The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-05-02

him 10 the naked body aud knee. be.
side II, where they must takeyo on their
shirts and repeat theIr oaths with
hands upon the wounds AZ this the
lttttelshayers grew: pale. and the smalit
er one began to cry. IS
Nor the SHIRT he whfinpered.
.Dol't make US take OF our ,shirts.ri
And at this, the men looked at each
other sadly aud fell behind so that the
boys were ahead. They had Hlnched
at the ordeal. They could not. endure
that most terrible oath wherein the
shirt is removed, and their guilt was
patent TO these Keen men. They spoke
gutturally among themselves: theu.
without further warning, their rifles
rang. and the little, bodies pitched for.
ward on the beach.
Two hunters bore them to the door
OF Mathlson's. house, followed by the
grim braves. aud tears raced down
many a wrinsled vlsage at the Sight,
for the children had been blood OF
their Blood, ana he whom they had
avenged had been hated by them all.
but justice Of the Spartan type relsns
among these hardy people. Moreover.
In the past years they had grown. to
respect the erizzled man who rules this
great realm from the bridge Of the
white revenue ship and who. stood in
their eyes for the grim. unyicldin:
image of the law aud for the vengeance
OF The other race,
They dug u grave before the wild
ow's door and placed therein the two
bodies; then the chief went in aud
spoke. to her
Come forth and look. We have
Killed our own sous that your blood
might be avenged"
They took her. away from the place
and down the coast to Port Clarence
to her husbands friend, but further
than that they did nothing save to
lock up the house and leave things as
they were, for they felt that the news
would travel by the mystic channels
Of desolate lands and that the revenue
cutter would, glide around the point
and soon they would have to face the
wrath Of the white men and, worse,
the accusing eyes. of the old man
whose voice in anger shook every ma
tive from Akutan upward.
How we first heard the news !
don't know" said the lieutenant. "for
ne were away up in the. Kotzebue
country, and 1t was vague. but we
steamed south full speed and anchored
abreast Of the town less than; week
after the tragedy.
":As on our first trip. no canoes put
off TO meet us, aud deadly silence
was over the place. Tue gdunt Hills
leaned forward, listening; the birds
seemed hustled, and not a soul showed
till ! landed in the gIg. 1t was moi
long till | had the whole story, and
called meeting Of the, men. saying
that the captain would be there to
hear them. Then, l. went back and
told Hcaly.
ut was n strange sight that August
night-tbe, aaring light on the ,gaunt
bronzed faces that stared so modify
ut us, the agony Of the parents, whose
thoughts were in the grave. op the
mountain side. the overhanging velvet
hills rearing up TO the starry sky.
The dignity and the ceremony of II are
fresh with me yet, for here ut last was
tue fruit. Of that forgotten orgy oh
the w6aler's deck; here the law Of the
Eskimo met the steel Of Nle white
mans rule.
"rhe plant OF a distant souaw float.
ed to US on the air. thick with the
strange odors OF wild people and
wilder land, aud then the Oldest chief
arose aud spoke.
This was a solemn time. he said,
and every soul felt that it marked an
epoch In the history OF the tribe. They
were cold With sorrow for their chill.
drcn and Sick with dread OF what the
future held-fearfnl OF the wrath Of
the whites.
HE went back and told the story OF
the great crime so adroitly TINT ! felt
the hot. impotcnt rage Of his people III
my veins. felt the hatred flare. III me
MS 1t had tiared IN them when The K:i-
naka sailcd rcekinS away. he polluted
10 the sliostly whale ribs. lighted by
the fire. aud told how his people had
refused to welcome the missionaries,
but how they hal been forced upon
them: how the one grew to be loved
and taught them OF the white mau's
God and laws and then went away;
how the other had stayed and become
hated: OF how he abused their chill.
dren aud how they said nothing. Then
he described the deed OF the three
boys, and tile ,pathos In his deep voice
us he told OF the tribes quick venge.
alice 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 creed upon
them whose teachers they did not
want. and yet for the death OF one Of
these they had wrcaked vengeance on
their own offspring. Two they had
killed. and. although the other had es-
caped. they would offer him as sac.
rifice also. Surely that was enough!