Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1906-05-10
THE WIFE OF
RED SCAR
ny JOSEPH X. cRIFFIs
icopyrisA,, 100, ~ Joseph a BOvls..)

Tsilta first opened her eyes In her
fathers tepee. Her full rounded form
was that Of young antelope that
dances In the sunshine when the grass
is green and tender Her face was
a morning when the prairie flowers
bloom and breathe their sweetest per-
fume.
Red Scar was gaunt. wrinkled and
ugly, and had two wives. His visits
to the lodge OF Tsi;ta's father were
frequent and prolonged. and he al
ways lost in the gambling, for he saw
nothing but Tsilta.
One day the maiden saw him OF the
red scar point her father to herd OF
80 ponies. Her father wagged his
forefingers across each other, and her
heart sank. for she knew that she
was given to ugly Red Scar In ex-
change for the ponies.
Zip-koh-eta (Big Bow was young
and handsome and brave. Tsilta had
danced many times with him. The
hug of his arms was strength and his
touch made glad her heart; for IN
him was enough.
With hair yelling her face. 1silta
passed his lodge. and this told him
the story. The young warrior In
strong words said what he would do
there would be two swift horses at
the crossing OF the river, under the
big tree that very night. And then
away-and away!
With lightness of step ard bright
ness OF eye Tsilta returned to her To-
TIERS lodge. But when she looked
into the face OF Red Scar she shrank
back as from an old lean coyote and
would have fed, but he caught her by
the wrist, and In voice like a bears
growl said: MY WIFE," She turned
an appealing face to her father. but
he nodded and said simply: His
WIFE,"
She obediently followed Red Scar
to his new tepee. Inside the new
lodge he had erected for her she
crouched down at the farthest side,
like q wounded deer from the hate
full fanged wolf.
When Red Scar sat down to gam
BILE. one OF the men looked at him sly
". and said: Red Scar has wife,
The bullets trail on his face became
a flame, but he replied nothing. A
company of young roysterers passed
by. and one OF them In a voice filled
with ridicule said: Red Scar has
wife" There was glistening OF
eyes and a fare OF the scar. and that
was all.
After dark, when all was still In the
camp. there was the call Of whip
poor-will in the brush. and Red Scar
saw his new wife raise her head
with q quick start. Again and again
there was the call. The tall. gaunt
man arose and seized rawhide
lariat, clutched her. arms and bound
them behind her back. Red Scar has
a Wife he snarled in her ear. his
face like the western storm-cloud
when the sun is setting. Binding her
feet together he made the lariat fast
to a lodge pole overhead. buckled his
knife to his side, and laid down to
sleep.
Time passed. There was silence
save for, sound like the breeze In
the bushes where Tsilta lay against
the wall. Outside from time to time
there was the whip-poor-will's call.
plaintively insistent. until far into the
night. Then there vas slight noise
at the doorway Of the lodge. Red
Scar crept like a shadow across the
floor, listened a moment, hurled back
the flap, and leaped outside. There
was the sound Of feet, q blow, low
gurgling, then quiet. The jealous
husband returned to the freside,
threw on O handful Of bark. and sat
down. His wife lay with her face to
the wall. AS the light grew strong
er she saw tiny stream Of red creep
ing under the edge Of the lodge, slow
iy making its way toward her face.
A foot from her eyes 1t formed into a
little pool.
The sun had walked up above the
treetops when the husband and wife
stepped outside the tepee, she follow
ing, as do all obedicnt wives. The
whole camp was astir, for a big thing
was to be done that day.
Rel Scar strobe on up the sloping
hill with long, purp0seful steps. Be-
hind in q struggling procession came
men, women and children. On the
summit OF the hill the tall man halt
ed and faced the slight girlish figure.
About them gathered the expectant
people In q circle.
Red Scar let fall his blanket A
knife glittered In his hand.
"Tsilta!" The voice Of Red Scar
was harsh and vulture-like. by the
law OF the Kiowas the wife whose
feet walk In the crooked trail.
must suffer one OF two things. She
must die by the hand OF her husband.
or he may cut her nose from her
face"
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