The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-03-02

race he would have haTbored no objec-
tion~; but these women Of the North
land-nO, no, they were too soft, too
tender, for such enterprises.
Sitka Charley did not know this kind
OF woman. Five minutes before, he
did not even dream If taking charge
Of the expedition; but when She came
to him with her wonderful smile and
her straight clean English. ANA talked
TO the point, without pleading or per
>uading, he had inconrjnrHtly yielded.
Had there been a sutIurS> and appeal
70 mercy in the eyes 4 trciAbi" t. the
voice, a taking advantage ut Sex. he
would have Stitlrnpd to steel; instead
her CiearSearching eyes and clear
ringing voice her utter franknesS and
totit assumption Of equality. had rob
bed him of his reason. He felt then,
that this was new breed Of woman :;
ana ere they had been trail mates for
many days, he knew why the sons of
such women mastered the land and
sea, and why the sons Of his own wom-
ankind could not prevail against them.
Tender and soft Day after day he
watched her, muScie-weary, exhausted,
indomtahle, and the words beat in up
on him in perennial refrain. Tender
and soft He knew her feet had been
born to easy paths and sunny lands
strangers to the mOcCaSined pain of the
North, unkiSSed by the chill lips of the
frost, and he watched and marveled
weary day.
She had always a smile and word
OF cheer, from which not even the
meanest packer was excluded. AS the
way grew darker She seemed to stiff"n
and gather greater strength, and when
kah-Chucte and Gowhee. who had
Dragged that they knew every land
mark of the way as a child did the skin
bales Of the tepee, acknowledged that
they knew not where they were, it was
the curses Of the men. She had sung
to them that night till they felt the
WEAKNESS fall from them and were
ready 10 face the future with fresh
hope. And when the food failed and
each Scant stint was measured jealous
", she it was who rebelIcd against
the Vaccinations of her husband ana
Sitla Charley. and demanded ami re-
ceiyed a share neither greater nor
less than that Of the others.
Sitka Charley was proud to know
this woman. 4 new richness, greater
breadth, had come into his life with
her presence. Hitherto he had been
his own mentor, had turned to right
or left at no mans beck ; he had mould
ed himself according 10 his own die
tates, nourished his manhood regard
less of all save his own opinion. For
the first time he had felt a call from
without for the best that was in him.
just a glance of appreciation from
the clear-searching eyes, a word of
thanks from the clear-ringing voice,
just a slight wreathing of the lips in
the wonderful smile, and he walked
with the gods for hours to come. 1t
was new stimulant to his manhood;
for the first time he thrilled with
conscious pride in his wisdom of the
trail and between the twain they ever
lifted the sinking hearts Of their com
rades.
The faces of the two men and the
woman frightened as they saw him,
for after all he was the staff they lean
ed upon. But Sitka Charley, rigid as
was his wont, concealing pain and
pleasure impartialIy beneath an iron
exterior, asked them the welfare of
the rest, told the distance to the fire,
and continued on the back trip. Next
he met q single Indian, unburdened,
limping. lips compressed, and eyes set
with the pain of foot in which the
quick fought losing battle with the
dead. All possible care had been Ia
ken of him, but in the last extremity
the weak and unfortunate must per
ish, and Sitha Charley deemed his
days to be few. The man could not
keep up for long. 50 he gave him rough
words. After that came two
more Indians, to whom he had allotted
the task of helping along Joe, the third
white man of the party. They had de-
serted him. Sitka Charley saw ut
glance the lurking spring in their bod
les, and knew they had at last east off
his mastery. SO he was not taken I'M
aWareS when he ordered them back in
quest Of their abandoned charge, and
saw the CLEAN of the hunting knives
that they drew from the SheathS. \
pitiful spectacle, three weak men lift
ing their puny strength in the face of
the mighty vaStnesS; but the two re-
coiled under the fierce rifle blows of
the one, and returned like beaten dogs
to the leash. Two hours later, with
Joe reeling between them and Sitka
Charley bringing up the rear, they
came to the fire, where the remainder
Of the expedition crouched in the shell
ter of the fly.
"A few words, my comrades, before
we sleep" Sitka Charley said, after
they had devoured their slim rations of
unleayened bread. He was speaking
to the Indians, in their own tongue,
having already given the import to
the whites. "A few words, my COM
rades, for your own good, that We may
.1sbll Srir ynJYl