The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1904-06-09

osSiotduce. pHyc ut0 Tie Q0Of o4u0Xi
had only VI de sdh sfne hight uf hef
eyes. A troop of sucf thoughts came
In sluggish train through Sikra's mind
as the suds few high, frightening the
canary from his perch by their rising
tide;s and she wondered II she could
have raised this boy for the purpose of
vengeance without this woman's nelp.
The bonnie blue skies smiled blandly
}rotl the SUM- ler world, and the'sir hung
heavy with a stiffness and peace that
brought certain lethargy to her de-
termination. Young Howe's voice.
whistling, or ;singing, came floating
through the, woof of her fancies and re-
called the hours he had sat patiently
in her fever-ridden little hut in his eff
Iafort;to save her son. For what?
AS Hal dashed out of the pantry;.a
moment later he caught a look in her
eyes as guilty as his own, which
prompted him to count the pies to see
IT. she had been. stealing, too.
Here's one for you" he said, find
ing the number even and slipping her
g; turnover. AS, he ;perched on the bin
to MUNICH his plumber, his hat fell back.
His face was very fair, and his hair
curled on his forehead like a woman's.
But in his laughing blue eyes shone
the image of the, elder Howe. The
hideous grin of Black Wings upturned
face Knocked her from the, seething
suds. A stifled groan seemed to rise
from the kissing steam. The warm
stream that trickled down her arm was
only water, but the red, clothed pools
were still vivid in her memory. Howe
had killed Black Wing. Was she this
white woman's slave, or was she Black
Wings squaw?. Before nightfall the
question was definitely settled in her
mind. The victuals always left former
to take home to warm over were tied
into her apron, under which the rusted
knife Still hung.
The Indian boy grew stronger each
day with the recAnerative power Of a
wild thing. Day sih and day outshe
loitered idly ABOUND the white house.
and sometimes "a doubt arose in 1.-The
mind of the white house woman astto
| the effects Of this Sill-assorted frieid-
ship. between tic two boys. Once as
she saw her som turn and fling his arm
across the broad shoulders of the In
dian lad in evident affection, she
flinched instinctively. Since their baby
hood they had tumbled over the porch
together, squabbled, fought and played
like sbrothers-this blue-eyed, rollfsk-
Ing young Saxon and the swart. 1.-the
| abOrigine IF ga
There were many new squirrel traps
devised, new schemes for spearing fish
and sharing small creatures I'M the
forest, and enthusiastic preparations
for deer hunt in the mountains be-
I fore the young fellows vacation should
end,
h ssssW9llNeaAs III Sfhese things just as
j they sasestill gefback from our trip
ITO RswSSd cpeak Hal said, one day.
Fas hXblSnnSdsnis outing with the In
dian, land finish them when we have
more time" The Indian did not an
swer. The moon was bright, and the
Young fellows blue eyes shone with
the light of future hopes and plans.
The hunting trip was prolonged from
one week to two; then three. At the
end Of that time, Halls mother began
to grow uneasy. At the expiration Of
the fourth week, when the Indian re-
turned without young Howe, conster-
nations spread throughout the town.
4 RaggedSS gaunt, barefooted. half
starved the Indian had arrived in the
village. telling of fierce storm, sepa-
! ration from his comrade, and weeks Of
search and danger to find him in the
impenetrable forest Search parties
We're quickly formed, and the noun
tains and lagoons secured in the hope
Of finding the boy.
II can't believe anything has hap
pened to him." Halls mother repeated
day after day, when the searchers re-
ported failure at every turn. She
would not let her lips form the word
dead" II can't. Oh, I can't!"
Sikra knew the pangs of this wom-
ans SOUL. She. had learned that tone
and look when Black Wing lay dead
before her. But she regarded the
white, stricken face in stole silence.
1t was now late in the summer. All
search for young Howe had proved
fruitless. His mother, suddenly old
and feeble from grief and suspense,
stood, one day, looking toward the bay
in a blind hope. The Indian came
swinging slowly toward her. The boy
had been found. It was on Indian is
land. A knife-wound gaped in his
breast, his wide blue yes were up
turned in a mocking grin, and the grass
around him was clotted and red.
Again there was no swooning, no
overt demonstration Of grief. Weeks
of suspense had taught the family in
the white house stole endurance.
Sikra came every week to do Enc
washing as usual, while her son loi-
tered near the cedar trees. One even
ing he brought the heartbroken wom-
an what he considered rare present
a melon Of prodigous size. The In
dian sat down silently, and slowly and
carefully he cut it. It was trife over
ripe, the rich. red heart cleaning as
with blood. The. knife with which he
dextrously sliced the melon was ugly