The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-12-02
THE MILK
WHITE DOE

The sound was so faint that only
the ears OF the skilled huntsman
might hear it,
1t came from hundreds of tiny
hoofs, muilled by the grass in the
mountain park.
Antelope"
Together We lay face downward,
! and my Indian guide, with our
long rifles at easy rest, and awaited
the coming Of the band. 1t dashed
over a hogsback and into full view,
a wildly leaping, struggling, undu-
lating mass Of reddish brown, white
tufted bodies stretched to the fullest
speed.
Nervous S? Yes, for in a moment
more the band would pass us within
easy range.
We lay with forefngers on the
triggers as the timid animals, wild
with fear, skinned along as if watt
ed by the spirit of the wind. Now
they are directly opposite. We will
never have such another shot.
Onward they dash and pass so
closely by that it. seems we can hear
their heartbeats. Their great, liquid
eyes are wild with terror
Another moment and the herd
has swept by us. Only the hinder
most are in view. Now they are out
of hearing and presently are lost to
sight
! looked at Pablo. His dark face
seemed almost pale. His eyes be-
trayed excitement, not the excite
ment of anger or fear, but of ten
der sympathy.
The same power that had staid
my finger when il would have press
ed the trigger had a like effect upon
him.
"Senor," he said, "it is the milk
white doe that none may slay."
1t was overpowering curiosity
that Lad rendered my forefnger In
\ flexible, for at the head of the band
VS.. the most beautiful animal / had
ever seen-a milk white doe. She
s-.emed fleeter, more timid and OF
more graceful contour than any OF
the herd. She was the perfection
of animal grace and beauty. fan
cied | heard a soft, sad moan as she
passed before the muzzle of my RI
fle. | was lost briefly in pathetic
contemplation, and the herd was
gone.
"Come, Pablo, it is almost dusk,
but we must follow Come, stir
yourself, YOU unenthusiastic son of
Nontezuma, and let us be gone"
"Senor," said Pablo in his calm
and mperturbable manner, yet with
solemn impressiveness, 1t Is death
TO all who follow the milk white
doe"
Nonsense, ! must have her.
Let us follow quick
"IIave patience, senior, and to-
night when we smoke by the camp
fire | will tell YOU the legend of the
milk white doe.
And this is the legend he told
me:
Before the white man knew there
ras western continent. before the
Spaniards came, even before the
rein of the ancient Quetzalcoatl,
the lord Of the Seven Caves of Ma
vatlaques and king of the Seven
Nations, out of which arose the
lsplendor Of the Montezuman en-
lpire, the powerful tribes lived in the
north. They we're as the sands OF
1.-THE shore washed 10y the great ocean
lof the rising sun, and the numbers
of their arrows were greater than
1.-THE twigs in the forest.
Their queen was Maxtella.
Her skin was as white as the snow
on wonder mountain peak, her lips
we're as scarlet as the flaming loco
blossom. her eyes we're as blue as
1.-The chalchuites in the Minas de las
Perdidas. and from their liquid
depths beamed truth and purity Of
soul.
/ She was virgin queen. Her
lcourtiers wooed her in vain. The
richest of them all laid his wealth
of chalchuites and beautiful shells
at her feet. The mightiest hunter
brought her trophies of the chase.
To all she spoke words of wisdom
and beauty, but her love was for no
one man. 1t was for all her people.
| Her virtue and her beauty we're the
marvels of those DAYS.
Her counseors were wise beyond
their generation. Many things they
!, knew that we're unknown to the
tubiects Of Queen Maxtella. They
knew of the eastern ocean, of a
great country beyond to which their
ancestors had gone years before.
The northern hordes were at
psscs. So powerful xAzs thar that