The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-02-25

bringing i'll some horses the boys had
missed for some time. it was Miss
Steele's first sight of the Navajo, and
she came down to the coral where they
were all gathered to see them. Among
them was young chief named Chatto.
who had attended an Indian school at
Albuquerque, and could therefore
speak fairly good English. He was a
picture of savage tinery. Around his
waist was buckled costly belt made of
great plates of solid silver; in his ears
hung huge silver rings; each arm was
clasped by half dozen bracelets of the
same precious metal, and his mecca,
sins and leggings were thickly studded
with buttons fashioned from dimes,
quarters and half dollars. Across his
shoulders hunga gaudy Navajo blanket,
and his horses bride was fairly weight
ed down with glittering trophies of the
Indian silversmith's skill
1t was but few moments before Miss
Steele was bartering with him for
bracelet; but of no avail-he would not
sell at any price. However, when the
other Indians left he stayed behind, un-
til, as dinner was nearing, the boys
asked him to eat with them. 1t was
soon evident that he had eyes only for
Miss Steele, and after dinner she spent
| an hour talking to him of his school ex-
periences and in trying to learn few.
words of the Navajo tongue. The next
! day he returned, and the next, until it
was plainly to be seen that the gay
laugh and brown eyes of the girl had
completely bewitched him.
One day he came, bearing the ring
have described, and shyly offered it to
her, insisting that she must place it on
her engagement finger, which she did,
never dreaming that the boys, keenly
watching from the clubhouse, had put
him up to it, telling him that was the
way that white lovers did, and that
once she put on his ring she was his by
all the laws and customs of the white
man.
When Cameron, who was away at the
time, heard of it, he was furious, md
went straight to Miss Steele and urged
her to return the ring and Danish the
Indian from the ranch. But she, see
ing that back of all her lovers eagerneSs
for her safety was lovers jealousy az
well, affected not to believe him, and de-
clared her intention of keeping and
wearing the ring. 1t was this ring that
she kissed so tragically and replaced
on her hand at the opening of the story
On leaving the ranch, for the first two
or three miles, the girl gave her pony
an almost free rein. 1t was gloriou.
morning in September, when the sun
had lost its greatest power, and the all
was fairly intoxicating in its freshness
The range never looked finer than it did
now, after the summer rains had GOV.
cred it with wonderful growth OIL
grass, dotted with millions of daisies
"Black-Eyed Susans," and dozens Of
other varieties of prairie flowers, which
in places fairly maA the air heavy with
their perfume. The trail led her ovel
a wide mesa, and at its highest point
she stopped her pony and drank in the
wondrous scene. Away off to the north
the great table lands, or mesas. where
live the snakeloving Moqui Indians
hung in an almost indescribable gran
deur, blue and misty against the sky
more like mirage than reality.
Across the valley below her she could
see the figure of solitary horseman
which, after scanning for few mo
ments, she decided to be Cameron, al
. though she had thought him mile
away from there by this time. He,
pony having recovered his wind, sh,
started down the mesa toward the APP
preaching figure, glad to see some hu
man being in all that waste of loneli
ness around her. AS she drew neare
she saw that it was no white man, bu
an Indian, the red sash tied around hi
head being plainly visible at quite dis
lance, but nothing daunted she kept oil
her course, presuming him to be the In
dian mail carrier who came in from tn
agency twice week with the mail sacl
tied behind his saddle.
AS the distance between them lessene,
she saw with great uneasiness that
was her admirer, Chatto, and with
sort of guilty fear in her heart sh
turned off the trail and pushed her pom,
into a lope toward bunch of horse
grazing near, as if she wanted to Loo
!. at them closer. Aglance over her shout
der showed her that the Indian ha,
turned also and was following her, an
the girl, now thoroughly alarmed
urged her pony to his fullest speed
The Indian called to her to stop, but sh
only rode the harder. Chatto, how
ever, was we'll mounted, and he slowl
gained on the flying figure; her COW
boy hat had blown from her head, an
was held by the string around her mech
and she was urging her pony with voic
and quirt.
"Stop, l shoot!" called the Navajo
but she rode the faster, expecting ever
> instant to hear the crack of his Win
: chester AT last he was within 80 fee
: of her, and she felt that her pony ha
:, done his utmost and there was no es
= cape. Another look over her shoulde
: showed her that the Indian had take
l down his long raMhiGe reata and wa