Evening star., 1927-10-25

~ the whispering pines on Mount
A kildorne and dropped n crisp
II a dry leaf at the feet of an In
dian maid.
Ti-Bi-Wansi smiled and listened.
With a quick movement she tight.
ened the fur jacket about her and
glanced from the brown leaf at her
feet to the great pines that seemed to
taper into tiny bushes at the timber.
line. From the mountainside came
the sound of rustling pine cones.
"A message from him." she mur.
INJURED. 1T is the signal"
Ti-Bi-Wansi skipped briskly to the
fur-lined tepee at the foot of the val
ley. the last stand of the Col<ii tribe
before the advance of the white man.
1t was their only home, their reSer-
walton. She crept inside. Squaw Red.
sun Wansi sat upon the blanketetl
floor. and arose as the girl entered
= 'Ti-Bi-Wansis eyes were dancing
eager.
''The pines are Whispering tonight" "
she murmured eagerly. nesting in the
older woman's arms. They bring me
a message from him. With the moon
l Shall go" The old squaw brushed
a tear from her eye with furred
sleeve
''The food pouch is ready" the
squaw replied. But YOU must wait.
Soon the west winds grow and the
pines sing loud. Then you so 10 him
and they not know"
Ti-Bi-Wansi was vibrating with
life--eager for the chase. But she
waited beside Squaw Red-Snn Wansi
for the rise of the west wind.
At the lower end of the valley Chief
Redfire Wansi sat with his men
4, around The camp fire. The talk had
died and only the whispering of the
pines above could be heard. The
wind grew stronger and as an Indian
stirred the fire sparks from the blaZ-
Ing wood scared high in the air to
fall beyond the squatting men.
The chief broke the silence.
''The white man hides in the rocks
above the t'mher-lne. There is no
food above the trees, and there is no
wood But last night we see the white
mans fire. and he should die without
food" The chief paused moment.
He leaned toward his men. His voice
was lowered.
'Some one goes through our guards
and takes him food and fuel. Tonight
the guard is double. Warrior Moon
fire shall watch the pass"
Moonfire moved uneasilv and drew
mis- blanket closer about him.
Tomorrow" continued the chief
1--WE go above the trees after the white
man. But the one who takes him
food must be brought here tonight"
The words were followed by stony
silence.
Presently Moonfire arose and started
toward the mountain.
The Indians remained silent. Twenty
DAYS the white man had been trapped
on the rocky cliffs above the timber
line. and each day the vigilant Indian
guard had been changed. He had
wooed the chiefs daughter, and
among the Cokii the penalty for
white man was death. In a scuff1e
the suitor had escaped to the cliffs
with an ankle broken. Three war
riors guarded the pass through the
pines to the lower valley. The only
other means of escape was down a
steep pass, dropping from crag to
cragg, a feat impossible for a crippled
man.
Sauaw Red-Sun Wansi had heard
the chiefs orders to Moonfire from a
secret hiding place. She hurried back
to her tepee where Ti-Bi-W WanSi waited,
The girl arose as the old woman
entered shaking her head douhtfully.
She took the girl into her witheret
arms and said hoarsaly: "Moonfirc
watches the pass tonight. You must
go over the cliffs
Ti-BiWansi st1aightened and grew
tense. MANY a brave had perished in
that attempt. The light in her eyes
grew brighter as she seized the pouch
OF food from the floor Fear not me
Sduaw Red-Sun." she said. '.But if
with the sun ! am not returned take
this to him." She placed tiny flag
ger into the older woman's hand
''Tell him not To be taken by my
people"
Ti-Bi-Wansi slipped quickly out to
the foot Of the mountain and swung
to the west toward the cliffs. The
Indian guards would be listening, hut
tonight the pines We're singing in the
west wind and would deaden the sound
OF her football.
Ti-Bi-Wansi reached the upper ledge
In safety and exhaustedlv pulled her
self over the rock barrier. She Law
weary for moment on the fat rock
above the pass. Several hundred
Yards below she saw Moonfire and the
Indian guards nacing up and down
the onenin~. Slowly she arose and
started through the mines to the upper
rocks. There the white man eagerly
waited and saw Ti-B-Wansi through
the moonlit trees. A moment later
her beautiful body swayed in his arms
'TiBi-Wansi" he murmured. "Ti-
BiWansi.' She cried softly as he
kissed her lightly on the lips.
An hour passed and the moon crept
overhead. The lovers did not feel the
wind die down nor notice that the
singing pines had crooned themselves
to Sleep. Even the slightest sound
could be heard by the guards at the
pass below. The eagle eyes of Moon.
fire were trained on the mountainside,
and his ears were. eager for any
sound from the pine groves.
Ti-Bi-Wansi spoke to her lover.
Tomorrow they come for YOU They
know you get food. Tonight you must
go into the valley
The white man looked down at his
bandaged ankle. The Indians guarded
the pass and with it the cliffs were