Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1903-05-21
BEYOND the
DESERT
BY Currdn
Richard Greeniey
Copyright, 1902, bU T. c. Mcclure

was never thought of her but the
weaving of blankets and the baking of
! the tortilla.
A jingle of beads and the patter of
! mecca sined feet. as Wanna parted the
skins that hung at the door of the
! chiefs tent. Well might they call her
Princess Wahna, the Moon Maiden
( tall and slight. with a mouth like the
pomegranate flower and Il voice like
the faroff chime of the mission bells.
Nadula lifted her head and shot Il
/ contemptuous glance over the girls
I slight figure, gay with wampum, elk
teeth and the glistening beads from the
white traders, with which Neras loved
to decorate his best loved child. idle,
/ always idle" she muttered to herself.
/ But she smiled and called out cheerily
| as Wanna came toward her. Hail,
/ daughter of the great chief. How does
our father since the morning.
Wahna's delicate face was grave and
sorrowful THE medicine man hath
been with him, and the evil spirits will
/ not depart, though they have made the
white smoke of the fire anger to rise
until our father could bear it no longer
He is feeble, and the breath comes
slowly. He calls for thee"
Nadula arose to her full height and
let the unfinished blanket fall to the
! ground, where it lay, gleam of gor-
geous color in the setting sun. Inside
| the hut of skins lay the chief, ghastly
! In the shifting shadows of the eagle
plumes in the great war bonnet that
hung above his head. The massive fig
| ure stretched helplessly upon Its couch
! of buffalo skins was pitifully wasted
with disease He reached out his arms
to Wahna and, holding her encircled,
said to Nadula, who stood proudly
| aloof in the uncertain light:
Daughter, 1t is not our custom to
show aught of feeling. AS the quiet
river runneth deeply, so we of the OF
| tawas have kept our love and our
vengeance. But thou knowest what
the Moon Maiden hath been to me.
| child of the paleface mother, and 1t
| hath seemed wise that the maid should
| know gentler life than the women Of
the Ottawas. Thou knowest how she
has been taught In their SCHOOLS and Is
promised to the young captainT
Nadula laughed. Short and bitter, 1t
reused the dying man. and he raised
| upon one elbow to peer into her face.
| Nadula bent over him. "My father, as
| the shadows gather thou art child
again The white man hath sought
| our Wanna for a moon perhaps, but
when there is talk Of wedding he will
return to his own again. When has the
| paleface dealt otherwise with the
daughters Of the forestT The mock
| Ing voice paused for the answer.
Something OF his strength came back
to the old chief as he half raised him
| self and pointed to the doorway. go,
serpent The blac! finger Is upon thy
heart Go, and when l ride down the
| west remember / leave Wanna in thy
| keeping and do thou see the right of 1t,
| else thou knowest what has been, what
| will be, when thy tribe shall hold the
| traitor"
There was a gasp and a choking sigh,
and Neras the last chief of once
| powerful tribe had passed All night
| the wailing women rent the air with
| their cries, all night the men went to
| and fro, with angry slashes of the
| sinewy breasts whence the blood fell In
slow drops. At set Of the morrow's sun
| they buried him. shrouded In his blan-
ket, the eagle feathers waving over the
| dark face and at his feet the slaugh
| tered pony that was to bear him safe
and far.
No more of weaving, no more of bak-
\ ing the tortilla. Nadula grasped the
| empty scepter. Day after day Wanna
crept TO the door OF the tent and shad;
| ed her level brows In vain watching for
her lover Had Nadula spoken truly?
For a time Nadula was too busy with
the Importance of her new authority
! to take thought of Wanna, but she had
not forgotten. In the long summer
days of the year before, when the
young captain had chanced TO visit the
Ottawas through mere curiosity and
the visit had been repeated again and
again for the sake OF the brown flower
OF the wilderness, Nadula, too, had
learned TO love the bonny face. And
In her hot. unschooled heart sprang up
the terrible hatred OF Wanna.
1t had commenced years before when
Neras had sent Wanna away from the
tribe, and from time to time she had
made them short visits from her mis-
sion school with always n newer grace,
newer beauty and the spirit of the
white mother shining In her soft eyes.
Neras had loved her with the after
math OF the great passion he had felt
for the white captive that had hated
him, who died with her despairlng face
turned away from the child OF her sor-
row and shame.
Nadula had understood. She had not
wanted for the telling when the wom-
en- crouched together over the cooking
pots at evening. What wonder that she
hated Wanna with all the force OF n
savage nature.
In the midst OF the lull came an
awakening, for despite all Naduln's
sneering taunts Malcolm Davent
crossed the strip OF desert TO the coun.
try OF the Ottawas to claim his bride.
Nadula received him in the council
tent, with the head men grouped
around her. II was her hand that held
out the pipe and badc him sit beside
her, contriving 10 hold him there with
one pretcxt and another Davent lis-
tened absently rs the sllkcn sweet
|, voice murmurcd To him. Then ere she
could dctnin him, he broke away, and,
springing to the center of the tent,
called upon the Ottawas for the pledge
of Ncras- Wahna. by the spo..en word
OF Ncras In solemn council had the girl
been given TO him; and as Nadula
would have intcrfcrcd, one by one the
elders OF the tribe arose to bear wit
nCgs 10 the bond.
Then Wanna, her face allSht with
10y, came from the shadows where she
had hidden In her despair. There was
no gainsnying the word that had
passed. Nadull watched, her heart nj
mo stillcd. as the men ands women
pirt Il to citLcr siuc. The rll medi-
enc man drew his circle au nd the
two. while the red flame from the irc
lcnpcd ard threw is golden l.Fia o. The
faces Of Malcolm Davent and Nahna.
That night the Cttawas rcastcd. ANA
there was great +. ir.ng, for 1T the
rising OF the moon Tho Princess Nahnn
woull ride away from them forever.
And when thr f,ust was ca'..t NieALt
brought fortl II bottle OF musty hued
wine to llod-e thcn after the man