Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-04-13
BEYOND the
DESERT
BY Ca ran
Richard Crcenfey

| under the black curtain of her lashes.
Wanna. always Wanna! Truly, there
was never 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 Wanna, the Moon Maiden
tall and slight, with mouth like the
pomegranate flower and a voice like
the faroif chime of the mission bells.
Nadula lifted her head and shot Il
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 morningT
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
until our father could bear it no longer.
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 it lay, CLEAN of gor-
geous color in the setting sun. 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, II 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 ii
hath seemed wise that the maid should
knov@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 captainF
Nadula laughed. Short and bitter, Ii
reused the dying man. and he raised
upon one elbow to peer into her face.
Nadula bent over him. My father. as
the shadows gather thou art a child
again, The white man hath sought
our Wanna for moon perhaps, but
when there is talk of wedding he win
return to his own again. When has the
paleface dealt otherwise with the
daughters of the forest?" 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 | ride down the
west remember / leave Wanna in thy
keeping and do thou see the right of 1t,
else thou kuowest what has been. what
will be, when thy tribe shall hold the
traitor"
There was gasp and choking sigh,
and Neras, the last chief of once
powerful tribe, had passed. All night
the wailing women rent the air with
their cries, all night the men went to
and fro. with angry slashes OF the
sinewy breasts whence the blood fell in
slow drops. At set of the morrow's sun
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 safe
and far
No more of weaving, no more of bak-
ing the tortilla. Nadula grasped the
empty scepter. Day after day Wanna
crept to the door of the tent and shad-
ed her level brows in vain watching for
her lover. Had Nadtla spoken truly?
For time Nadula was too busy with
the Importance of her new authority
to take thought of Wanna, but she had
not forgotten. In the long summer
days of the year before, when the
young captain had CHANGED to visit the
Ottawas through mere curiosity and
the visit had been repeated again and
again for the sake of the brown flower
VI inc NllueTutSS, Nhuuld, 100, lau
learned to love the bonny face. And
in her hot, unschooled heart sprang up
the terrible hatred of Wanna.
1t had commenced years before when
Neras had sent Wanna away from the
tribe. and from time to time she had
made them short visits from her mis-
sion school with always a newer grace.
newer beauty and the spirit of the
white mother shining In her soft eyes
Neras had loved her with the after.
math OF the great passion he had felt
for the white captive that had hated
him, who died with her despairing face
turned away from the child of her sor-
row and shame
Nadula had understood. She had not
wanted for the telling when the wom-
en- crouched together over the cooking
pots at evening. What wonder that she
hated Wanna with all the force of a
savage nature.