White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-04-30
CHAPTER IX-Continued
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Tiaoga and his warriors moved
slowly. They were like bronze men
without flesh or emotions. Their
heads were high, their bodies straight,
their jaws set hard as they stalked at
a death-march pace between the col
umns of their people. Jeems fell into
this rhythmic movement as the mouth
OF the torch monster began to swallow
them. And then with eyes that be-
came flame-lit pools Of fear and ex-
haustion Toinette saw that not hand
gave sign Of rising against them.
The torches coughed and f1ared, but
not a spark touched their skins In
passing. No eyes cleaned hatred at
them. No fingers clenched, no hand
was raised. The things she had heard
In the land of her people were lies.
The Indians killed in war but they
did not torture. They did not pull out
eyes and thrust sticks through CULVER
Ing flesh. They were men and women
and children like all other men and
women and children. These truths
she thought she had discovered for
herself.
But one thing she did not fully
know. She might have learned 1t had
she caught the low-voiced whisperings
which followed the passing of the war
rior: "She Is Tiaoga's daughter-she
is the spirit of Sol Yam Makwun re-
turned to us in the f1esh-now our
good fortune will return-the sun will
shine-light and laughter will come
for Sol Yam Makwun Is here, out of
death to live with US again!"
They crossed field of darkness
toward the fires, and when they came
among them Tiaoga was marching in
Jeems' place and Jeems had disap.
peared. She had not sensed his going
or Tiaoga's presence, and before she
knew that Jeems was no longer among
the warriors, she found herself stand
Ing alone with the Seneca chief, the
people gathering in circle around
them. Tiaoga began to speak. Els
voice renewed her confidence as she
searched for Jeems. He was describ-
storing Silver Heels to her people. It
did not take long for Tiaoga to tell his
story. His voice rose. His Scared
and bitter face assumed a strange
gentleness, and Toinette knew that
Jeems was safe though she could not
see him. She waited, trembling, and
at last Tiaoga was finished and stood
for moment with appraised hand
amid a great hushs-then spoke a sim
gle name, Opitchi. A girl, the Thrush,
sprang forward, and as she came
Tiaoga took the slave collar from
Toinette's throat and crushed it into
the earth with his moccasined foot.
A murmur ran through the circle.
Tiaoga stood with his arms folded
across his breast, and Toinette felt
the hands Of the Thrush drawing her
away.
= They paused at the edge of the
circle, and for a little while no one
moved or spoke. Then there was a
break in the ring behind the Seneca
chief, and through it came Jeems, es-
corted between Shindas and another
warrior. Toinette gasped and almost
cried out. There was an amazing
change in Jeems. He was stripped to
the waist and painted in stripes of red
and yellow and black. His face ap-
peared to be cut in crimson gashes.
His thick blond hair was tied in
warlock from which streamed a
feather showing he had killed man.
At Tiaoga's command there advanced
from the circle an old man with q
wizened face and white hair and a
younger man whose form was bent al
most double because Of deformity.
Behind these two came little girl.
The old man was Wuskoo, the Cloud.
The younger was his son, Tokana, or
Gray Fox, name Of which he had
been proud in the days before a tree
fell on his tepee and crooked his back,
when he was the fastest runner in the
tribe. Tiaoga spoke again. He exulted
In the fortune which had sent another
son to Wuskoo, son with white
skin and strong body who would
care for him and who would be
brother to Gray Fox. With his thin
and quivering hands, Wuskoo took
the slave collar from Jeems' neck and
stamped 1t joyously into the ground
while the broken Gray Fox raised a
hand in brotherhood and friendship.
There was something so wistfully
sweet in the big dark eyes of the
little Indian maiden that Jeems drew
her to him and put an arm protect
ingly about her. It was then Toinette
left the Thrush and ran to him, so
that all saw her held in his painted
arms, with Wanonat, the Wood Pigeon,
a happy partner in the moment when
Toinette proudly and q bit defiantly
told Chenufsio and through it the
whole Seneca nation that this was the
man to whom she belonged.
Like food burst loose from a dam,
the night of feasting and rejoicing
began. It was preceded by combat
among the dogs In which Odd estab-