-in- Face rode into Standing
Rock and with words Of gratitude thanked
the man who had assisted him In peifecting
his plans His breast swellod with emotion
and his words were soft and low a. he graSped
his friends hand and bid him adcu
At tho crack of his rawhde the pony
dashed away to the southwark, and no disai'
reared be ;ond the hills He had Il long jour
new ahead of him, but he did not spare the
pony. He knew tho mcttle Of the nervy
animal, and the pony rs ii aware that he was
going 10 his dimpled master needed no spurs
The long journey To the lower agency was
made in good time, Rain-in-the-Faco hating
twenty miles from camp, that no might
travel the remaining distance IN tho dark
As soon us tho shadows gathered he
sadIlcd his pony and started cautiously
for tho camp, He pecred nervously here
aud there, 10 guard against meet
iny ono who might betray him. Every OBJ
iect loOmcd up before him llkcan approaching
enemy; every shrub that trembled IN the
darkness seemed like n watching spy, yet
Rain-n-the-F Face pressed on. Like lamlshcd
lion nearing prey, lac kept his course towards
the camp where koska slept. lio had been
blessed by dense clouds that hid tho moon
until no reached tho outskirts of the camp,
and then, us If bursting forth TO betray him.
the moon appeared in n clear and cloudIcs'
sky. Rain-in-the- Face dismounted hurriedly,
and hitching his pony, no crouched behind a
friendly bush 90 make n hurried survey OF the
camp. 10 saw the tent which had been de
scribcd 10 him as that of his wife ana child,
and noticed that it was somewhat isolated.
This was good The fatcs were with him.
He could hardly refrain from giving shout
of Joy ms hc gaz,d at the tent where ho,kh
slumbercd IIo saw in Imagination tho IN
terror Of the tent, and Toasted his eyes on the
little sluinbercr without whom thc world to
him was chaos and life wt~ death
There was no ono about Even the watch
ful dogs were asleep, and tho only sounds
wcro those Of the browsing bensts or OF the
rustling trees tu rough which tho balmy June
breeze played in-in-thc-tace crept slowly
to tho tont Pausing outside aud placing his
car near tae opening in the canvas, he heard
tho low breathing Of the slecpers He could
wait no longer, and after peering about the
camp to see ii he had been discovered, he
pulled back the loose blanket which served as
n door, and drew forth his knife He was
armed, for he knew not what he might on-
counter in his desperate work, and he had
sworn thnt 40 power should cheat him oil
success IIe placed ono foot within the tent,
and again glanced back to mako suro that all
was unconscious Of his presence. In another
moment he was looking Oh the face of her
whom ne had once loved, but his GaAc rested
not there II was "A momentary glance, but
he recognized the face in the moonlight which
streamed through the openings II the tent.
he was stopping Tor kosl;a, when he discov-
cred that tAe object which no mistooS for
the budding boy was simply n bundle of
clothes. He made careful survey Of the
interior of tho tent, but no Koska was
there. Again had he met with sore and ter
rble disappointment Had the little one
rolled out Of his tent in his sleepa He would
see fastening out, he crept about the tent
only to intensity his disappointment. He
could not understand tho absence OF koska,
unless tho boy had been left with playmates
at another tent For II moment no suspected
that he had been betrayed, but tho success
with which he reached the tent dspelled this
suspicion, and he accepted the theory that
the boys absence was accidental. Still con
fldent that he would succeed in stealing
Kosl.a ho was happy, though disappointed
As no was about to leave the tent he heard u
faint, startled cry, and in IN instant the wife,
who had been aroused 10y his prowiings, APP
pearod at tho door of tho tent The crisis had
arrived Rain-in-the- Face was discovered
Raising his knife and spriuging forward, he
whispered n threat that if she awoke the
camp she would pay the penalty She knew
him and was silent A few hurried words
passed between the couple and Rain-in-thc-
Face demanded tho restoration Of his boy
Tho wife answered in lower tones than those
In which she was wont to speak, and as she
did So the knife dropped from the hand of the
desperate chief, his head was bowed and with
a wave Of the hand no left tho tent and re-
turned TO his pony. Remounting him, he
| drove silently TO the point Indicated by his
wife, paused beneath tree, and there In the
limpid moonlight, kissed by tho saddencd
Winds was koska. He had died on the day
previous, and in accordance with tho Indian
custom, his remains, with all his worldly
effects, were placed in the limbs of the tree.
! Rain -in-the-FHCe sat motionlesS, gazing
into the tree. There was tho bow and arrow
which he had made for his boy even before
tho babe could walk; there was the little
buckskin coat, tho first that Kosla wore, and
there tho top that Rain in tho Face had taught
tho happy child TO spin. There, too, was a
small bronze face, pinched and sunken In
DEATH but the laughing eyes were closed, the
cooling voice was stilled-Koska was not
there. Tho weary, grief worn mother had
told Rain lin Face that koska was in the
tree, but the crushed and Borrowing CHIEF
now knew that this was false.
'lf Koska is in the tree, why does he moi
answer moi" thought Rain-in the-Face. MY
Koska was n loving boy. His pretty face
was round and dimpled, and wherever
found him his chubby arms We're quick abou,
my neck" Thus unused the broken chief
He saw In tho tree the human frame Will
which his Koska used to walk and run; he
saw the toys with which no made the mo
meuts merry-but he saw no koska Hi
boy would not refuse To greet him He was
not in the tree, but had gone TO the happy
hunting grounds where sorrow is unknown
whore he could become far greater than OF
earth, and where, when once they meet
there will be no separation So though,
| Rain in the Eace