The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-10-04
CHAPTER XXXVl.
The Litth Bent Man at the Foot OF

les

OF AMAZON where me IOduS JOIu'u
they passed Bishop Wright, who, with
his hat of turned to stare at them'
and to pulat his fringe OF whisker in
seeming pGpleXity.
He mus have been on his way
to our hOus,," Prudence called.
with that hair and whiskers," an
swered Folltt, with some iweleyance, I
"he looks lie an old buffalo bull just
before shedding time
They rode fast until the night fell,
scanning the road ahead for figure !
on horsebac,. When it was quite
dark they hated.
I'VE migh pass him." suggested |
Follett. 'Hewas fairly tuckered out, |
and he might fall off any minute"
Down out q Pine valley they went,
and over moe miles of gray alkali
toward a line of hills low and black
in the north.
They came to these, followed the
road out of tn desert through mar.
row gap, and passed into the Noun
tain meadows, 'eining in their horses
as they did so.
Before them he meadows stretched
between two RngeS of low, rocky
| hills, narrow a first but widening
gradually from he gap through which
they had come. But the ground where
the long, rich gass had once grown
was now barren, gray and ugly in the
moonlight, cut into deep gullieS and
naked of all but a sCant growth or
sage brush which the moon was sill.
vering, and few clumps of shadowy
scrub oak along tie base of the hills
on either side.
Instinctively they stopped, speaking
in low tones. And then there came
to them out of the nights silence a
strange, weird beating; hollow, muf.
fed, slow, and rhtEmic, but pene-
trating and curiously exciting. like an.
other pulse cunningF playing upon
their own to make ITEM beat more
rapidly. The girl pulled her horse
close in by his, but he treasured her.
Its Indians-they must be holding
the funeral of some thief. But no
matter-these Indians aren't any more
account than prairie dogs"
They rode on SLOWLY the funeral
drum sounding nearer a. they went.
Then far up the meadow by the
roadside they could see the hard,
square lines of the cross in the moon.
light. Slower still they went, while
the drum beats became louder, until
they seemed to fall upon their own
; eardrums.
Gould he have come to this dread
. full place." she asked, almost in a
whisper.
We haven't passed him, hats sure;
and I've got a notion he lied. I've
, heard him talk about thi! cross of
and on-its been a good Zeal in his
> mind-and maybe he was little on
of his head. But we'll son see"
: They walked their horses up a lit
= tie ascent, and the cross stood on
p, more clearly against the SKY. The.
= approached it slowly, leaning FORWARD
to peer all about it; but the shadow
), lay heavy at its base, and from
, little distance they could distinguish
= no outline.
But at last they were close by an
- could pierce the gloom, and there a
the foot of the cross, beside the cair
of stones that helped to support i
u was little huddled bit Of blaCknes!
!, 1t moved as they looked, and the
II knew the voice that came from it.
- "Oh God, am tired and ready
" Take me and burn me-"
u She was off her horse and qrickl
, at his side. Follett, to let them b
4 alone, led the horses to the sprin
- below. 1t was almost gone now, Onl
the feeblest trickle of a rlvulet r
naming. The once green meadow
p had behaved, indeed, as If ours
=. were put upon them. Hardly hs
y grass grown or water run through
since the day that Israel wrougl
% there. When he had tied the hors
III he heard Prudence calling him.
LII I'm afraid he's delirious, she sal
. when he reached her side. He kee
hearing cries and shots, and sees
woman's hair waving before him, al
he's afraid of something back of hi
&c What can we do?"
III At the foot of the cross the lit
H. man was again sounding his endle
W prayer.
Bow me, bend me, break me,
ne I have been soul-proud. Burn I
81 out"
aS She knelt by his side, trying
ny sooth him.
SIS "Father-it's all right-it's P
IL dence-"
But at her name he uttered a {
with such terror in it that she shV
l. dered and was still. Then he beg
on to mutter incoherently, and she hea
NC her own name repeated many tim
leC IF that awful beating would Of
is. cton" sha said IN Eollatt who