The Ordway new era., 1917-04-27
CHAPTER xxlll.-continued.

She shrank away from his filthy
aand in unutterable loathing and
threw herself face downward in par
,xysm of weeping. The music of the
drums and flies had ceased. Outside,
the camp buzzed with activity. The
Prophet bent the red cup of his eye
less socket over lapful of grotesque
amulets, mutterins incantadons to
himself.
GIrty passed his hand soothingly
over the trembling shoulders Of the
giil, and patted the tangled, silken
cloud of her hair.
81 KANT blame ye, my dear fuI not
takin' likin' to sech a ugly ole -:rit-
my dear, q hard life. / been or1ery,
I'll grant ye, been ornery, but 1 been
obleeged to be. They's lot O. pesky
mean men In this world, my GsAr, an
I've he'd to fight hard egin EN-. I've
been waitin' fur a likely young gal
Ike you so es kin go into the settle
ments on the Canady side and live
quiet, like king. Tn askin' ye quiet
to go with me, ye see?"
Toinette only sobbed.
"Ain't thet fair. es I put It to ye?
What kin be fairer nor thet? I kin
see thet es pretty es q picter-me an
you a-settin' in front Of the fire, me
a-readin' in the Book about the bles-
sed Lamb o. God. Oh, ye may know
I was es good es any on 'em when I
was a leetle devil he'd a good old
mother''
Toinette wondered to hear him name
his mother. She made no reply. and
he suddenly burst in string of the
foulest oaths, cursing and blasphem-
ing. But he offered her no violence.
He still hoped to find some officer in
Maiden who would pay rich price
for her. And such purchaser would
demand her physically sound. For
this he had seen to 1t 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.
Su6des:ly there swept over Toinette
the flies We're 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 afr
to 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. "'Tis the men
from homer She faced Girty. and
all her days of dread. all her hours of
suffering were forgotten. Il 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 thet handful
o. sheep kin do" he snarled. "By sun
down tomorry we'll bring ye ever one
of their wet skelps fur We to play
weth." He stepped hastily outdoors,
and assuring himself that the troops
had defiled from view, he returned,
and, seizing Toinette's arm, dragged
her roughly from the tent. AS she
passed out inSo the raw November
wind, Toinette shivered.
"Ee kin see fer yerself they hain't
any on yer precious sOgers brave
enough ter fight a papoose, let alone
all these braves" he said nuntingly.
The innumerable 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. Toi-
nette looked helplessly from side to
side, seeking some avenue of escape,
and hope died in her eyes.