Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-04-20
CHAPTER Ix-(Continued)

knew IL rom west IoXaS to the circle. I've never known anything except this" She swept the points of the compass with her arm. And there Is so much beyond that want to know about. Oh. feel so ignorant! There is something now that perhaps you could tell me. you have travelled so much"
 Let's have it," said he. smiling at her seriousness.
 She hesitated, at loss for words, finally blurting out what was in her mind:
 My father is squaw man, Mir. Stark. and I've been raised to think that such things are customary"
 ''They are in all new countries" he assured her.
 But how are they regarded when civilization comes along?"
 "Well, they aren't regarded, as q rule. Squaw men are pretty shiftless. and people don't pay much attention to them. l guess if they weren't they wouldn't be squaw men"
 My father isn't shiftless." she chal. lenged, at which he remained silent, refusing to go on record Isn't a half breed just as good as whiteY'
 Look here" said he. What are you driving at?"
 Pm 'blood,'" she declared reck- lessly, ''and l want to know what peo- pie think of me. The men around here have never made me feel conscious of it, but
 You're afraid of these new people who are coming, eh? Well, don't wor- ry about that, miss. It wouldn't make any difference to me or to any of your friends whether you were red, white. black or yellow"
 But 1t would make difference with some people," insisted the girl.
 "Oh, reckon 1t would with eastern people. They look at things kind of funny. But we're not in the east"
 That's what l wanted to know. Nice people back there wouldn't tol- crate girl like me for moment. would they?"
 He shrugged his shoulders. T guess you'd have hard time breaking In among the 'bontonners.' But what's the use of thinking about 1t? This is your country, and these are your peo- pie"
 A morbid desire was upon her to track down this intangible racial dis tinction, but she saw Runnion, whom she could not bear, coming toward them, so thanked Stark hurriedly and went on her way.
 Been making friends with that ] squaw. eh?" remarked Runnion cas- ually.
 Yes" replied Stark. She's a nice little girl. and like her. told her didn't have any part in that miners meeting affair.""
 Huh! What's the matter with you? It was all your doing"
 q know it was. but didn't aim it at her. l wanted that ground next to Lees, and I wanted to throw jolt into Old Man Gale. I couldn't let the girl stand in my way. but now that it's over Pm willing to be friends with her"
 "Me too. By heaven. she's as grace | ful as fawn. She's white too. No body would ever know she was l freed"
 She's good girl" said Stark mus ingly in gentle tone that Runnion 1 had never heard befcre.
 "Getting kind of mushy, ain't you? l thought you had passed that stage old man."
 | "No: don't like her in that way" "I'll lay you q little eight to five that | Burrell has thrown her down." chuc- kled Runnion.
 I q never thought of that. You may | be right"
 If it's true I'll shuttle up Q hand for that soldier"
 Meanwhile Necia had passed on out of the town and through the Indian village at the mouth of the creek until | high up on the slopes she saw Alluna and the little ones She climbed up to them and seated herself where she could look far out over the westward valley, with the great stream flowing | half mile beneath her. She stayed there all the morning. and. although the day was bright and the bushes bending. with their burden of blue she picked no berries, but fought resolute- ly through dozen varying moods that mirrored themselves in her delicate face. It was her first soul struggle but in time the buoyancy of youth and the almighty optimism of early love prevailed. And so she was in a hap pier frame of mind when the little company made their descent at mid day. :. As they approached the town they heard the familiar cry of Steam. bo-o-o-at!" and by the time they had reached home the little camp was noisy with the plaint of wolf dogs. There were few men to join fin the welcome today. every ablebodied inhabitant having disappeared into the hills. but the animals came trooping lazily to the oank and sat down on their launches. watching the approaching steamer. in their soft eyes the sadness of canine race of slaves. M