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

"At that she stood before him brave-
ly, n l saw hat all the time She had
had the Catawba's knife hidden IN the
folds of her gown. You have spoken
for once, Captain Falconnet; L.
be Free she said. Come snd tell.
me when you have added these to your
other MURDERS"
And then?'
Then she went back to her prisoE
wigwam, walking through h rabble OF
redcoats and red skins as proudly al
the Scottish Mary went to tho block"
She will do it, think you?" I queried.
fearful lest she would, but more fearful
lest her courage should fail at the
pinch.
Never doubt it. Good Catholic q,
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 l."
1 said Amen to that; and t%hereupon
we both fell silent. watching as cons
demned men on the gallows the busy
preparations for our talking Off.
Again, as in the late battle, 1t was tho
trivial things that moved me most,
Chief among them the grinning row OF
dead Indians propped against the fallen
tree Is the constant background for all
the memor pictures Of that waiting
interval, and I can see those stiffening
p now, some erect, as IL defying
us; some looping this way or that, as
If their bones had gone to water at the
touch Of the steel.
l know not why these poor relics OF
mortality should have held me fasci-f
mated as they did. Yet when 1 would
look away, though the vista to where
the iphf nf tho rroo$ Aro yr the sol
wanna camp played luridly upon the
Indian lodges, OF, nearer at hand, ups
on the sayages gathering the, woodgto
burn us with, this CHASTITY file OF the
dead drew me irresistibly, and I must
needs pass the fearsome figures
in review again, marking the star
Ing eyes and unnatural postures, and
the circular blood-black patches on the
heads of the three peacemen whom
Yeates and the Catawba had sca1ped.
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 semicircle
to front the row of corpses and set up
a bowling chant that would have put
a band OF Mohammedan deryishes to
the blush.
"'Tis the death song for the Slam
said Richard; and while it 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 h death song ended in a.;
shrill hubbub, and the dancers turned
as man to- face us.
I hope it may be your lot, my
dears, to meet and endure such q hor-ai
rid glare Of human ferocity as that
these wrought-up avengers Of blood
bent upon us. Twas more unnerving
than aught that had gone before, more
terrible, l thought, than aught hat
could come after. Yet, as to this, you
shall Judge for yourselves.
The pause was brief, and when a lad
ran up to cut the thongs that bound us
from the middle up, the torture-play
began in deadly n Whilst the
Indian youth was slashing at the daer-
skin, Richard gave me my cue.
"'Tis the knife and Ratchet play;
they are loosing us to give US freedom
to shrink and dodge. Look straight be-
fore you and finch a hair, as
You would keep the life in you from one
minute to h next!"
Trust me-" said I. I'VE must exc 1T
out as long as we can, il only to give
our dear lady time for another prayer.
or two. Mayhap h viii! name US in
them; God Knows, need is sore
enough
. Ao0 0oShs eAAiA q 0SOOAA
out, juggling his tomahawk In air. He
made a feint to cast it at Richard, but
instead sent 1t whiZzing at me.
That first missile was harder to face
unflinching than were all the others I
saw it leave the thrower's hands; saw
it coming straight, as I would think, to
split my Skull. The prompting to dodge
was well-nigh masterful enough to
override the strongest will. Yet I did
make shift to hold fast and In mid
flight the twirling ak veered aside to
miss me by a hair's-breadth, gashing
the tree at my ear When 1t struck.
Bravo! well met" cried Richard;
and then, betwixt his teeth: Here
comes mine."
AS he spoke a second tomahawk was
sped. I heard it strike with a dull
crash that might have been on flesh
and bone, or on oak bark-I could not
tell. I dared not look aside till Rich
ards taunting laugh gave me leave to
breathe again.
a yell, and now the marksmen stood
out quickly n after another and for.
a little a the air was full OF hurt
ling missiles. You will read In the ro-
mances Of the wondrous skill OF these.
savages in such diversions as theses;
and lever miss Of sticking knife or.
Ratchet within h thickness Of the
blade where they win. But you must
take these tales with a dash Of allow
ance for the romancers' fancy. Truly.
these Indians Of ours threw we'll and
skilfully; it's a part of the only trade
they know-the trade OF war-to send
a weapon truesto its mark. None nc
less, some OF the missiles flew wide;
and now and then one would nip the.
cloth of sleeve or body covering-and
the flesh beneath 1t as well.
Continued Next Weekly
Beer Stems.
New York Times: Some beer stems are
made in this country, but they do not cut