The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-05-16

But the sense of riding beside he
across the free desert transported hin
to the seventh heaven Of happiness
The Hottentot had disappeared; the,
were alone; he believed that within
an hour he would have solved the mys
terry and proved 1t nothing.
Yet even then he was vaguely con
sclous that something In his brair
checked the impulses of his heart
warning him, counseing prudence
questioning even his love.
The girl said nothing, and Winton
did not break the silence. The miles
were reeled off behind them; Winton
did not know how long they travelled,
but 1t was not yet dawn when the
desert began to give place to a range
of broken hills. They assembled defle
between two boulder-strewn elevations.
Now the character of the country had
changed. ImperceptibIy the desert fell
away There was green grass under
foot, an occasional cactus raised its
spiny joints among the rocks. here and
there were clusters Of acacias.
A man baboon barked at them from
among the rocks, in challenge OF their
invasion of his domain, hurled a stone
at them. and fed scrambling into his
cave. Though no life was In evidence,
there was that indefinite stirring
around them that betokens the prep
arations for day. A breeze came up;
then a line of amber appeared under
the cloud banks In the east.
Dawn was at hand as they rode
into the broken hills. Their horses
climbed steep slopes, dlslodging show
ers Of stones, then began to descend
into a fertile valley.
In the distance Winton could see a
cluster Of beehive huts, the headquar-
tiers of the native tribe. And stIll
neither he nor Sheila had spoken.
The Hottentot who had set off afoot
had arrived before them. He ap-
peared out of cleft in the mountains
and indicated to Winton that he was
to dlsmount. Wlntons and SheiIa as
cended a little slope afoot. toward
the village.
In the center was q clearing, already |
occupied by number of natives. They |
were naked, except for their loin |
cloths. and carried long throwing
spears and white ox-hide shields. AS
the two approached the chattering
ceased.
Wlnton perceived In the middle Of
them very old woman, wearing the
waist cloth and a gaudily-colored
blanket over her shoulders.
The natives sprnng to their feet as
Sheila drew near and uttered a deep
voiced salutation. She spoke a few
words, and silently they filed away into
the huts. The old woman, Winton,
and Sheila were alone in front of a
fire.
The aged woman raised her eyes
and fixed them on Winton's face.
WintOn looked at her intently. She
was not unprepossessing, and he could
see now that, like most of her race,
she had aged more quickly than the
years of white woman would have ,
Perhaps she was about sixty.
Her skin was the color of a dark ]
sunburned rather than pig
nented, and the features were regu- I
ar; the eyes lacked the semioblique |
letting of the Hottent0t's. 1t was clear 3
hat she had considerable, perhaps ,
preponderating proportion Of eau t
asian blood. n
pite of his minimizing Of her prom I
sed revelation he felt chill at his I
cart at the sight of her face. v
This is my mother" she said, and, h
ending kissed the old woman. h
Winton stood perfectly still. The
evelation had stunned him. AS In
ream he looked into the old creatures e
rinkled face. conscious Of Sheila's "
yes fixed on his own. bird broke e
Ito song; the tops of the mountains n
ere silhouetted against the red of the k
Ky; nothing seemed to STIR and the CT
lrd went on singing. 81
Shella beckoned to Winton,i and he y
)llowed her to the summit of the ele- e
alton. They were quite alone, look
lg down on the ring Of native huts, al
nd the doll-like figure of the old queen d.
the tribe, who had not stirred. Evil A
emily she had not understood what nj
bella had said. hi
Sheila faced Winton calmly. at Is m
our doing" she said quietly. 81 HI
anted You to leave me. Yes, l am W
lie daughter Of q white man and a 81
llf-breed native woman. CO
"After my father ran away from be
fearing capture by the po- bl
,e. he made his way into these ter hi
tories So much De Witt told you
e wanted to tell you the rest. Per 81
FPS It would have been better If he W
ID done so. but could not have 81
rne IL then, l had been honOred by W
u, as by none Of the men In MalopO 81
10 know who I am. A native woman,
e with the least speck of black blood
her, is always a native In their eyes In
1t not so IN your own land7" DC
Eyes" answered Wintob.
my father became a Native chief. su