The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-04-22
lover. robed in the innocence of Eden

lover, robed in the innocence of Eden"
Had the fool no sense? caught the
fmploring expression of interest on the
girls sweet face behind Madame.
determined at all hazards they should
not have the laugh at me. l saw 1T all
then; they We're in league with Jerome
to play a game of bait the bear" With
me for bear.
So 1 pitched in and sang, such a song
1 warrant as my lords and ladies had
never bent their ears to hear before. Il
grooming death incarnation of the
Choctaws, which fell as naturally from
my lips as my own mother tongue.
Their laughter hushed. for even in
he our of France. stated as it was
with novelties. laying a world under
tribute for amusements, that wild.
weird melody never rose before nor
since One stanza 1 sang translated
into French that they might under
stand:
'.Yuh! Listen. Quickly you lave drawn
near to hearken;
Listen! o / ave come to step over
Your soul;
You are of the Wolf Clan:
Your name is Ayllni;
Toward the Black Coffin of the upland.
IN the upland of the Darkening Land
your path shall stretch out.
With the Black Coffin and the Black
Sfabs l have come to cover YOU.
When comes your spirit shall
grow less and dwindle away never to
appear. Listen"
And they did listen: yea, attentively
did they harken, for a great pail of ST.
lence lowered upon them. so new, so
strange to them was the song.
When I had quite finished. the soft
indian words dropping as the splash CT
unknown, unseen waters. Madame be-
sought me with earnestness to tell her
more, and the others crowded round to
hear. I do not know what evil genius
of folly prompted the childish deed, but
feeling safe in having found what we
wanted, n moved more tina I would
admit by the now admiring eyes Of
daggers from the gentlemen who
stood about Selecting those whose
weight and balance commended them
selves most to my purpose, L cleared a
small space, and having sent a serving
for a pack of cards, chose a five
spot and pinned 1t to a tree. Standing
back some ten to fifteen PAGES, 1 cast
the four knives at the corner pips in
quick succession, piercing them truly.
then paused a minute and cast the
fifth knife at the center, striking ac-
curately between the other four. It
was an act of Hide vanity, yet l hated
for Jerome to taunt me on the way
home.
BY these petty means I gained a
cheap applause from the bellies and
gallants at SceauX. and Jerome opened
not his lips to jibe me-. as l feared, but
like the rest, applauded.
I had now quite regained my cour-
age, but for the girl. I loved to hin
Of her as but a girl; that she was also
a wife I barred out of castle in
Spain. Why should I be afraid of such
q timid child? Verify, l knew not.
My folly had n result I could not
then foresee; it told some Of those
present, whose hand it was that had
cast the hunting knife which struck
Ward. I did not learn this for days
after.
The approving and pleased look on
the little lady's face fired me with IN
insane desire to further win her notice.
whereat I chided myself for a vain
coxcomb, and drew imperceptibly away
from the company, until l gained a
shady and secluded walk which led to
q retired nook overlooking the valley.
The. Quietude of the evenings close
Jared on my turbulence of spirit. For
the first time q woman's voice lin
gered in my ears after her speech was
done. q woman's smile played as tha
ftful's summer lightning before my
eyes. Oh, fool. fool! What place had
women in a soldiers life. What a dis
cordant harmony would one angel Gre
ate amid the rough denizens Of Biloxi.
So I reasoned. forgetful that reasons
never yet convinced the heart.