Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-07-18

game, Blue Heron chose an original
method of wagering. 1.-THE pinto
pony against her head" said he, as he
sat down opposite homework. He
won the head.
"The buckskin pony against her
heart" said Blue Heron, winking
gravely at a b~ystander opposite him.
He lost the heart and the buckskin
pony. Homework laughed jubilantly,
and a wave of excitement ran through
the crowd, which then settled into a
breathless silence to watch the result
of the next wager.
This blanket against her hands,"
said Blue Heron. He Won the hands.
1.-The other blanket against her feet"
said Blue Heron. He won the feet.
BY this time a dense throng sur
rounded the contestants. A spokes-
man in the foremost rank commune
Gated the result of each play in a gut
teral undertone to the man behind
him, who passed it back until it
reached the outermost ring of women
and girls. where much suppressed
conversation and giggling were going
on.
~ pony cSoIhSS nv
head" said Homework. At this point
there was some commotion among
the spectators. \ sturdily built old
Indian was forcing his way toward
the center, and recognizing Teenat,
the father of the wagered girl, the
crowd parted and allowed him to
pass. Homework dealt, and the hands
were played out in absolute silence.
Homework lost and the buckskin pony
passed back to Blue Heron. There
remained but the heart of Kone-
wock's squaw in his possession; they
had been playing an hour.
Il wager all against the heart" saiT
Blue Heron, dealing the cards
Blue Heron won; he laughed loud
ly as he rose from the blanket and
stretched himself. His laugh was
echoed by his friends in the crowd.
which broke up into little knots with
much noisy jest and babbling. Old
Teenat strobe through the ~dissolving
groups without answering any of the
would, Sc witticisms flung at him..
Blue Heron linked his arm through
that of Homework, and said: "Come
on! Let us get the woman; 1 want
to be Off"
They found her standing by her
fathers wickiup; her mother, sit
ting on the ground before a smolder-
ing fire of sage brush, appeared to be
absorbed in watching the contents of
, a tin can which was simmering on the
Goals. Teenat was occupied in cinch-
ing up a blind old pack horse, and
paid no attention to the young men.
"Looesa. this is Blue Heron" said
Homework, at once, suIky and shame
faced. "You belong to him now"
The girl regarded them with blaz-
ing eyes. 81 belong neither to you
nor to him." she said, with concen-
trated fury in her tones. ST will stay
here"
"You will mott" asserted Kone-
wock, taking hold of her, none too
gently.
The girl screamed, and old Teenat
turned, but did not stir from his
place. He was a man of substance
and character, much respected among
his people, the Yakfmas. Let be-"
he said, briefly; "my daughter is not
a slave to be gambled for over a
blanket. She goes with me-"
homework dropped the girls arm
and turned to Blue Heron, question
ingly. The latter only laughed, as
usual, observing Freely translated
into English ~vernacular): "WeI, it
seems you can't deliver the goods!
I'm not looking for a fight. 1 am
satisfied with the plumber I have. I
only accepted the wager to please
you. Ta-tai' Turning lightly on his
heel he went away.
Homework shortly followed, sulky
and sore and half an hour later the
two might have been observed, if
every one had not been too busy
with his own affairs to give them
any further thought, plotting to-
gether under the high banks of the
coulee. AS a matter of fact, Blue
Heron was not so Indifferent: to the
girls rejection as it had pleased him
to appear. He rather piqued himself
upon his personal appearance, and
was not won't to sue in vain. He con-
sidered that he had fairly won the
young squaw, and lent himself read
lily to Konewock's suggestions, with
the result that when Teenat's family,
dIT6dUy several H1IIeS OIL JHelT nOD1e-
ward trail, camped for the night. two
horsemen hobbled their ponies be-
hind a hillock not far away. The
first time Looesa ventured abroad
among the uncertain shadows search
ing fol fagots to feed the dying fire,
two pairs of sinewy arms seized and
gagged her and bore her away with
out sound of struggle or cry to alarm
her relatives, and five minutes later a
little Indian pony was making record
time, despite its double load, in the
direction of the Blue mountains, amid
whose recesses Blue Heron intended
to lose himself until the pursuit was
given over. For he did not doubt
that the young men of the Yakimas
would make Teenat's cause their own.
When Blue Heron considered that
it was safe to do so, he removed the
gag from between Looesa's teeth and
set her down on the ground beside
his pony's head; he still retained his
hold of the RATA with which his cap
tive's wrists were bound, and thus
forced ner to walk beside him until
his windcd steed had recovered itself,
when he lifted her in front of him
and again Hoped away at full speed,
the unshod hoofs of his pony beating
softly on the sandy plain. 1t was
Blue Heron's intention to reach the
Walla Walia, ford it by break of day,
So