The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1909-12-04

and heavy ike the crest OF mOuA-
tain; IL trailed across the steppe cur
tain-like, riffs and rags of its dark
mass blotting out the stars one by
one; the moon became a pale opal
spot, and in the wide steppe, now
black and terrible, as if it held some
guilty secret, tiny blue lights famed
forth here and there like the sudden
and soon-quenched glow of match
There was something uncanny and
mysterious in thees dancing points OF
light which l could not understand.
DO you see the blue sparks?"
asked Isergil, the mummy-like old gip-
sy from the steppe of Bessarabia-
the wide steppe which had been her
cradle, her home, and was ready soon
to grant that surest of all shelters.
her grave.
81, Isergil, cannot see them any
more-there is much that l can no
longer see. 1 am ages old, but the
dancing lights are always there"
Yes, l see the little blue flames;
what are they?" / had often heard
mention of those fairy light, not ia
ia morgana, not insect, but l wished
to hear the old sibyfs version.
Those sparks come from the hot
heart of Danko," she began, in tones
that vibrated with intense belief and
feeling-the born narrator of the le-
gends of her tribe. There was once
in the world heart that famed like
fire, and the blue CLEANS are the
sparks from that flame. Listen!
will tell you the old, old story, and
how it was in that long dead past, of
which there is nothing good left; no
moro real men; no real deeds; no real
stories as in those days.
"A fig for you young people of mod
ern times! what do you know? what
do you understand? Look back into
the past; there, everything is. ex-
! planned; but you, foolish children of
to-day, look not back, as do l, old Iser-
gil, and l see, though my eyes are
dim; see that you young ones know
not how to live. You wait always for
opportunity which comes not of its
own self. Then, when you find that
you have wasted your time, you whim-
| per over your fate.
What is fate? Everybody makes
his own. There are many kinds of
people to-day, except great and mighty
ones-where are they? And beauty in
man and WOman-still less is there OF
that"
After. long pause, the ancient one
resumed: Ages ago there was a
band of people, where it was 1 can
not tell you. I only know that the
camp of these people was surrounded
| hu toll
forest, and on the fourth side lay the
steppe.
They were strong, joyous, darinf
folk, probably gypsies, content will
little, and happy in the good of eacl
day as it came.
After time strange tribes crep
In among them bringing discord AM
unrest, and driving these simple folk
few in comparison, deeper into tn,
woods. Here it was dismal will
swamp and darkness, because the fol-
est was old as time, and so dense tina
one saw no sky between the branches
and hardly a ray of light pierce,
through to the sodden ground. Tn
people sickened and died like stricke,
sheep. Distracted with the weeping O
| u. me-
looked helplessly in each others no
low eyes, asking in vain for rescue
Two ways there were out of the snar
one backward to the cruel grip G
the enemy; the other, forward. to
far deeper, denser forest. Giant tree
claspfng each other in a tangled en-
! brace, with roots like twisted iro1
deep in the black slime. Here at hig
noon a dim twilight only flickere
down through the branches. and g
night when the wind blew it waiIe
l like dirge for these people at ba
! from their enemy in the dreary fores
{ fastness.
/. Night after night the outcasts Sc
5 around their camp fire and bethougl
, themselves of way to freedom, bl
in vain. Nothing, neither work nc
= follies. so weaken men as anxiou
brooding thoughts, which suck til
blood from the heart.
Fear arose in the breast of thes
men, and the women drove them
L despair with wailing over their dea
and the bitter fate of those still Ii
+ ing. At first in faint whispers in II
= camp, then louder and holder, II
l. tribe declared that bondage was be
( ter than death-they would give 1
+ their freedom and return as slaves
\ their enemy.
a Then rose up Danko, the rescuer
-. them all. He, Danko, was one of Il
band, beautiful youth and brave
, the beautiful are always brave-ar
thus he spoke to his companions:
Thinking moves no stone out
the way. Action only counts. WI
are we wasting our strength with fir
I and fear? Rise up, let us win q W.
, through the forest; there is an eI
? to every struggle. Come. rouse you
e selves, one and ALL
d They looked at the youth and ga
8 in his eyes that which made him the
n leader and superior. Lead us!' claI
ored they all. and he led them"
Old Isergil paused and looked o
l. over the steppe where the spar
n from the hot heart of Danko gleamt
(. Ike blue flowers.
!. "DankO led them: willingly al