The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-11

hade him return after dark. Rowland
went away after having given the aaugh-
tex OF one Of the bucks a bright hand
kesShtef and having said q few words 10
ner out OF his Scanty vocabulary. The
kiri looked az him INTEGRITY, with her bird
IKE eyes Swinkling, and said nothing in
reply. but smoothed sae ssandanna on her
knees When he was gone she rose and
stood IN front OF her tepee TO watch him
out a sight, as the fair haired woman
bad done = few hours before
After time she pat the handkerchief
on her head and went in the direction he
had taken
When she found him It was dusk and
the coyotes had begun TO whine and bark
about them. and one faint star g4inmsred
n the purEling sky. Her eyes were won
cerlully bright, and her Wild graceful
ness would have been aiiuring to another
man.
She went up behind him and touched
him on the shoulder. He faced about and
asked what she wanted. But for the
bright kerchief on her head, he would not
have remembered her. When ne saw
that he smiled. and the girl. encouraged.
began protestation OF desperate. saw
age love in the NEST even OF voices and
broken English. inserspersed with Apache
and Mexican.
Rowland answered her kindly. and to
ner caam-tone pfeadsngs smiled in her
tense face and turned away.
POGO tempo you Conner she said. Gid
ing after him and grasping his hand. She
followed him for few yards, still hold
ing his hand You Gomez" she insisted
Yes. POGO tempo. come see your
father"
She flung the hand from her and hur-
ried on into the shadow with a low snari
Late At night as Rowland left the coun-
Gil or the braves, hundred yards from
the camp woman strobe up to him, and,
without any preface. dropped at his feet
ana caught his hands and repeated the
story Of her savage passion in the same
monotone, as tinkling and musical as the
sound OF a crystal bell.
But Howsand had completed his en-
bAssy successfully. and was in haste to
return to the camp during the night and
comparative GOODNESS so he pushed her
away with a Disguised ''Tamoose.' and
hurried on.
Years ago there were still poisoned ar
rows used occasionally weapons deaGlier
than the more popular rife or carbine, for
their scratch was fatal. The head was
dlped In poison curiously made. A bit
or liver. quite putrid. was held before a
ratiiesnake until he had injected his
venom into 1t time and time again. After
few days this viruIent substance was
put upon the points of the arrows, to
carry agony and dissolution to whatso-
ever they touched.
1t was one OF these arrows that How
lana Jerked from his arm few minutes
later. as he went into the hut where the
two soldiers were waiting.
He held it in front OF the candle and
examined 1t intently while the blood
dripped over his dusty boot. One OF the
zlrN1
whiie he cut open his sleeve. "A mis-
take. very likely. 1t was not one OF the
bucks; we parted good friends" The
woman he did not mention. He looked at
the arrow again. IT'S poisoned guess
Rather hard luck he said. He passed
one hand across his face YEARLY and re-
peated. Hard luck
Then he gave the men a detailed ac-
count OF what he had done and accom-
plished that they might tell the major in
case he himself should be past speaking.
The agency doctor was off on two days
hunting trip. so the soldiers bathed and
dressed the wound and made Rowland
drink the contents OF a large flask OF
whiskey. But he ordered his horse and
went back to the post, nevertheless,
across the long. cleaning plain OF sand,
under the purple arch, with its stars OF
gnmmering gold. three weird. dark fig-
ures following the road through the night.
And just as the gray OF dawn came over
the far-off black mountains, just as the
dawn breeze sprang up and blew on his
swollen and burning face. just as the first
call for reveille shrilled through the val
ley, two dust-whitened riders, supporting
him in the saddle. drew up at the hospital.
At O'Clock stretcher carried the body
OF Lieut.. Rowland from the hospital to
his quarters: and the flag was put at half
mast.--San Francisco Arronaut