The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-11-30
A SEQUO|A DRYAD
By ETHEL WATTS MUMFoRD.

| the gaunt. dark figure. This time she
did not wait to be addressed, but
walked with majestic languor TO with,
| in earshot.
Men," she said in her clear, mu.
steal Castillian, you are in danger
go your ways and do not tempt your
be1ters to destroy you. For centuries
they have lived. Do you dare to
threaten their cXistence?-if SO, be-
ware! | know them, and l know
their will"
She waited for no response. but
turned. with the slow. strong. grace
full motion that characterized her,
and disappeared in the direction OF
her tree. The half-Meeds looked aft
er her in surprise. took fresh drink
all around aud returned to their talk.
But Derringer could not. He had cx-
perienctd for the second time that
ungovernable fear. that creeping of
the flesh that unntrNes a man lie
swung himself from the platform to
the ground and followed the retreat
ing figure. He saw her enter the
gaping cavern in the heart of the
seo1loa. and Il few moments later
not iced the same thread Of blue
smoke proceeding from an opening
in the bark. where, doubtless. she had
improvised II chimney. He Ionged to
cross the narrow barrier OF the
4 tl,t I,lI l.
ing. but sense of impropriety held
him back. After all She was a wom-
an. this forest giant was her houdo'r,
and the habit of his youthful training
was >till strong upon him.
vrhat was the beginning From
that day forward he knew no peace.
Every day at the noon hour the Dry
ad came. calm and unmo,ed as the
speaking statue. to deliver her warm
ing. and daily the men lost their IN
difference and grew more troubled at
her coming. When the dinner hour
approached they scattered instead OF
climbing" on the scaffoldings. They
looked over their shoulders hurried
~ as they went, and gave the smok-
ing sequoia wide berth. In addition
to the superstitious terrors to which
he now found himself victim, there
was added the more definite anticipa-
ton of desertion among his wood
men. He tried to drown their whis-
pered councils by CHEEKY banter, but
his own heart misgave him.
A week passed and nothing hap
pened save the daily visits of the
Dryad, and the completion of the dis
section of the redwood. The wire
ropes had been staked and drawn
taut, the winders were set up at
safe distance to avoid the possible
spring of branches, and another day
would see the fall of the first cut
redwood of his claim. Derrlngcr
breathed more freely. for the Dryad
did not come at midday. Perhaps she
had given up he fruitless bluff. But
at twilight when the canyon was al.
ready full of the blue-black mystery
of night. and the rush of the little
stream sounded loud and unceasing,
she stood suddenly before him,
framed in the door of his little shack.
"Scnor." she said, this is the last
warning-go!'
She disappeared as if hy magic, and
Derringer's heart lay cold in his
breast. lie shivcred. rose. looked out
at the bIackness of the shadows, lis
tened to the magnitied roar of the
little river. and tried to shake oil
the oppression Of impeding evil-but
anyhow the warnings Of a mad wom-
an. That night there were strange
creakings in the forest and sounds at
times of stretched cables and sinister
cracklings. But the Inmhermen
thought Of the doomed redwood and
turned to more solid slunbers on
their primitive beds.
Suddenly ont of the night came
scream as of ten thousand demons. n
rendng and tearing as of all earth
quake, blow that shook the hills
and echoed down the stony mountain
walls. Then the silence grew and
the vain tumuIt. Dawn
showed the cleft redwood still stand
ing in its cables, ringed by its plank
platform. but the men who planned
its destruction were not there to
the work. They lay crushed
in their fraiI plank shanties, under
the great sequoia.
Only the Dryad was there to see
how its heart had been eaten out by
the devouring fire, until the chamber
at its base had become but a ring of
bark. There was no one to tell of the
patient vengeance of the half-witted
priestess of the trees. But she,
draped in her tattered Spanish tnery,
damp with the nights dews, only
shook her head wisely at the ruin
about her, and calmly took her SOL
itary way through the unbroken
silence Of the canyon in search of a
new Hometown and Country, New
\ lUrk.