The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-15

vengeful Indian blood might glitter in her
dark eyes. A sudden word or meeting
would send the rich, red torrent coursing
through her veins, tingeing the clear,
healthy skin, from the Oval chin to tho
delicate little ears, with a crimson glow.
Sne had read and heard OF Iove, and hsy
young heart yearned for the perfect bliss
Gnattainapie--a dream OF sweet happiness
in the comuanionship of such hero as her
girlish fancy pictured, by whose side shs
would ride ike the wind ON sunny daTs, q
trusty heart to nestle close to when the
sUormclouds obscured the midnight moon.
From out the old Russian and Spanish
histories OF the settlement and the tales of
wondrous worlds beyond the broad seas
told her at the knee of a father whose
memory she worshiped more than her
patron saint-her glowing imagination
had created an ideal lover who would
some day seek her Would he ever find
ner there-there, among those human
brutes, those debased Indians, the strain
| of whose dark blood in her veins she aD-
norred.
Time was telling upon her mother, whose
intellect never equaled the girls. The in
doience of the Spanish and Indian blood
asserted its authority with the parent who
thought mostly of her comfort, her grow
ing ailments and her church The girl
! had no other companions than her horses
and her dogs, and when she took her gun
! IN hand, their pleasure was simply fran
tic. Daily, when weather permitted, she
rode forth to the chase, the great Russian
setters and hounds bounding along by her
SIDE. wild with excitement, but obedient to
| her every glance.
At last the day came when brave Pancha
| met her fate. Going out at sunrise one
morning she found the trail of a horse and
man, and tracked it through deep canyon
| that led to the sea. The unshod feet of
the animal proved him mustang, but the
shapely footprints of the mans boots
showed him to be one of the numerous
young Americans then pouring into the
country by tens of thousands, attracted by
the discovery of gold. Why was he walk
ings His animal was either packed with
the tools and provisions of miner, or be
was hunter, his horse bearing the game
he had shot. Allowing the dogs to scent
the trail, Pancha rode on at auickened
pace, her curiosity excited by the fresh
tracks In few moments the two hounds
paused, and, baying their most dismal
note, dashed on ahead It was a signal
that the chase was near, and speaking to
her horse the girl kept close behind the
dogs.
At turn in the trail hundred yards
beyond, they almost leaped upon the pros
trate form of man lying. at full length
upon the ground just at the edge of cas-
cade of Russian river and directly opposite
the towering cliff of Squaw Rock. Down
in the rocky river bottom among the mas
sive powders, lay his still struggling horse.
The animal and man had slipped upon the
narrow path. The saddle, with the car
cass of a slain deer lashed to it, had turned,
and with the uneven foothold prevented
the fallen horse from rising. From deep
cut in the mans head the blood was still
trickling He was insensible, and pale as
death itself.
To spring from her horse, tear open the
mans vest, and place her hand upon his
heart was but the act of a moment with
Pancha- He had only swooned, and before
the girl could return with water from the
river, he recovered and opened his eyes.
Still dazed and stupid from the brain con-
cussion he was unable to speak or recog-
nize the condition he was in.
Upon attempting, with her help, to rise,
she found one of his ankles was broken
Inducing him to Lie down again, she de-
scended the rough river bank, where she
quickly freed his horse so that it could
rise. Finding the animal uninjured, she
replaced The saddle, and leaving the game
led the beast up the bank to his masters
side. Then, after binding his head with a
strip of cnderclothing, she treated the
broken bone with wet leaves and bark as
a splint to steady it, cutting strips from
his saddle blanket to tie the appliance So
curely on.
Meanwhile the injured American lay
quietly staring at her with vacant eyes.
For fully an hour she sat by his side bath
ing the wounds with water. Then gradu-
ally the light of intelligence returned, and
he weakly asked where he was and what
the matter might he.
She babe him drink some water, and |
soothingly said she was going to take him !
where he would be cared for, as he had |
been hurt by fall.
Slowly all came back to him, as he rec
ognized his own horse tied near; and then, |
again turning his wondering eyes upon the |
girls face, he asked her who she was and |
whittier she wished to take him. She told |
him that she was poor Indian girl, and |
could offer him only the hospitality of the |
hut where she lived with her mother.
The sun was well nigh at meridian be-
fore the man had recovered strength |
enough to get upon his horse, even with
the girls aid. Swinging his gun to the |
horn of his Spanish saddle-for he WIS stiN |
too weak to hold the heavy rife-the girl |
sprang upon ner pony and led the way
through the dense underground Of cotton
wood and willow.
The sun was sinking in the wide western
ocean, when, in the twilight, Panchs
guided the wounded stranger to her
mothers hut. Its interior was divided by
q canvas curtain, and in the outer division
he was speedily made as comfortable as the
painful nature of his wounds would admit.
Her softest robes and furs were his couch,
and with deft hands she bathed the injuries
with cold spring water. Soon the Indian
bone setter she had sent for arrived and
adjusted the bone, which was broken just
above the ankle.
That night the wounded man became
delirious from the injury to his head. For
two weeks, raving in brain fever, his
youth and strength struggled for the life
that grim death sought to wrest away. He
was totally unconscious of the ever vigilant
girl, who. even for few hours of necessary
rest, reluctantly yielded to her mother the
place of watcher by his side.
At last the fever crisis was past, the
struggle was over, and the weak and weary