The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-05-07
abreast 81 the town less Than Z wee
. l<oo kA sDa <vsNNu

abreast Of the town less Than 4 wss7
after the tragedy. .
AS on our tlrst trip. no canoes pu
~ to meet Us. and deadly silence
was over the place. The gaunt hilli
leaned forward. listening: the bird:
seemed hushed. and not a soul showed
till ! landed In the gig. 1t was moi
long till had the whole story. and
l called meeting Of the men, saying
that the captain would be there to
hear them. Then went back and
told Healy. r.. ..
1T was a strange sight that August
night-the daring light on the gaunt.
, bronzed 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 a distant squaw float
ed to US on the air. thick with the
strange odors Of a wild people and
wilder land, and then the oldest chief
arose and spoke.
This was a solemn time, he said,
and every sou! felt that It parked an
epoch in the history Of the tribe They
we're cold with sorrow for their chill
dren and sick with dread of what the
future held-fearful 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 fare in me
as it had flared in them when the IA.
uaka sailed reeking away. He pointed
to the g60sIly whale ribs, lighted BY
the fire, and told how bis 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 be abused their chill
lren and how they said nothing. Then
1e described the deed Of the three
Boys, and the pathos in his deep voice
IS he told of the tribes quick venge- !
lnce caused my throat to ache and the |
ire to blur before me. What more did !
We want? We had spoiled their faith
n their old gods, We had murdered
heir men, we had forced creed upon
hem whose teachers they did not
want, and yet for the death of one of
hese they had wreaked vengeance on
heir own offspring. Two they had
illed, and. although the other had es-
aped, they would offer him as a sac
ifce also. Surely that was enough!
when he had done our odd man
TODD up All. there was a man for
gu! I'd have broken down or bun
led matters wretched!y. even THOUGH
realized that on my words leaned the
lith and loyalty Of people. knew
imly that when be sat down either
le Prince Of Wales men would be
'yal Americans, warmed and cheered
Y the sympathy Of the whites. or sui
n renegades, imbittered by the blood
their people. 49,.
lie talked as mother does to her
lildren till the men shifted their skin
BOTS and hung their heads so that the
yht might not glisten on their cheeks.
"Squaws crept up and encircled US,
eir notified reindeer parkas weird
I'd ghostlike in the darkness. With
em there was no dignity in stoicism.
I'd they wept quietly. and yet,
rough it all. the master was as firm
} rock. for the dignity Of the law
as in his hands. |,
All ! ask Is the other boy be con.
uded. Bring him to me, for be must
lswer to the white man.