The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-26
xxXVII.
ASHES.

AOf1E40.
A light night wind had arisen from
the lower prairie, and occasionally
puffed a stray wisp of smoke or heat
across the westernmost curve of the
circle. Hot sparks shot up in the air
swiftly. paused, and floated dying down
the wind. Above, occasionally, the
clear stars peeped in through the can
opy of blackness which the freight so
jealousy guarded. There was per-
ceptible chill in the air. AS the long
speech continued and drew to a close,
the half breed, seated on the prairie
side of the fire, shivered convulsively
from time to time, for he was now al
most exhausted by excitement and
lack of sleep and food. At first he had
submitted to the trial, if so it might
be called, unwillingly enough to tell
the truth, but without suspicion that
it could result in anything more Serl-
Gus than a fine for desertion. 1t might
almost be looked upon as a ransom,
and this he was willing to pay. His
principal emotion had been that of
frantic chatting because, for the pres
ent, Jim Buckley and Billy Knapp were
free to make trouble for him. He had
no doubt they would do so, although
he did not know exactly how they
would go at it.
AS Lone Wolf so dramatically out
lined the grounds of his accusation,
however, Lafond really began to see
the face of fear. He gathered that the
very night he had chosen to quit the
tribe, some one had killed the tribes
medicine man and defiled the totem in
a way not to be mentioned here. This
is with Indians the Unforgiveable Sin.
Suspicion had naturally coupled the
sacrilege with his own coincidental dis
appearance. Probably even at the time
no one had doubted his guilt or had
suspected any other cause for his de-
sertion. The real criminal had been
able easily TO cover his trail; and now
so many years would have hardened
even a slight suspicion, let alone a
positive certainty, into conviction abso-
lutte. Lafond saw that his chances
were desperate, and yet so suddenly
was the knowledge forced upon him
that he could hardly realize it. But
few hours before, he had held in
than any other one man in the terri
tory Now he was in danger of his
life.
He knew we'll enough that his only
chance lay in keeping cool. He must
not interrupt the orator with denials.
He must try to make his eloquence tell
Lone Wolf ceased abruptly, drew his
blanket about his shoulders and sat
down. Two squaws noiselessly entered
the circle, bearing wood for the fire.
After they had withdrawn, Lafond rose
to his feet.
He was at once uncomfortably con-
scious of the circle of snake eyes. 1t
was for him the predominant note in
the scene.
He began haltingly, partly because
he did not know what to say, partly
because long disuse had impaired his
fuency in the Indian tongue. But in
a moment, as he began to realize that
he was now in the act of making the
only plea for his life which his cap
tors would permit him, his speech
quickened until it was as rapid as that
of Lone Wolf himself.
1t was a mastery effort, for Lafond
had not lost the old eloquence which
had earned him the name of MAN
who-sp eaks- Medicine" He reviewed,
as had Lone Wolf, his services to the
tribe. He did it modestly, stating
plainly the facts and leaving the saw
ages to draw their own conclusions.
He showed further that in so bending
his efforts to the tribes betterment,
he had been actuated by no selfish
motives, in proof of which proposition
he enumerated one by one the various
opportunities he had let pass of de-
camping enriched beyond any one war
rior's dreams of wealth; to which
proposition he further pointed out as a
COIOlldTy that he ldQ III reality QSpddI-
ed with but his own weapons and the
clothes on his back. This made an
impression. Having thus established
his disinterestedness as regards his
services to the tribe, he went on fur
Their to show that these argued, FUR
thermore, an intense personal interest
in it's welfare. He loved his people,
He challenged them to cite one of his
deeds which would bear the contrary
| construction.
And then, with a holiness that al
most amounted to genius, he drew be-
fore them wildly that night on the
| battlefield when he had so long con-
templated the fallen white chief, and
| he detailed to them the reasons he hal
then for believing the Indians warlike
power was from that moment doomed
TO wane.
II saw these things" he said, "as
one to whom Gitche Manitou had
! spoken, and 1 knew they were true.
| But my brothers were victorious: they
saw the blue coats scattered as the
| dust is scattered by the wind NV
words would have been as the water
that slips away or the cloud that van
| ishes in the heavens. If l had told
my brothers these things, they would
not have believed. You, Spotted Dog;
you, Firebrand; even you, Lone Wolf
would not have believed Look well
that l speak words of truth. Then you
would have cast me out as one with
forked tongue"
Such being the case, Lafond argued
that, inasmuch as he could do nothing
for his people by sharing their disgrace
he left them. But only for a reason, -
he explained You are warriors; I
am a man of craft. When your bows
are broken and your arrows lost. then
must L take my weapons and strive
as can. l went forth to fight for
my brothers, Behold me; have fought
and won. 1 am rich. NY brothers
are to share my riches. Now 1 can
return to the lodges of my brothers as
one coming from far war trail, bring
ing the ponies and scalps of the enc
mics my hand has struck"
Then suddenly the speaker took up
the question of the crime itself. He
dilated on it with horror. He ac-
knowledged no excuse for it, But. he
asked them, why should he have com
mitted it? He showed them that he
could have had no motive for such a
wanton insult. And, most ingenious
OF all, he pointed out that if, as Lone
Won had supposed, the tribes mis-
fortunes had arisen because of Citche
Manitou's wrath over this terrible
crime, then that wrath and those mis-
fortunes would indubita bly, have been
VISITED on him, the accused with the
rest Tor he was a member of the
tribe and according to the accusation
the gutltiest of them all. Such was
not the case. On the contrary, he had