Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1916-05-17

might have married, It is true, and
most likely l should have married had
it not been for the dearth Of females
In the horde This dearth, it is fair to
assume, was caused by the eXOrbitance
of Red Eye, and it illustrates the men
ace he was to the existence of the
horde. Then there was the Swift One,
whom l had not forgotten.
At any rate, during the period of LOp
Ears marriage l knocked about from
pillar to post, in danger every night
that / slept and never comfortable.
One of the folk died, and his widow
was taken into the cave of another one
of the folk. / took possession of the
abandoned cave, but it was wide
mOuthed, and after Red Eye nearly
trapped me in it one day returned to
sleeping in the passage of the double
cave. During the summer, however, l
used to stay away from the caves for
weeks, sleeping in a tree shelter made
near the mouth of the slough.
I have said that LOp Ear was not
happy. My sister was the daughter of
the Chatterer, and she made LOp Ears
life miserable for him. In no other
cave was there so much squabbling
and pickering. If Red Eye was Blue
beard, LOp Ear was henpecked, and
imagine that Red Eye was too shrewd
ever to covet LOp Ears wife.
Fortunately for LOp Ear, she died.
An unusual thing happened that sum-
mer. Late, almost at the end of 1t, q
second crop of the stringy rooted car
rots sprang up. These unexpected Sec
Ond crop roots were young and juicy
and tender, and for some time the car
rot patch was the favorite feeding
place of the horde. One morning early
several score of us were there max
ing our breakfast. On one side of me
was the Hairless One. Beyond him
were his father and son, old Marrow
Bone and Long Lip. On the other side
of me were my sister and LOp Ear,
she being next to me.
There was no warning. On the sud
den both the Hairless One and my
sister sprang and screamed. at the
same instant / heard the thud Of the
arrows that transfXed them. The next
instant they were down on the ground.
fOundering and gasping, and the rest
of us were stampeding for the trees.
An arrow drove past me and entered
the ground, its feathered shaft yibrat-
ing and Oscillating from the impact or
its arrested flight. l remember clear
II how / swerved as / ran to 60 past
it and that I gave it q needlessly wide
81, of nC q
horse SHES at an object it fears.
LOp Ear took a smashing fall as he
ran beside me. An arrow had driven
through the calf of his leg and tripped
him. He tried to run, but was tripped
and thrown by it a second time. He
sat up, crOuching. trembling with fear
and called to me pleadingly. | dashed
back. He showed me the arrow.
caught hold of it to pull it out, but the
consequent hurt made him seize my
hand and stop me. A flying arrow
passed between us. Another struck
rock, splintered and fell TO the ground.
This was too much. pulled suddenly
with all my might. LOp Ear screamed
as the arrow came out and struck at
me angrily But the next moment we
were I'm full flight again.
| looked back Old Marrow Bone,
deserted and far behind. was tOttering
silently along in his handicapped race
with death. Sometimes he almost fell,
and once he did fall; but no more ar
rows were coming. He scrambled
weakly to his feet. Age burdened him
heavily. but he did not want to die.
The three fire men, who were now run
ming forward from their forest am
bush. could easily have got him, but
they did not try Perhaps he was too
old and tough But they did want the
Hairless One and my sister, for as
looked back from the trees / could see
the fire men beating in their heads
with rocks One of the fire men was
the wiZened old hunter who limped.