Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-24

casionally. when one OF them drew III !
close to the base of the cliff, one or
another of the folk would smash rock
down. In return he would be trans
fixed by half dozen arrows. This
ruse worked well for some time. but
finally the folk no longer were in
weighed into showing themselves. The
deadlock was complete.
Behind the Fire People ! could see
the little wizened old hunter directing
it all They obeycd him and went
here and there at his commands. Some
of them went into the forest and re-
turned with loads of dry wood, leaves
and grass. All the Fire People drew
in closer While most of them stood
bv with bows and arrows, ready to
shoot any of the folk that exposed
themselves. several of the fire men
heaped the dry grass and wood at the
mouths of the lower tier of caves. Out
of these heaps they conjured the mon
ster we feared-fre. At first wisps Of
smoke arose and curled up the cliff.
Then | could see the red tongued flames
darting in and out through the wood
like tiny snakes. The smoke grew
thicker and thicker. at times shroud
ing the whole face of the cliff. But l
was high up, and it did not bother me
much. though it stung my eyes, and l
rubbed them with my knuckles.
Old Marrow Bone was the first to
be smoked out. A light fan Of air
| drifted the smoke away at the time
SO that l saw clearly. He broke out
through the smoke, stepping on a
burning coal and screaming with the
sudden hurt of 1t, and essayed to climb
| up the cliff. The arrows showered
about him. He came to pause on
| ledge, clutching q knob Of rock for
support gasping and sneezing and
| shaking his head. He swayed back
and forth. The feathered ends of a
dozen arrows were sticking out of
him. He was an old man, and he did
not want to die. He swayed wider and
wider, his knees giving under him. and
as he swayed he walled most plaintive-
ly. His hand released its grip, and he
lurched outward to the fall. His old
bones must have been sadly broken.
He sroaned and strove feebly to rise,
but a fire man rushed in upon him
and Drained him with a club.
And as it happened with Marrow
Bone so it happened with many Of the
folk. Unable to endure the smoke suf-
location, they rushed out to fall be-
meath the arrows. Some of the women
and children remained in the caves to
strangle to death, but the majority met
death outside.
When the fire men had in this fash
ion cleared the first tier of caves they
began making arrangements to dupli-
cate the operation on the second tier
of caves. 1t was while they were
climbing up with their grass and wood
that Red Eye, followed by his wife,
with the baby Folding to her tightly.
made successful flight up the cliff.
The fire men must have concluded that
in the interval between the smoking
out operations we would remain in our
caves, SO that they were unprepared,
anu tAtu d. LuNS ulU IUi Dtsoll " ny
till Red Eye and his wife We're well
up the wall When he reached the
top he turned about and glared down
at them. roaring and beating his chest
They arched their arrows at him, ard,
though he was untouched, he fed on.
l watched q third tier smoked out
and a fourth. A few Of the folk es-
capped up the cliff, but most of them
were shot off the face of it as they
strove to climb. | remember Long Lip.
He got as far as my ledge, crying pit
eously, an arrow clear through his
chest, the feathered shaft sticking out
behind, the bone head sticking out be-
fore, shot through the back as he climb
ed. He sank down on my ledge. bleed
ing profusely at the mouth.
1t was about this time that the up
per tiers seemed to empty themselves
spontaneously. Nearly all the folk not
yet smoked out stampeded up the cliff
at the same time. This was the saw
ing of many. The Fire People could
not shoot arrows fast enough. They
hALC0 kAC al WIN dLiO"S dAlu SCUTcS
Of the stricken folk came tumbnng
down, but still there were a few who
reached the top and got away.
The impulse of flight was now strong
er in me than curiosity. The arrows
had ceased flying. The last of the folk
seemed gone, though there may have
been a few still hiding in the upper
caves. The Swift One and started to
make a scramble for the clifton. At
sight of us a great cry went up from
the Fire People. This was not caused
by me, but by the Swift One. They
were chatteriIg excitedly and pointing
her out to one another. They did not
try to shoot her. Not an arrow was
discharged. They began calling softly
and coaxingly. I stopped and looked
down. She was afraid and whimpered
and urged me on. So We went I'D over
the top and plunged into the trees.