Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1901-11-13

Coyotes leg. Perhaps the mescaPs In
f1uence was on the wane, for big |
brown knee was thrust quickly up from
the sand and big brown hand clutch
ed the ugly knife at the Coyotes side, |
but the hand fell and the noble red
man snored on.
Dubs tried on the cartridge belt and |
became an Indian, all but the indis-
pensable knife and he concluded to
borrow that from the sleeper, whose
! fingers had lost their grip on the buck
horn handle.
"It's bigger'n mommie's butcher
knife, amt it, Gay?" the young savage
asked as he grasped the handle OF the
devilish looking blade. Now, you 'tand
over we're, and I'll get hind Wis wock.
Ven you tum along, I'll jump out and
kill you"
Gay demurred.
ooh, it's on'y make b'leve. Vese
kind O. Injuns don't kill nobody" And
he stuck a contemptuous finger toward
the innocent Coyote. Its on'y 'Paches
at kills, an veys none yound' here,
mommie says. Pm 'Pache, so you
better look out"
1t was dubious sport for Gay, and
when it came to the killing part she
screamed Justify.
"You've woked him up an 'poiled 1t
ALL" said Dubs in tone OF accusation.
"Now he'll want his knife"
Sure enough, the Coyote That Bites
; did shake his brown legs and arms
quite vigorously, but the last two big
swallows of mescal held him down.
So, after turning over and burying his
hatchetlike face In the sand, he lay
quiet again.
When he had thus turned over, was
brought into view the rifle, which had
been concealed by his dirty blanket.
Dubs eyed the weapon with covetous
eyes. He could not withstand the temp
tation of feeling it all over, standing
it up on it's butt and trying to shoulder
1t, but this last feat he could hardly
, accomplish Just what it was that
: kept his fingers off the hammer and
: trigger and prevented a sound that
q would surely have brought the Coyote
! to his feet with yell, am sure can
! not tell, but Dubs played with that
: fascinating weapon nearly an hour,
: while Gay poured sand over the car
A tridges, hiding nearly all of them from
:. view.
BY this time the suns rays were on
v the long slant, and the children were
d very hungry. By this time, too, the
/ Apache was growing restless, for the
v mescal had nearly lost it's grip upon
e him. A train laundering by, or, much
e less, swift" brushing against his
p black foot, spider dropping on his
leg, or even big fly buzzing at his
n ear-any of these would have set his
q demon force into play again.
It But the children could not wait fol
It such demonstrations as these though
f why it did not occur to Dubs that thu
= Coyotes ear needed tickling with
e grease wood twig the Lord only knows
d The wind was up, and the wires were
v murmuring louder than ever. The WEI
s ones had sported in the black shadows
v long enough-had played with the fang
d of the deadly serpent until they wer
n tired and their stomachs were empty
le So they set off on a trot for home.
Just as they turned the bend ant
l. came in sight of the low roof OF tn
d station dust devir' swept by tn
rocks where lay the Coyote That Bites
1t He jumped to his feet, grasped hi
rs empty sheath. gave mad whoop an
at started about in feverish rage. Their
so was his knife, half covered by tn
Id sand, and there was his rife, far fror
ed his side. Here was the cartridge bel
he empty, and all about him in the san
were countless little footprints.
no A bewildered look stole over his fac
IS. but it passed away when his eyes res
ey ed ON the empty demijohn. The e.
es preston that replaced it was one OF d
nd moniacal ferocity, and the lust
ne slaughter lay heavily upon him. bl
he the cartridges-where were they! ID
ey saw Gays mound of sand and. kickin
it, gave a grunt Of delight to see II
he brazen capsules that were scattere
re right and left by his foot.
XII He picked them all up. grunting ov'
so each one. Filling the belt and graspir
he his rifle, he started off in the directic
ar In which the small footprints led. LII
", a bloodhound. he chased along Il
so track. His eyes scanned the plain
vn every turn. and his breath was hot al
he strong. But when he turned the
he curve and saw the station he knew tn
he was late-too late-and he gave
ere grunt of disgust and was on ike u
'as wind over a side trail that led towal
On, the sunset.
of In the low rooted station house Il
he mother crooned to tired little Gay, !
lal ing so soft and limp in her arms. 81
ay. looked out over the desert. saw the 81
] a touching the tips of the solemn gla
off cacti with purple dots. saw the prick
:" pear shrubs holding their grotesq'
der arms above the great sweep OF sal
that ran down to the low horizon al
the felt the inspiration of the scene. as 81
,ile had often felt II before. for the desc
mi has a beauty that is all its own. 81
ote knew that other women In the gre
cities and in the cool. green vale
pc. might pity her in that desolate sp'
the but she felt that she needed not the
L.. IL IL lA4a.