Woodruff County news. [volume] (McCrory, Ark.) 1901-1910, 1908-12-10
The Blizzard
NJ III. u. ALEXANDER
Copyright. by shortstory Pub. Coz

nalreQ 1nQldu. lis DrOdu udrk
face, scanned and wrinkled, was as
calmly terrible as is the dread mask
of the Sphinx, which the lances of
generations of Arab vandals have
failed to move. Wolf-Eater's cabin
stood on hill slope hardly spears
throw from the site of the old Otto
village on the Little Nemaha. On
the top of the hill was a huge heap
of bones-trophies of the gray
wolves and coyotes which he had
hunted out of the country for miles
around.
One day I sat in front of the lit
tie cabin, watching the old man
fashion the toy bows and pipes which
he sold to the farmers for parlor
ornaments.
wolf" I said This name was SO
shortened by his white neighbors),
'you have never told me why it was
that when the government took your
people to the reservation you stayed
behind %
For some moments Wolf-Eater
did not speak. He dropped his
work and gazed out over the prairies
with that terrible, immutable
Sphinx-like gaze that belongs to all
eyes accustomed to peer across far
plains. Finally he told his tale.
There was once a woman of the
Otoes who was mother of twins. The
girl she named Omona, the Rain
Wind, for to the mother she came as
the fresh sweet wind that blows be-
fore a summer rain. And the boy
also had a name, but it was changed
before he left papoose straps.
The winter after the twins were
born was winter of many SHOWS.
One day Kah-i-nee-that was the
woman's name-went over the hill
from her village to cut willow twigs
for baskets. The children were in
the papoose hood on her shoulders.
There was snow on the ground, but
the day was sunny and clear.
By and by little gray clouds be-
gan to fly past through the sky, but
Kah-i-nee did not notice them. She
was busy with the willows. Then
out of the north came the sudden
blizzard wind. The light snow
was swept from the ground and
whirled about in singing, blind
ing cloud. Kah-i-nee dropped her
willows and started for the village.
She walked on and on, straining
her eyes for the lights of the fires in
the teepees, but she saw only the
gray rushing snow. Soon she knew
that she was lost, but she dared not
stop walking lest she should freeze.
She wrapped her blanket tighter
about the twins and trudged on, al
ways straining her eyes for the vii
lage fires.
1t grew colder and colder. I'll
was white-dark in the rush of the
snow. She would have cried out,
but the roar of the blizzard choked
her voice. Suddenly she noticed a
gray beast trotting by her side. She
thought it was a village dog, and
her heart leaped. Then it uttered
its long wailing cry, and her heart
stopped. There were many wolves
that winter.
Kah-i-nee plunged on desperately
through the storm, not daring to
look around. When she did look
there were two gray beasts trotting
beside her. She tried to cry out,
but the roar of the blizzard choked
her voice. At times she heard the
food-cry of the wolves beside her.
She knew that there were three now.
Soon there would be four, five
many! Soon they would feel strong
as well as hungry.
A coyote snapped at her heels.
With her stiffening fingers Kah-i-
nee grasped the Ratchet which she
had brought to cut the willows, and
struck one fierce blow. Then she
ran on as fast as she could, STUN
bling against the wind. When she
stopped for breath she was alone.
She drifted on with the storm, still
hoping to find the village. But al
most Immediately gray wolf leaped
up out of the darkness. Then an
other and another and another. The