The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-05-07
abreast OF the town less Than a weel
after the tragedy. -L

abreast Of the town less Than a week
after the tragedy.
AS on our nrst trip. no canoes put
! ~ to meet Us. and q deadly silence
was over the place. The gaunt hills
leaned forward. listening: the birds
seemed hushed, and not soul showed
till ! landed In the gig. It was moi
long till l had the whole story. and
I called meeting Of the men, saying
that the captain would be there to
hear them. Then l went back and
told Healy. D. ...
1T was 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 1t are
fresh with me yet. for here at last was
the fruit Of that forgotten orgy on
the whaIer'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 q
wilder land, and then the Oldest chief
arose and spoke.
This was a solemn time, he said,
and every soul felt That II marked an
o,,ooh -, thu historv ~ Tho <riho vphoy
were 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 aared in them when the IA.
uaka sailed reeking away. He pointed
to the 9h0stl7 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.
ance caused my throat to ache and the
fire to blur before me. What more did
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
these they had wreaked vengeance on
their own offspring. Two they had
killed, and. although the other had es-
capped, they would offer him as sac
rifice also. Surely that was enough!
"When he had done our old man
stood up. All. there was man for
you! I'd have broken down or bun
g!ed matters wretched!y. even THOUGH
| realized that on my words leaned the
faith and loyalty Of people. knew
dimly that when be sat down either
the Prince Of Wales men would be
loyal Americans, warmed and cheered
by the sympathy Of the whites. or sui.
len renegades, imbittered by the blood
IF their people.
lie talked 2s mother does to Der
children till the men shifted their skin
boots and hung their heads so that the
light might not glisten on their cheeks |
"Squaws crept up and encircIed u.s. |
heir notified reindeer parkas weird |
md ghostlike in the darkness. With
hem there was no dignity In stoicism.
md they wept quietly. and yet,
trough 1t all. the master was as firm
IS rock. for the dignity Of the law
vas In his hands.
"'All | ask is the other boy he con-
luded. Bring him to me, for be must
nswer to the white man.