The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-11-03
THE EVENING STORY
His squaw's NeckIet.
(By lola Forrester.)

Vivier refined in her pony at sight Of
the major. He was visibly disturbed.
She could see that from his troubled,
uneasy gaze as he watched the stumb-
ling, ungainly figure of old Broken
Sow pass down the road that led from
the posi- to the reservation.
Now what?" called Vivien, anx-
iously. aren't you going to ride this
glorious ing-with me?"
He came up to the pony, and stroked
its velvet nose gently.
81 cannot dear. this morning.
There's trouble over at the camp.
Broken Bow tells me that their medi-
cine man has lost his squaw's neck
let''
Lost what?'' laughed Vivien. Glow
interestingl"
1T may become more so. They are
very superstitious and most abomin
ably obstinate over these things. 1t
is a necklet of elk teeth and eagle
claws, a sacred affair that has been
handed down from chief to chief for
generations, and is supposed to con-
vey miraculous powers to its possessor.
The last chief had no son, therefore
his daughter kept it, and married the
medicine man.
And he
Thereby acquired part of the gift
plain it to me. The whole tribe is up
in arms over it. It is believed that the
Woman's cousin, a young brave named
Flying Fox, has stolen it, and will rally
the tribe against the peaceful rule of
old Broken Bow
Aren't they just like children p
Hardly. More like frightened ami
mails that rush panicstricken into I'M
known danger. This foolish necklet
affair may bring on a tribal war, and
already the colonel has ordered me out
to settle it, with force if need be-"
And you cannot ride ~
mo. Best not venture far yourself
Vivien laughed back at him over her
shoulder as she let the pony go. Dam
ger? There was no danger, she was
sure.
Straight away from the post she
rode, choosing the river road as her
favorite. The post lay in the valley,
and she loved the trails that led over
the far-lying buttes up to the purple
reaches of the foothills. Mile after
mile the pony cantered, until the white
and yellow houses of the post looked
like mere tiny boxes set up on the
plain. There was water at a certain
turn, Vivien remembered, and she
wanted a drink herself. AS she reach
ed the pool she slipped from the sad
first. The noise of other hoofs beating
up the opposite path startled her, and
instinctively she drew her own pony
back from the water into the shelter
of the trees.
They were both Indians. She knew
that as soon as she saw their rough,
ungraceful ponies. One was q woman,
and she was young. She slipped from
her saddle before her pony came to a
full stop, let it go free and scrambled
up the bank above the drinking pool,
while her companion waited.
Vivien watched, holding her breath,
one hand over the pOny's nose. The
squaw bent over the stump of light
ming blasted pine tree, remained for
perhaps minute and returned,
in silence, and both departed
as they had come.
well, upon my word!' said Vivien
with the calm assurance of a Yer !
mont girl. born and bred. II think
you are up to some mischief, my Min
nehaha Stand steady a minute, Belle !
She went up to the pine stump and
req ched down into it's hollow. There |
were leaves, and beneath small rocks, |
freshly placed there, but under both !
her hand came in contact with some |
thing foreign, something sharp and |
queer to the touch. She lifted it out, |
held it up to the light and gave quick |
gasp of amazement. Then, returning, |
she turned about and made for the |
post.
II was mid-afternoon before she
reached the post, too late to stop the
detachment that had already started |
for the reservation to head off the war
parties. Signal fires must not be
lighted that night on distant hills or by |
morning there would be open war and /
When Vivien arrived she |
threw her bride to the first soldier she |
met, and limped toward the colonels
quarters, lame and almost dazed after
her race: but clasped in her hand was
the neckIet-
tsCan you ride with me to the reser
vation?'' asked the old fellow watch
ing the girls flushed face narrowly.
Il shall need you
81 could ride anywhere now" she
said
Fifteen minutes later. on a fresh
horse, she rode with the colonel and
escort straight out toward the reser-
walton
whoever carries that necklet bears
power to sway the whole tribe" the
colonel told her THAT brave you saw
at the spring must have been Flying
Fox himself. but who was the woman?
The wife of the medicine man is over
thirty-fve, and is fat and already old.
"Oh, this girl was young, and al
vivien "And she wore two eagle
feathers behind her ear"
I'VE will find her. Whoever she is
she is the thief
II was almost shutdown when they
came in sight of the tepees of the res
erYation. On a small hillock an ar
sLockade were the major and his men,
waiting the going down of the sun as
he signal to open fire. Up and down,
Il 4