The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-01-31

they slowly swayed to and fro. their
forms ripping tn an cYer-chanGSnS
rhythm.
1t was weird scene: nm anachronism.
To the south the nineteenth century was
! recling off the few years of its last de.
cade; here ilouriShed man prtmeral.
| shade removed from the prehistoric
cave dweller, forgotten fragment Of
he Elder World. The tawnE, wolf
dogs sat between their siiu-clad mas
tors or fought for room. the ilrrliGht
cast backward from their red eyes AMI
Shavered ianEs. The woods. In ghoSliy
Shr"ud. slept on rnh"sdlnS. Tile Nhi."
silence. TOR Tie, moment driven TO tho
trimming forest. seemed ever crushing
!: inward: tho stars danced with great
leaps. rs = their wont in the time Cf
III" Urea, Cold: while the Spirits Of III"
l'ols trailed their robes Of glory
athwart thu. heavens.
Srrun Mackenzie dimly realized rho
Wild grandeur or the setting as his
eyes ranged down the fur-trinSed Sides
III quest OF missing faces. Tccy rested
ling at its mothers naked breast. IT
was forty below-sevcnty and odd de-
grcss Of frost. He thought Of the ten
der women OF his own race and smiled
such tender woman had he sprung with
q klnEly Iuheritance-an Inheritance
which cave 10 him and his dominance
over tr~ ID and sea; OYER the animals
glc-handed against tivcscure. girt by tho
Arctic winter. far from his own. he Lett
the prompting OF his heritage. the do-
sire TO possess. the wild danGer-lovc. tho
thrill Of battle, the power TO conquer or
10 die.
The singing and the dancing ceased
and the Shan,an tlared up In rude elo-
quence. Through the sinuositIeS or their
vast mythology nc worked cunnlnG;i!
upon the credulity Of his people. The
case was strong. Opposing the creative
principles as embodied In the Grow and
the Raven. he stigmatized Mackenzie az
the Volt the lighting and destructive
principle. Not only was the combat OF
these forces spiritual hut men fought.
each to his totem. They were the chill
dren Of Jelchs. the Raven. the promo
thean fire bringer: Mackenzie was lne
child Of the Wolf, or, in other words;
the Devil. For them to bring truce
to this. perpetual warfare: TO marry
their daughters to the arch enemy. were
treason and hlasphemE, Of the highest
order. No phrase. was, harsh. nor figure
vile. enough in branding Mackenzie as
sneaking interloper and cmlSSary OF
Satan. There was n subdued. savage
roar in the deep chests or his listeners
as he took the swing OF his peroratlon.
GAY. my brothers Jelchs is all-power-
full: Did he not bring heaVsn-oorn IRE
that we. might be warm? Did he not
draw the sun, the moon. and stars from
their holes that we might see: ma no
Spirits Of Famine and of Frost? But
now JelchS is angry with his children:
and they are grown to q handful ana
he will not help. For they nave 19FGotss
ten him. and done evil things. ana trod
bad trails. and taken his enemies INTO
their lodges to sit by their fires Ana
the Raven is Sorrowtul 1T the wicked
ness OF his chi ldren: but when tneE
J back. he will come out of the darkness
70 Al them. o brothers! the Fire
Br;nger has whispered messages TO my
Shaman; the same shall We hear. Let
the young men take the young women :
TO their lodges: let them fly ut the
throat of the Wolf: let them he undying
in their cnmity: Then shall their. women
become fruitful. and they shall multiply
into mighty people: And the Raven
shall lead great tribes of their fathers
and their fathers fathers from out OF
the North: and they shall beat PACK Ine
Wolves till they are rs last years camp
fires; and they shall again come to rule
over the land! IT'S the message OF
Jelchs. the Raven.
This foreshadowinE Of the MeSsian
coming brought Il hoarSe how! from the
Sticks as they leaped TO heir teet Mac
kenzie slipped the thumbs Of his mt
tens. and waited There was n Cia'nor
for the Fox. not to be st1llsd tilI one
OF the young men stepped FORWARD 10
speak. o,.o,
wisely The Wol-cs have taken our
women. and our men are cn a.Si T,,, we
are grown to. Il handful. The NoiFeS
have taken our warm furs. and given
for them evil spirits which dwell IN
bottles. and clothes whichcome not from
tho beaver OF the lynx. but arc mace
from, the grass. And they are not ~arn'
and our men die OF strange SicknesScS.
!. the Fox. have taken no woman 10
wife. and why" Twice have the maid
ems which pleased ME gone TO the camps
OF the Wolf. Even now have laid ny
80 "a
the cariboo. that l might win favor IN
the ewes OF Thlins-rinnch. that L might
marry. Zarinski. his daughter. Even now
are her SNOW shoes bound TO hcr 1est.
ready to br"ak trail Tor the oosS OF INC
Wolf. Nor do l speak for myself alone.
As l have done. 50 has the Fear. he.
700 had fain been the father or neg
children, and many skins has ne cureo
thereto. l speak for all the young men
who know not wives: ne ,ho Wu ,ntn ths
choice meat at the killing. To the Rar-
ems arc left tho leaTlnEs ,,-
There is Gugkla.' lie cried hrutaaly
poirtinS out one OF tho woman. VINO was
ribs Of birch canoe. She cannot Eatnsr
v ord nor carry tEM meat or the hunters.
Did tho Wolves choose herr"
al: al vociferatcd his tribcsmen.
There is Moyri. whose eyes are cross
cd 10y the Evil Spirit. Even tho osnes
arc affrightcd when they gaze upon her.
aud it is said the baldface gives her
, tho trail. Was she chosen:
Again the cruel applause rang OUT
And there sits Pischet. She does not
tearken TO my. words. Never has she
beard the cry Of the cilit-cnar. the voice
Of her husband, the babble Of her child:
She lives in the White Silence. Cared
tho Wolves aught for her? No! Theirs
is tho choice Of the kill: ours Is tho
leavinEs.
brothers, It shall not be- NO moro
shall the Wolves sling among our camp
ircs. The t1me is come.
\ great streamcr Of fire. tho aurora
borealfs. purple. green, and yellow. shot
across the zenith. bridging horizon TO
horizon. With head thrown back and
arms extended. he swayed to his climax.
Behold. Tho spirits OF our fathers
have arisen and great deeds are afoot
this night"
He stepped back and another young
man somewhat difiidcntly came forward.
pushed on his comrades. He lowered
| full head above them, his broad chest
detiantlv barred to the frost. He swung
tentatively from one foot to the other.
Words halted upon his tongue. and he
was i'll at ease. His face was horrible
to look upon. for it had at one time
been half torn away by some terrific
blow At last he struck his breast with
his clenched fist. drawing sound as
from drum, and his voice runbled
forth as the surf from an ocrean cavern.