The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-06-19

the trees whisper to him; he reads the
language of the grass and the wind, and
is taught by the song of the bird, the
screech of the hawk, the bark Of the
fox. And so he comes TO know the heart of
the man who hath sickness. and calls upon
same one, even though it be weak woman,
TO cure his sickness; who is bowed low as
beside a grave. and would stand upright:
Are not my words wise? As the Thought OIL
a child that dreams, as the face of the blind,
the eye Of the beast, OF the anxious hand oil
the poOr-are they not simple ana TO De un-
derstood?'
Just Trafford made noreply. But behind
Pierre was singing in the plRintlye measure
Of a chant:
A hunter rideth the herd abreast.
The Scarlet Hunter from out OF the West,
Whose arrows with points OF fame are dreSt,
Who loveth the beast OF the field the best.
The child aud the young bird out OF the nest
They ride 10 the hunt no more-no more
They travelled beyond all bounds of civil
lzaton, beyond the nOrthernmOst Indian
village, until the features of the landscape
became more rugged and solemn, and at
last they paused at a place which the In
dams called Misty Mountain, and where,
disappearing Tor an hour, he returned with
a team Of EsQuimau dogs, keen, Quick-tem-
pered and enduring. They had all now re-
covered from the disturbing sentiments of
the first portion of the journey; life was at
full tide; the spirit Of the hunter was on
them.
At length one night they camped in a
vast pine grove wrapped in COYerlets Of
snow and silent as death. Here again
Pierre became moody and alert and took no
part in the careless chat at the campfire led
by Sh0n McGaun. The man brooded and
looked mysterious. Mystery was not pleas
ing to ITatfOTd. He had his own secrets,
but in the ordinary affairs Of life be pre-
feTred simplicity. In one OF the slences
that fell between ShOn's attempts TO give
D 70
! bling, far-of sound that increased in vol
ume ill the earth beneath them responded
gently to the vibration. TTaff0Td looked up
lnQuiTingly at Pierre and then at the In
dian. who after a moment said: above us
are the hills Of the Mighty Men. beneath US
buffalo that we hear, A storm is coming,
and they 90 to shelter in the mountains"
The inform alton had come somewhat
suddenly and McGann was the first TO re-
cover from the pleasant shock It's diyil
a wink Of sleep III set this night, with the
thought Of them below there ripe for
slaughter, and the tumble OF fight in their
boards"
Pierre, with a meaning glance from his
haif-clOSed eyes, added: But it is the old
SAYING OF the praires that you do not shout
dinner until you have your knife in the
loaf. Your knife IS not Yet IN the Loaf,
ShOn Mccain"
The boom Of the tramping ceased, and
now there was a stirring in the snOW-clad
tree tops and sound as If all the birds
Of The North were flying overhead.
The weather began to moan and the b0les
of the pines TO quake. And then there
came waT-a trouble out OF the N0Tth-a
wave OF the breath of God TO show lncOuSe-
Quent man that he who seeks to live By
slaughter hath slaughter for his master.
They hung over The fire while the forest
cracked ToEnd them, and the flame Smarted
with flVinu snow And u0W fhp trees
as if the elements were closing in on them,
began 10 break close by, and one plunged
forward toward them. IraffUrd, to avoid
lis stroke, stepped quickly aside right into
the line OF another which he did not see.
Pierre Sprang forward and swung him clear.
but was himself struck senselesS by an out
reaching branch.
as if satisfied with this achievement the
storm began to suosde When Pierre re-
covered consciousness TTatford clasped his
hand ana said: You've sharp eve, quick
thought and deft arm, comrade"
'Ah, II was in the game. Il rs good play
10 assist your partner" the half-breed re-
piled, Sentenil 0usly.
Through all the Indian had remained
StoicaL But McGann, who sWOTe BY Traf-
ford, as he had once sworn by another Of
the Ira1f0rd race, had his heart on his lips
and said:
There's a swate Il,t.e cherub that sits up aloft
NhO cares for the soul Of poor JACK!
1t was long after midnight ere they settled
down again, with the wreck Of the forest
round them. Only the Indian slept; the
others we're alert and restless. They We're
up az d8ybreak and on their way before
sunrise, flied with desire for prey They
had not Travelled Tar before they emerged
upon q plateau. Around them were the
Hills OF the Mighty Men-SOlemn, majestic
at their feet was & vast valley, on which the
light, newly fallen snow had not hidden all
the grass. Lonely and lofty, IL was world
waiting chastely TO be peopled. And now it
was peOpled, for there came from a cleft Of
the hills n army of buftalOes lounging
slowly down the waste, with tossing names
and noofs stirring the snow into feathery
scud.
Tie eyes Of Trafford and McGann swan;
Pierre'S face was troubled, and strangely
enough he made the sign Of the cross.
At that instant TraffOrd saw smoke issu-
ing from a spot on the mountain opposite.
He turned to the Indian Some one lives
there" he said.
1T is the home of the dead. but life is
also there"
white man or Indian 2"
But no reply came. The Indian pointed
instead to the buffalo rumbling down the
valley. Trafford forgot the smoke, forgot
every thing except that splendid quarry.
McGann was excited. "SaTpints alIVeV' be
said, look a. the troops Of them! Is it
standln' here va are with our tongues iD
our cheeks, whin there's beasts to be killed,
and mate 70 be cot. and the call to war on
the ground below Clap spurs with your
heels, say |. and down the side Of the turf to-
gether and give 'em the teeth Of our guUs!"
And tbs ITishman dashed down the slope.
In an instant all fOliOWed-Cr at least
Trafford though all followed winging
their ggns across their saddles 10 be ready
for this excellent foray. But while Pierre
rode hard, it was at first without the fret of
battle IL him, and he smiled strangely, for
he knew that the Indian had disappeared as
they rode down the slope, though how and
why he could not tell. There ran through
his head tales chanted at camplres when he
was not yet in stature so high as the lOlns
that bore him. They rode hard. and yet
they came no nearer to that flying herd
strainlng on with white streaming breath
and the surf Of snow rising TO their quar-
tiers. Mile upon mile, and vet they could
not ride these monsters down.
And now Pierre was leading There
was a kind Of fury in his face, and he
seemed at last to gain on them. But as the
herd veered close to a wall of stalwart
pines, a hOTseman issued from the trees
and Joined che cattle. The horseman was
in scarlet from head to foot; and with his
coming the herd went faster, and ever
faster, until they vanished into the noun
tain side, and they who pursued drew in
their trembling horses and stared at each
other with wonder in their faces.
IN tTOd MAINS muas uOeS II mean :!
Trafford cried
rs It a trick Of the eye or the hand OF the
devil?" added McGaRn.
''In the name OF God we shall know per-
haps. Ii il is the hand OF the devil il Is not
good for u.s." remarked Pierre.
who was the man in scarlet who came
from the woods?" asked Traford Of the
half-breed.
"Eh, it is strange. There is an old tale
among the Indians. Ny mother told many
tales of the place and sang Of it, as / sang to
you. The legend was this: In the hills Of
the North, which no white man, nor no
Indian OF this time hath seen, the fore
fathers Of the red men sleep; bat some day
they VIII wake again and go forth and
possess all the land; and the buffalo are
for them when that time shall come, that
they may have the fruits of the chase, and
- La. = ~ oLl L., L.. Il.