Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-10-13

the snow. He gl1mpSeQ line Of in-
scrutable bronze faces peering at HIM
Tout Of the dark. Closer they pressed.
until the light Of the flse touched
their features with itsiglow, and their
figures took on tangible shape. Them
EBill faced them with hands egtsprea9.ss
Todd fingered the keys dolorolslg 81 81
aHave the Blackfeet' come to beg
hold the strength of my medicine?Dt
he asked, calmly. Bill spoke the,
Blackfoot tongue like chief of the
tribe, and wide knowledge Of their.
customs and superstitions gave him
solid foundation to work upon.
",What medicine does the white
man boast of?n Wolf-That-Runs-
Swiftly demanded. in scornful tone.
docs he think the Blackfeet are lit
tie children to fear fire and thing
that squeaks and groans with a
strange voice?"
Listen! For many days the Black
feet have had good hunting on the
Red Deer. Is it not so?" Bill made
gesture up and down the river.
sour young men have had good
hunting" responded Wolf-That-Runs-
Swiftly, spokesman by virtue of his
position when medicine talk was
| made.
| "Even sol" thundered ELL. "The
hunting has been good-so good that
the young men, having powder a
plenty, slaughtered the prong-horns
for the JOY of killing. And now the,
carcasses, stripped only Of hide and
tongue, lie on the river bottoms as
close together as the cottonwoods in
the coulees; so that when the chin
ook comes the stink of them will
drive even the gray badger to the high
lands. Wherefore, men of the
Blackfoot nation! the Great Spirit is
angry. And he has said to me this
night. Make medicine, and I, the
Great Spirit, will send sign that the.
Blackfeet who hunt under Medicine
Child may be warned and cease their
wanton Staying Of the deer. ',-ee - s.r
-Runs-Swiftly and Medi-
cine Child exchanged cultural conf
denees for a minute. The younger
Indians stood silent, but the CLEAN in
their rowing eyes betoken sn uneasy
spirit. All through this Todd Wayne
with bowed head faithfully squeezed
pianissimo strains out Of the concer-
tina, obHvious, seemingly, to his sur
roundings.
"We would see the sign,', boldly
declared Wolf That Runs Swiftly.
1--WE are no coyotes, to be driven from
our hunting by q white man who
speaks loudly. Show our young men.
the sign, white medicine-maker."
Turning his back on the Indians,
Bill Mathison threw his arms aloft
and shouted Invocation to The black
masses of cloud-drift overhead. The
stridenf tones of him went believing
across the hills. What he said was
Greek to the Indians, and even Todd
Wayne, though he attended strictly
to the orchestral part Of the affair,
|
the words. But Frank Howell, list
ening through a window, caught such
fragments as
"They reeled, they set, they cross'd,-
they cleekit,
Till ilka carlin swat and reekit,
And coost her duddies tae the wark,
And linket at 1t + her sark,s
and he leaned against the caseHent,
holding hands to his shaking sides.
or a surety Bill Arathison knew how
to conjure up spifA2:s. e.
Suddenly eeeased and teld both
Ehsnds H3E hre.;; palms;
lioowr are. !.s4a sputter, a bril-
fliai sh o5 iood-red fame that
f:died away iIs.sMtl, Bill faced the;
cabin and, poihtiE Into the gloom:
shouted: '"Behole IT, sign!" &
AS he spoke yefFow glare showed
fearsomely bright, on what seemed
empty atmosphere. In a breath a
group OF Indians stooG where the yell,
low beam had Glared, then they were
ecllpsed by a..squad of mounted po-
lice, the Riders of the North, their
red coats standing out like splotches
Of scarlet paint. A brief space they.
fingered, startlingly life-like. then
there was nothing but black night.
"Haye the Blackfeet SEEM" howled
Bill, "Let them look again, Behold
the sign!"
Bill delivered himself Of more
language as another scene flashed
boldly out, 1t was a smoka-stained
ground-a grim picture, perfect in
detail, Back from the bodies- "a
gaunt, gray wolf seuatted on his
baunches. nose pointed skyward. as
though he were calling his brethren
to the grewsome feast,
| Bill turned on his heel as the pic.
ture went out like a match. IN the
wind, but there was no half circle of
glittering-eyed braves, There was
nothings but the shutting pat-pat Of
many lnoceasins In the crisp snow,
and Todd Wayne, sitting By q few
glowing embersf grinning &oollshly
up at him.
"They drifted;" said Todd, tersely.
"Mon, mon!" Bill Mathison said,
earnestly-when, next morning, there
was no sign Of the Blackfoot camp,
'the puir antelope II be tharkfu' for
the NIGHTS wark. But wha wad "a
thought the ignorant bodies wad fee
Praa mo oaal 1ontoro-op, hit -