Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1934-04-18
II--Continued

2
Now she said, Hello, Two
Fingers. How is she this morning7"
Bad" he said briefly and reached
for Darkness rein.
Sonya swung down and took off
her saddlebags.
AS she entered the hogan her
lips set themselves In a sharp, I'M
conscious line. Bad was right, she
thought. There was the smell Of
death here. She would need to
grid her loins today In all truth.
At first the dusky shadows hid
the interior from her sight. Then,
as her eyes adjusted themselves,
she set down her bags and knelt
beside the first heap of skins and
blankets which lay on the sandy
floor.
There were three of these fiat
beds. In the farther one the two
children still slept heavily. In this
n Little Moon lay painting with
fever, her big black eyes beautiful
in the dim light.
Courage. little mother" Sonya
said In Navajo, II am with YOU"
The Indian woman smiled, touched
her hand with timid fingers.
She took the draught which the
other gave her presently, and
watched her as she set about cook
ing oatmeal over the Goals Of the
tiny fire.
This 1t was which had made
Sonya the idol of these poor and
silent people, this service Of heart
and hand which had saved them,
literally, from death In many cases.
She fought for what sanitation she
could produce among them, taught
them the Importance OF proper feed
ing In fevers, the superiority OF
mustard plasters over singsongs In
pneumonia, and labored generally
like a mother with her children.
Now she bathed the hot brown
body under the blankets, gave Lit
tie Moon the thinned cereal as q
drink, walked and washed the
children, fed them the rest of the
oatmeal, ate two pieces Of fried
mutton and some crackers with
Two Fingers, and stood for a while
outside the hogan In the morning
sunlight.
She felt wonderful herself, strong
and high within, as II she sci
her body against a wall and could
not be backed down This was
the gauge of battle In her, that she
knew, the deep determination Il
win In what she set herself to do
the passionate sympathy and pity
which we're like q steel blade In
her.
She looked up at the high blue
sky with Its sailing, full whit,
clouds, her mind an attitude o.
prayer, and turning, lifted thu
blanket which was the door, ant
went In.
Two Fingers gathered the babies
and made ready to depart, accord
ing to her request made a momen
back. She wanted the day alone
clear visioned for the crisis, moth
ing within sight to distract her
The man looked down at the WON
an on the low bed, holding on
child, leading the other, and thu
woman looked up.
They said nothing.
It might be their last look oil
earth, their eternal parting, for al
they knew, yet there was no outcry
no sign of sorrow, nothing but tina
deep look. Perhaps nothing NOR
was needed.
Then Two Fingers went away
and the women were alone In tn,
hogan.
we uu1t ucCh hhu hrAhyp &hi'
Sonya, still In N~avajo-there was
comfort In II, a strength, 1t scenes
but we meet him together.
hold your hand tight to mine. W
must both fight, very hard. TIL
medicine will fight, too. 1t Is a goo
lighter. But not for q momen
must We fail or sink or stop nghi
ing. You understand"
The other nodded.
ut is good" said Sonya-
And the day Of battle began
Somewhere out In the sand an
rocks of Chez wash Two Finger
would be praying to his ancien
gods, sitting quietly, perhaps, watch
ing the babies playing with sticks
building corrals for their pebbl
borsaa He had some mutton Jerk