White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-04-23
CHAPTER VIII-Continued

he was neaVy with DOUBT when the
march was resumed, for he saw the
bitter souls hidden in the breasts Of
the warriors. Hepsibah Adams had
made him see the truth, and he knew
these men owed nothing to the people
of his race except loss and shame.
Many times he had thought that, If
fate had placed his fortunes among
them, he would have hated with the
grimness of their hatred. The freedom
and pride which were once the heritage
of their wide domains were no longer
the controlling factors in their exist
ence. Their wars had ceased to be
wars which gave birth to forest gods
and epics Of unforgettable heroism.
Their star was setting, and with it's
decline the white man had trans
formed them into common killers, and
In this new calling 1t made small diff
ference to them whether they slew
enemies or those who posed as friends,
as long as the skins were white. So
the nobility which Toinette saw in
thar captors was poisoned for Jeems
by what was concealed within their
hearts. The greatest Of all hates was
not the hate of a man for a man, but
the hate Of race for race, and he
knew that at word from Tiaoga the
men about him would be turned into
6ends. Most Of all he feared Tiaoga,
for Shindas had told him that Tiaogas
father had been killed by a white man
and his son by an English Mohawk
Whatever their fate was to be, this
day would bring it. He was sure
Toinette could not keep up the pace
much longer, and he strengthened him
self for the moment when the Seneca
chief would find himself compelled to
give decision. That Tiaoga had
claimed her for his daughter gave him
hope, but If in her frailty Toinette
was condemned to die, he was deter
mined that she should not die alone.
It was not long afterward that the
warriors observed Tiaoga limping
slightly. This sign Of physical diff
Guilty increased in his walk until, furi-
GUS because of his weakness, he drove
his Ratchet head-deep into a tree and
paused to bind piece Of buckskin
tightly about the ankle he had
wrenched. Progress was slower after
this. It continued to slacken as the
afternoon waned, until the hand Of a
spiritual guidance seemed to be work
Ing for Toinette. 1t was useless to
attempt concealment Of her condi-
ton. Her strength was gone. Her
body was racked as If it had been
beaten. Another mile and she would
have sunk to the ground, glad to have
an end to her torture. But fate, and
Tiaoga's hurt, interviewed to save her.
They came at last to hardwood plain
In which was pigeon roost.
Tiaoga spoke to Shindas.
1--WE have been long time without
meat, Broken Feather. In a few hours
there will be plenty here. We will
feast and then sleep and will not
travel again until morning.
Then Shindas knew the truth, but
his countenance did not change.
He soon had chance to speak to
Jeems.
"For the first time l have discovered
my uncle to be great liar" he said.
Ellis ankle Is as sound as mine. It Is
for the little fawn he has pretended a
hurt and stops here for meat. She is
safe. He will not kill her.
When Jeems translated this Toinette
bowed her head and cried softly.
Tiaoga saw her. Crumpled on the
ground with Jeems' arm around her,
she looked like Silver Heels, with her
long black braid falling over her Shout
der. No one was conscious Of the
strain at his heart as he came toward
her. Warriors, wide-eyed, saw that
he did not limp, and in his attitude
was tigerish defiance of what they
might think. He paused before the
girl and dropped his beaverskin blan.
ket at her feet. Toinette looked up
through tears and smiled again as q
strange softness stole over the savage
face. He gazed at her steadily, as If
he were seeing spirit, and said:
"The soul Of Sol Yam MAXIMUM has
come to abide in your
Sol Yam Makwun was Silver Heels.
Tiaoga turned away, and his war.
riors knew that his decision had been
made. There would be no haste after
this in the direction of Hidden Town.
On couch made Of the beaverskin
and armsful of balsam boughs which
Jeems had carried from the creek
bottom, Toinette rested while the In
dians prepared for the evening feast.
She smoothed and rebraided her hair
as she watched them, and although
every bone in her body seemed to have
an ache of it's own, she felt sensa-
ton of complete relaxation stealing
over her for the first time since the
tragedy at Tonteur manor. The men
tai ease which came to soften her en-.
vironment embraced her in such
stealthy way that she was unconscious