The Yale expositor., 1917-02-01
CHAPTER xxIII.-cOntlnued.

she snrhnk dWuN lTOlu HIS ullAy
hand In unutterable loathing and
threw herself face downward in par
oxysm of weeping. The music of the
drums and flies had ceased. Outside
the camp buz7ec with activity. The
Prophet bent the red cup of his eye
less socket over q lapful of grotesque
amulets, muttering nominations to
himself.
Glrty passed his hand soothingly
over the trembling shoulders of the
girl, and patted the tangled, silken
cloud of her hair.
81 KANT blame We, my dear fur not
takin' a likin' to sech a ugly ole crit
ter as 1 be, but I've he'd hard life,
my dear, a hard life. been ornery,
I'll grant We, / been Ornery, but l been
obleeged to be. They's a lot O. pesky
mean men in this world, my dear, an
I've he'd to fight hard agin 'em. I've
been .waitin' fur a likely young gal
like you so es ] kin go into the settle
ments on the Cunady side and live
quiet, like a king. I'm askin' ye quiet
to go with me, ye seeT"
Toinette only sobbed.
"Ain't tibet fair, es l put il to ye'
What kin be fairer nor tibet? 1 Xiv
see tibet es pretty es picter-me ar
you a-settin' In front of the fire. me
a-readin' in the Book about the bleN
sed Lamb o. God. Oh, We may kno',
l was es gooc es any on 'em when :
was a leetle devil. l he'd a good OH
mother"
Toinette wondered TO near him name
his mother. she made no reply, ard
he suddenly burst in string Of tie
foulest oaths, cursing and blaspherl-
Ing. But he offered her no violence.
He still hoped 10 find some officer iN
Maiden who would pay a rich price
for her. And such a purchaser would
demand her physically sound. Fcr
this he had seen TO it that no war
rior had harmed her; and he meant
to claim his money in the end.
The drums had begun again, loud,
defiant; but instead of drawing nearer
their music passed farther and farther
away, fainter and fainter. Elkska-
tuwa stole cautiously from the tent.
Suddenly there swept over Toinette
the realization that Girty had lied
the flies were playing an air that red
coats never marched tO-the stirring
swing of "The Presidents March,"
She leaped to her feet, her eyes blaz-
ing. Fainter and fainter came the air
70 which she unconsciously fitted the
triumphant words:
who fought and bled in Freedoms
cause.
And when the storm Of war was past
"Listen" she cried. otis the men
from home" She faced Girty, and
all her days of dread. all her hours of
suffering were forgotten. 81 have
prayed to God and he has answered
me-"
For a moment Girty was silent be-
fore the white radiance of her faith;
but he threw off his hesitancy with
sneering laugh.
"a pretty lot of good tibet handful
O. sheep kin do" he snarled. "By sun
down fomorry Wen bring We ever one
of tb Ar wet skelps fur we to play
weth. He stepped hastily outdoors,
and assuring himself that the troops
had defllcd from view, he returned,
and, Selling Toinette's arm, dragged
her roughly from the tent. AS she
passed out into the raw November
wind, Toinette shivered.
aye kin see fer yerself they hain't
any on yer precious sogers brave
enough ter fight a papoose, let alone
oil those braves" he said tauntingly.
The, tnnumcrable warriors of the
Prophet, hideous in war-paint, stalk
ing to and fro among the tents of the
village, contemptuous of the cautious
whites, lent support TO his boast. Toll
nette looked helplessly from side TO
side, seeking some avenue of escape,
and hope died in her eyes.