The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1914-12-10
CHAPTER VII.
A Chief Borrows From a Chief.


i nest conference with his
- daughter and an old native
woman whom Lucille had no recollec-
ton of seeing about the village before.
Had she but known this was but an
other servie tool Of Hugo Loubeque's
what future dangers she might have
been saved: Coming closer. she knew
that 1t was stranger. Moreover. from
the light upon the crone's wrinkled
countenance and the furious gesticula-
tons she made toward her she felt that
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 Il little apart watching
the conference as it disbanded She
had picked up enough of the language
to make out an occasional word, but
the gestures Of the three had been un-
mistakable. She waited quietly while
the trio approached her. feeling that
In some way the problem that had
been harassny 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 chief greater than her ia
Their, who lived in Il village not far dis
tant; that the wonder Of her curative
ability had reached his ears. and he
earnestly prayed the white woman be
loaned his own wife for Il 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 his neighbor chief, he was more
than loath to part with her. She also
saw that the child, with the renem-
brance 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 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 posi-
BILE chance of regaining civilization
from here. There might be no chance
in another place. but there was hope.
and. while it was meager sustenance,
anything was better than the strain of
knowing impossibility. Anything APP
pealed to her SO long as it embraced
Il change. for change spelled renewed
hope. Then, too. Hugo Loubeque
would be temporarily at least thrown
off the trail.
In an hour she had mounted the
chiefs own horse, her very soul re-
joicing at 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 a
vague feeling Of mistrust as she look
ed back at the squat figure of the old
woman ambing along stolidy as some
heather idol. only her ratlike eyes
emitting flashes of fire from between
the layers Of wrinkled. brown, droop
ing lids.
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