The times-herald. [volume] (Burns, Harney County, Or.) 1896-1929, 1914-11-14
CHAPTER WI.

CHAPTER WI.
A Chief sorrows From q Chief.
NN going into the little stree
4 she noticed the chief in ear
nest conference with hi
- daughter and an old nativ,
woman whom Lucille had no recoliec
don OF seeing about the village before
Had she but known this was but an
other servile tool OF Hugo Loubcque'i
what future dangers she might hav,
been savedl Coming closer. she knew
that II was stranger. Moreover. frou
the light upon the crone's wrinklet
couutenance ana the furious gesricula
lions she made toward her she felt thai
she was the object OF controversy. And
the daughter OF the old chief seemed
adding her pleas to those of the old
woman with effect
Lucille stood little apart. watching
the conference as II disbanded- She
had picked up enough of the language
to make out an occasional word. but
the gestures of the three had been I'M
mistakable. She waited quietly while
the trio approached her. feeling that
In some way the problem that bad
been harassing her was to be answered
without further worry on her part
She smiled at the chiefs efforts TO
make her understand what he desired
Of her. smiled and shook her head as
the withered old woman made an
equally unsuccessful attempt. But the
little girl took the situation In hand
Without much difficulty Lucille made
out from the child that the old woman
came from a chief greater than her IN.
ther. who lived In a village not far dis
tant; that the wonder of her curative
ability had reached bis ears. and he
earnestly prayed the white woman be
loaned his own wife for nurse, that
she might be cured of an illness which
seemed certain to be fatal
Lucille saw from the glum express
sion on the old chiefs face that even
though It might bring him into trouble
with bis neighbor chief. he was more
than loath TO part with her. She also
saw that the child. with the remem'
brancs OF her own illness fresh upon
her, had allowed her heart TO go out
TO the wife In such sympathy that she
had persuaded her father to permit the
loaning.
her heart gave q great throb OF de-
light at this unexpected answer TO her
prayer. She had known there would
be trouble getting away with the pa
pers Just as she had determined that
she must leave. There was no possi-
BILE chance of regaining civilization
from here. There might be no chance
in another place. but there was bope.
and. while it wns meager sustenance.
anything was better than the strain Of
knowing impossibiIity. Anything APP
pealed TO her 10 long AZ Il embraced
a change. for change spelled renewed
hope. Then. too, Hugo Loubeque
would be temporarily at least thrown
or tho trail
In an hour she had mounted the
chiefs own horse. her very soul re-
joicing ut the familiar feel Of an easy
canter. Beside her rode the old wo-
man. mumbling continually to herself
as though she were keeping track Of
the devious turns In the wilderness OF
vegetation through which their way led |
Once Lucille was conscious Of q
vague feeling OF mistrust as she look
ed back at the squat figure Of the old
woman ambling along stolidly as some
heather idol. only her ratlike eyes
emitting flashes OF Ore from between
the layers OF wrinkled. brown. droop-
ing Ida
Faster. faster she urged her horse as
she saw clear stretch of trail open
ing before her. her hand continually
reaching up and feeling the precious
burden about her neck. Then she
looked back for her escort, when the
ground seemed TO grow soft to slip
up from under her mounts hoofs and
send her hurtllng down-down--down
--sbe knew not where nor why-down
into blackness at which her hands
vainly. clutching nothing from
the dark-down into biackness that
seemed stifiing her until It reached up
and mercifuliy compaased her con.
sciousness.
Hugo Loubeque CURLY dismissed the
crone who handed him the
sack containing the documents Lucille
had worn about her neck. In his eyes
glowed no light OF triumph. First they
had lighted with a strange relief, but
now they seemed fastened upon a
memory tilled with vague regret as
ie visuHllzed the girl. lying helpless at
he mitom OF the pit be had caused
Ills native TO dig across the trail.
Suddenly he gpraDg 10 his feet, once
more the man OF action. Pity this girl.
laughter OF the woman he loved, be
night. but she was not the sort 10 lie
upiDe while he made away with the
apers for which she had gone through
. much already. Suddenly he tore
pen the bag. dumping the contents
ut before him and running through
hem neryoUsly. When he looked up
be light OF disappointment almost
ear was upon his face
The amulet. the sacred amulet which
ad served her 90 well. would continue
serve her 20 well a. long as she con. :
nued In this land. was still In her
ossession. He had failed TO tell the
rome TO steal that also. And the old A
oman had reported that shs was I
iereiy stunned. The sacred amulet c
'hich would make her rsvered by any a
ivage she chanced to meet was still 4
ere. while he. Hugo Loubequs, would I
nd every hand against him. b