The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-24

tie hands, become waxen. clutched
and unclutched the side of the door.
The child screamed yet again, merci-
fully hidden from this awful sight by
the Intervention of Lafond's body The
woman made supreme effort to adj
vance, plunged forward, and rolled over
and over on the cabin floor.
at the same instant, with a Shrek
of wind and a roar of rain, the voice
of the thunder spoke.
The saVages, who had watched with
strained eyes this resurrection from the
dead, yelled in an ecstasy of supersti-
tious terror and rushed for the door.
Lafond, utterly unmoved, called to
them in Indian and swore at them in
French, but they were gone. He hest
tated a moment in evident INDIGESTION
as to what should be done next. Then
he rapidly bundled the little girl in
blanket and threw her across his Shout
der. AS he hurried to the door, he
paused for a moment over the motion
less heap of blood and rags on the
floor, coolly thrusting his knife again
and again into the unresisting flesh.
He caught the fugitives only below
the canon of Iron creek. They had
made no pause until we'll out of the
hills, and were still shaking with SUI
perstitious dread. Even Rain-in-the-
Face, bold and self-confident as he was,
had yielded to the panic; nor could
the persuasions, threats or Fidicule of
the half-breed induce them to return.
For time Lafond was of two minds
as to his own course in the matter.
Should ne leave things as they were
for the present or should he return
alone to complete the work? Finally
he decided on the former. The Gallo
love of the spectacular again inter-
vened; besides, he was possessed Of a
certain large feeling that the world
was not wide enough to save his VIC
Tins from him when he should judge
the time fit. He found much joy in
coating over what he imagined the
two men would say, do, and think when
they returned to the cabin. And he
was good deal of a savage. He look
ed forward with fierce delight to the
great battle which he foresaw would
soon take place between Sitting Bull
and his white enemies. So he rode on
with the little band of warriors to
overtake Lone Wolf.
The savages plainly could not under
stand his encumbering himself with
the child. The custom had always been
to seize such a victim by the ankles,
whirl it once about the head to get
a good swing, and then to dash It's
skull violently against a bowlder. They
saw no reason why the rule should be
departed from in this case. Neither
did Lafond, but the queer, zigzag in
tuition OF the half breed had caused
him to feel dimly that he should pre-
serve the child, and as he was in the
habit of gratifying his whims, he pro-
ceeded to carry out his intention in
this case. Once his decision was ex-
pressed in emphatic form, his compan-
ions acquiesced. The child was Mich
ail's captive; with his own captive he
IL I,
dian code.
So little Miss Prue was carried for
seven days on the back of a horse. She
did not cry much, and this saved her
from violence. Her two years of out
door life had made her constitution ro-
bust and this helped her in inevita-
BILE privation. At the end of the week.
the band caught up with Lone Wolf
and his camp, and Miss Prue was given
over into the care of Lafond's two
young squaws. With them she under
went the customary two days jealousy
and then entered fully into the hertz
age of kindness which every Indian
woman squeezes, drop by drop, from
her arid life and lavishes on the crea-
lures who are gentle with her.
She had, to be sure, to learn the In
dian virtues of silence and obedience.
She had to do the little tasks that
are set to girl babies everywhere
among the savage tribes. And, above
all, she had to learn to endure. But,
in recompense, the two Indian women
adored her. They decked her out in
beaded work and white buckskin; they
put bright feathers in her hair and
bright beads about her little neck; they
saVed choice bits for her from the fam
lily kettle; and when night came they
lay on either side of her and softly
stroked her hair as she slept. Over her
head. among others, hung her mothers
scalp.
CONTINUED in Next Sundays News.)
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