Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-06

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the clay. It was a slight. little impression.
Five small toes and a heel, as II a young
ape had stepped there. Put stood upright
and called to Broken Arrow. and showed
him the marks.
1T points east to the desert" he said.
The child has wandered. It IL no witch
craft. II you lose a young coyote and II
runs away. lie II black devilsf'
The chief spread out his hands.
where is her,
Put pointed to the east, where the great
desert spread out under the hot sunshine.
IF 1 follow and bring him back will you
believe7"
Broken Arrow nodded slowly.
If he still lives"
Put hesItated. He pushed his hat back
restlessly on his head, put his hands In his
pockets and stared at the chief. and his face
was troubled.
II want until sunrise" ne said. "1ll come
back then, unless I'm lying around dead out
yonder somewhere. And. say, we've been
friends, you know. That day a year ago.
when four of your boys stole cur horses and
we caught them. Remember Big Tom was
going to swing them up on the dead cotton
wood and let you know we objected. and /
Fixed things up for you, and one was your
own boy. Remember
The old man looked at the warm, eager,
boylsh face and nodded grimly.
Then l ought to have some kind Of a
pull with you, don't you know. You owe me
for that yet, and I'm going to call you now,
Just be good and fair to her until sunrise.
Don't let them devil her yonder in the camp
all night. Wait until sunrise"
Broken Arrow put out his hand.
UNIT SUNRISE" he said, and addedi
"Your squawf"
Put flushed crimson.
mot yet, old man. Some day. please God"
and under his breath as he sprang to the
saddle. IF l live to see sunrise"
They would not let him speak with her.
He raised his hat and waved 1t and she laid
her hand on her breast, where the revolver
lay. and they understood. Then he rode
away slowly toward the east, following the
track Of u Dog. and Broken Arrow took
her to his own tepee and set q guard on 1t
until sunrise.
And all night the Angel sat there, sleep
less and waiting, with only the crackle
Of the watch IRE TO break the stiffness or
the sudden sharp vail Of a mother mourn
ing for her lost baby boy, In the next
tepee.
The moonlight slipped through the rift
where the nap Of the skins closed the en-
trance. She watched II with a kim OF
fascination, and when It faded and turned
gray and she could trace the outlines Of
the tent poles over her head, she drew out
the r~evolver and laid her head back on the
blanket Of the couch and tried to think OF
something beside the kiss OF Little Put.
Broken Arrow played fair and true. Not
until the sun had risen a mans hight above
- - II. - - NAA 1n1nRf AtA
he order the watch fires trampled out and
the teuee opened. And at the threshold
he paused, for there was no terrified, white
| faced witch w0ssz 70 greet him but a
girl who slept In peace as q child and
smiled. and he thought Of Puts last words
and turned back to the east again for a
last look.
And there was great stiffness among the
| group Of gaunt, half-nude figures sanding
in the red glow Of the sunrise, for some
thing moved like a wounded animal on the
| face OF the desert, ana when It had reached
| the edge where the giant cactt threw UP
great thorny spikes II fell forward, and
| Broken Arrow babe them go and briag back
what was left Of Little Put.
II was the shrek Of the woman Who had
mourned that awakened the AngSl, and
abe prayed In her heart, and kis;ed the
revolver and rose to face the sunrtle. But
when the tepee opened there were TO cries
Of vengeance to greet her. no leaPtAg nres
Of torture, only a half-clad Indian woman
grooming and, weeping over q s~tarvod-eyed.
frightened boy child on her kneos, and
before her the body Of little Put lay at
the feet Of the Angel.
The rest IL on record at Piety Flat In
the hearts of the boys who rode out al
midnight to hnd the lost ones, or wipe
every Indian within twenty miles on the
face of the earth. They searched the riveI
bottom. and the washes and the hills. and
found only the body Of q dead burto and 9
smashed kodak, but when the sim rose
they entered Broken Arrows village. re-
~yoiyers in hand, q troop OF sineVy, sun
burned, resolute American boys, looking fol
their own.
That night a memorial Jubilee Was held
nm AT the Headquarters tent. They lifted
Put up on q table and he broke the news
while the Angel smiled sadly at tbs eager
Joyous faces Of Jacks chums.
81 found the dirty little beggar ou'
under q cactus shade. sprawled out lik'
a lizard. fast asleep" said Put. ut wa
the getting back that broke me up.
had TO leave the horse back there some
where whom he fell and rolled on my foo
and It was hard dragging along with daWi
chasing you up and a squaling. starve'
Indian cub hanging to your back. Ant
that's all, boys, except hat we fxed 1t III
ali right with Samantha az witness. She
going to be Mrs. Putney Chadwick an
Inl try to take Jacks place"
That was the cue. Put had passed tn
word around when We hrst reached cam
and everyone was ready for the memoria
service. Put led. He told how Jack Ray
mopd had come out with Sim Roger
among the fret bunch to hit the Fiat; HOY
his hope and jolly good fellowship ha
kept the rest alive and how we all love
him.
Then Big Tom started to tell how Sir
had caught the fever. the horrible insid
ious fever that steals like poisonou
quicksilver through the veins Of a ma
and leaves him as the fever In Indi
leaves It's thousands.
1--WE we're coWards,' said Tom huskily
I'VE left the boy alone over under the cot
tonwood n Jack took him home an
nursed him all through the night"
"He battlsd with the fever" put In lie
Mason with gloomy emphasis.
And beat It," concluded Tom. IAN
then before We knew 1t he was down him
self and he died like a hero in Littl
Puts arms"