The Seattle Republican. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1???-1915, 1900-10-12


quented by the seal, had, after much
hard battling against the tide and
wind, been upset and drowned in the
tremendous surf which at times
thunders on the shores Of the island.
Among that fatal number was the
husband Of Barkri, and on the same
night, few hours later, Barkri knew
what holy, happy thing mothers
love is, for the expected little stran-
ger from babyland made its appear
ance, giving its mother new lease
on life and also doing much to
assuage her grief for the now de-
parted father, the only Fuegianos
with whom Barkri was ever able to
become compatible But trouble
from an unseen source yet awaited
her-her baby did not thrive, and in
a few days dropped perceptibly. She
knew the inevitable, death by burn
ing. She shuddered at the very
thought. Terror, then resentment,
and lastly defiance arose within her.
Surely no Fuegianos mother ever
felt as she did, else such a cruel Gus
tom would have long since become a
thing of the past. That her baby,
her tiny girl with its fathers eyes
and its small pinched features,
should not burn, she was deter
mined. So one night when a chill
ing rain was falling, broken by loud
peals of thunder, she wrapped her
self and child up well-the average
Fuegianos is so thinly clad as to be
almost naked-and wandered far up
into the mountains. How she Jared
there, what dangers underwent,
what privations suffered none save
she herself ever knew, but she was
fully repaid, for her baby lived,
throve and grew rapidly. So did
Barkris love for the child increase
till it was little less than child wor-
ship. They were both happy, Barkri
most so when employed IN teaching
her little girl what few things she
knew, such as making arrow and
spear heads from the bone Of the
whale, for occasionally one ventures
too near the island and is captured.
thus the years passed on, when,
much to Barkri's grief, she noted
that the Fuegianos' blood in her
laughter was asserting itself. Year
y she grew further and further apart
from her mother, and by the time
'he had reached maturity she had
ceased to even recognize her as her
mother, and during the many years
which interyened ere Barkri was
4lgzed ssl1Aa1ie54 9 zztl4s-e'svaas allt thereby
lseless women of the island her
laughter never by look or sign rec
'gnlzed her, who was ever near in
lme OF sickness or trouble, never
sked how or why the most choice
lsh and portions of seal fell to her
OF. Ii whale were captured Bar
ri was sure to get portion Of the
lly blubber, which is considered a
are delleacy by the islanders. To
ms she was likewise unmindful, and
Sarkri's heart grew heavier and
yet when a @ranger. who
lad recently come into their asidst
explained to Barkri that he was -
detective from the states and that
lie had been hunting for her for
Tears, she refused to leave her
laughter. ''You," he said, @are the
ong-lost child Of wealthy parents,
tolen and brought to this island for :.
some unexplainable reason. You
Ire not a Fuegianos, but a full
olooded native OF the United States.
Thousands Of dollars have been
spent in search of your whereabouts,
and yet enough of your legacy re-
mains to last you the rest Of your
lifetime. In fact, you are wealthy
woman, and [ hold the unmistak-
able proofs of your identity. Still
Barkri would not leave her daugh-
ter. On the morrow the detective
was to sail for the states. That night
there was gathering Of the Fuegi-
amos, and the subject Of discussion
was the Staying of several old
women, and among those named was
Barkri. These people are not canni-
balls, but have cannibalistic tenden-
cles to the extent that they eat the
old women of their tribe when they
are no longer of any use. When
Barkrrs name was called a tall
woman of middle age arose and
spoke for portion of her body on
which to feast. Twas Barkri's
daughter. None saw the white
haired woman who had stood out in
the shadows, as she fled from the
spot as fast as her feeble limbs would
carry her; none knew the sudden
thud that her heart had given when
she heard, or how it ached as she
hurried on in the misty darkness;
but on the morrow Barkri, the old
condemned woman; Barkri, who had
once been looked upon as the bright
est woman on the island, sailed with
the detective for the United States.
As their vessel put out to sea, and
was tossed so severely in the turbu-
lent waters around Cape Horn, she
looked back not once, did not even
raise her gaze from the deck of the
ship. Apparently Barkri had ceased
to feel. Did her heart lie buried, as
her life had been spent, with the
Fuegianos in that Land Of Fire??
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