The Coolidge examiner., 1931-11-13

about, darkness, silence. Only that
pulsing cry and rattle and beat
pounding through the night like
the tide. What If he is not there?
thought Sabra.
Sol Levy pulled up in the road
way before the trampled yard that
| held the Mescal tepee, round, to
| typify the sun. built of wood,
| larger than any other building on
the reservation. The horses were
frightened. restive. All about in
the blackness you heard the stamp
of other horses hoofs, heard them
crunching the dried herbage of the
autumn prairie. With difficulty he
CROPPED his way to stump that
Served as hitching post, and tied
the horses. AS he helped Sabra
down her knees suddenly bent, and
he caught her as she sank. "Oh :
It's all right. Stiff, | guess-from
| the ride" She leaned against him
moment, then Strengthened deter
minedly. He took her arm firmly
Together they made their way to-
ward the tent-shaped wooden tepee
Two great, silent blanketed fig
urS at the door through which the
fitful flame of the sacred fire flared
The figures did not speak. They
stood there, barring the way. The
little Jew felt Sabra's arm trem-
bling in his hand. He peered up into
the face of the silent. immobile
figures.
Suddenly. Hello joel" He turned
TO Sabra. ITS Joe Yellow Eyes.
He was in the store only yester-
day. Say, Joe, the lady here-Mrs
Cravat-she wants her son should
come out and go home"
The blanketed figure stood silent
Suddenly Sabra thought. This
/ is ridiculous"
She lOoSed her arm. She took a
step forward, her profile sharp and
clear in the freight II am the
woman of Yancey Cravat, the one
I you call Buffalo Head. If my son
is in there | want to take him
home now. 1t is time"
Sure take um home" replied
the Indian that Sol had addressed
as Joe Yellow Eyes. He stood aside
Blinking, stumbling a little, Sol
and Sabra entered The crowded
, Mescal tepee.
The ceremony was almost at an
end. With daybreak it would be
| finished. Blinded by the light, Sa-
bra at first could discern nothii. :
except the central fire and the fig
ure crouched before it. Yet her
eyes went this way and that,
searching for him. Gradually her
vision cleared. The figures within
the tepee paid no attention to
those two white intruders. They
stood there in the doorway, be-
wildered, terrified, brave.
In the center crescent of earth
about six inches high curved
around a fire built of sticks so ar
ranged that as the ashes fell they
! formed a second crescent within
the other. A man squatted, tend
ing this fire, watchfully, absorbed
| ly In the center of the crescent
upon a little star of sage twigs, lay
| the meScal, symbol of the rite. Fac
ing them was the chief, old Stump
Horn, in the place of honor. the
emblems of office in his nands-
the rattle, the wand, the fan of
eagle plumes. All about the tepee
crouched or lay blanketed motion
less figures. Some sat with heads
bowed, others gaZed fiXedly upon
| the central mescal button. All had
been eating the mescal or drinking
brew in which it had stepped.
Now and then a figure would slow
! ly draw the blanket over his head
| and sink back to receive the vision.
And the song went on, the shaking
of the gourd rattle, the beat-beat
of the buckskin drum The air of
| the room was sitting, the room it.
! self scrupulOuSly clean.
At intervals around the wall, and
almost level with the dirt floor,
were apertures perhaps sixteen
inches square. A little wooden door
was shut upon most of these. Near
/ each lay figures limper. more spent