El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-06-28

| he placed it to his heart. That was
that it might go with unerring aim to
the heart of the medicine man.
| Then he knelt reverently and kissed
| the earth.
! The steel nerved arm drew the bow
string until the arrow head came back
| against the hand that grasped the bow.
| The medicine man was standing In
front of his red streaked bush. his lips
muttering an incani.stiUn 10 the par
ticular spirit he was having dealings
with. His broad chest, thrust well out,
! seemed to invite the death shaft.
For mothers sakev' Kissed the boy.
| And "twang! went the stretched
sinew string. The jagged iron head of
the arrow tore a CHASTITY hole just
where a streak of yellow beads cut
through a body ground of blue, almost
in the center of the strong chest of the
Blackfoot priest.
Never a sound he gave-only a little
| hoarse gurgle as he fell forward in a
crumpled heap and writhed over on his
back, where he lay staring up at the
smiling sky.
! The boys brain surged hot with
bloodlike fury. He rushed from his con-
cealment and pulled the feather of an
other arrow to his ear as the dead
! Blackfoot's companion faced him.
| It. too, found mark, but only
through the shoulder, and, too eager
: for further combat of this sort, he and
/ the brave drew their knives and closed
in upon each other.
| But the devil was in the boy. He
had been blooded, while the other man
had an arrow in his shoulder, which
+ is not so good as an incentive to fight.
In a few minutes two Blackfoot
scalps were dangling from the boys
shirt front, and he was taking breath
after his fierce struggle. He was mad
with delight. The delirium of triumph
was strong upon him. He felt like
rushing upon the whole encampment.
He wanted to KILL kill, even if he died
killing.
He pulled a handful of sweet grass
and dabbed it in the blood of the medi-
cine man.
! He held it aloft and screamed in his
triumph. His high falsetto voice trilled
the Hi, hi. = y" of the Cree battle
song.
That was the first sound the camp
heard from the battlefield.
He thrust the wet grass in his breast
and raced for the horses as an an
swering cry came back from among
the blue columns of upward curling
| smoke.
! In his pack was little woven horse
hair halter. He pulled it out as he
ran. He had lived among the ponies
and dogs in his own camp. Their ways
/ were his ways.
! Two or three Of the ponies were hob
bled as sheet anchors to keep the others
steady. He tore the hobbies off-from
the chestnut stallion last; then, grasp
ing the strong name, he swung himself
on to the eager back and started the
herd.
The Blackfoot warriors were running
from their tepees. but the Cree laughed
! in victorious glee.
Round the herd of ponies he dashed
on the chestnut with wild yell, and
when they were fairly stampeded he
swung into the lead. Their fast beat
: ing hoofs pounded the grass knit turf
until it gave forth a sound like the roar
of many drums.
A shower of arrows came hurting
after him. A few of the Blackfeet had
muzzle loading guns. little puff of
smoke here and there among his pur-
suers, a tiny white cloud of dust
thrown up at one side or in front of
him, told of the useless shots.
They were pursuing him on foot.
They had no choice, for he had all their
horses.
AS he drew rapidly away he uttered
once more his shrill note of triumph.
| Then he sat down on the stallion and
rode with judgment-eased him up
little.
All that day and all the next night
he rode, resting his band of horses
after he had forded the Battle river
, the first evening.
At daybreak on the second day he
sighted his own camp.
The appearance of so many horses in
the distance excited the Crees. They
thought their enemy, the Blackfeet,
had swooped down upon them.
When the boy rode into the camp at
the head of his footsore troop of pO-
MES, the warriors swarmed about him.
Modestly he told his story, for the
long ride had quieted down his spirits.
| He showed them the ScalpS and his
band of loot
The braves pressed about him closely
and felt his arms and his legs to see
where the strength had come from.
Suddenly there was little commo-
ton. An opening was made in the
crowd, and the nokum pressed forward
to the feet Of the tribes idol.
my boy, my boyw She stopped short.
Her eyes caught sight of the blood on
| his breast.
care you wounded?" She thrust her
hand in at the opening of his deerskin
! shirt and drew it back, clutching a