New Britain herald., 1922-02-22

ly forward and the three were haled
 before Erskine.
 Erskine rose and fixed his eyes
 sternly on the covering prophet:
 He shall go forth from the village
 and shall never return. He is false
 prophet and he must go." He turned
 to Crooked Lightning: Crooked Lightning shall go or
 stay, as he pleases. Black Wolf shall
 stay, for the tribe will need him as
 hunter and a warrior against the
 English foes of the Long Knives"
 The braves grunted approval. Black Wolf and Crooked Lightning averted their faces and the prophet shambed uneasly away
 Again old kahtoo proclaimed so- norously, Tt is we'll" and went back to his tent. There he sank weariIy on bnffalo-sllin and pleaded with the boy to stay with them as chief in his stead He was very old. and now that peace was made he was Wiling 10 die. If Erskine would but give his promise, he would never rise again from where he lay.
 Erskine shook his head and the o'd man sorrowfuly turned his face.
 And yet Erskine fingered on and on at the village.
 ot the white woman he had learned little other than that she had been bought from another tribe and adopt cd by old kahtoo; but it was plain that since the threatened burning of her she had been held in high respect by the whole tribe.
 He had never talked with her but he never moved about the camp that he did not feel her eyes upon him. And Early Morn's big sort eyes, too, never seemed to leave him. She brought him food, she sat at the door of his tent, she followed him about he village and bore herself openly as 1is slave.
 At last old kahtoo. who would not give up his great hope. pleaded with lim to marry her, and while he was alking the girl stood al the door of he tent and interrupted them. Her nother's eyes were growing dim Her mother wanted to talk with White \rrow and look upon his face before fer sight should altogether pass.
 Nor could Ersline know that the 'hite woman wanted to look into the yes of the man she hoped would be- ome her daughters husband, but >ahtoo did, and he bade Erskine go ,rskne rose and went to the white tent She sat just inside the pening, with a blanket across the nf | i'm with questions, and listened agerly 10 his every word and drew rom him every detail of his life as IT back as he could remember.
 Poor soul, it was the first oppor Inity for many years that she had , talk with any white person who ad been in the Eastern world, and 'eely and frankly he held nothing ack
 When in turn he questioned her, 1e told little, and his own native slicacy made him understand She, 70, had been captured with a son ho would have been about Erskines ,e, but her boy and her husband Id been killed. She had been made slave and-now she drew the blan- at across her eyeS-atter the DlTIn
 her daughter she felt she could yer go back to her own people. r. She loved her daughter; she would l 't subject her or herself to humilia- ,n among the whites, and, anyhow, ere was no one to whom she could |. Her concern was with her daugh- would become Of her? any young brave, besides Black off, had put his heart at her little ct, but she would have none Of em. And so Erskine was the aven sent answer to the mothers ayers-that was the thought be- nd her mournful eyes.
 All the while the girl had crouched ar, looking at Erskine with doglike es, and when he rose to go the man dropped the blanket from her