The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1901-04-27

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es, whensI saw that the red devils
were interested I tried to help and bel
lowed with all the power of my lungs. The
old mand olin was within easy reach and i
grasped it and thrust it into Alma,s
hands. The Indians neglected our funerar
|pyre and began to crowd over each other
to get closer to the music. Some of the
squaWs ran up and looked into Almass
mouth to see what produced the sweet
sounds. Old Boca looked frightened. He
dropped on his knees and gazed up into
Alma's inspired face as if he were
charmed beyond all power Of utterance or
movement. Alma sang every song that she
had ever heard in her life, and then sang
them all over again, never for moment
neglecting the old mandolin. After she
had sung for hours and our funeral pyre
had burned to smoldering ashes sudden
~ there was a wild, weird shrek, and
when we turned our heads we saw an old
man with long white hair pointing bony
hand toward our heads and shouting al
tumble of Yaqui words that must have
possessed terrible meaning, for the In
dams fled in every direction, hiding their
eyes with their hands. Even old Boca
ran away. The venerable old man APP
preached us with the deepest reverence,
and after taking the chain from our
bodies he told us in Spanish to sit down
and let peace dwell in our hearts He
disappeared for few moments and upon
returning he brought food and blankets.
I'VE afterwards learned that the old man
who had saved our lives was the great
medicine man Of the tribe and priest of
the sun. He had told his people that he
saw Yaqui god in the form Of a white
eagle circling about over our heads. and
ne warned them that any harm done to-
us would bring famine and death upont
the whole tribe. Such was the power of
this priest over the superstitious Yaquis
that several of them told us the next day
that they saw ,tAe white eagle plainly
with their own eyes,
One cannot listen to the strange story
as told in simple language by this re-
markably interesting girl without being
moved to tears. 1t is doubtful whether
just such another scene was ever wit
messed by mortal eyes since the human
family learned to make war. A full moon
was above, in a cloudless sky, the flames
of the cracking fagots shot in long, red
tongues among the branches of the sway
ing pines, casting weird shadows over the
earth, while the throng Of red savages
slowly gathered about the captives with
unutterable emotions depicted upon their
faces. The aged priest, with his long
white locks streaming from beneath a
crown of plumes, shaking his bony hand
toward the amazed captives and striking
terror to the hearts of the savage sun
Worshipers by interposing the authority
OF the Yaqui bods between the trembling
human victims and the affairs of fire. add
"a a feature to the horrible reality well
calculated. to have moved the emotions of
an artist ...
Inc prisoners, though greatly comfort
ed over the sudden change that had &C.
CURED in their favor, were hardly able to
close their eyes, fearing that the Indians
mi ghf gain be neNed lste their savage
natures when morning came, but when
| morning came they found that the power
of the priest still prevailed. Boca sent
to inquire about their health, and after
they had. eaten a little breakfast that was
brought to them by the priest they were
told that they might return to their
homes. The chief furnished them with
two ponies and provided food for their
Journey
liberty says Miss Alma, land 1 was SO
overjoyed that did not want to take
time to- pick up handful Of gold mug
| gets that Eugene discovered in a little
mountain stream. I, however, waited I'M
der the shade of a tree until he did a lit
tie prospecting, and when he'ca to me
with both hands full of gold, telling me
that he had found the richest placer In
the world, I am afraid that I did not
fully realize the Importance Of his Won
derful strke.'
The further return journey of the happy
lovers was uneventful. Col. lorraine was
so overjoyed to recover his daughter that
! he declared she should not remain in
Mexico another day Il will send you
back to our old home in Texas" he said
"and when the war is over, if this young
man who assisted you at that little con-
cert before a Yaqui audience few nights
ago behaves himself right, we'll, he may
go after YOU ~