The San Francisco call., 1895-05-19

dozen of his kindred from Big Roads
transplanted village, forbidden by the fury
of the storm to return to their tepees up
the valley, banished by the surgeon from
the confines of the hospital, where they
would have fain set up their mournful
death song to the distraction OF the pa
tients, and refused by the colonel the
creature comforts they had promptly and
thriftily demanded, except on condition
that they consume them in quiet and
deny themselves the luxury of their
woe. Tomtom and howl were stilled,
therefore, while the funeral-baked meats
went from hand to mouth, and dis
appeared with marvellous rapidity, and, in
deed but for its exciting effect upon the
warriors, the colonel might as well have
accorded them the right to lament after
their own fashion, since the bowling of the
tempest would have drowned all human
wall from within the wooden walls. But,
while they had promised to hold no abo-
! riginal ceremony over Grow Knife's death,
and meant to keep their word, they had re-
fused to pledge themselves to attempt no
vengeance on his slayer. Well they knew
that, throughout the garrison, nine out of
ten of the troopers would have cared not
sou had some one taken Graice from the
guardhouse and strung him up to the old
flagstaff without the benefit of clergy, but
this would not have satisfied Indian ideas
hanging according to their creed being
far too good for him. Two of the best and
most trustworthy Indians were placed by
Leale, with the surgeons consent as watch
ers by the bier of the soldier scout but
the others to a man were herded with
in the barracks and forbidden to attempt
to set foot outside. Close at hand in the
adjoining quarters the men of two troops
were held in readiness, under orders not
to take off their belts, against any sud-
den outbreak; but the few who first had
talked of lynching or other summary
vengeance had soon been hushed to ST.
lence. What was feared among the officers
was that Graice had been told by some of
the guard that the Indians were deter
mined to have his scalp, and that the
soldlery so despised him that he could
not rely upon them to defend him. Ser
geant Grafton was confident that Oracle
hoped IN some way. by connivance, per-
haps, OF members of the guard. to slip out
of the building and take refuge among the
outlaws at the groggery across the stream.
Having killed an Indian he had at
least some little claim, according to their
| theory, to frontiersman's respect.
Returning to the guardhouse, as he had
promised Will, Malcolm Leale was in no
wise surprised at Graftons anxiety, and
even less to learn that Graice had begged to
be allowed to have speech with his captain.
1t was a CHASTITY face that peered out
from the dim interior of the little prison
| in answer to the officers summons. At
sound of footsteps on the creaking stairway
Graice had apparently hidden in the depths
of the room, and only slowly came for
ward at sound of the commanding voice
he knew. Hangdog and drink k-sodden as
was his look, there was some lingering,
some revival, perhaps, of the old defiant,
disdainful manner he had shown to almost
every man at Frayne. Respect his cap
tain as even such as he was forced to do,
look up to him now as possibly his only
hope and salvation. there was yet to his
clouded intellect some warrant for shad-
ow, at least, of vague sentiment of supe-
! riority. Outcast, migrate. drunkard. mnr-