The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-07-24

Ia Madame took great fancy to her
and taught her great deal that civil
lied people know. Then she died, IL
Madame, and the now factor and his
Cree wife came 70 the Post. MEbala
loved her adopted people, and for that
all the Crees hated her and stunned
her The factors Cree Wits hated her
most of all. more tGan she hated the
Sarcees. Three times a year Lone Ar
rows son came to the Post with what
was left Of his fathers tribe, and
brought their furs, and 1t was at these
times that the young people, grown
now to manhood and woElanhood.
found their hearts beating with love"
Pierrot rose to his feet and looked
far up the river, with nig back to
Philip. A..
The sarcee band came last t. tie
Post six weeks ago." he finished "A.
little before that the new Missione"
had come over from Churchill. He
was bad, Msieur. He attempted to in
suit Maballa in way which is COM
mon to the followers of the civilized
mans God. Maballa fed to the Sar-
Gee camp, and Sakimay, the pagan
son of Lone Arrow, hunted the Mis-
sioner out and they fought. The
Missioner was killed; so was Sakimay.
Their two graves are side by side, so
close that you may reach from one to
the other Over the Missioner's grave
is the white cross Of Cod around
Sakimay's there is a fence of sapling
piCkets, tins filled with meat, tiny
canoe, a tepee as large as your hand,
and such weapons, made OF. wood, as
he will need in the hereafter. There
are ten or fifteen of the Sarcees, and
they have drawn back a few miles, and
guarded themselves. There has been
a little fighting, and it is fortunate for
the Sarcees that a Cree and half
breed have been killed. I do not I'M
derstand why the Sarcees remain, for
some day will find them all dead I'M
less they move. l think, Msieur, it
must be because of Maballa. For
each day two women come to the
graves with their offerings for the
dead. One of these is the Missioner's
Indian wife, who has turned Chris
tian, and the other Is Maballa, the
pagan Cree"
For days after this stop at the port
age Jean Pierrot spoke no more of
Maballa and her people, except to an.
swer Philips questions. He dropped
into the moody silence of the forest
man, saying no mor1 than a dozen
words at night when they stopped to
camp, even when Philip brought up
again and again the question of the
three Gods. The half-breed was al
ways sitting beside the fire when he
went to his blankets, and once he
awoke, long after midnight, to find
Jean sitting where he had left him
hours before. After a time Philip
ceased to question him, and began to
study him in another way. He knew
that something was troubling Jean.
Several times. when Jean thought him
asleep, he saw Pierrot take the ivory
cross from his breast and hold it in
his hands; and one night, when the
spring wind was wailing mournfully
through the spruce tops, Jean stood up
in the light of the campfire with his
hands and the cross stretched above
his head, as if in an attitude of prayer.
The night before they came to the
Post on the Beaver, Pierrot raised his
head from between his hands and
looked across the fire at Philip, who
was smoking his pipe.
''M'sieur" he exclaimed suddenly, L
have never seen a more beautiful
woman than Maballa, even in Montreal
and Quebec. I have seen her with her
ndlI GONIl W S4CLii, 1dll4lLS " 11CA
knees, glistening like a ravens wing
in the sun. Her voice is like that of
the bird-futes which we make of reeds
for she is a Cree. swear to God
if she was not a pagan I would fight
for her, and for her people"
In an instant Philip had gone to his
side. and reached down a hand.
Jean PierrCt," he said quietly. You,
too love this girl"
Jean lifted his head slowly. His
slim, dark hand met Philips; in his
eyes there glowed a soft light.
Yes, M'sieur, I love her"
He dropped his head again, slowly,
and said: But she has betrayed her
God. If I went to her now, after SAX
imay is dead, and gave her my love,
and fought for her, I would be betray-
ing my God-the God of the Virgin
for a woman. For she is q pagan
AS the half-breed walked out into
the gloom Philip watched him until
his form disappeared among the forest
shadows, wondering what the world
would be If the God of all people were
as omniscient as this God Of Jean
} Pierrots.
1t was the deep gray dusk Of night
that promised rain when the canoe OF
Philip and Jean PlerrOJ came INTO the
last stratght-water Of the Beaver, a
: quarter of mile from the Post. Above
/ the thick spruce and balsam there was
: an unusual glow in the sky, and when
l their canoe ran into the landing they
= were greeted by a mad rush Of howl
5 ing dogs and a crowd of Cree masters
: who dashed right and left with short
: whips, while a dozen Indian boys
2 shouted and kicked in the faces Of the
5 savage huskies. Philip noticed that
: most of the men carried rifles.
I The tumult brought Cockburn, the
: factor, to the door of the Company
e store, and when he saw that one of the
!. newcomers was Jean Pierrot he lost
t no time in shaking hands with Philip
9 who introduced himself before Jear
could speak. Then he locked the door
You saw them" he said, rubbing
9 his hands together nervously. "Thtrt!
of the cussedest, blood-thirstiest Cree:
YOU ever laid eyes on, and you're here
i lust in time to put the stamp Of tn
g law on what they're going to do TO
S morrow. l can't hold them in anothe
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