Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-11-23


Squaw Charley forgot his own degra-
dalton for a moment and forgot to fear
discovery. Was 4 battle indeed conn
ing? New hope all at once-the hope
| that he would have the opportunity
| long desired of getting away from the
| squaws, old men and the hooking chill
| dren and going with the warriors!
Once with them. even in the role of
cook or drudge, the chance might come
to do brave act. such an act as would
reinstate him. Perhaps he could
on him. Perhaps he could face bullets
| or arrows to rescue Il brother.
His dull eyes glinted like cut beads.
! In very excitement he raised his bent,
| spare body.
Hearing the movement Lame Foot
glared round, and his eyes fell upon
! the outcast.
Woo" he cried. "a squaw in the
council lodge. Woo.'
There was general turning, and
those nearest the pariah made peremp-
tory gestures.
| A second Charley stood uncertainty.
Then the look of one accused came
into his face. He tottered backward
through the lodge opening and out
into the snow.
The council continued.
! A dozen warriors followed the war
priest in speechmaking. Each of them
said no more than he. To Colonel
| Cummings disgust each one said no
| less. Added to the tediousness of it
, all were Matthews interpretations.
| Toward o'clock, however, the prime
| object of the meeting was reached.
| When the commanding officer at last
rose he was in no mood to mince mat
tiers. He used few words, but they
were forcible. He asked the inter-
prefer to repeat them precisely.
They had their effect While Mat
thews was doing this the colonel did
not glance away from the council fire,
| yet he knew that in the semicircle
| there was genuine CONSERVATION.
Grunts, startled, angry, threatening,
ran up and down the line. Those war
riorS named for possible execution
alone We're silent.
Presently one of the others spoke.
"If we tell you where to go. how do
we know the white chief will not fall
upon the winter camp of our brothers
as Custer, the Long Hair fell upon
Black Kettle's?"
Il am not going with the pony SOL
diers," Matthews fastened to say.
across the Muddy Water, where the
road passes. is a wide piece of land
which has been stolen from me-
OIG of the four condemned glanced
/ up. 1t was Lame Foot. by the Plow
| Woman?'' he asked.
by her father. I shall stay until
that land is mine again. One of you
must ask your chief that he give up
the paleface squaws." e..sr .'..
Canada John answered him. "a
brave can but take the words of the
white chief That is not well. One of
double tongue must go" .s, ~,
The white chief has but one" said
Matthews and tapped his own chest.
| A silence followed. -. r.,..-.
| THE journey begins when, the sun is
I litfie.'' he added and sat down.
/ 'Will not the white chief wait until
spring." asked Lame Foot, whose
| guile made up for his physical defect.
The others studied Colonel Cum
mings' face as the question was put
to him. They saw the purpose-post-
ponement, which might bring freedom
for them and also retention of the
captive women.
The coloners answer did not need in
terpreting NO he said and struck
his knees with his open palms.
"Why should two squaws matter?"
asked Shoot-at-the-Tree. Are there
not many everywhere? We will give
the white chief some of our ponies"
"Your ponies foated, belly up, down
the river moons ago said Matthews.
Twenty pairs OF eyes sparSled with
hate. That was news indeed.
Lame Foot spoke again. There was
a mathematical phase of the terms
which troubled him. "Why should
four die for two" he demanded.
among the whites has squaw the
value of two seldiers?"
Matthews answered gravely that it
was so. The brave snorted contemp-
tuously.
Canada John shook his head. "Thus
comes much evil because we shot the
pinto buffalo"
At that point the hoof sheaths that
trimmed n rope near the entrance rat
tied. The semicircle craned their
necks. A plump hand was pulling
aside the flap of the lodge. Then
through the low aperture and into the
light of the fire stepped an Indian
woman. She flung back a head shaw
and faced red man and white. A
: murmur came from the braves. II
was Brown Mink.
AS with the men of the band, plenti
{ full food and no exercise had worked
wonders with her. She was less slen
der and more solid than formerly. Hel
full cheeks shone like the bulgini
sides of copper kettle. But her spiri
was little changed. She waited no in
vitation to speak. She paused for NJ
! words. In her earnestness she Leaned
4