The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-09-08

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A that she stood before him bravs-.asAi
~, n / saw that all the time She had
a the Catawba,s knife hidden the
trath for once. Captain Falconnet: ~
shalt be free she said. Come and tell
me when o have added these to your,
other murders.'"
And then?"
Then h went back to her prisoE
wigwam, walking through the rabble Of
redcoats and red skins as proudly 40
the Scottish Mary went to tho block e
She will do it. think you?" I queried.,sg
fearful lest she would, but more fearful
lest her courage should fail 81 the
pinch.
Never doubt 1t. Good Catholic as
she is, there is martyr blood in her on
the mothers side, and that will help
her to die unsullied. And God nerve
her to 1t, say I"
we both fell silent. watching as cons
demned men on h gallows the busy
preparations for our talking of.
Again, as in the late battle, 1t was the
trivial things that moved me most.
Chief among them the grinning row of
ANd0 4AAOAd416 pIVCHSO AEdlUSIl the I6llGn
tree is the constant background for all
the memory pictures Of that waiting
interval, and I a see those stiffening
corpses now, some erect, as IL defying
US; some looping this way or that, as
II their bones had gone to water at the
touch Of the steel.
I nov not why these poor relics OF
mortality should have held me fasci-
mated as they did. Yet when I would
look away, though the vista to where
the light OF the great fire in the sa-f
wanna camp played luridly upon the
Indian lodges. or. nearer at hand, ups
on the savages gathering the. wood to
burn us with. this CHASTITY file OF the
dead drew me irresistibly, and I must
needs pass the fearsome figures
IN review again, marking h starr
Ing eyes and unnatural pastures, and
the circular blood-black patches on the
heads OF the three peacemen whom
Yeates and the Catawba had scalped.
While they We're making ready for
the burning, our executioners We're
strangely silent; but when the work
was done they formed in a semicirc1e
to front the row of corpses and set up
a bowling chant hat would Va put
a band OF Mohammedan dervishes to
the blush.
""Tis the death song for the Slain"
said Richard; and while 1t lasted. this
moving tableau of naked figures, keep
ing time in a weird stamping dance to
the rising and falling %ululation of the
chant, held us spellbound.
But we We're not long suffered to be-
mere curious onlookers. In Its dismal
est fight the death song ended in v
shrill hubbub, and the dancers turned
as n man t face us.
I hope it may never be our lot, my.
dears, to meet and endure such a hor-s
rid glare Of human ferocity as that
these w~rought-up avengers OF blood
bent upon us. Twas more unnervinE
than aught that had gone before, more
terrible, I thought, than aught that
could come after. Yet, as to this, Q
shall Judge for yourselves.
The pause was brief, and when a lad
ran up to cut the thongs that bound us
from h middle up. the torture-plays
began in deadly earnest. Whilst the
Indian youth was slashing at the deer
skin, Richard gave me my u
"'Tis the knife and hatchet play;
they are loosing US to give us freedom
to shrink and dodge. Look straight be-
fore you and never flinch a hair, as
you would keep the life in you from N
minute to the next!"
"Trust me- said I. I'VE must exc it
out as long as we can, il only to give
our e lady time for another prayer
or two. Mayhap she will name us in
them; God knows. u need is sore
enough"
The lad ran back, and a warrior stood
out, Juggling his tomahawk in air. He
made a feint to cast it at Richard. but
instead sent it whizzing at me.
,,nainchine +han uer 20 all tbs 'nthSra
saw - iaaya tha thro., = 1000. p !, :
q "orn;ng streieh+ 90 : r, : iiaa'.trhi 49, Nv ~
sn,it NV sL,,ii nv. NJ nrara m nt,nr t - an ~ ~
Vas veil ~; oh r,o sterf,,l sno,,a apus s.
nyerr;da the s+ron1ast -,;ii VstsI as
make shift to hold fast. and in mid
fight the twirline AZ yeared asida ~
the tree at NV ear when Il atrnek.
.Rravoi wen ,net,n cr,ed Richard.
and then. hetwiyt his teeth. sHars
49,