The Cairo bulletin., 1907-11-07
ixTomls BLANKET.
selfisn Indian Was Justly Pun.


Alone witI.n his tee9ee sat l"to'al
The sun WAS but a hand s-breath io.s
the weston edge OF land.
..ose Uad oId gray wolves. IAcy
ale up all my nlce lat da;Is' Mat
tered he, rocking HIS body to AMI !ro
l.e was Guiding the evil meAcr,
he bore those hungry. wolves. ~ last
he ceased to sway his body backward
and forward. but sat still aid stl.. az
stone image,
"Oh! III 80 to Inyan, me gteat
grandfather, and pray saf iual!' lac
exclaimed
/ AT Cnce he hurried forth fro.a .!s
teepee and, with his bian let oyer una
shoulder. drew nigh 10 huge roc. on
hillside.
With half-crouchinS, half-running
strides, he tel upon lnycn VITA oil'
spread hands.
Grandfather. pity me, an hun
+ CRY. | am starving. Give re food.
=, Great-grandfathcr give me mea; t.
eat" he cried. All the while he
stroked and caIessed the face Of the
great stone god.
|. The all-powerful Great Spirit who
makes the trees and grass, can hear
the voice of those why pray in many
varied ways. The hearing of Inyan.
the large hard stone, was the one
most sought after. He was the great
grandfather for he had sat upon the
hillside many. many seasons. He had
seen the prairie pat on snow-white
blanket and then change ii for a
bright green robe mere than thou
sand times
Still unaffected by the myriad
moons he rested on the everlasting
hill. listening to the prayers Of Iadiar
warriors. Before the inding OF the
magic arrow he had sat there
Now. as Tl,tomi prayed and weDt he.
fore the greatgrandfather, the sky in
the west was red like a glowing race.
The sunset poured a soft. mellow
light ppcn the huge gray stone and
the solitary figure beside it, II was
the smile Of the Great Spirit upon the
grandfather and the hayward chlir
The prayer was head Iktoml knew
It NOV, grandfather, accept my Of
ferine It's all have said Iktoml as
he spread his hllf-wosn blanket upon
InYan's coli shoulders Then IStoEi,
happy With tie smile Of the sunset
sky. followed footplth leading to-
ward th.cleted ravlne He had not
gone many pieces into the shrubbery
when before him lay q freshly wound
ed daeri
This is the answer from the red
western s'syt- cried Hstoml with
hands unified.
Slipping a long. thin blade from ont
his belt he cut large chunks of choice
meat. Sharping some willow sticks,
be placed them around a wool-pile he
had ready to kindle On these stakes
he reaant to roast the yenison
While he was rubbing briskly two
long sticke TO start a fire, he sun in
the west fell out of the sky below the
edge OF the land Twilight was over
all. Iktomi felt the cold night air
upon his bare neck and shoulders.
eOughi" he shivered as he wiped his
knife on the gras Tucking it in a
beaded case hanging from his belt.
Iktomi stood eerct looking about. He
shiyered again. "Ough. All, I am
cold ! wish had my blanket" whis-
pered he. lowering over the pile OF
dry sticks and the sharp stakes about !
it. Suddenly he paused and dropped !
his hands at his siG~-.
THE old great-grandfathe does not |
feel the cold as do. ! wish | hal |
not given il to him Oh! think I'll
run up there and take it back!" said
he, pointing his long chin toward the |
large gray stone.
Iktomi. in the warm sunlight, had
no need of his blanket and it had |
been very easy to part with thing
which he could not miss. But the
chilly night wind quite froze his ar
Cent thank-offering.
Thus running up the hillside, his
teeth chatering all the way. he drew
near TO Inyan. the sacred symbol
Selling one corner of the half-worn
blanket. IlStomi pulled 1t off with
jerk
Give my blanket back. old grand
fatheri You do not need IT, | do"
This was very wrong. yet Iktomi did
Il, for his wit was not wisdom. Draw
Ing the blanket tight over his should
ers, he descended the hill with hurry
Ing feet
He was soon upon the edge Of the
ravine. A young moon. like a bright
bent bow, climbed up from the south
west horizon little way into the sky.
In this pale light Iktomi stood mo-
tionless as a ghost amid the thicket.
His woodpile was not yet kindled.
His pointed stakes were still bare as
be had left them. But where was the
.eer-the venison he had felt warm .
n his hands moment ago? 1t was
gone. Only the dry rib bones lay on
he gound like giant fingers from an
open grave. Iktomi was troubled At
ength STOPPING over the white dried
bones. he took hold Of one and shook
{. The bones, loose in their sockets.
srttled together at his touch Iktomi
let go his hold. He sprang back
mazed. And though he wore blank
( his teeth chartered more than ever
.hap hfc hIuntad eauoau ,.,ffI uur,rfsa