The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-08-05
HARSHNESS
OF THE OLD
LAW
:, pAr1ERMAN LINDSAY

y
'oo and NE elders had sat long ~ ue,lp
lave sjsD., NJ D.,,on around the fiickerine
on Of :, aaocu fire. There had beer
|g to ess. .stracted silences, broken Dy
L. w.. ,.r,y casual remarks from one
lar" boa, eu' -a, throat or another, untii III
ftion. Ron.' p'' 'aapen Then arose patriarch
cres ia ~ ,fsn,oo ON his staff, uttered MN
date !, .ossionately and at length
nr ~ smoke-dried blear-eyed, tooth
hi >, ,bo ares of youth seemed 10 re-
Ae popa - s',o hs sbrunken frame, as ne toid
zen daA nla 1. nost when the Piute had been
.Aouncsd sa,ont INTO himself; when by the
-'f Oh fa ',sas. NJ his bow, and the cunning
KS in Au '0 w. snsre and the industry Of his
saio and H ~S ba had been supplied with
NC 70 hand Nd raIment, dwellings and utensils
'ments W ~, for his needs; when he was
a'e banh W. tomperate. self-supporting and
na this M .n.i N his fate, be 1t good or ILL.,
Vi The sx md now. what was he? A beggar
ppolnted h hack doors, or a prisoner on reser-
1873 TO drs stIons: scofr, byword, slave to
h white mans frewater whenever
ra., Il could lay hands on it. His women
> Os h longer dug roots and cured 1es4
/, o. ~ ooer nd Ash. and dried berries, or woye
a., ~ ~ ratertIght baskets, or sewed robes or
director [sbbt skin. They ldled on the streets
cut Oh d n the white mans towns; or If they
OF coat ro,tsd at the white mans work, spent
ee'ing aT their gain on his gauds And now
.ro,, n was come to this: yes. this; and
Nv Wy h poInted his skinny, shaking fore
-7s finger at q figure crouching In the outer
the s-1 dusk.
o., Yet there were those among them
~'A ~ .ho snota of the harShnpss of the Old
revOrs Sno sP noso ~ yaatl,nos, who
ferer sa Law" 49, ,,,.,,,a 90 the,r v;,os
-' lt and daughters, If their bellies were
filled Better heap of stones on
his =, every hilltop than that their women
AZ q. should learn to think slightly of chas-
ali min tiy.
Jobu,o, Drive her forth indeed To what?
4 III, To be the prey and the sport Of the
,ive,,a, hereditary foe. That were not mercy,
d,o-, but crueer doom than that Of the |
Old Law. Let the woman 'explate on |
the hilltop at MORN as soon as the |
edge d quaws should have gathered heap |
Of he Of stones sufficient unto the work.
outh d Broken and exhausted with his pas.
sssya sion, the old man ceased and sat down,
we'd i. and there was silence. After time
npany middle-aged man arose. cast his
y fes vote for the death penalty and stalked
e The away into the outer darkness. Then
posh, another man stood and did likewise;
: san then another and another until all
we're gone but the shriveled denuncia-
Tor and one other. Lastly, the ancient
eoua raised himself painfully from the
ID at ground and addressed the silent man
give aross the fire. He did not seem to
e as MINK II necessary to ask his opinion.
lta You can guard her, for you will not
pre- Sleep he said. and hobbled away.
our The women and youths who had
tier oeen standing In mute and awe
ArucK circle around the judges now
o' dispersed quickly to their rest cur,
&c pushed out of his warm corner by a
Bis human occupant, yelped protestingly
D. and little importunate cry an
ee wered from the heap over there In
ed the obscurity.
10 out Vi H. woman drew herself to
st n'lng posture, and lifted I'D a
st papoose case, so that the child within
y .Ouiu .ake the breast. Unwilling be-
4 layer OF It's mother, with its pink skin
A.u gray eyes. what would befal 1t
.'er tomorrow's dawn? When she
'uOuio oe lying under heap Of stones ,
ma ma would they do with her baby7 ,
NV'nnsf Yes, that would be 1t. They
"'uu move camp at once, and the ,
papoose would be left to starve, or to
" ueVoured by coyotes. No heart :
.suiu De touched by its wailIng. Bet !
.e, should die with her. She would
AOu IL TO her breast. and perhaps II
"vuio receive the first blow. 1t would j..
no' lake much Of a stone to crush 40 u
small a thing 1o" 81
w,,r e saw IL all as 1t would happen. b
\. ne nrst light, the women would q
ho,. 'ahering rocks; the boys would E.
,no r. - .neir eagerness to get at the
.rs =, .neh they would lead her forth =,
,h.. nc ne, ner 10 something; 1t would be :. =,
hs s a,ae juniper growing by itself on u
AZ, ~. uii'top because 1t was the onIv
r. '.s suitable for such purpose with !, :,
49,, iauius OF miles. (For II was a u
...s es Iand) Then they would )"
O. oeiore her In semicircle
su anew how every face of them M
ha.. "vuiu look. wreathed In scoru and
b. H. Ihe women would taunt her
wh. nusoand would cast the first stone.
o,.. would 1t hit her? Would he Xix
Ia - ~ Kill or only to wound1 No. SCI
m "ou'd not wish her to die too soon otl
,toas "lsl one would be a very large for
pa, linen they would make a far. on,
VI ner The boys would wager ,bs
WIS themselves as to the exact snot =
", tnelr missiles should land. nl,
Or my should they wish to burt her, civ
The Ola harmed any Of them Is
ferior rooa 'ne savage law of an In glu
enkipd au. sui''ns to protect its wom- ing
Of conrsa s, superior one-yes. hor