The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-06-09
BEYOND the
DESERT
BY Curron
Richard Creenfey
Copyright, 1903. by T. C. Mcclure
HoAoAoAoAoHH

z Copyright. 1903. bv 7. C. Mcclure
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Nadula cllnched 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 Wahna. Truly, there
was never a 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 Wahna, the Moon Madden
tall and slight. with a mouth like the
pomegranate flower and a voice like
the faroff chime of the mission bells.
Nadula lifted her head and shot
contemptuous glance over the girls
slight figure, gay with wampum, elk
teeth and the glistening beads from the
white traders, with which Neras 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. 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
co. lane
He is feeble. and the breath comes
slowly. He calls for thee"
Nadula arose to her full height and
let the unfinished blanket fall to the
ground, where 1t lay, a CLEAN of gor-
geous color In the setting SUM- 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 stood proudly
aloof in the uncertain light:
Daughter, 1t 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 knowest what
the Moon Maiden hath been to me,
child of the paleface mother, and 1t
hath seemed wise that the maid should
know a gentler life than the women Of
the Ottawas. Thou knowest how she
has been taught In their schools and is
promised to the young captainT
Nadula laughed. Short and bitter. 1t
reused the dying man. and he raised
Nadula bent over him. MY father. as
| the shadows gather thou art a child
again, The white man hath sought
| our Wanna for a 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 forestT The mock
ing voice 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. go
| serpent. The black finger is upon thy
heart Go, and when 1 ride down the
| west remember l leave Wanna In thy
keeping and do thou see the right Of It.
| else thou knowest what has been, what
will be. when thy tribe shall hold the
| traitor"
| There was a gasp and a choking sigh
and Neras. the last chief Of a once
powerful tribe. had passed. All night
the wailing women rent the air with
their cries, all night the men went tc
and fro. with angry slashes of the
| sinewy breasts whence the blood fell ir
slow drops. At set of the morrow's sur
they buried him. shrouded In his blan
ket. the eagle feathers waving over the
dark face and at his feet the slaugh
tered pony that was to bear him safs
| and far.
No more of weaving. no more Of bak
ing the tortilla. Nadula grasped tn,
empty scepter. Day after day Wahns
crept to the door OF the tent and shad
ed her level brows i'm vain watching fo
her lover. Had Nadula spoken truly?
For a time Nadula was too busy witt
the Importance OF her new authorit,
to take thought Of Wanna, but she hat
not forgotten. In the long summe
days of the year before, when tn,
young captain had chanced to visit tn
Ottawas through mere curiosity ant
the visit had been repeated again ant
again for the sake Of the brown iowe
Of the wilderness. Nadula, too. ha,
learned to love the bonny face. An,
I'm her hot, unschooled heart sprang vi
the terrible hatred OF Wanna
1t had commenced years before wheI
Neras had sent Wanna away from tn
tribe. and from time to time she ha,
made them short visits from her mis-
sion school with always a newer grace
newer beauty and the spirit of tn
white mother shining i'm her soft eyes
Neras had loved her with the after
math of the great passion he had fel
for the white captive that had hate,
him. who died with her despairing fac
turned away from the child Of her sor
row and shame.
Nadula had understood. She had no
wanted for the telling when the won
en- crouched together over the cookin
pots at evening. What wonder that sh
hated WANNA with all the force of
savage nature.
In the midst OF the lull came a
awakening. for despite all Nadula'
sneering taunts Malcolm Dayen
crossed the strip OF desert to the cour
try OF the Ottawas to claim his bride
Nadula received him In the councI
/ fan xx-ffh hn hna