The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-07

Teganisoris would play his game with
all possible mystery and Importance. 1t
should be told generations hence about the
council fires, how he, Teganisors, devised
this game, how he played it, how he drew
it out link by link to the last atom Of its
agony. There was receptacle at hand
III which the dice could be placed. Te-
ganisoris stopped, and without ceremony,
wrenched from Mary Connynge's foot the
moccasin which covered 1.-THE little shoe
beaded, beautiful, and now again fate
full. Sir Arthur smiled as though iri actu-
al JOY.
my friend,' said he, IT have won!
This might be the very slipper for which
we played at the Green Lion long ago."
Law turned upon him a face pale and
solemn. Sir" said he, II pray God that
the issue may not be as when we last
played. I pray God that the dice may
elect me and not YOURSELF
You were ever lucky in the games of
chance" replied Pembroke.
"Too lucky said Law. But the win
ner here is the loser, if it be myself"
Teganisoris roughly took from Mary
Connynge's hand the little bits of bone
He cast them into the hollow Of the moe
casn and shook them drama tically to-
gether, holding them high above his head
Then he lowered them and took out from
the receptacle two Of the dice. He placed
his hand on Laws shoulder, signifying
|
he handed back the moccasin to the
woman.
Mary Connynge took the shoe In her
hand and stepped forward to the line
which had been drawn upon the ground
The red spots still burned upon her
| cheeks; her eyes, amber, feline. still
famed hard and dry. She still glanced
as lightly quick and as brilliant as that
Of the crouched cat about to spring.
| Which? Which would it be? Could she
control this gamer Could she elect which
man should live and which should die
this woman. scorned, abased, mastered?
Neither Of these soug hit to read the riddle
Of her set face and blazing eyes. Each
as he might offered his soul to his Creator.
The hand of Mary Connynge was
| raised above her head. Her face was
turned once more to John Law, her mas
| ster, her repudiator. Slowly she turned
the moccasin over in her hand The
white bone fell first, the red for a moment
| hanging in the soft folds Of the buckskin
| She shook it out It fell with its face
nearly parallel to the ground and alighted
not more than a foot from the line, re-
bounding scare more than in inch or so.
| Low EXPLANATIONS arose from all around
the thickened circle.
"As 1 said, my friend" cried Sir Ar
thur, II have won! The throw is passing
| close for you
| Teganisorls again caught Mary Con-
nynse by the shoulder, and dragged her
step or so farther along the line, the
| two dice being left on the ground as they
once more 1t turned, once more the dice
were cast.
! The goddess Of fortune still stood faith
full to this bold young man who had so
| often confidently assumed her friendship,
His life, later to be so intimately con-
cerned with this same new savage coun-
try, was to be preserved for an ultimate
opportunity. - a. - :: i %"F5 =:
The white and the red bone" fell together
from the: moccasin. Had 1t been ,sthe
white bone that counted, Sir Arthur had
| been saved, for the white bone lay actu-
ally upon the line The red fell almost
as close, but alighted on It's end. AS
though .inpelled by some spirit Of evil it
| dropped upon some little pebble or hard
bit Of earth, bounded into the air, fell,
and rolled quite away from the mark.
| Even on that crowd Of cruel savages
there came a silence. OF the whites one
scarce dared look at the other. Slowly
the faces Of Pembroke and Law turned
one toward the other.
"Would God I could shake you by the
hand" said Pembroke. Good by
| "As for you, dogs and worse than dogs"
| he cried. turning toward the; red faces
| about him, mark you! where / stand the
| feet Of the white man shall stand forever
| and crush your faces into the dirt!''
Whether or not the Iroquos understood
his defiance could not be determined.
With wild shout they pressed upon him.
Borne struggling and stumbling by the
impulse of dozen hands, Pembroke half
| walked and half was carried over the dis
| tance between the village and the brink
1 OF the chasm Of Niagara. #%i, -
Until then it had not been apparent
" G 70 hn t11a t,,~4 - III fo+
but when he looked upon the sliding floor
i of waters below him, and heard beyond
the thunderous voices Of the cataract,
Pembroke knew what was to be his final
portion. rs,N
!, There was, at some distance above the
: great falls. q spot where descent was pos
sible to the edge Of the water. Penn
brcke's feet were loosened and he was
compelled to descend the marrow path.