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

'hlfH~nAA NA NNNNM HWt n NWAAN'N" AfA Ntt'
course Of ~ years The last thing
brought up was an old hunting knife
an ucly-loohing weapon, broad and
short. with a rude deer-horn handle
The blade was rusted. and looked as If
not cleaned after lbs last thrust
The white hands touched 1t gingerly.
II don't know what 10 do with all these
things after all." the woman said.
I0oHng mp into the quizzical eyes of
the tall Young follow who came SING
ing Homie Door" throurh The house
whistlod the docs over t.0m the
stable. stirred tae d.ow-. canary into
a food Of song and sent the cats
away from NE neighbor- 1
hood Of the meat-safe. They were
your fathers things. Hal. when he
wasn't much older than you." she ex-
plained in the subdued tones in which
one instinctivoly refers 10 the dead.
But the duty on hand was temporarily
dropped when the boy announced that
a book agent was I'm the front hall
and the contents Of tho ~--le-lag were
left q O heap on the noor
Sifra bent low over her tubs but
now her eyes were wild and every
nerve I'm her body tingicf with excite
mcnt. The hack OF her bcuefactross
was scarcely turned when the hunting
knife was swept into her hands and
stealthlly concealed under her apron.
Her boy did not follow her actions.
but sat idly IN the sunshine watching
the lower branches of the cedar filling
with its tenants for The night Mean-
while the Pile of clean clothes grew
with surprising rapidity A wonder
ful energy was 40 work rubbing rims
ing. wrinCing and soon the work was
completed. and the sQuaw departed
with her son.
The next weeks washing was accom-
plished with the same degree Of nm
wonted energy. SllTa stood upright
10 longer bent and decropit Her hour
Of triumph was come The knife still
hung an her bcl' the knife she had
watched Black Wing make from tho
horn Of the deer she had seen him XIII
At last Sikra had found a trace OF one
Of her mans murderers This fact
worked itself slowly into her darkened
mind for me knife I'm the eame-bag
cried ont Howc's implication IN the
crime
But now az the very moment Of her
impending triumph. a shadow ieil
athwart her CLEAN of hope The boy.
nurtured into stalwart manhood for
one end. looked az her listlessiy when.
with dilatod eyes and hushed voice.
She told him the story of her discovery.
He did not seem 10 even hear her tale.
After a sleepess night. she went 20
rouse him and try again 20 wake the
vengeance I'm his blood. but he did NOT
know her
Wild with apprehension. The old
squaw's first thought was of Mrs.
Howe. her never-failing source Of sue
cor. The kind eyes up al the white
house grew large with sympathy and
dread. ITS only a fever. Sihra.
young Hal came forward 10 assure her.
and catching mp his hat De followed The
distraught mother 10 her little hut
The wild. black eyes that met his,
as he entered. startled him with their
ferocity. and the wilder words held
him on the threshold. But Sikra's
dumb look Of appeal prompted him 10
enter the room. The calm presence
and the cool. Arm hands Of the white
boy seemed 10 lay the fever-devils
And the thought that the fever might
be CONTAGIOUS was ovcrhalanced In HIS
mind by the grief Of the squaw mother
He must not die, he must not die %
she walled Il raise him for now.
For Just now"
The weeks that followed were a grim
struggle with the feyer-devils that
filed the Indian boys frame. When
his wild rawlings and threats Of venge-
ance rose 10 shrieks and threatened
TO exhaust the Pickering flame Of life.
nothing but the cool strong hands that
had first quieted him had any power
TO calm him. So day after day the
struggle with the destroyer was
waged.
Poor old Sikra's heart seems set on
his accomplishing something before he
dies" young Howe explained, one day,
TO his mother. 1T is pitifu TO see her
hopelessness whenever the symptoms
are discouraging And when others
said. Let the eood-for-nothing red
skin die: he is a menace TO the neigh
borhood." the boys blue eyes flashed
his scorn at their sentiments. 'He IS
all she has" he answered.
When at last they were able 10 say
10 Sikra. He will live" It was al
young Howe's feet she flung herself,
for II was Hal whose presence, she de-
clared. had saved her boy.
In time the old conditions of the two
households were re-cstablished. Mrs
Howe tried TO be more considerate OF
the old squaw. Her selhess devotion
10 her boy during those high-pressure
weeks had awakened a sympathetic
feeling in the mOther-heart Of the other
woman. But Sil,ra was more stolid
and glum than ever before-much "a
the surprise Of the kindly lady Of the
white house. who had been SilIra's one
friend. When she had fed from the
scene OF the massacre. hunted and
helpless. Il was Mrs Howe who had
taken her I'm and given her shelter and
employment When she had fallen III
II was Mrs. Howe's cool. white hands
that had ministered TO her. saving hei
and her childs life Then in the darl
hour. when the great aim Of her lies
eruRele seemed about 70 be torn from
ier. n was Hal who hri come 10 her
assistance. She. Ike the poor squaW
rad only this one son. The light OF her
syes. A troop of such thoughts came
in sluggish train through Sikra's mind
as the suds flew high. frightening he
canary from his perch by their risinl
tide: and she wondered If she could
have raised this boy for the purpose OF
vengeance without this woman's help
! rr.t.- Ao.~fo t,f,,o eir fae eu1ffa1 hfoudlg