The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1922-07-06

Jerome saw reeds begin to snake in !
cane'brake to the left Of the spring
Look thar" he called, and three
rifles, with his own, covered the spot
A small brown arm was thrust above
the shaking reeds, with the palm of
the hand toward the fort-the peace
sign Of the Indian-and moment
later naked boy sprang from the
cane-brake and ran toward the block.
house, with bow and arrow in hi
left hand and his right stretched
above his head, its pleading palm
still outward
Don't shoot don't nobody shoot
shouted the old man. No shot came
from the fort, but from the woods
came yells Of rage, and as the boy
streaked through the clearing an ar.
row Whistled past his head.
LET him in!" shouted Jerome, and
as Dave opened the gates another ar
row hurtled between the boys up.
raised arm and his body and stuck
quivering In one Of its upright bars
The boy Slid through and stood pant
Ing, shrinking, wild.eyed. The arrow
had grazed his skim and when Dave
lifted his arm and looked at the ooz.
Ing drops of blood he gave a startled
oath, for he saw flash of white I'm.
der the loosened breech.clout below.
The boy understood. Quickly hs
pushed the clout aside on his thigh
that all might see nodded gravely,
and proudly tapped his breast.
"Paleface" he half grunted, "whits
man."
The wilds were quiet. The boy
pointed to them and held up three
fingers to Indicate that there were
only three red men there, and shook
his head to say there would be no
attack from them. Old Jerome studied
the little stranger closely, wondering
what new trick those red devils were
trying now to play. Dave made an
impatient gesture for silence
"What's your name?'' The boy shook
his head and looked eagerly around.
"Francais-FrencA?' he asked, and
In turn the big woodsman shook his
head-nobody there spoke French.
However, Dave knew little Shawnee,
a good deal of the sign.Ianguage, and
the boy seemed to understand a good
many words In English; so that the
big wOodsman pieced out his story
with considerable accuracy and turned
to tell 1t to Jerome. The Indians had
crossed the Big river were as many
as the leaves and meant to attack the
whites For the first time they had
allowed the boy to 80 on war party.
Some one had treated him badly-he
pointed nut the bruises Of cuffs and
kicks on his body. The Indians called
him White Arrow. and he knew he
was white from the girdle of uu-
tanned skin under his breech.clout
and because the Indian boys tainted
him Asked why he had come to the
fort, he pointed again to his bruises,
put both hands against his breast, and
stretched them wide as though he
would seek shelter IN the arms OF
his own race and take them to llfs
heart; aud for the first time a smile
came to his face thnt showed HIM
plainly as curious product of his
race and the savage forces that for
years had been moulding him. That
Smile could have never come to the
face of an Indian. No Indian would
ever nave so lost himself in bis own
emotions. No white man. would have
used his gestures and the symbols o!
nature to which he appealed. Only ar
Indian could Lave shown such 9
cruel, vindictive, merciless fire In his
eyes when he told of his wrongs, and
when he saw tears in Lydia's eyes, thu
first burning in his life came to hi
own, and brushing across them will
fierce shame he turned Indian stOit
again and stood with his arms folded
over his bow and arrows at his breast
looking neither to right nor left, a!
though he were waiting for judgmen
at their hands and cared little wha
his fate might be- as perfect from
head to foot as a statue of the anci
ent little god, who, in him. had for
saken the touches of love for the tent
Of war.