The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-08-29
be-
THE LEGEND OF
BONNIE FEMME.
Story of Early Days in Mis-
souri,.
BY SIDNEY e. POWELL.
Nop First Published.
BY SIDNEY e. POWELL.
Nv.
LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS.

LIQHT IN THE DARKNESS.
The dawn of day was lighting the
horizon when the savages led the
way down a narrow ravine to the
mouth of an arch way Of solid rock
towering high over head and bridg-
ing over a tiny stream which rippled
unsteady along over its shallow bed.
A very insignificant stream 1t was to
be SO noisy, and to have too, confer
red upon it by nature a bridge al
strong as the rock Of Gibraltar and
as lovely as a poets dream.
But the poor little Annette had no
eye for its beauty nor strength. She
saw only the towering rocks that
seemed to her like the walls of a
prison and the dusky creatures NOV
Ing around in their stealthy, cunning
way as though they were on the
watch for a victim. She the Victim,
q lamb among wolves, she
indeed seemed to be.
Again they lifted her almost life
less form from the saddle and imme-
diately at a word from the chief a
warrior seized her and tied her hands
behind her.
For a moment they seemed to con-
fer together and then one, by one,
the chief leading the way, they pass
ed under the dark archway and
cropping along through a dark mar
row passage, they came out into a
spacious opening OF cave which was
lighted just enough to show them
its rocky sides which were Of white
limestone. The air was filled with
the odor Of burning fat and the
smoke from the wood fire was almost
sitting.
The lone occupant of the cave was
Q young Indian warrior. He was
busy around the fire upon which he
he was preparing venison and fish
for breakfast. Corn meal cakes laid
upon the fiat rocks in the fire were
browning nicely and filling the cave
with an appetizing odor which made
Sarafan hungry for his savory dishes.
Sup, cook quick, Haha, Sarafan
wants to eat" he said to the Indian
who, seeing Annette enter, had
dropped his cooking utensils and
stood gazing at her with astonish-
ment, pity and anger depicted in his
eyes. So absorbed was he in look.
ing at her he did not hear Sarafan
speak.
"Do you hear?" said old Wolf as
he came up and raped him lightly
on the shoulder with his stick.
Haha, as they called him, went back
to his cooking, but his keen black
eyes, Annette thought, were all the
time on her. The strange express
Ions they conveyed to her perplexed
and troubled her. Why did he re-
gard her with 80 much interest and
seemingly SO much pity? He was a
noble specimen of physical manhood.
Tall, erect, firmly built and muscu-
lar, yet every movement was grace
full, easy and natural. The painted
face, unlike the other Indians, was
free from dirt and scowl. Instead,
the expression was refined and pleas
ing. Altogether he was 80 different,
Annette thought, from the others
that she felt with a thrill of Joy that
she could hope for some pity and
perhaps help from him. Then again,
as she watched him talking with the
warriors, himself one of them, the
thought of trusting In him or hoping
In him was like a wild fancy of a dis
eased brain. How she think that
dark painted creature would care for
her sufferings9
As the forlornness and despair of
her situation came to her she crouch
cd down on the cold damp floor of
the cave in an agony of fear and
misery. All at once the thorght
came to her, "This is the hour for
prayer at home, before they go to
breakfast they will pray for me 1
know. Will God hear them? Does
He see me? Obi He is hereI Oh,
keep me my father from harml"
1t was q short prayer but spirit
language is not dependent upon
words. Inaudible 1t was to human
ears, but sound belongs to earth not to
the spiritual world. She felt the Great
Father had stopped to listen and the
comfort that came to her Gained and
soothed her so that in a few minutes
she was sound asleep.
When Annette awoke the Indians
were bustling around making ready
for the days march. She was glad
to think they were to leave this
gloomy damp cave for 1t scanned al
most like a grave to her. Hex tired
hands and feet were throbbing with
pain as she tried to stand up, but
the thought Of being once more in
the saddle upon Glossy's back put
put new life and resolution in her.
And the sweet thoughts that had SO
soothsd her before she went to sleep
were still helping her.
"Ah, why have I not thought of 1t
BEFORE" she said to herself, ''they
are praying for me and God will
hear"
MI. a. 49, - A-s-I AL.