Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1907-05-24
CHAPTER 80 Continued,

the cleft I lifted it up, shielding it from
her eyes with my hand. She caught m,
arm. and shrinking to my side pointet
win wild Wonder at the fiiohheria5s ssiaa
ows caused by the moving light. | plac
ed the candle so that she could see hel
own shadow on the sands. That delight
ed her when she recognized what 1t was
She spread her arms out, and swayed hel
little body from side to side, and thef
singing her song she kept time to it witt
a movement Of her limbs and body thai
resernbied more the dance of a japanese
girl than any other / know. When she
ceased to move she stood locking at hei
shadow in silent wonder until, coupre
hension dawning upon her, she drew me
across the cave. at the further extrem-
ity there were some rough Steps made in
the sand that led to a cavity where the
sea at high tide filtered up through the
shingIe. There was a clear pool Mt rho
present time, and going down TO the edge
she bent over and showed me her reatc.
ton in the water. T51al7s C1J ~
l observed that there was a faint GIN
mer of daylight and as | peered for the
opening that admitted 1t she OWNED my
object, and led me away to q point y 1t
tie beyond where an enormous slab oil
chalk sloping up 4met another that formed
IN vertical wall, Idfd creeping UPWARDS a
few steps she pointed upwards, and | saw
through a cleft high above our heads a
narrow strip Of blue sky. She clapprd
her hands with delight as she looked lip,
for this tiny strip Of blue was PROBABLY
tine most beautiful thing in nature she
knew.
'Caw,' she said, pointing up to let
me know it was that way the jackcaw
came GOWN 10 ner.
Observing the curiosity with whicn 1
examined the cave, Psyche--that Is the
name instinctively gave the poor siri
drew me away to show me all the curl
osities OF her home. Going back % the
pool in the hollow she gave me to undor-
stand by gestures and sounds, IKE the
tsplashing OF water. that there she batnea.
Then, turning to the litter IN tine aicoSe,
she threw herself down ana closed ner
-eycs. nodded and snored; but she did
mot understand that, though she laughed
at the odd sound. She pointed round IN
grave admirat1on to the strips OF colored
rag with which she had adorned the wall.
There wax nothing else in that cave that
she found worthy Of remark except q
quantity Of old clothing useful in cold
weather, as she expressed BY drawing
her shoulders together and clasping her
arms; but 1t seemed to me they might
give some clae as to the length Of time
she had been q prisoner, and, turning
them over, I found a little frock Of gray
stun that had clearly been made by a
swoman's3 hand. She ciapped her hands
and laughed on my taking this out, and
jIholding It against her side showed that
Il am no higher now than her hip. She
could not have been more than six or
seven when she wore that. That would
give her Ut the outside eleven or twelve
years Of imprisonment. Well, In that
time she might under such conditions cas-
lily lose the. faculty Of speech-reason-
anything. The only wonder wal that she
had contiuued to exist.
Taking the frock to the alcoye she
Uointed ont some strips Of colorcd ribbon,
and uorne curious buttons that she had
taken from the dress and, little as I
Knew about such matters. / perceived
What ne child Of the common class would
have such trimming oa her Crock.
Psyche threw aside the dress impa-
drew me en auickIx, having
.aemethine better than that to show me.
We passed. through the opening into the
rtimbered cave. which was far more capa-
Cd my attention in passi.g to the table
ON which the dinner was set and also 20
. Z receptacle closed with a slab, where she
kent her fAod ept Of the way of Cav
and made her way to that side of the
ave where The entrance from the shore
80 - : AA--sk - p-lAs -