The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1913-10-23
Rex Beach Adventure
Stories
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hauds upon the wounds. At this the
little shavers grew pale. and the small.
er one began to cry.
mot the shirt" be whimpered.
Don't make us take of our shirts =
And at this the men looked at each
other sadly and fell behind so that the
BOYS were ahead. They had finched
at the ordeal They could not endure
that most terrible oath wherein the
shirt is removed. and their guilt was
patent to these keen men. They spoke
xutturally among themselves; then.
without further warning. their rifles
rang. and the little bodies pitched for
ward on the beach.
Two hunters bore them to the door
Of Mathison's house, followed by the
grim braves, and tears raced down
many a wrinkled visage at the sight,
for the children had been blood of
their blood, and he whom they mad
avenged had been hated by them all.
but justice Of the Spartan type reigns
among these hardy people. Moreover.
in the past years they bad grown to
respect the grizzled man who rules this
great realm from the bridge of the
white revenue ship and who stood In
their eyes for the grim, unyielding
image of the law and for the vengeance
of the other race.
They dug a grave before the wild
ow's door and placed therein the two
bodies then the chief went In and
spoke to her.
Come forth and look. We have
killed our own sons that your blood
might be avenged"
They took her away from the place
and down the coast to Port Clarence
to her husbands friend. but further
than that they did nothing save to
lock up the house and leave things as
they were. for they felt that the news
would travel by the mystic channels
of desolate lands and that the revenue
cutter would glide around the point
and soon they would have to face the
wrath of the white men and, worse,
the accusing eyes of the old man
whose voice In anger shook every ma
tive from Akutan upward.
How we first heard the news l
don't know" said the lieutenant. for
we were away up In the Kotzebue
country, and 1t was vague. but we
steamed south full speed and anchored
abreast of the town less than a week
after the tragedy.
"As on our first trip, no canoes put
off to meet US, and a deadly silence
was over the place. The gaunt bills
leaned forward. listening: the birds |
\ ,I,1 r-,1I
till ! landed in the gig. 1t was not |
long till had the whole story. and |
] called a meeting of the men, saying |
that the captain would be there to |
hear them. Then / went back and |
told Healy
ut was strange sight that August |
night-the faring light on the gaunt. /
oronzed faces that stared so moodily |
at us, the agony of the parents. whose
thoughts were in the grave on the
mountain side. the overhanging velvet
hills rearing up to the starry sky.
The dignity and the ceremony of it are
fresh with me yet. for here at last was
the fruit of that forgotten orgy on
the whaler's deck: here the law of the
Eskimo met the steel of the white
mans rule.
THE plant of distant squaw float
ed TO US on the air. thick With the
strange odors of a wild people and a
wilder land. and then the oldest chief
arose and spoke.
This was solemn time. be said.
and every soul felt that it marked an
epoch in the history of the tribe. They
were cold with sorrow for their chill
dren and sick with dread of what the
future held-fearfu of the wrath of
the whites
HE went back and told the story of
the great crime so adroitly that | felt
the hot, impotent rage of his people in
my veins. felt the hatred flare in me
as 1t had tiared in them when the Ka-
naka sailed reeking away. He pointed
TO the ghostIy whale ribs. lighted by
the fire. and told how his people had
refused TO welcome the missionaries,
but how they had been forced upon
them; how the one grew TO be loved
and taught them of the white mans
God and laws and then went away.
how the other had stayed and become
hated: of how he abused their chill
dren and how they said nothing. Then
be described the deed of the three '
boys, and the pathos in his deep voice (
as he told of the tribes quick venge- c
ance caused my throat to ache and the c
fire to blur before me- What more did 4
we want? We had spoiled their faith
in their old gods. we had murdered +
their men. we had forced a creed upon
them whose teachers they did not !,
want, and yet for the death of one of +
.hese they had. wreaked vengeance on .
their own offspring. Two they had !
killed. and. although the other had es-
.aped. they would offer him as a sac b
-ifice also Surely that was enough. =
when he had done our old man
stood up. All. there was a man for :
you. I'd have broken down or bun :
yled matters wretchedly. even though :.
realized that on my words leaned the y
'aith and loyalty of a people. | knew
limly that when he sat down either
he Prince of Wales men would be
oval Americans. warmed and cheered
" the sympathy of the whites. or sui