The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-12-16

1 tAASSN
morning sun. Anything more Jealous,
more importunate than an Indian in
search of a gift l have never met My
store of himbles-used for decoration
purposes only-necklaces. gurt-metal
buckles, scarlet betting and cambria
sashes was exhausted Yet must find
wedding present. had it. From
the shopping-bag which / carried in
my tramps with the agent as a recep-
tacle for the different specimens of
wild flowers to be found, | drew a
gaudy silk handkerchief. 1t gave me
genuine pleasure to pass it on. 1t had
come into my possession rather against
my will only the day before. l had
been taking 6 solitary ramble along
the trees bordering the river, and a
great, fierce-looking Indian woman had
met me and thrust the thing in my
face with an imperative, BUY, buy,
| buy" To humor her l had taken it,
giving her at the same time a piece of
silver. Then, thinking to make her
little more human, a little less fierce,
held it cat to her again
| Take il" spoken in my most win
ming notes, "and tie it about your neck.
l am sure you would not wish to part
with it,
| She had thrown, actually thrown it
back at me-. and sped away with curse
for some one on her tongue. Assuredly
was glad to pass the 'kerchief on to
| Watona.
With pardonable pride shook it out
OF its folds, and laid it on the knee of
the bride. Her eyes lighted greedily,
but before she could grasp it Young
Bear had it in his hands. "So!" he
muttered; then again that retrospective
| "So!"
Watona made two Intellectual at
tempts to get the thing into her posses
sion. cit is mine, mine!" she kept re-
iterating, but he did not pay the least
attention. Once caught his eye flash
ing swiftly toward distant corner,
and following his glance I made a
curious discovery. What l had thought
to be dog lying under gray blanket
was no dog, but a human being. A
hand pushed the blanket aside, up
came dark face; two blazing eyes
fastened themselves on the Indian and
his bride. Watona began pushing her
brass bracelets up and down excitedly,
clamoring the while for her possess
sions. Big Bear sat unheeding, a
curious air of shame about him. He
kept fast hold of the scarlet and blue
rag, and once again his eyes flashed to-
ward the gray blanket.
Suddenly the recumbent figure in the
corner rose to its full height and came
forward. With start l recognized
the Indian woman who had sold me
the handkerchief. There was no mis-
taking that strong face, that great fig
ure, no installing the eyes which
seemed demanding that some wrong
as deep as hell be righted. Yet, when
she spoke, her voice was calm, almost
contemptuous. Give it to me-" She
held the 'kerchief off, and looked at it,
her fingers fingered on it. at was
mine. My man, my man, Watona, laid
1t on my first-born's cradle as a gift
for me. My young cn1er, my straight
thing, my strong and laughing thing
put out hands for it, would have it."
Young Bear called out savagely, but
as it was in his native tongue could
only conclude from the way she met it
that he was commanding her to leave
the lodge
at is not time" she said. All
through she spoke in English as
oh ;c,hi 70,
was going forward. 81 will not go yet.
Shall Lala go back to her own people
and cry for all to hear my head is in
the dnst?' You cast me forth, you
take hero, the scorn Unreasonable
in that word-"to your bed, you put
my chains on her-see my neck is bare,
put my moccasins on ner-see my feet
are bare-put all on her, Lala is naked.
You give her fish, and bread, and game,
Lala hungers. You say go, yet Lala
stays. She will not go in disgrace to
her people. She bides her time"
Watona gave her a malignant glance.
You are 10 longer Lala the strong;
You die soon, very soon," she said,
tauntingly. The other shook the 'ker-
chief to and fro, holding it where the
sun crept through the entrance to the
lodge. HE is dead, my little warrior,
and so-and so it does not matter; let
her have it." With quick motion she
flung it fair in Watona's face. The
great figure swept out of the lodge.
There was that about her which
brought mist to my eyes; she had
the expression, the bearing of some
big animal of the wood, MORALLY
wounded and shelterless, no spot in
which to hide.
"Lala the discarded" called the
odious Watona after her. "Lala, a
dog that skulks at the door she is or
dered from; a dog that eats crumbs
from an enemy's table. Yah! Yah!
Yah!"
Young Bears face expressed admira-
ton.