Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1933-10-26

~ All AWChAJ
village. Big blow come up, we blow
tcoyered canoes) put out from lgnak
away. far. far against shoal. My
Kayak get through reefs, all the rest
lost"
But why did you stay here7" Eric's
voice seemed to tremble a little. sWhy
didn't you go back to your own peo-
ple,"
NO can get back. Rocks, current.
plenty wind. When wind she no
blow, big deviEwave he drown you.
no let you get by" He shook his head
sadly. mo. no 60"
They don't know any pass through
the reefs?1
y pass. Anyway. they got taboo.
They no believe when ! say plenty
Aleuts live Ignak island. They think
all other Aleuts dead long time ago.
They no believe me Aleut too no look
like them. They say only death live
there" Again he pointed to the south
Eric moved two steps forward and
spoke tensely into Chechaquo's ear.
But couldn't you leave here on a
ship Surely a trading vessel comes
here every Year,
C~hechaquO shook his head long and
mournfully. mo trading boat come.
C~hechaquo no have tea. sweet cracker,
tobacco for many suns"
How long since there's been a ship
here?" Fries words cracked.
The old Aleut looked dazed. mo
ship ever come here. No ships get
through reefs till you come, not know
this island here. Long time ago, may
be-so Fireheart say. But old men,
they never see ship before"
Il don't believe all that" 1t was
Roy's voice, shaken a little. but strong.
"He wouldn't have remembered Eng
fish all these years; as soon as !
heard him speak, / knew that he'd
been talking 1t regularly
"~Fireheart, she make me remem-
Der" Chechaquo explained patiently.
II teach her white mans talk-she
make me-she and me speak every
day, so she no forget. No n else
speak i%tiust Observation-Disclosures"
"Then she must be a chechaquo,
too9"
she what you call priest, woman
priest Long time ago. before old
| mems fathers ever born, when big
whale he little fish. holy man come
here from setting SUM-" He pointed
toward Siberia. HE say-no worship
devil, worship God. build church. like
on Tgnak island. He no can go, like
| me. so he marry Aleut woman Fire
heart, she his seed, so she holy, too.
She know secrets, make medicine.
| Little drop white blood In her yet, so
| she think, talk, wonder about white
mans country. She like talk white
mans talk, make her feel proud"
Horton, duly staring, passed his
hand dazedly over his eyes. shivered,
and stepped forward. TITS just a
matter OF inducing some of the ma
tives here to go through Il strait and
bring help. isn't it?" he asked, with
d distant echo of his old manner
Possibly, IL they could go direct
from deep water into the strait, and
not have to hunt through the reefs
and shoals. But II they don't know
where 1t is, how can we tell them ]
Do you remember those compass bear
Ings, lost with the log? / DON'T
II don't, of course, but they could
find 1t somehow. / can get 'em to go.
TIL pay 'em anything they want"
-payY Chechaquo echoed the word
In wonder. You mean money!"
-Of course. All they ask
-They no want money. People here
not know what money means. / tel
'em, they Just laugh. You no fighi
taboo with money. He no good here
Yes, for the first time In Horton'i
life, the little leather-backed god II
his pocket was impotent. Suddenly
he looked gray and old. He coult
not be counted on greatly. In tn,
stern trials to come.
BY now Sandomar's gang had landed
two hundred yards down the beach
but remained sullenly apart. The,
had mutinied and shed blod on tn,
high seas-forever they were beyont
the pale-and even on this lost Isle
the shame could not be forgotten. al
ready Eric believed that the die wa,
cast for war. With eyes indrawn ant
grim he watched Petror. the littl,
Russian. edge away and saunter dowr
the beach to join his fellows.
But Eric found a cheerful word fol
the bewfIdered millionaire beside him
Wen get out of here somehow. Hor
tom Now let's go to the fire, and ga,
nothing to the others until we can ge
all the facts"
I've got enough OF 'em already
Roy said coolly. "Why not face them
We're marooned here for months
years. possibly all our lives Tn,
coast guard WIN look for us. but they1
never penetrate this shoal; the In
trepid II just another ship lost witt
nil hands"
But didn't you leave word wher'
you were headingTs
1T Was a great secret !" Roy smiles
bitterly. -How I guarded that pre-
cious daryl But a You say, we won