The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1915-02-05
LOVE AND INDIANS
BY MYRA E. TERHuNE.


corks.
For all that, Roger Blaine was pre-
pairing to go forth and brave the
chilly blasts, sixty miles on horseback
and through barren and uninhabited
district. Love impelled him, however,
deep and sincere. and that impetus
kept his spirits far above freezing
point.
Bound to go, are your demanded
Farmer Alden, and Roger glanced
with a soft admiring eye at Gladys,
his daughter, and answered careless
ly:
"Just little exercise for my horse.
/ expect to make it and return in
three days"
Il wish | could dissuade you" here
spoke Gladys, concerned and tremu-
lous. Please do not risk it, Mr.
Blaine!"
But what about those saddle bags,
Miss Alden?" proposed Roger.
"Oh, they will be safe, IL they were
ever safe, week from now. Then
the weather will let up and it will
not be SO dangerous"
You don't know the average In
dian," declared Roger, shaking his
head sapiently. This fellow, Vaka,
who brought back your horse, said
he had left the saddle in his home
dugout. Perhaps, and perhaps not.
Even if so, his wife, his children, his
neighbors may take occasion to rifle
- UaLa hoe nroyoisad auarv daV for
a week that he would go after them"
(Which he won't do until the last
cent of that hundred dollars is squan-
dered," predicted Mr.. Alden.
1t was Gladys who accompanied
Roger to the door and stood there
while he mounted his horse. She,
| too, stood at the window looking
after him till he was out of sight.
Was he mistaken, or did she really
lift her hands to her lips, as if send
ing after him good luck kiss?
Roger loved Gladys Alden. She had
many suitors and he was not entirely
sure OF his ground Since he had an
nounoed his present journey, however,
Roger had fancied O. new depth of ex-
|
1t seemed that month before,
while out for a gallop, Gladys had
left her favorite horse beside the trail
to gather some wild flowers. When
she returned he was gone. Wandered
off or stolen, nothing was heard OF
the missing steed until about three
weeks later. A reward of one hun
- uil oL the norse. VaAa hao al-
peared but bareback. He had for
gotten" the saddle, he said. In one
of it's pockets Gladys had placed a
small hand bag. 1t contained soro
valued trinkets, once belonging to her
dead mother. She had mourned their
loss. Hence the chivalric foray OF
Roger looking to their restitution.
Roger found his calculation as to
speedy journey at fault. The tran
was forty inches under snow the ra-
vines clogged, the horse worn out
before half the journey was accom-
plished. On the evening OF the sec
ond day, how ever, he arrived weary
and half frozen at the wretched dug
out that Vaka called home. His
suuaw with her five children greeted
him. Roger made out that he was
at the right place, but the Indian
woman could not speak English She
made a molten as If intent on gsine
for a neighbor to act as interpreter
About to depart, her eyes glittered
her breath came rapidly, she stared
hard at the leggings which Roger
wore. Then, lowering expression
on her dusky face, she left the hut.
Roger was so exhausted that he
Threw himself on a pile Of skins tc
temperate while the woman was
AMY. Before he realized 1t drowsi
neg overcame him. He was aroused
~ finding himself pounced upon Wig
orously. The squaw had lurked out
aide the hut, had stealthily returned
had bound him hand and foot.
you kill Vaka!" she shrieked
frenzied, and she pointed at the leg
gings and poised a knife ready u
plunge 1t into his vitals.
, mo! mol" asserted Roger strenu
ously, comprehending her dark sus
|
, The squaw half understood him
She CROPPED past his helpless hand
and drew from his breast pocket
wallet. She scanned its contents
Then, snatching from among the pa
pers 1t contained the photograph Q
: Vaka, she stood regarding 1t witt
distended eyes.
81 kill her!" she screamed in "a will
:. frenzy, drawing the knife in her han
. through the smiling face of the won
an in the picture.
!, The determined suuaw was TIL
companion Of Roger. mountee on he
Indian pony, back to the town. Sh
had located the missing 8 ode amonI
/. some trappings and the little hand
!. bag had It's original contents intact
The gratitude expressed in the eye
: Of Gladys was sufficient reward 70
: all Roger had done. When he toll
of his narrow Craze of death, how
), ever, this grew to concern. She drew