Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1916-05-24

lance ana sent fights of arrows against
us. This put an end to the rock throw
ing. By the time half dozen of US
had been killed and a score injured
the rest of us retreated inside our
caves. | was not out of range in my
lofty cave, but the distance was great
enough to spoil effective shooting, ana
the Fire People cid not waste many
arrows on me- Furthermore, | was
curious. l wanted to see. While the
Swift One remained well inside the
cave, trembling with fear and making
low wailing sounds because 1 would
not come in, crOuched at the entrance
and watched.
The fighting had now become inter
mittent. 1t was a sort Of deadlock.
We were in the caves, and the ques
ton with the Fire People was how to
get us out. They did not dare come in
after us, and in general we would not
expose ourselves to their arrows. Oc
casionally, when one of them drew in
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 a dozen arrows. This
ruse worked well for some time, but
finally the folk no longer were in
veigled into showing themselves. The
deadlock was complete.
Behind the Fire People 1 could see
the little wizened old hunter directing
it all. They obeyed 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
by 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-ire! At first wisps of
smoke arose and curled up the cliff.
Then l could see the red tongued flames
darling 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 1 saw clearly. He broke out
through the smoke. stepping on a
burning coal and screaming with the
sudden hurt of it, and essayed to climb
up the cliff. The arrows showered
about him. He came to pause on
ledge, clutching a knob of rock for
support. gasping and sneezing and
shaking his head. He Swayed back
and forth. The feathered ends Of
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 it's 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 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 We're
climbing up with their grass and wood
that Red Eye, followed by his wife,
with the baby holding to her tightly,