The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1914-05-07

They Placed tho MuzzIes on Eithe,
Side Of the Knob.
ed down bis soul. and now the old wo
man, her quick suspicious aroused
drew from him most Of the story, all
but the names Of the other boys This
he refused. saying he did not know
that it was all dream.
Within five minutes the village was
reused, and they found the shattered
door, the stark body behind and the
shuddering woman where she had raw
ed all night in the fear that the MUIR
derers would search her out. Then
the wrath of the men rose, while the
squaws walled and rocked and threw
sand In their hair.
"Who did this?"
Back to the village they were led by
the old s9llaw. tn they found tbs. two
older boys. but the lame one had fed
When questioned they denied their
part stoutly. although the men saw
signs which caused them to doubt.
Come with us to the dead man and
swear that you are innocent" said
one. and the boys agreed. They moved
down the beach together. but the Ger
tainty grew In the minds of the men
that these children were the ones
The Unntkoot, or medicine man. began
to chant and cry out AS they went.
working himself into a frenzy. he
told them that they must come With
him to the naked body and kneel be-
side 1t, where they must take of their
shirts and repeat their oaths with
hands upon the wounds. At this the
little shavers grew pale, and the small
er one began to cry.
Not the Shirt" he whimpered.
Don't make US take of our Shirts"
And at this the men looked at each
other sadly and fell behind so that the
boys were ahead. They had flinched
at the ordeal. They could aot endure
that most terrible oath wherein the
shirt is removed, and their guilt was
patent to these keen men. They spoke
gutturally among themselves; then.
without further warning, their rifles
rang, and the little bodies pitched for
ward on the beach.
Two hunters bore them to- the door
Of Mathison's house, followed by the
grim braves, and tears raced down
many a wrinkled visage at the sight,
for the children had been blood Of
their blood, and he whom they had
avenged had been hated by them all,
but justice of the Spartan type reigns
among these hardy people. Moreover,
in the past years they had grown to
respect the grizzled man who rules this
great realm from the bridge of the
white revenue ship and who stood in
their eyes for the grim, unyielding
image Of the law and for the vengeance
Of the other race.
They dug grave before the wild
ow's door and placed therein the two
bodies; then the chief went in and
spoke to her
"Come forth and look. We have
killed our own sons 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 I
don't know" said the lieutenant, ''for
we were away up In the Kotzebue
country. and 1t was vague, but we
steamed south full speed and anchored
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