The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-12-02

fhey had pressed On. away fro- TIRE
iroc6sn routes 70 nor1h azr south
sfrzi q. into fhe Ees,- slEays Uesi-
ward ars5 70 the nor-h. unfh = party
% dusty ho-seneo had -f55en ihsu
douu. rcbt.-d tfem and rgrned fheEn /
hack Pzriey Vas useless Andrews
father spoke q language they under
sfood; Jet they gave bat one reply \
Brokeu with defeat the white nan 1
ars his 80 and two drivers returned 4
% the village q ShsD-suns- Their 1
czrneI1s eses we're black and loose 1
win co-inE Death
Andrew March. when be vas thirty I
ieff his father tn Peking- and starred I
westward with swimmer caravan. I
TIis wife went win hiD--s hiEh-horu I
Irish riri -ho refused 20 stay hack.
So.neihlns In the great Ciobi had rnsE-
nelized her. .s ~eil- Her lovers quest
vas her oWn. She loved tie twisfy ,
cd villages of the interior. loved the
Fog over the miliei feiis. tire peasants
who vent about half dead with s=e
and disease. and she was ready 70 sing
~hen the sun came through upon the
dripping tiles OF a farmers cottage
Bot she could not stop In the pleasant
lanes that wandered np from the
marshes Like Andrew. in whom she
believed. she was yearning for the
secret % the desert though she could
give M reason. In the world. we are
eriled.- she had said. and possibly
che thought their exile would end II
they could md the heart Of Mongolia.
Through that memorable summer
she had ridden beside her husband.
Andrew March planned q southern
approach from the Chen-tan break In
the Wall. where the forests are thick.
IN autumn The camels grew fat and
the winter months found ussin plOd-
ding through the rain and snow Of
| the sheltered ridges. Spring came.
and the wanderers turned Eorthward.
following the ciearings through the
woods. Eifhna's heart beat high.
But as they j3urDeyed. the trees fall
/ ed In the rocky earth. and an unreal
summer stifened the spine OF every
F, camel. The sand blazed on sli sides.
I sparkling upon worn rocks. Andrew
had striven 80 smooth all things for
bis Eifhna. She laughed at his wor-
ries. She was drawing closer 10 the
heart Of beauty aud romance.
They halted IN a bleak settlement
where stream had once passed Now
Z but a muddy spring remained. Md
summer beat into their bodies
Eithna's child was bOrn-the only
new. clean thing within a thousand
miles.
Perhaps the irnmensity of sky. the
staring emptiness Of the horizon. az
fected the rosy newcomer. There
was no wall 81 sorrow from her TIM
lips. only a deep-drawn murmur. ~
their hut the Tartar woman. gaunt and
hairy was an .unsuspected miracle Of
tenderness and saEacity.
In the following spriag. when ihe
glare ~ The daytime was accompanied
hy swelling heat. Andrew with his
wife AMI child sei forth again. There
Was no trail The camels were M
easy. Andrcw WIS worn. He ioDged
10 go on. as Eithna did yet the I'M
puise In iarp back was strong within
him. But she. had told him lightly
and perhaps truly. that China 10 the
sortb and east would be quite as IN
convenleDt and much less sanitary
than the 3athiess land before them
The child grayely regarded sand
rocks and the clear SKY. and learned
20 laugh happily whenever Andrew
come 20 take her. A doll was made
OF silks and iackai bone. A shining
fizard was also added to the Marct
family for her entertainment
The beasts grew thin and dry. m,
wind. a monster serpent OF the air
swept before them and over them
reddened the camels' eyes and dnrken
ed their milk. In Eithna's cheeks IN,
color deepened. and she refused q
turn hack. Andrew lost count u tbs
days Two Of the pack-anlmals wer,
Killed for food and drink. and q third
went down for the lack Of the same
The bahy girl ProSpered. and Eithna
whispered her songs under the star
light Of grotesqne world.
The riders came. From out the
west \ little 10 the north they appear
~. a dozen or more-huge men mount
Cd on shOrt-legged horses. shaggy and
half wild. They Eere silver-eyed
Hamliic msH. their movements as In
comprehensive as their words They
circiec about the young fsther. and as
they drew In closer. he was ready q
IRE on them and eight II out Bur his
legs became suddenly weak. and the
sky reeied earthwari-and when BE-
awakened il was deep night. The
. desert was silent and horrible. III.
body ached felt thick and clumsy
Then be found the tiny feathered dart
still ciingins 10 his shoulder where
;hry had blown II. the poisoned hart
l-ns.i-r the skin Andrew had been IN
conscious Tor hours Eithna and ths
I .H.rHH ,.4.sr.. .rrra