The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1904-07-29

SOoOo~oOo0o@oOS
THERE was no death-dance no loud
wailing. no burning OF the five
survivors OF the horrible massacre.
Sikra was the only one mscathed.
When the first ray of daylight thinned
the blackness around her sufficiently to
give her her bearings she crept out OF
her covert. back 10 the scene. The
white men were gone, but their work
had been well done The grasses were
dabbled with blood, the pools were
clotted and red. there were still faint
erOans from the dying and mocling
grins on the upturned faces OF the
dead
In the midst of the mangled bodies.
Black Wing lay dead. Sikra was only
a sQuaw; she did not know how 20
swo0n and drip tears. but the sun was
high before she moved muscle or
drew deep breath. When. al last
however. she trudged over the sand.
slipped into her canoe. and padded
slowly down the bay there was not one
hideOus detail Of the massacre Of In
dian island not scared deep into her
soul.
The government was held responsible
for the massacre by outsiders, and the
overt acts Of hostility on the part Of
some OF the chiefs was cited as the
cause by those more closely initiated.
The perpetrators. perhaps citizens Of
Eureka. although suspected. were never
charged with the crime. but as time
went on It was generally conceded
70 be the work Of private individuals.
who had their own object in view.
AZ time went on and the Indians
we're herded onto the Hoopa reserva-
ton, the story Of the massacre was
buried beneath other debris Of its
kind-treachery on the part Of the red
skin and bad faith of the whites
until the stronger race had gotten all
the power into its hands and driven
| the Indian, his wrongs and his rights.
out Of the path Of progress.
But the lapse Of time that accom-
pllshed this condition did not wipe out
the Injustice Of Black Wings death
from Sikra's memory. Grown hag'
gard and old in the interim, she had
not lost one detail Of the island scene
| from her mind The boy she bore a
few months after the massacre was
nursed and Graded in the hope Of re-
venge His mllabies were the death
groans of the wounded warriors and
the wallings of the women and chill
dren who fell in the struggle. HIS
first lisping words were a vow OF venge-
ance for Black Wings blood. lie
knew the grewsome story glibly before
he was old enough 10 understand IT,
and by the time he was able 10 grasp
the meaning of his early training. re-
venge was written large in the very
fiber Of his being
He is like Black Wing" Sikra said
as each year his straight young limbs
grew longer. his 1.-THE young frame
stronger. and she saw hope Of her
llfc's object being realized. Mrs
Howe. who lived in the big white
house. often asked, when the old squaw
came 10 do the weekly washing: why
don't you make the boy work, SikraT
But she straightened her old, bent
back. and erunted: "Well-a not raise
him for that"
Meantime the boy fshed mp and
down the streams. content to bask In
the sunshine. or NOamed through the
forests and mountain solitudes. idle
but thinking. always brooding' plot
ting. thinking.
"You will spoil the bon. Sikra. II
yon do not make him work" the kind
woman Of the white house said again
one afternoon. while a pile Of SNOWY
linen grew under the knotted hands ol
the old laundress 'Tdleness Will Gel
him into mischief" she added. az th'
stalwart figure OF the young hucF
swung along the roadside, stopped al
the driveway, and sauntered mp to th'
back porch, where his mother wa'
working. No one else could have said
this much TO Slkra. for her boy was
the one raw spot in her nature. Sh'
never permitted the hnd-hearted Mrs
Howgs advice TO bother her, however
and only mumbled TO herself as the biz
fellow elumped down on the cellal
door. his keen eyes following th'
chickens preparing to roost In th'
cedar trees
But while the soapsuds splashed ant
3 the water strcamed and dripped owe
the floor, the thrifty housewife busie'
Aerself al tidying things on the porch
tor a glance at the young buck made
her realize the propriety of her pres
ence on the scene. "Ill do what
nave always intended TO do with TINS
eame-bag." she said half aloud. II
has hung here long enough collecting
trash. This is a good time TO oyerhau
{ Il and throw the rubbish away
4 The game-bag was a ponderoul
o leather thing. ana It's capacity appar
entity unlimited. Oid fishhooks an'
tackle came first. rusted and rottei
o from long disuse. Then hatchets
horseshoes. gopheritraps, doorknobs
coils OF wire. shot-pouche5 ruboe