The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1903-06-03
BEYOND the
DESERT
BY Curran
Richard Greenfey
, Copyright, 1902, by 7. c. Mcclure
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Nadula clinched the shuttle tightly
IN her brown fingers and wove the
scarlet thread in and out scarce seeing
for the angry tears that rained from
under the black curtain of her lashes
Wanna, always Wanna! Truly. there
was never Il thought of her but the
weaving of blankets and the baking of
the tortilla.
A jingle of beads and the patter of
moccasined feet, as Wanna parted the
skins that hung at the door of the
chiefs tent. Well might they call her
Princess Wanna, the 'Moon Maiden
tall and slight, with a mouth like the
pomegranate flower and voice like
the faroff chime of the mission bells.
Nadula lifted her head and shot a
contemptuous glance over the girls
slight figure, gay with wampum, elk
teeth and the glistening beads from the
white traders, with which Nsras 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. 1.-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 Tull height and
let the unfinished blanket fill to the
ground, where it lay, a CLEAN of gor-
geous color in the setting sun. Inside
the hut of skins lay the chief, CHASTITY
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 Wanna and, holding her encircled,
said to Nadula, who stoo6 proudly
aloof in the uncertain light:
Daughter it 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 know est what
the Moon Maiden hath been to me,
child of the paleface mother, and it
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 captain"
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 harh sought
our Wanna for 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 forestY' The mock
ing -olce 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 60,
serpent The black finger Is upon thy
heart Go, and when / ride down the
west remember | leave Wahna i'm thy
Keeping and do thou see the right OF II.
else thou knowest what has been. what
VIII be, when thy tribe shall hold the
traitor"
There was gasp and choking sigh,
ana Neras. the last chief of a once
powerful tribe. had passed. All night
the wailing women rent the air with
thelr cries. all night the men went to
ana FRO, with angry slashes of the
slnewy breasts whence the blood fell in
SLOW drops. At set of the morrow's sun
they buried him, shrouded in his blau-
ket, the eagle feathers waving over the
DARK face and at his feet tile 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-
eu her level brows in vain watching for
her lover. Had Nadua spoken truly?
FOR time Nadula was too busy with
tne Importance of her new authority
TO take thought of Wanna. but she had
not forgotten. In the long summer
Jays OF the year before. when the
young captain had CHANGED to visit the