Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-02-12
WAH-KEE-NAH.
The Girl Cook of Mt. Hood.


tacle. Then she slipped behind IN
the shadows to watch the effect, as
the curling smoke passed from CHIEF
to the Colonel and on around the Gil
Gle, seeming to warm anew the re-
cent grievance. One by one each re-
lated story of woe to the Colonel,
who sat silently smoking and doing
nothing hut smoke. Wah-kee- nah
noted that gleefully. Had she not
prepared the smoke, and did she not
know OF something that was in the
smoke? The Colonel was growing
very white and pale, and the big YER
milion-spotted chief, how comical he
was carrying himself, nearly upset
ting his dignified self Now was her
time.
Noiselessly she slipped into the
hall and summoned Blue-Bird, who,
belonging TO another tribe, at enmity
had not dared show himself, but was
watching an opportunity for action
Then lighting up the big storeroom
with long waxen candles, revealina
its contents, pumpkins big and little,
the turkey, which she hung tempt
ingly on a nail in the center of the
room, the rooster by its side, quail
and duck; shelves of jelly and fruit.
cake, cookies, plum pudding and 9TH
Indian youth, tall and commanding,
with the black hair braided in two
lengths of big thickness. that waved
to the side of his forehead and made
prominent pair of soft hazel eyes
that made one trust him, in any cir
cumstances, had always for an Old,
portunity to display his valor for
Wah-kee-nah. And now he could
show his mettle. So he stood grim
and defiant over-a pantry, That was
what it amounted to. But for her
who was always getting him into
scrapes, he would be faithful ever.
Quickly returning, Wah-kee-nah
reached the council just in time to
see the Colonel, very white, nearly
fainting.
"See!" she exclaimed, gesticulating
wildly, with native instinct. and
pointing to the door of the storeroom,
wherein was disclosed the tempting
viands, with valiant Blue Bird stano-
ing guard with bow and arrow IN
hand. You shall have a big dinner
/ tomorrow-my Thanksgiving dinner
with all these things to eat, if you
viii desist in bothering the Coloner.
! See you have made the Colonel sick
| by your much talk. l will put him to
bed and tomorrow you can have your
feast. But you dare not touch those
things tonight, for Blue-Bird guards
them at my command. See!"
with a grunt, part of disgust and
part OF approval at the prospect of
something to eat, they strangely kept
quiet and seemed under spell Soon
all were asleep around the fire built
by Wah-kee-nah, lulled by the Nor
pheus of the smoking pipe The
chief, huddled in his robe, was snor-
ing most assuringly.
After Wah-kee-nah had gone
through the pretense of putting the
Colonel TO bed, though truth to tell
he was pretty sick. she ran swiftly to
the waters edge and from beneath a
clump of heavy underbrush brough,
forth boat of commodious length.
Filling 1t with some supplies, she an
chored il safe for immediate use and
then rushed back and, with Blue-Bird,
/ helped the Colonel and the ladies
safely in the boat, ready for fight.
Not sound dare they make in their
escape. Not a twig was broken, not
a leaf rustled, for fear of awakening
] the Indian band.
Go east. up the river to Cape
Horn" said Wah-kee-nah, and you
Will find a cave at the entrance OF
the west side. Stay there and ! will
come tomorrow night at midnight.
Til then, bye"
But your Thanksgiving, child"
tearfully exclaimed Mrs. Thornton
For answer, Wah-kee-nah merrily
shook her raven locks. ME have it
all same" was all she would say.
The Colonel reluctantly left Wah
keenan,, He did not worry for her
safety, He knew the reverence she
was held in by this tribe. But what
tactics would she use with them, he
wondered What could he do for tn.
people in the sparsely settled region
in case of an outbreak?
AS for Wah-kee-nah, she ran into
The fort and, although just in time
between dark and breaking of dawn,
she ran into the kitchen and hastily
built Z fire. bidding Blue Bird watch
the sleeping Indians.
Il will keep my word with ugly
Chief Thunder Cloud and he will see
my coming here is not in vain.
will cook him such toothsome food
that he will be glad to let the white
man alone, and let me learn yet more
how to cook" So she took the roost-
er the turkey, two quail and a duck,
and set herself TO finish her job OF
picking them. after which she placed
them in the big square oven to haste
and brown. The pumpkin by that
time spluttered in a big iron kettle,
and she soon had a mixture for love
,ly pies. All this time n big not or