Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-04-05


But, oh, the hopeless waiting!
Taught cunning by the crafty savages,
he made the best of his situation He
went hunting and fishing with the Indian
lads and rapidly became favorite in the
village. The red squaws plated rich mats
for his wigwam and made handsome leg
gings and moccasins for their young pale
face brother.
The months sped by, summer and au-
tumn passed, and the cold northern winter
set in. One December day when the ground
was frozen hard and the lake was one sheet
of glittering ice band of warriors return
ed from foray they had made among the
white settlements to the southwark. There
was great rejoicing in the village over the
scalps and the plumber. 1t made the white
boys heart throb as he recognized among
the spoil familiar articles Of household uee
shears, knives, housewife and a pair
of candlesticks such as he had often seen
In his home Mt distant Penacook. But
what gave him the greatest start was that
he saw dangling from one huge redskins
belt string Of shining steel skates.
Evidently none Of the Indians had ever
seen any of these articles before. They
crowded around the lucky warrior whose
prize they were and examined them with
the greatest curiosity. What were they?
What was their user The warrior could
not tell.
"Does the young paleface know?" ques-
toned the braves as they gathered about
the young captive.
Laban touched the skates reverently and
answered that he knew their use very well.
"Speak, my son'' cried the old chief
who had adopted him. "Tell my nation
what are these pieces Of smooth steel fas-
tened together with straps of leather"
"They are wings with which to fly"
said the bog, with solemn mir. "The
Great Spirit has sent them as gifts to the
red men,"
The Indians shake t;sir heads and look
doubtfully at one another. They can
hardly understand it. 1t is wonderful
thing.
"How can one fly with these things9"
asked the old chief incredulously.
"Come with me to the lake, and will
show your braves how to use the mystic
rious wings" returned the lad, with great
err interest than he really cared to show.
In his excitement he trembled The hand
in which he held the mysterious wings
shook.
The idea was received favorably. The
whole village rushed down to the shore
where the lake lay stretching it's cleaning
length miles and miles away to the south
ward
When the ice was reached, Laban fitted
pair Of skates upon the feet of four of
the young braves. The sharpest, strong
est pair he bound upon his own feet. Then,
selling a musket from the hands of war
rior standing near, he babe the braves
stand upon their feet and follow him.
They endeavored to do as he directed,
but only stumbled over each other, making
the greatest confusion possible, The crowd
of warriors, women and children regarded
the scene with amazement and concern.
Scarcely able to control his countenance
Laban berated the crestfallen braves for
their carelessness.
"You did not do as told you" he said
snow, stand up and watch me, and you
will see better how to do it"
He darted off, swift as swallow, over
| the ice that had not break or a Granny
in it, now skating In a circle now in a
straight line, now retreating, now advanc-
ing, his motions watched with the great
est interest by the savages.
He had tested his skill and the sureness
of his skates. They were buckled secure
ly. They were stanch and strong. He was
ready for the supreme effort.
Dashing up to where the four young In
dams were waiting, trembling and expect
ant, he shouted:
"Now forward, forward, where the Great
Spirit calls you'll Away, away Follow
meW
Like an arrow shot from bow the young
paleface flew over the cleaning ice. The
sharp steels struck fire, SO rapidly did they
glide along that smooth, frozen highway.
In attempting to follow him the unlucky
braves again stumbled and struggled in a
ridiculous heap upon the slippery floor of
the lake. In the excitement few noticed
the vanishing figure of Laban Whitaker.
When it was too late, few of the savages
discharged their muskets after the fugi-
tive, but the bullets fell far short of the
mark While they still gazed in amaze
mcnt the lad disappeared behind point
of land, and they never saw him more.
"Great Spirit called paleface, not In
dams White man 3 wings, not Indians, ="
said the old chief resignedly. But the
squaws of the village, after the old Indian
fashion, made lamentation as for the dead.
Some six weeks afterward thin, bag
gard boy, dressed in the furs of the Indian
and carrying a musket and pair of
skates, staggered out from the forest and
approached the little hamlet on the Merri-
mac. Dogs barked at the approach OF
the strange visitant, and the settlers gath
TO- RI apivN