Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-11-12

Squaw Charley hastened back to tn,
 shingle roof for an armful of fuel
 Returning he entered the wigwam ant
 knelt beneath the smokehole. Ant
 while he arranged the sticks careful.
 upon a twist of grass the aged cron,
 lowered, hawklike, over him, ready
 with fist or foot for any lack of haste or failure with the fire. Not unti with flint and steel he lighted striI of spongy wood and thrust it under the dry hay and flame leaped up ant caught the soot on a hanging kettle did she leave him and go on ques, for breakfast rations.
 The pariah had not dared to lift his eyes from his task while the bag was watching. But now he stole swift glance toward the back of the lodge where the maid, Brown Mink, was re clining, and his dull eyes, like the fuel at his knees, leaped into sudden flame But, with the deftness of woman, he kept on putting bits of wood into the mounting blaze.
 Brown Mink did not look his way She lay on a slanting frame of sap lings held together by network of thongs. The gay blanket on which she had ridden during the march was folded under her. A buffalo robe was spread over her bead wrought leggings and shoes, its hairy side under, it's tanned face, which was gaudily paint. ed, uppermost. Festoonings of beads fell from her neck to the top of her richly embroidered skirt and heavy eardrops of gilt pushed through the purple black masses of her hair.
 Squaw Charley fed his sight gladly with her loveliness, thankful that she, who once had looked upon him kindly, did not now turn to see his squalor. The blaze was thawing his chilled limbs and fast warming him; the brass pot was singing merrily. He kept his hands gratefully near it, and as from time to time the girl held up her arms admiringly to let the firelight shine upon her bracelets and pinchbeck rings he watched her furtively from half closed eyes.
 But not for long. Afraid-of-a-Fawn soon returned with meat and meal and. cursing, ordered him away.
 of, Ojibway coward" she cried. "to the dogs! But see that there is wood for tonight's cooking and tomor- rows"
 The pariah gave the fire under the kettle last touch and slunk out has tily into the snow. The bag pursued him, moving backward and pulling after her the partly dressed hide of a black tailed deer.
 Make it ready for the cutting board," she bade and threw the piece of hard stone for the fleshing so that it split the pariahs cheek.
 Squaw Charley took up the hide and dug in the snow for the stone.
 A young warrior was lingering at the lodge flap, blowing spirals of kin nikinick. He burst into laugh. "Ho, ho!" he taunted. "The squaw of a squaw drudges today. Ho. ho!"
 The crone joined in the laugh. Then, Standing Buffalo may enter," she said and respectfully led the way into the wigwam.
 The pariah heard, yet did not pause. But when among the dogs again he cleaned at the deer hide with short, swift strokes, light once more fam ed up in his dull eyes-a light unlike the one that had burned in them at Brown Minks fireside.
 He was still working diligently, the sack over his head as before. when, about the middle hour of the day, Lieutenant Fraser entered the sliding panel of the stockade and began to go rapidly from lodge to lodge, as if in search of some one. Seeing the in- truder, the dogs about Squaw Charley bounded up. hair bristling and teeth barred.
 The outcast laid aside his rubbing stone and strove to quiet them But the sudden commotion under the roof had already attracted the young off, cer. Stopping, be caught a glimpse of Squaw Charley.
 "Oh, there you arer he exclaimed and motioned for him to come forth.
 When the Indian appeared, the deer skin in his arms, Lieutenant Fraser pointed toward the entrance. You oo,,,, ,,-s1l, ,,,. lao sofd x.,ifb o ,xaet,ra in the sign language.
 Squaw Charley moved slowly along with him. No one was in sight in the inclosure-no one seemed even to be looking on. But, opposite Brown Mink's lodge. the old woman dashed out, seized the hide with scream of rage and dashed back again. The next moment Charley passed through the sliding panel and took up his march to headquarters.
 ''so thls IS your last wild pet, eh, RobertT' said Colonel Cummings as they entered. He backed up to his stove and surveyed Squaw Charley good naturedly. Let me see, now. You've run the scale from a devils needle to a baby wolf. Next thing, I suppose. you'll he introducing US to a youngish rattlesnake."
 Lieutenant Fraser rumpled his hair But you ought to see the way they're treating him - banging him around as if he were a dog"
 "H'm- He certainly doesn't look strong
 "They work him to death, colonel
 The commanding officer laughed "A redskin working must be a sight for sore eyes"
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