The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1906-03-03

The girl stood like an image Of
stone The man seized her dishev-
eled hair and raised 1t from her face.
Her soft eyes looked unfiinchingly into
his own and from the proud lips there
came no sound The knife glinted
close to her face.
mo. not that! Let Tsilta die!"
The quivering, plaintIve voice had in
il the shudder of autumn winds when
the leaves are falling.
Red Scar thrust his knife into its
scabbard and drew his bow from its
panther-skin cover, placed one end
upon the ground. his knee in the mid
die. and by a dexterous movement
slipped the moose of the string into the
notch: then. witt weil-accastOmed
hand. liked barbed arrow to the
string.
Red Scar thrust his left foot for
ward. the muscles of his right arm
swelling into ridges as he drew the
arrow to the head. Then came
clatter of feet, the flash of a horse
man; Red Scar was hurled backward
to the earth; there was a shout OF
triumph, and Tsilta was swept from
the ground by a cl:cling armand
they were gone.
"Zip-koh-eta," shouted hundred
voices as the daring rider whirled
away. On and on. across flower
deckei prairie and grass grown rise,
through wooded streams they sped
Night came, and they were alone
in wooded dell where a bubbling
spring refreshed them. The tired
stars kept watch.
"One sleep, and then Zip-koh-eta
will go back and fight he whispered,
as they sat with his one robe around
both their bodies He must go back
and prove to all the men that he has
right to call Tsilta wife.
The day was yet young when man
and woman on a single horse halted
before the lodge of Satanic, chief of
the Kiowas.
by the law Of the Kiowas, Zip-koh-
eta asks for fairness in fight with Red
Scar" said the man.
1.-THE law of the Kiowas shall not be
broken" answered the great chief.
There was the beating OF the council
drum. The warriors quickly assem-
! bled The aged medicine man arose
and made known The law of the
Kiowas touching the case of Red Scar
and Zip-koh-eta:
Should warrior steal another
wife and remain away one sleep and
then return, he preserves his place
and right of warrlor-the right 10
| fight to the death with the offended
| husband. But should he be caught.
or should he kill one who pursued
/ him. or should he not return, in any
| such case he shall be considered an
outlaw, and therefore worthy of death.
and must suffer as a criminal. Zip
/ koh-eta stood ready to meet in NOR
tai combat the aggrieved Red Scar,
who must fight or cease TO be mem
/ Der Of the tribe, or, remaining, must
cease to be warrior They must fight
! to the death at the pleasure of the
victor.
I
/ icine man had finished, let the men
meet in fight"
That fight fingers yet in the memo
/ ries of the Kiowas. and the prowess
/ of one of the combatants is still sung
/ by the camp fires and at the fedsts
The men faced each other, stripped
/ to the skin. save for 4 bit of buckskin
about their loins The people stood
/ in A great circle about the combat
/ ants.
A knife was handed to each one at
/ the same time. Red Scar took his
with a savage grab. and the fight was
/ on. Zip-koh-eta went with a rush,
but halted just out of reach of the
others knife. which described cir
/ cling sweep Not for a moment did Red
! Scar take his cleaning gaze from the
face OF the youth, and with great self
restraint waited for a favorable OPP
portunity for one good thrust.
Red Scar Is a stiff-legged buffalo"
! laughed the youth 'auntingly. as he
| Strengthened up out of reach. He has
! chosen the place which his blood shall
make red" There was no reply.
He crept out into the darkness and
stuck his knife into the back of his
best friend He is a coyote. who
dares not fight in the daytime Still
no reply from the grim warrior. The
supple youth lurched back just in time
to avoid vicious stab as Red Scar
took one quick advancing step. Then
came the most insulting epithet that
could possibly be applied TO kiowa
warrior Zip-koh-eta thrust out his
face while a sneerlng smile played
over il. Red Scar is woman"
he did not finish the sentence. He
| of the married visage bounded for
ward. there was a swish of his knife
which the other narrowly escaped:
! but before he could recover, the
| fingers of Zip-koh-eta closed upon his
throat-a grapevine twist of the leg,
a thud on the ground and Red Scar