The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-08-05


the debate was In progress. s,o,ts q
! had remained then as now ~
Inc hour since elapsed his mind ba'
Deen Following the same track "a bar.
Inc same vision had been nresen, ;,
MS inner eye. He would fitng IN,
hrst stone; 1t was his right: bnt no,
at her. 1t should crush that batat
thing, with curling hair and light eyes
which had made him the laugblno
stock among his fellows. The Old Iaw
was good law. a Just one. Had no
ever beaten her? No, not once Had
he ever given her cause for cbavr,n ,
More fool he! You must beat WON.
an to make her respect you, and make
her Jealous If you would have her love
you.
"eli' he would be avenged on the
morrow; he should see her crushed
and broken, hanging in her bonds: that
pretty, round, smiling face streaked
with yermilion that was not paint
what was II he once heard that
priest say about forgiving? Did the
white men forgive such things? He
dld not think 1t. But that old priest
he was always talking about loving
those that despltefully used you.
Yes. that was how she would look
hanging there with blood running over
her face. He had seen a picture Ike
1t of man on a cross. A man that
was God, so the priest said. What
mad that to do with this? Bad peO-
pie killed Him because He was good.
Good people were going to kill this
woman because she was bad.
Yes, 1t would hurt her; she ought
to be hurt. How could you love peo-
pie that Stunned you? How long would
II take to kill her? He hoped no one
would hit her in the eye; that would
be bad. Would she scream? On the
whole, he thought he would 60 of
somewhere until 1t was over.
He threw himself on his back and
looked up into the sky. Somewhere
above that blue floor was a place for
the Indian. So the priest said, but
he had known 1t before. How many
spangles OF light there we're up
there-more and more as he continued /
to gaze. The blue vault seemed to
open into depth beyond depth he fan
cied II a series of caverns lncrusted /
with something sparkling like mica.
The nighthawks had ceased their
whirring, but borne on the utter still
ness was the silvery tinkle Of bells on
the team Of belated ore wagon He
heard them for a good while as the
mules toiled up the long grade through
the canyon below.
Sleep was sitting softly down upon
him from the Unreasonable silence
into which he was gazing, when the
little querulous cry of the infant IN
;tantly hushed upon fits mothers
breast, assailed his ear. he sprang
o his feet as II shot from q cata-
)ult and stood scowling.
A penetrating whisper reached his
,ar.
"Komolr
He gave no sign.
"Komo!" 1t came again, faint and
lear. cadenced like a death wall.
Still he was immovable.~
xii us noww
Motionless he remained.
The DibIlant whisper came again.
with woeful entreaty.
"Why have you waited so long? You
Tished to at first Why did you let |
he old man persuade your
Rigid he stood. {
Again the voice breathed In the dark ]
ess, kissing with scorn now. [
what shame to you No wonder .
he young men laugh at youl" q
Then he stirred. His hand sought 2
Is knife in the bosom Of his shirt. 8
Eyes, they Taught" shrilled the de- v
ding voice. "
Komo sprang forward and strobe d
ward the crouching heap over there o
the gloom His knife was out Il
Ill her? OF course he would. and her 81
mt. too. What had the rest Of them
do with this AFFAIR." Fl
His hand was raised to strike. and Il
did not. Why? I do not know. He q
d not know. Does any one Of US C
low, why. at supreme moments OF A
5 life he does not the thing he had "a
rposed, but some other? to
Instead. he stopped down and cut pf
e thongs that bound her ankles. ca
"Go!" he whispered hoarsely. nc
For an instant she lay, incredulous' be
wlldered: then got up slowly, stag mi
ring awkwardly upon her benumbed On
t. re-
Cor he repeated striking her upon tin
breast with his fist clenched on
handle OF his knife. r.,
And like a small creature released
m trap, like hunted coyote, ike
fitting shadow Of wing, she