The Opelousas courier., 1898-07-09

on by curiosity, made strategic az
proaches from the door to the bed
A dog, a mongrel cur that no ill
treatment could drive from Judy
side, growled at him, whsraXpon Jud
spoke to the dog and, r.ookiMsat til
little boy, said in h9c queer Dosssya:
English, what yot' name?" y
"Archibald Morrison Baynot," re
piled the child, with IFS hands be
hind him, and then added, "That's
nice dog; is it yours?"
eyes," said Judy, with grim smile
at the only good word her wretche'
companion had ever Received. Then
in spite of a curling. of the dogs lii
over its cleaning teeth, the boy ven
tured to pat it's head. And somehow
Judy thought of Dancing Flame. Ant
when Archie went on to tell Of a dos
that he owned, she showed SO mucl
interest that he got quite enthusiastic
And she asked the little fellow t
come and see her. again, which he did
and they talked together, he with The
pretty braggadocio Of q boy child ant
she with ready assent and quick sym
pathy.
Finally the doctor pronounced Judy
we'll and the captain dismissed hel
with a few words; II hear that you
are an honest, Woodworking woman,
Judy" he said, $50 I've had the men
build you a wooden house of your own
that you are to pay for in work. I'll
give you plenty of time. I only ask
you to keep it clean and to take care
Of yourself. Now you may CO."
There is no word in the Wachapi
for "Thank you," but Judy shook
hands with the captain and said, Gail
right. sor."
And after this when Judy, with old
Comachsen, was fairly established in
her wooden house, Archie came often
to visit her and she gave him queer
woodland treasures, things that boys
love- such as BIRDS eggs and the skins
of small animals. the rattles from a
fve-button snake and strings of wam-
pun and red berries. And she made
him q bow and arrow in true Indian
style, with a culver of a martens skin
head and tail complete, and taught
him all the lore of the forest, SO that
he talked knowingly Of "signs" and
knew the notes of many beasts and
birds.
1t was Archie who took me, the
writer of this chronicle, to call on
Judy one summer when I was the
guest of his father. This was two
years after the captain had taken
charge Of Wachapi and Judy was liv-
ing in comfort, with a vegetable patch
and COWS and pigs, all of which she
had acquired by her own thrift and
labor under the new order of things.
Often have I seen her and Archie
hand in hand entering the verge of
the forest just back of the captains
quarters on their way to examine GER
tain traps that they had set upon the
hillside nea the fume, the child's
fair, bright face upturned to the dark,
melancholy features of the Indian wo-
man as he eagerly prattled of their
ventures.
I had been ct Wachapi about o
month and summer was drawing to a
close. The season had been unusual
y hot and dry and vagrant fires start.
I'D by careless hunters and prospectors
lad spread in the bush.
One night the trees were ablaze
.long the edge of the road q mile be-
ow the agency and the Crazy river
;urned IN awful red as it crept by
beneath the shelter of its banks. The |
lext morning the mountains were
behind a blue veil and out of
his concealment came at intervals
great pillows Of yellow smoke, rolling
in q pale, lurid glare. Indeed
t seemed at times as though the
world was all on fire.
The captain and I were standing on
lis porch looking at this threatening
display when M of the Indians came
u and reported that a fire had
tarted on the hills back of the post.
could see that this made the captain
Ineasy, although, as he explained to |
ae, the clearing for the fume, which
xtended along the side of the hill for
everal miles, would act as a safe
uard in a certain measure. He had
lst said this when Mrs. Baynot ap-
cared at the front door and called
ut in that quiet, tense tone that pre-
ldes tragedy, George, I can't find
.rchie!"
"Isn't he in the house?" asked the
"No." replied his wife, her voice
'embling, GIVE looked everywhere"
nd she clasped her hands so tightly
lat the knuckles grew white.
"Maybe he is with Judy" said the
"No, no, no." protested Mrs. Bay
OF. "He was in the yard a little
lille ago. He couldn't have crossed
lie parade grounds without u seeing
i'm. He must have gone into the
And at this she burst into
'afS.
The captain, somewhat alarmed,
lrriedly gave her a word of comfort
Id passing through the hall went out
to the back yard, I following. The
Gods were SO hazy with smoke that
could see but a short distance, and
e cries of frightened birds and small
eatures constantly deceived us and
'coyed us hither and thither to no
,rpose. Then as we stood for a min
e rubbing our inAamed eyes and
our breath, for the ascent vas 1
eep. we heard an ominous sound =,
om afar off; a ripping, tearing noise, {
water forcing itself through the !
49, - :