Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-10-30
CHAPTER I.-(continued).

out nOtnlng since the war, TO trump:
and a little old piece of colored glass
top since ~, to Hogjaw; but h five
wooden legs of Captain Tinkletoes he
kept for himself. Just keepsakes.
The next day Michigan beckoned
Aurelie out to the bayou side, where
he and the Bia woman had had a brief
her hand off to the north. Nov we're
done goin to occupy the land"
"Wha land is that, Michigan?"
THE land O joy!" he cried, shining
eyed. That's where you'll lead us toll"
He motioned to the Indian woman.
drift way off yander to all the places
she amt ever seen. First Well pole
the ole john-boat down to Grand Isle
SO she'll see the ocean. Then Wen
drift off Atchafalaya bay and shell
see the big woods. Then We'll drift
she'll see all the states n countries!
What names is them I done told you,
Aurelie-the music names?"
"Californy," she said simply.
and next one?"
"Arizony."
And Montany, md Ioway and Ten
nessee and Ohio! All them we'll see
and morel Lead us to the land o.
joy!"
And all her strange after-life Of
laughter and of tears the little girl
remembered the old soldier waving
his land to the undiscovered countries.
And always she knew he was at heart
the poet, the adventurer, the lover,
whatever else he might be; nothing
could change that.
So the ext day they piled old traps
and boxes. n blankets and hound
pups and the five wooden legs Of Cap
tain Tinkletoes as keepsakes into the
fahr-hNof pt,j cot ofP to EoJ <Lo I,~l
of joy with music, m South and
east through brilliant wildernesses,
polling through lily jams. sailing
swamp lakes, padding salt marshes.
Shrimp camps, oyster platforms, ter
rapin hunters of Grand Isle-they
came to know other children of all
hues and races, and at the island balls
learned to dance with orange blossoms
in her hair. The murmur of the sea
was in her ears. the moonlight on the
oaks in her eyes, and with the droning
losing the droll seriousness Of a
savage. Also, for the first time,
h had her face washed cleanly
by the storekeeper's wife, who
knew then h was not Of the
undecipherable Chino-Spanish- Filipino
But when the balls were over, a shifty-
footed and suspicious savage woman
took Aurelia and led her off to their
ragged tent. Always. through the blur
of queer faces-black, brown. yellow,
white-Aurelia remembered the watch
ful love in the eyes Of. the basket maker
n Of Uncle Michigan. Always, for
these were what she knew Of love!
From the Gulf coast islands they
went west and north, n in the years
the child became a girl, slender, 1.-THE,
swift-keen of eye on a deer trail. trap
ping the mink and raccoons, following
the wild bees flight, weaving baskets
shrimp from under the lilies, balancing
herself to shoot in a ticklish running
ptrCgue" that would steal through the
swamps where a heavier hunter dared
not follow. Thus she grew, with never
q qualm for h blood Of the hunted nor
a doubt Of the Makers intent. But at
IL she was a woman, blithe and UNI
thinking and kind hearted. without
fear, without guile.
Perhaps!
At any rate, one day, censured by
the Indian woman, she stole from
camp, wan Grand river with her
gaudy little gown tucked in q knot on
peared at a Caiun ball-with a wild
hyacinth in her hair. She danced and
laughed and bewildered the woodsmen,
pretending to know no English when
the Yankees addressed her, and no
French when spoken to in that tongue.
she sang a barbaric song the Indian
woman had taught her, posed with an
odd theatric fancy, and then ran away
leaving them gaping.
When she swan to the john-boat at
dawn and put her hand upon Michi-
gan's as he ffshed, he started, tried to
swear helplessly and stopped.
But amt 1 growed up now?" she
laughed.
"Gamme! How we goin' to do If you
act that-a-way?"
"Which-a-way?" And she drew up
her naked little body. poised on the
tnsat, pressed her hands over her
hSrth. Michigan, when air we goin'
to see all the states and lands with
the music names you tell off"
"Aurelia, Q air gettin' to be such
q big girl and such a pretty girl as l
dunno IL we ought to let you see all
them countries"
'"Then I'll run off and see EN- my
self"
But at last they came out on the
mighty river that Michigan had not
seen since he left his leg at Vicksburg;
and another year found them at Mem
a government dredge towed them up
river. the Bia mi cooking for the
crew. The men used to watch q child
who, from her houseboat deck, would.
put a bit of tinsel or a flower In her
hair and stare down in the water to
admire the picture. or would smooth
her gypsy dress oyer her hips, UNI
noticing her audience. II they hailed
her she pretended not to hear them.
They would not believe she was but
13, SO tropicallv primal was her wom-
anhood, 80 tantalizingly wise her re-
serve.
So. UP the great river OF her dreams
they went for months and months.
Then, one night on the Minnesota
shore, the dredge burned. and Uncle
Michigan cut the house-boat loose. It
bumped on down the river again to
come aimIessly adrift In a pocket of
the Iowa hills. There 1t stuck. and all
the dreamy summer the weeds and
Rands thickened about until It could
drift no more.
And one day the exiles climbed q
nearby hill to look down on q town
buried in September naples; a decent
church spire here and there, the clock
tower OF the court house in theSsquare,
and farmer folk driving homeward.t
On this prosy common day OF the
northern midlands. Aurelia, with the
good humored curiosity OF q savage,
looked down for her first glimpse Of
m ordered life. Oi1f nf the aw0of and