The Coolidge examiner., 1931-10-16

boys face was wet, pulpy with
tears and sweat and fright. He
walked slackly, as though ex-
hausted.
wait" Sabra cut him some
bread from a loaf, sliced a piece
of meat left from supper. Here.
Eat this. Everything will be all
right in the morning."
The news got around. Perhaps
Doctor Valiant talked in drink.
Doubtless the girl who came in to
help her. Perhaps Isaiah, who
after a nights exhausted sleep had
suddenly become proudly paternal
and boasted loudly about the house
(and no doubt out of IT'D of the
size, beauty, and intelligence of
the little lump of dusky flesh that
lay beside Arita's bed in the very
cradle that had held Donna when
an infant. Arita was frantic to
get up. They had to keep her in
bed by main force. She had not
spoken a dozen words since the
birth of the child.
On the fourth day following the
child's birth Sabra came into
Arita's room early in the morning
and she was not there. The infant
was not there. Their beds had
been slept in and now were empty.
She ran straight into the yard
where Isaiah's little hut stood. He
was not there. She questioned the
girl who now helped with the
housework and who slept on a
couch in the dining room. She had
heard nothing, seen nothing. The
three had vanished in the night.
Well, Sabra thought, philosoph-
ically. they have gone off. Isaiah
can make out, somehow. Perhaps
he can even get a job as a printer
somewhere. He was handy, quick
bright. He had some money, for
she had given him, in these later
years, q little weekly wage, and
he had earned a quarter here, a
half dollar there. Enough, perhaps.
to take them by train back to Kan
sas. Certainly they had not gone
to Arita's people, for Big Knee,
questioned, denied all knowledge of
his daughter. of her child, of the
black boy. They could make moth
ing of him. His squaw, stout, ST.
lent, only shook her head; pretend
ed that she neither spoke nor un-
derstood English.
Then the rumor rose, spread, re-
ceived credence. Ii was started by
Pete Pitchlyn, the old Indian guide
to a Cherokee. and who had even
been adopted into the Cherokee
tribe. He had got the story from
a Cherokee who in turn had had it
from an Usage. The Usage, having
managed to lay hands on some
whisky, and becoming very drunk,
now told the grisly tale for the first
time
There had been an Usage meet
ing of the principal chief, old
HOwling Wolf; the assistant chief;
the eight members of the council,
which included Big Knee, Arita's
father. There the news of the girls
dereliction had been discussed, her
punishment gravely decided upon,
and that of Isaiah.
They mad come in the night and
got them-the black boy, the In
dian girl, the infantry what
means no one knew. Arita and her
child had been bound together,
placed in an untanned and uncured
steer hide, the hide was securely
fastened, they were carried then to
the open, sun-baked, and deserted
prairie and left there, with
guard. The hide shrank and
shrank in the burning sun, closer
and closer. day by day, until soon
there was no movement within il.
Isaiah, already half dead with
fright, was at MONDAY securely
bound and fastened to stake.
Near by, but not near enough quite
to touch him, was a rattlesnake so