The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-11
YELLOW FEATHER.
From the San Francisco Argonaut.


dressed 10 lose none Of his natural advan-
tages. But what really gave him his air Of
distinction was not his clothes nor his
manner Of wearing them; it was the long
blonde mustache that he constantly twist
ed and UNFINISHED at the ends. It was a
mustache so imposing and ornamental in
its waving color that the Indians-quick 70
seize salient points OF personality for
christening-na him Yellow Feather
the day he arrived on the reserve. Still
Clayson was more than a man with a
mustache. His handsome head held a good
brain that could reach a logical conclu-
sion-and could reach it quickly. OF
course, however, he was not always think
ing logically; that in itself would be illogi-
cal. for. as yet the world was young to
him, and he was young in the world and
life was not a serious effort.
He certainly was not stralning his facul-
ties as he sauntered from evening sta
bIes" TO the officers clubroom in the
traders store on a bright day in May not
many years ago. To tell the truth there
was nothing special in his mind until he
turned the corner of the building. Then
he suddenly reused TO mental activity, al
though the cause might seem trivial to
others-it " as only a squaw, and squaws
were common, very common, in that Vi
entity. He, however, Immediately saw
with surprise wherein this particular
squaw differed from the others. From the
silver ornaments about her neck to the
beaded moccasins all was neatness and
grace.
She was untying pony from the horse
rack in front of the store, and as he got
closer he saw that the hands, slipping the
turns Of the lariat from the string piece
were remarkably small and shapely with
out brass rings on the fingers. A few more
PAGES and he saw that the profile of her
face was delicate in features, that the
complexion was a clear olive, and that
there was no paint on the cheek. Then
she turned her head, and he saw such eyes
as he never before had seen in a human
head. They looked straight into his brain
and stayed there
He did not speak to her-that was not
etiquette, especially before the bucks
squatted near the doorsteps-nor did he
halt; he walked slowly by and entered
the store, carrying with him the fascina-
ton of those soulful eyes. He walked
over to the corner rallied off as the post
Office and looked stealthily in his letter
box for a minute although he knew there
was no mail and that there would be none
for two days. Then he passed behind the
store counter and took the shortest way
to reach the clubroom. But he stayed in
there only long enough to join meaning
lessly in the laugh when Hobbs was
stuck, and to decline an invitation to take
a hand in the new game. Then he went
outside again.
The squaw was on her pony slowly rid
ing away. He then noticed for the first
time that her hair hung loose down her
back-she was married woman. When
she reached the end Of the corral wall
and Just before she made the turn she
glanced back and that glance found him.
The light in those Turing eyes said: Fol
low me-"
His impulse was to call passing man
and order his horse; but fortunately the
logic in his mind asserted itself and told
him that he could not trail after squaw
in broad daylight. He thought of some
thing also and re-entered the store to
act upon that thought. He bought a
pound of tobacco and several bundles of
cigarette papers, and with his purchase
sought Sanchez, the interpreter, in his
camp below the post.
He missed retreat and lost his dinner
at the mess before huesse and tobacco had
drawn from Sanchez that Tinta was a
Mexican captive, captured as a babe, and
afterward reared as the only child OF
Bonito, head soldier of the Chlrlcahuas,
She had recently MARI ed Ramona, young
sub-chief; but within a moon from the
wedding feast they had quarreled and,
strange to all the tribe, she had asserted
her rights. Apache women have rights
that is property rights. She gathered
her ponies and drove them to her fathers
herd Now she dwelt in Bonito's lodge,
and it was an open question how many
ponies Ramona must pay before he got
back his bride-the number depended upon
her sweet will, as expressed through the
arbitrator, Bonito. Ramona had begun
to bid. And Sanchez flung away the end
of the fifteenth cigarette with the admoni-
ton: "Tinta is heap muncho dangerous
game"
With the rising of the next sun Clayson
was three miles up the North fork inspect
ing the troop gardens; he wished to see
the dew on the cabbage sparkle in the
early light; besides, the main camp in the
Chiricahuas was on the bottom land on the
opposite side, and Bonito's lodge stood
by itself close to the river bank
1t may have been the sound of an iron
shoe striking the rocks, or it may have
been fatality-anyhow, Tinta came from
the lodge while Clayson's horse was drink
ing knee-deep in the stream. He refined
up the horses head and urged him
through the water straight for those eyes.
She smiled . welcome. and there in the
hiding shadows of the tell cottonwoods,
But shadows are never dark enough. It
soon passed from squaw to squaw in the
village that yellow Feather" rode up to
Bonito's lodge; and, like the flame of a
leaping prairie dre, the word swept on till
It reached Ramona in the upper camp in
the mountains. And as luck would have
IT at that time, the upper camp was drink
ing "tiZwin" and dancing for war. So
Ramona drank "tizwin' with increased
vigor and danced with the other wild
spirits, while his Unborn, general hate for
the whites concentrated TO one fierce
burning hate for one white
The big moon came, and with II the
last dance in the upper camp. The old ard
the tender were sent down TO the main
camp on the river, while the strong and
active, fun Of ''tizwin' and hell, dashed
into the night to make q merry KILLING
in their line of flight Three hours later
by the light Of the same big moon. three
troops OF cavalry had found and were on
the trail Of the "bronchos" az the upper
camp.
The next morning the agent visiting tn,
maip camp to count a somewhat scattered
flock ana separate the sheep from h,
goats, as they had already separate
themselves, found Ramona, tag. number