The Washington herald., 1914-04-26

Already her brain was working at lightning
speed. The reason for the fear and sstonishment
that possessed her csptors was obvious. They
had never before seen a white woman. And the
girl was thinking how she might use this thing
which must appear a miracle to them.
CHAPTER K.
Chiefs Daughter.
CHE white.
Lucille found time even in her strange
predicament to wonder at the way the most
natural thing could turn itself to her advantage.
She could feel the hesitation of the natives who
had come upon her 20 Unexpectedly, knew that
they were prepared to regard this phenomenon
from any angle, that they might fear her, rever-
ence her, hate her, love her. So she stayed close
to the chief; the one who had touched her arm
An old man he was from the heavy wrinkles
that criss-crossed his face, but his naked torso
magnifcently muscular, his carriage that of
a man to whom obedience always comes. There
was something very splendid about his steady,
black eyes-narrowed bit as though to hint of
Mongolian origin-about the thin nostrilled nose,
the full lips.
All through the night the march continued
Lucille shuddered as, from the black fastnesses
of the semi-jungle that hedged them in the glow
of yellow eyes CLEANED. Fire balls they might
have been, steady and silent were the animals
who watched the procession, but the pat of
stealthy feet, the crunch of broken twigs. an
occasional growl cry told her what they were.
Her feeling that this forced march might
have some other object than merely getting back
to a village was made doubly strong by noticing
the masterful manner in which the leader COM
hated any desire for rest the part of the
natives. He himself led the way. finding hidden
paths though by intuition, forcing his way
through creepers that grew so thickly at times
they seemed to form a solid wall.
1t well into the day when their party
met by native coming from the opposite
direction. Lucille attracted by the rapid
conversation he held with the Chief noticing the
perturbation which showed so strongly on the
o1a fona xrha he frrrra onl
doubled his pace. 1t was well nigh impossible
for her to keep up now. Worn out by exposure
and this tramp through the jungle there seemed
times when she could drag herself along.
when the tired muscles kinked and refused TO
work.
Then quite unexpectedly. through wall of
vegetation, the party emerged into great clear
ing upon which the beat fercely few Old
men squatted before the openings to the hun
dred or more huts that filled the open space set
down here in the midst of the jungle. Many
children played about. dressed only in the gar
ments of their birth. Here and there dogs
prowed. silently nosing into the huts, Sinking
furtively about the edge of the clearing The
leader of the party lifted his hand in signal for
a halt his splendid body feNed.
From a hut, many times the size of any other
and set at the extreme head of the clearing fac
ing down the double would officer
scan his files of men, came a droning sound. the
low pitched wailing of many womens voices,
never varying in its dreary monotone. ter
rible sound it was. sorrowful, dirgelike. In
stnctively Lucille lifted her eyes TO those of the
Chief, her finger tips brushing against his bare
forearm sympat hetcally.
A swift CLEAN crossed his stern face. At
few sharp words the party disbanded. disappear
ing in the huts. At his nod she followed his
swift stride toward the great hut from which the
sound came.
Even as she followed the man. she marveIled
at the implicit confidence that seemed to have
become a part of her since trusting herself to
his escort. In one of her own race she would
have known it for instructive liking The in
terror of the hut was crowded with women, the
atmosphere so close to fairly drive her back
toward the tiny door through which she had en-
tered. Above the squattng, wailing women tow
cred the splendid figure of the old chief There
was slight droop to his shoulders now, a fall
ing away about the muscles of his face. And to
the ears of the girl, dominating the dirge-like
wall, came simple note that told her the story
in its entirety, it struck to her woman's
heart, arousing every atom of tenderness there
the crying of child.
Impulsively she brushed through the women
STOPPING over the pallet of rlshes where the
patient lay. Even with the emaciation which her
illness had caused, despite the blaze of delirium
in the widened eyes, the black splotches of fever
in the cheeks, Lucille would have known the girl
for the daughter of the old man. As she turned
to look at the Chief the pity of ignorance rushed
upon her, and she rose and grasped both his
hands in her own unconscious of the Mortified
looks bestowed upon her by the women.
By signs she made it clear to the old man
could be done to assist his daughter. It was
difficult, communicating with him, but her obvi-
Gus sympathy and understanding seemed to
make the task easier. Gradually it dawned upon
her that this was custom of his people which
required vast faith to go against. She watched
him eagerly, her very heart crying out for the
sick child whose last chance for recovery was
being stolen by this crowd of women using up
all the oxygen in the room when it was the
most necessary thing for her recovery.
The Chief made his decision quickly. With
a little cry Of delight quickly suppressed, she
realized that the mystery of her coloring had
made such an impression upon him that he was
willing to follow her instructions to the letter.
With the same dignity he had used in forcing his
men to double their pace through the jungle he OBJ
served the women's protests and drove them from
the hut, leaving the opening wide.
Lucille opened her mouth, laving her throat
with the Intoxicating air that drove out the
odors the congestion had left behind. Then she
turned her attention to the child.
There is certain quality in the natural
woman which gives her intuition when It comes
to the nursing of an invalid the caring for a
baby, quality which makes cry coherent, q
moan lntelpible. Lucille restricted thouph her