Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-07-09

he had right TO guardianship II ne
were a fix person"
What a white man want he can
take from an Indian!"
NO. Shickshack. you stand your
ground and fight him. II he troubles
you again in this community count on
me for all the help ! can give. Every
decent man in New Salem would take
your part
Shickshack's face relaxed from
sternness to satisfaction.
Such men as you and the young
chief Yates and the chief Lorimer make
an Indian want TO live with white
men.
The tavern directly acress lie street
had its windows open to let Ia tha
soft spring night air, AT Intervals a
chorus Of bullfrogs came family across
the dark from where the sangamon,
swelling with fresscts. foss frothing
Jeastily toward its brim. As Peggy
hoped en- her crutch around the
tavern she could see white log float
ing over Rock creek in the valley, like
fairy linen spread to bleach by star
light. One OF Rutledge's deer-hounds
loped UP from the stable down the
slope to bay at her, and recognizing
the intruder. drew back at once with
a greyhound's sensitive apology
Near the east side of the house
stood a log hand-mill, one end being
firmly planted in the ground, the other
followed by burning and scraping.
The pestle. hanging from long pole
weighted like well-sweep, was knot
OF hard wood spiked with nails, and
had a crossbar handle. In this prim-
tive mortar parched corn could be
readily pounded to meal A deerskin
was stretched and fastened snugly
over the top TO keep grains in when
the mill was in use. and litter out
when it stood idle. Peggy caught hold
of the sweep and lifted herself to a
seat on the hand-mill. She could see
through deep embrasure of logs, the
Rutledge family at home. The tavern
windows We're movable sashes, with
the tough oiled paper like transparent
skin laid firmly upon them. Part of
a tree smouldered crimson without
flame in the white clay chimney.
Shiclxsh ack's wife never allowed more
than one candle lighted in his house.
Mrs Rutledge drew tallow tapers out
branched candelabrum of old English
silver. 1t stood on table surrounded
by the children at their tasks, and the
father, reading a paper, brought In the
weeAly mali. 1Ae younger girls We're
sewing; Ann sat at the fax wheel.
THE Rutledge girls can't say I'm
tagging anybody now, because I'm not
tagging" breathed Peggy. But goody!
can watch them through the
window"
The most desirable thing in the
world was to be lovely. She looked at
given on sight. An ungraceful move.
ment seemed impossible to Ann. There
was no angle in the lines of her tall,
supple body. Her deep blue eyes some
times turned golden in moments of
happiness. Unconscious that any OUT
slider watched her, she lifted them
and smiled at darkness through the
hands as she spun and the sweetness
of life expressed in her face brought
a sob up Peggy's throat.
I'm never be like her." whispered
Peggy. I'm peg-legged Spaniard,
little for my age. and ugly. | can't
spin. | can't sew. Sally says squaw
clothes are good enough for me, and
Shickshack has to cut them out, and
we piece them together as well as we
can. He's done it ever since we left
his people and have had no Indian
women to help us. | can't read like
Ann Rutledge does. If / could even
knit l could make stockings for Anty-
wine and Shickshack They are the
only men in New Salem that have to
keep on wearing neips wrapped around
their ankles for stockings"
She set her teeth together so the
grating was audible. Something
stirred behind her, like one of the
hounds creeping near. but she paid no
attention to 1t. A blanket dropped over
her head.
Peggy fought it with both hands.
hearing the crutch that had laid across
Der knees roll TO the ground. This
was the last sound she heard. Scream
ing in the muffiing folds, she felt her
self dragged off the hand-mill and
carried away.
To be continued next week.